Hi all, I am new to the forum so a little background. I took three years of photography in high school and really enjoyed it and got very into it, working a lot with film and some DSLR, but haven't done much serious work since coming up to WA from CA for college. My main passion is fly fishing though. I have been using my compact optio W30 for quite some time now as my fishing camera. I recently got some photos published in a fly fishing magazine for the first time taken with this camera, but realized that I won't be a candidate for cover shots without a serious camera capable of RAW images. So I am committing to a DSLR and very excited about taking my photography to a new level. I started a serious search and after looking at nikons and canons, settled on the pentax K-7 for a lot of reasons, the main ones being it's compact size and the weather proofing, as those are key for a fishing/travel camera, while not losing quality and being what I've read is a great value.
So my questions:
I understand that the price was reduced significantly since the birth of the K-5....is this a prime time to buy a K-7? Is there a likelihood of a serious price drop any time soon or will the price just go down very slowly from here out, making now as good a time as any to commit (versus, say, in two months)?
Any words of wisdom about buying a used K-7 vs a new one vs a "refurbished"? Is the price reduction for a used one worth the risk of buying it used? I was thinking amazon would give as good a deal as anybody and I get free shipping since I have an account....any issues with amazon or somewhere where I could get a better deal?
For lenses, I am working on a budget so need to strike a compromise of having a decent setup while not breaking the bank with a bunch of lenses that cost as much as the camera each. I am only open to weather resistant lenses. So should I just start with the kit lens? Is it decent? Or should I just buy the body and then get a lens separately for a better deal? For a fishing camera, what kind of lens arsenal will I eventually want for versatility but compactness and efficiency for traveling? A wide-angle, fish-eye, and the kit lens? Do I need a separate lens for micro work? Any specific lens recommendations? This is an area I am a bit over my head in obviously.
For filters, I will definitely need a polarized filter, but won't want that of course in low-light....how many filters do I need...more than two? Any specific recommendations? Again my entire system needs to be weather proof.
Also I will need a tripod that will be light and easy for travel and carrying around fishing all day. A key factor is that most of the fly fishing I do is in saltwater, so I need to be able to stick it in the sand at the beach and have some waves wash against it and not have it rust up at any point (assuming I give it a quick freshwater rinse at the end of the day).....any recommendations for something that might fit my needs?
Lastly, are there any affordable underwater housings for the K-7? This isn't a huge deal to me because I can always use my optio for underwater shots.
Also is the Magic Lantern book worth the money for someone like myself who has most of the learning curve ahead of me?
Thank you in advance for any advice offered, this novice GREATLY appreciates it! Cheers -Loren Elliott
Last edited by Loren E; 10-06-2010 at 11:49 PM.