Originally posted by Gary Kopp Thank you all, for such good advice. I am writing this all down and doing internet look ups. As one member asked what kind of photography interests me. I seldom shoot indoors, aside from shooting my cats or a friend. I mostly shoot urban and city streets and interesting architecture and details. I also head out to the country side and shoot nature in assorted settings. No so much wildlife.the lens I’m starting with is the Pentax DA 18-135mm lens,after reading many comments that it’s a good start. My work I post on Instagram as @gar_kopp. Again thank you for such a warm welcome and so much worthwhile advice. I plan to spend a good deal of time learning from these forums.
Very nice images on Instagram and we get an idea of what you are shooting. And of course that will change to as you get different capabilities and opportunities. It's already been said that here on Pentax Forums we're great at helping other spend their money. You have a great start with the K-70 and 18-135. Here's the suggestions I'll throw out:
Good memory cards, I think Sandisk is the best, you probably have those for your Panasonic.
Extra batteries - They don't have to be Pentax, I have several just in case.
Bag, you probably have one already. I'm partial to sling bags, for ease of use and quick access, and I prefer to travel light. I have two different sizes of ThinkTank Turnstyles, great bag. I don't always carry a bag when shooting, but when I do, these are great. But there are a lot of great bags out there, new ones every day.
Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloths - You have to have a few of theses. Just a little breath on the glass and wipe with these. I have got these in many places including eye doctors. Sometimes you may see them given away for free. I have one thats that have
company names on them such as Honda, VSP, and Harley Davidson (that one actually came with a pair of glasses.
Rocket Blower - use for blowing dust off of your lens or camera sensor.
Tripod - Excellent accessory for nature, architectural, landscapes. There are a lot of good tripods out there, and even more bad ones. Makes sure they are rated (both legs and head) for far more weight than your equipment. I recently bought a Sirui Travel Tripod and Head that were both rated for over 25 pounds. I wasn't really looking for the new tripod but it was on a B&H Deal Zone daily deal and a good chance to upgrade without breaking the bank. What I'm saying there is be patient, deals can come along. I would also recommend getting a tripod head that is Arca Swiss compatible, that is a standard that many manufactures use, so it's very easy and inexpensive to get extra quick release plates.
Circular Polarizer, a nice accessory for some of the nature shooting especially. Some day you may want a neutral density filter, but not yet. And don't waste money on UV filters, they don't help on digital and the lens hood will protect your lens, and always use a hood.
Nice to have, maybe needed, a
sling strap for the camera. I have a couple Black Rapid straps, which I highly recommend, using the neck strap was giving me neck aches, the sling strap cures it.
There are so many accessories for sale that are just not useful to me, but they may be for somebody. And some stuff depends on how you organize things, how much stuff you want to haul around, etc. Just think about what you buy and how you would use it. Most of us have a bunch of stuff that we don't use. Some online stores like to give you "freebies" when buying a lens or camera, better to get it that way than buy it since most of it is not useful.