[Wheeler929]

HELLO, I have the Pentax k30 ,my lens is the DA 18-135mm WR. I have had my equipment for about 9 months. I had only really been shooting Newborns-5years old along with Pregnancy pictures. I started a Ministry to help MOMMY'S 2B N NEED.. I help supply the with clothes, carseats,beds,etc.. But i also help with Pregnancy pictures then Newborns then i follow-up with the babies every month for pictures then i do a Big Cake smash for their 1st Birthday Celebration.All free of charge. We are gonna be taken a trip to Vegas then 7days in Maui,Hawaii. I am looking for some advice on lens, filters, tripods for our relaxing ,site seeing Trip. We have been looking at 55-300mm DA lens and need some advice on this and a very sturdy but reasonably priced tripod that folds out to about 5ft and folds up to out suitcases are 21 inches tall. So 16.5 to 20 inches. Thanks and i look forward to advice and browsing.

[rbefly]

Hello Wheeler929, Welcome to the Forum!
Your trip sounds like an interesting one, have fun!
As far as lenses go, those two zooms should cover the useable focal length very well. The only addition I might suggest would be one or two faster primes, for night or lower-light conditions. They would also be slightly sharper for maximum resolution on scenic photos. Two that come to mind are the new and (fairly) inexpensive DA primes, the DA 35mm f/2.4 and DA 50mm f/1.8. Both have dedicated threads here under 'Lens Club' Forums. Another option might be to find older manual-focus primes like the 'M' or 'A' series 50mm f/1.7 and a fast (f/2.8) 28mm or 35mm. While not absolutely necessary, they provide a useful addition to your all-around shooting capability under various lighting conditions.
Filters? The only filters necessary for digital are circular polarizers in 62mm (18-135mm zoom) and 58mm (55-300mm). You might want to try a neutral density # 8 for slowing down waterfalls and timed exposures. But the CPL's are a must, especially for bright sunlight. All other filters are available through the camera menus and post processing apps.
I can't help with small, light tripod recommendations, all mine require a pack mule!
Good luck and hope to see some photos from your trip!
Ron

[TER-OR]

I agree with the above lens advice. The 55-300 is probably the most affordable long zoom available. There are two versions with the same optics, so you can decide whether you need the quick-shift or save some money for other gear.

Another suggestion I'd make is to look at the Gorillapod flexible tripods. They're easily portable, and since they can be wrapped around branches, fences etc. can be very useful while hiking etc.

[panoguy]

Welcome to the forum. Enjoy your camera and enjoy your trip!

We have been looking at 55-300mm DA lens and need some advice on this and a very sturdy but reasonably priced tripod that folds out to about 5ft and folds up to out suitcases are 21 inches tall. So 16.5 to 20 inches. Thanks and i look forward to advice and browsing.

"Very sturdy but reasonably priced" is where the compromises come in! For a good balance of these, look at these (sub $200) aluminum Benro "Travel Angel" tripods or the colorful Benro "MeFoto" tripods, since they come with a decent, removable ball head (critical element, don't get a "3-way video" head) and both models flip onto themselves for storage, so can be as compact as 16 inches in your luggage but still expand to 60 inches tall. These particular ones will be fine for the lenses you mentioned and for supporting your camera on longer exposures.

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Last edited by panoguy; 08-29-2013 at 07:16 AM.

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome aboard, keep up the good works and enjoy your up and coming break.

[klh]

"Very sturdy but reasonably priced" is where the compromises come in! For a good balance of these, look at these (sub $200) aluminum Benro "Travel Angel" tripods or the colorful Benro "MeFoto" tripods, since they come with a decent, removable ball head (critical element, don't get a "3-way video" head) and both models flip onto themselves for storage, so can be as compact as 16 inches in your luggage but still expand to 60 inches tall. These particular ones will be fine for the lenses you mentioned and for supporting your camera on longer exposures.

Hello and welcome from West Lafayette.

I travel internationally a lot for work and recently bought the MeFoto. It is the perfect size to fit in my carry-on and still be a very stable platform. One of the carbon fiber rigs would have been nice, but like you, I had to keep an eye on the budget. I would highly recommend it.

Kevin

[Jean Poitiers]

Welcome to PF and bonjour from France ... enjoy the K-30 and I have the DA 55-300 which is a good lens ... hope to see of future images of your trip ... J