K-50 Arriving!

wangao0316 · 12-31-2014, 02:36 PM

Hello All,

I just placed an order for White K-50 with 18-55 WR on Amazon yesterday.

I am so excited and can't wait for it arrives.

will post some pics after it arrives.

PS: Thinking about buy Tamron 18-200 so I dont have to change lens, any good?

Thanks

Docrwm · 12-31-2014, 03:02 PM

Welcome Aboard and congratulations! Not a fan of that Tamron, perhaps the Pentax 18-135 which is WR and much longer than your 18-55?

wangao0316 · 12-31-2014, 03:21 PM

Originally posted by Docrwm

Welcome Aboard and congratulations! Not a fan of that Tamron, perhaps the Pentax 18-135 which is WR and much longer than your 18-55?

yeah, but pentax 18-135 wr is pricey (good lens). tamron 18-200 only $200 new.

Steve.Ledger · 12-31-2014, 03:30 PM

You'll love it! Good call!

I have a Tammy 17-50mm F2.8. It's excellent, sharp and great colours imho. It mostly stays on the K-01 now since I also have a Sigma 17-70mm HSM OS on the K-50. When I want to shoot video it's a much better lens as it's Optically Stabilised, so I don'y have to use the horrid MovieSR that Pentax have opted for in models since the K-5 family..

Docrwm · 12-31-2014, 04:03 PM

Originally posted by wangao0316

yeah, but pentax 18-135 wr is pricey (good lens). tamron 18-200 only $200 new.

True. When I started out, and I am very happy I did this, I got the 18-55 + 55-300 combination. I still own the 55-300, its that good a value.

**Des** · 12-31-2014, 04:30 PM

Depends a lot on your experience and how you are likely to shoot.

As a general rule, superzooms (those with a focal range of more than 10x) come with a lot of compromises - which is why most of the experienced photographers around here are not keen on them. But if you are new to DSLRs, don't yet have a preference for particular type of photography and want the convenience of being able to shoot everything from wide angle to wildlife without lens changes (great for travel or hiking, or to avoid annoying your companions), a superzoom is a good option. If you shoot in RAW, or even better RAW+jpg, and process with good software you can get very satisfactory results. (I suggest DxO Optics Pro 10 Elite, which corrects for the lens distortions, vignetting, etc, automatically. It can do a lot more besides.)

I used my Tamron 18-250 as my only lens for 6 years and got many enjoyable photos from it. It's a good used buy at $200-250. Other options are the Sigma 18-200 or 18-250, or the Pentax DA 18-250 or 18-270 (each is a re-badged Tamron). Sigma have a new 18-300 which is coming out in Pentax K-mount soon. None of them is weather-resistant.

Down the track you might settle on a prime or two, or a short range zoom, or other specialist lens. (I now have 10!)

If you can go with two lenses (and you want reach), as Doc says, the 55-300 should be one of them. It would pair well with a good wide-normal zoom, such as a Tamron 17-50, Sigma 17-70 or Pentax 18-135.

wangao0316 · 12-31-2014, 04:34 PM

Originally posted by Des

Depends a lot on your experience and how you are likely to shoot. If you are new to DSLRs, don't yet have a preference for particular type of photography and want the convenience of avoiding lens changes, a superzoom is a good option. I used my Tamron 18-250 as my only lens for 6 years and got many enjoyable photos from it. If you shoot in RAW, or even better RAW+jpg, and process with good software you can get very satisfactory results. (I suggest DxO Optics Pro 10 Elite, which corrects for the lens distortions, vignetting, etc, automatically. It can do a lot more besides.)

Down the track you might settle on a prime or two, or a short range zoom, or other specialist lens. (I now have 10!)

If you can go with two lenses, as Doc says, the 55-300 should be one of them.

Thank you very much for the reply!

**Des** · 12-31-2014, 04:57 PM

Samples from my Tamron 18-250. (These are all unprocessed jpgs - each would have benefited from some post-processing.)

wangao0316 · 12-31-2014, 05:00 PM

Originally posted by Des

Samples from my Tamron 18-250. (These are all unprocessed jpgs - each would have benefited from some post-processing.)

wow, these are beautiful. how's tammy 18-200 compared to 18-250?

camerasup · 12-31-2014, 05:50 PM

Congrats, Nice color chosen. Hope you get many great shots with it!

**Des** · 12-31-2014, 06:25 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by wangao0316

wow, these are beautiful. how's tammy 18-200 compared to 18-250?

I've only used the 18-250. But the reviews suggest it is much better than the Tamron 18-200:
Tamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 AF XR Di II LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

Photozone described the IQ of the 18-250 as "fairly amazing" for a lens of this type:
Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Aspherical [IF] macro (Canon) - Review / Test Report (tested on a Canon body - so without image stabilization)

A number of reviews complain of "zoom creep" - that is, the lens slides out when you point it down. Yes it happens, but it's a non-issue in my view.

