[rarsdk]

Hello, everyone!

As I recently got my first Pentax ever, a K5 with a waterproof lens (the 18-135 WR) I felt that I should at least join this forum, which I feel is more sincere than forums of the big brands Canon and Nikon, in the sense that you ( or we as of now) are a bit more enthusiastic about your/our brand.
And I must say that the K5 has surprised me in a positive way. It is the first camera that has given me exactly what I wanted, right there, with no tweaking of any settings whatsoever. And the handling and ergonomics are just great.
About me:
I live in Ålesund, Norway and photography is a hobby. I drive a delivery truck and always have a camera ready .
Unfortunately I miss many shots that I spot during a day at work, as I can't just pull up anywhere with my rig. Not many lay-bys or pull-offs in our country, I'm afraid.
I got interested in photography at the age of 18 when a friend loaned me a Pentax Spotmatic. A new world seemed to open up through it's viewfinder.
But my first camera came to be a Nikon F which was superior at the time.
Since then I've used mostly Nikons and moved to Canon and then finally my first Pentax which, incidentally, I bought, last year, at the same shop in Molde, Norway as my first Nikon of 1969/70. So now you can figure out how old I am.
I still hope to find a nice Spotmatic.
Lars

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[Eulogy]

Well, welcome to the forum, glad to see there's more people joining constantly. In regards to it being a more sincere forum, it does seem that way.(Also, a lot less "Our brand is better than their brand" posts it seems...)

If you're looking for upgrades, be sure to check the review section first - Seems to make a great guide to purchasing lenses.

[jatrax]

Welcome! This is generally one of the friendliest forums around with lots of people willing to help. And quite honest about 'our brand' as well. It has good points and bad and most here are very up front about what we like about Pentax and where we think it needs to improve. But if you want to know just about anything about Pentax, someone here can tell you.

As a truck driver you might want to check out the Takumar Forum, there is a fellow there who takes quite remarkable photos from his delivery truck. Using Takumar lenses which you might remember from the Spotmatic days.

[rarsdk]

Thanks for the tip and your kind words, I'll check him out. I see you 've got a nice line-up of primes there, jatrax. Looking forward to try a few out m'self! And I just placed a bid on an old Program A with a 35-70mm. I think I can use that lens on my K5 too, not mistaken?
Lars

[rarsdk]

Thanks Eulogy, but first I'll pop out and catch a few sunset shots.
Lars

[jatrax]

Program A with a 35-70mm. I think I can use that lens on my K5 too

The Program A should be using Pentax A lenses which would work on your k-5 just like a modern lens except that it will be manual focus. Of course, just because it is on a Program A camera does not mean the lens was contemporary with that camera, it could be older. Anyway, it will work but without knowing which model of 35-70 I cannot say which features will be available. Note that there were many variants of the Pentax 35-70 including two different 'A' models.

If you are interested in a Pentax 35-70 do look at the Pentax F 35-70, it is usually available quite reasonably and has all the features of a modern lens (auto aperture, auto focus). It weighs next to nothing and is sharp and fast to focus. Mine is always in my bag.

Also, be aware that this forum has a complete database of all Pentax and most third party lenses for Pentax. It is always worth the time to look something up there before buying. Here is a link to the Pentax A 35-70 and to the Pentax F 35-70.

[rarsdk]

Your info is much appreciated. By the way, I haven't been able to find that other truckdriver. Might you have a link ?
I am looking at the 16-45 f/4 lens as well. It is surprisingly enough better than the more expensive 16-50 f/2.8 in all tests I have read.
I also hope for a "full-format" DSLR from Pentax. But first I'll follow your good advice and browse through the lens database here.
Beginning to feel at home right away!
Lars

[jatrax]

Here is a link to the Takumar Club. It is located under the lens clubs section. The thread is the longest on this forum with over 10,000 posts. Use your own judgement on whether you have the time to read it all but I guarantee you will learn a lot about older lenses and photography just by reading it. The gentleman's name is Mike Cash and though denies any skill whatsoever he produces quite remarkable images. I believe he is using a k-5 now with Takumars.

Not sure I agree completely about the 16-45 being better than the 16-50. Nothing wrong with either, though the 16-50 got a lot of bad press early on with SDM failures. I think that has largely been fixed, at least I have seen no complaints recently. I read all about it and worried a good bit but bought the 16-50 anyway. It is a wonderful lens for its purpose the biggest drawback is the weight, not something you want to carry all day. Both lens are rated very close but the 16-50 has been 'marked down' considerably because of people upset with the SDM. If you disregard those votes the 16-50 rates much higher. Still, for outdoor use the 16-45 is fine and lighter and both Tamron and Sigma have 17-50 f/2.8s that are well regarded so when you look at current pricing I am not sure I would buy the 16-50 again. But if you need an f/2.8 lens with weather resistance the 16-50 is what you need.

[rarsdk]

Ok jatrax, I'll take a second look at the 16-50. If weight is the only drawback, I'm not worried.
There is a third option in the 17-70mm f/4 which scores half a point higher than the 16-50 in photozone.de's test .
But then I will lose the 24mm equivalent which is my favourite. And it will be useless on
an older body. Maybe I'll go bonkers and buy all three . I'll certainly snap if I do not get a sharp lens for
my beautiful K5 body soon.
Lars

[jatrax]

Lars,

Here is a recent in depth review of the three competing lenses in that category. Here in the US we have just had rather large price increases on Pentax lenses and at the current price here I would not buy the 16-50. The 17-70 gets good reviews and does give you a little more range. My current "always on" lens is actually a FA 28-70 f/4 which I have gotten to like. Not as sharp as the 16-50 but weighs half as much. Just remember you pay a lot for that f/2.8 and if f/4 is fine for your shooting you can save a lot of money.

John