The Pentax DA 18-250 is the same lens as the Tamron 18-250 with a different badge (and higher price). The only advantage of the Pentax-badged version is that your K-50 can do in-camera distortion correction of jpgs. (It doesn't work with any third-party badged lenses.) But shooting RAW and correcting in PP is a much better option.

The later Pentax 18-270 (also based on a Tamron, although the Tamron itself was not released in Pentax K-mount) is said to be optically similar but adds HSM autofocus (ie driven by a motor in the lens and therefore quieter).

Tamron has since released a 16-300, but it is not available in K-mount (and is not likely to be).

Consider the Sigma alternatives too (18-200, 18-250, 18-300). The most recent C (Contemporary) series are said to be the best of them.

In head to head tests, good superzooms do better than the kit lenses.

All superzooms have similar disadvantages. They don't have the same level of sharpness as a good shorter-range zoom (especially in the corners), they have relatively high levels of barrel distortion at the wide end and pincushion at the longer end (both easily corrected in post-processing), and they are slow (ie maximum aperture at any given focal length is not wide compared with other zooms). Some are also prone to chromatic aberrations (e.g. purple fringing on high-contrast subjects) and vignetting (darker corners) - good to avoid although can often be fixed in PP.

Also, like almost all zooms, their best resolution comes from stopping down a stop or two (ie using a narrower aperture) - if you can shoot at f6.7 at the wide end and f8 at the long end you can get very good results, especially in the centre of the image. That means these lenses work best in good light (natural or flash). If the majority of your shooting is indoors, get something faster.

As a starting-out lens, a good used superzoom is a great buy. Bang for buck is great - even if (as you should) you buy some good post-processing software to go with it. Leaves you with some coin in the pocket for the Limited prime, or macro lens, or ultrawide, or ultra-tele, or portrait lens, or whatever, that you will come to crave.

kjphilippona · 12-31-2014, 06:37 PM - **1 Like**

Welcome from Alabama!

**Kerrowdown** · 01-01-2015, 01:23 AM

Welcome to the forum, enjoy the "stormtrooper" once she arrives.

12-31-2014, 02:36 PM	#1
wangao0316 New Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 6	K-50 Arriving! Hello All, I just placed an order for White K-50 with 18-55 WR on Amazon yesterday. I am so excited and can't wait for it arrives. will post some pics after it arrives. PS: Thinking about buy Tamron 18-200 so I dont have to change lens, any good? Thanks

12-31-2014, 04:30 PM	#6
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	Depends a lot on your experience and how you are likely to shoot. As a general rule, superzooms (those with a focal range of more than 10x) come with a lot of compromises - which is why most of the experienced photographers around here are not keen on them. But if you are new to DSLRs, don't yet have a preference for particular type of photography and want the convenience of being able to shoot everything from wide angle to wildlife without lens changes (great for travel or hiking, or to avoid annoying your companions), a superzoom is a good option. If you shoot in RAW, or even better RAW+jpg, and process with good software you can get very satisfactory results. (I suggest DxO Optics Pro 10 Elite, which corrects for the lens distortions, vignetting, etc, automatically. It can do a lot more besides.) I used my Tamron 18-250 as my only lens for 6 years and got many enjoyable photos from it. It's a good used buy at $200-250. Other options are the Sigma 18-200 or 18-250, or the Pentax DA 18-250 or 18-270 (each is a re-badged Tamron). Sigma have a new 18-300 which is coming out in Pentax K-mount soon. None of them is weather-resistant. Down the track you might settle on a prime or two, or a short range zoom, or other specialist lens. (I now have 10!) If you can go with two lenses (and you want reach), as Doc says, the 55-300 should be one of them. It would pair well with a good wide-normal zoom, such as a Tamron 17-50, Sigma 17-70 or Pentax 18-135. Last edited by Des; 12-31-2014 at 04:50 PM.

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12-31-2014, 03:02 PM	#2
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Welcome Aboard and congratulations! Not a fan of that Tamron, perhaps the Pentax 18-135 which is WR and much longer than your 18-55?

12-31-2014, 03:21 PM	#3
wangao0316 New Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Originally posted by Docrwm Welcome Aboard and congratulations! Not a fan of that Tamron, perhaps the Pentax 18-135 which is WR and much longer than your 18-55? yeah, but pentax 18-135 wr is pricey (good lens). tamron 18-200 only $200 new.

12-31-2014, 03:30 PM	#4
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	You'll love it! Good call! I have a Tammy 17-50mm F2.8. It's excellent, sharp and great colours imho. It mostly stays on the K-01 now since I also have a Sigma 17-70mm HSM OS on the K-50. When I want to shoot video it's a much better lens as it's Optically Stabilised, so I don'y have to use the horrid MovieSR that Pentax have opted for in models since the K-5 family..

12-31-2014, 04:03 PM	#5
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Originally posted by wangao0316 yeah, but pentax 18-135 wr is pricey (good lens). tamron 18-200 only $200 new. True. When I started out, and I am very happy I did this, I got the 18-55 + 55-300 combination. I still own the 55-300, its that good a value.

12-31-2014, 04:34 PM	#7
wangao0316 New Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Originally posted by Des Depends a lot on your experience and how you are likely to shoot. If you are new to DSLRs, don't yet have a preference for particular type of photography and want the convenience of avoiding lens changes, a superzoom is a good option. I used my Tamron 18-250 as my only lens for 6 years and got many enjoyable photos from it. If you shoot in RAW, or even better RAW+jpg, and process with good software you can get very satisfactory results. (I suggest DxO Optics Pro 10 Elite, which corrects for the lens distortions, vignetting, etc, automatically. It can do a lot more besides.) Down the track you might settle on a prime or two, or a short range zoom, or other specialist lens. (I now have 10!) If you can go with two lenses, as Doc says, the 55-300 should be one of them. Thank you very much for the reply!

12-31-2014, 04:57 PM	#8
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	Samples from my Tamron 18-250. (These are all unprocessed jpgs - each would have benefited from some post-processing.)

12-31-2014, 05:00 PM	#9
wangao0316 New Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 6 Original Poster	Originally posted by Des Samples from my Tamron 18-250. (These are all unprocessed jpgs - each would have benefited from some post-processing.) wow, these are beautiful. how's tammy 18-200 compared to 18-250?

12-31-2014, 05:50 PM	#10
camerasup Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Bay Area - California Photos: Albums Posts: 103	Congrats, Nice color chosen. Hope you get many great shots with it!

12-31-2014, 06:25 PM - 2 Likes	#11
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	Originally posted by wangao0316 wow, these are beautiful. how's tammy 18-200 compared to 18-250? I've only used the 18-250. But the reviews suggest it is much better than the Tamron 18-200: Tamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 AF XR Di II LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database Tamron AF 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database Photozone described the IQ of the 18-250 as "fairly amazing" for a lens of this type: Tamron AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II LD Aspherical [IF] macro (Canon) - Review / Test Report (tested on a Canon body - so without image stabilization) A number of reviews complain of "zoom creep" - that is, the lens slides out when you point it down. Yes it happens, but it's a non-issue in my view. The Pentax DA 18-250 is the same lens as the Tamron 18-250 with a different badge (and higher price). The only advantage of the Pentax-badged version is that your K-50 can do in-camera distortion correction of jpgs. (It doesn't work with any third-party badged lenses.) But shooting RAW and correcting in PP is a much better option. The later Pentax 18-270 (also based on a Tamron, although the Tamron itself was not released in Pentax K-mount) is said to be optically similar but adds HSM autofocus (ie driven by a motor in the lens and therefore quieter). Tamron has since released a 16-300, but it is not available in K-mount (and is not likely to be). Consider the Sigma alternatives too (18-200, 18-250, 18-300). The most recent C (Contemporary) series are said to be the best of them. In head to head tests, good superzooms do better than the kit lenses. All superzooms have similar disadvantages. They don't have the same level of sharpness as a good shorter-range zoom (especially in the corners), they have relatively high levels of barrel distortion at the wide end and pincushion at the longer end (both easily corrected in post-processing), and they are slow (ie maximum aperture at any given focal length is not wide compared with other zooms). Some are also prone to chromatic aberrations (e.g. purple fringing on high-contrast subjects) and vignetting (darker corners) - good to avoid although can often be fixed in PP. Also, like almost all zooms, their best resolution comes from stopping down a stop or two (ie using a narrower aperture) - if you can shoot at f6.7 at the wide end and f8 at the long end you can get very good results, especially in the centre of the image. That means these lenses work best in good light (natural or flash). If the majority of your shooting is indoors, get something faster. As a starting-out lens, a good used superzoom is a great buy. Bang for buck is great - even if (as you should) you buy some good post-processing software to go with it. Leaves you with some coin in the pocket for the Limited prime, or macro lens, or ultrawide, or ultra-tele, or portrait lens, or whatever, that you will come to crave.

12-31-2014, 06:37 PM - 1 Like	#12
kjphilippona Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Enterprise, Alabama Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,298	Welcome from Alabama!

01-01-2015, 01:23 AM	#13
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,819	Welcome to the forum, enjoy the "stormtrooper" once she arrives.