What else do I need?

MRJV · 06-09-2011, 07:29 PM

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I just bought my first DSLR the K-r. I got the kit which included the two lenses. What other accessories are a must. I know very little about it and want to make sure I have what I will need.

What type of filters do I need?

Will eventually want a flash but not a priority for me.

Any good advice would be great. Are there any tutorials that could help me get going.

Thanks

Docrwm · 06-09-2011, 07:35 PM

A good fast SD card is a must. There are several threads here about the choices. I've thought about the K-r and if I were to go with one I'd get the AA adapter for it in a flash. Tripod for really sharp photos. Remote. Hoods for the lenses as, unless things have changed from the K-x, the kit doesn't come with them and they can significantly improve performance of a lens.

SpecialK · 06-09-2011, 07:42 PM

No filters, except perhaps a graduated neutral density. Use a lens hood when shooting and a lens cap when not shooting.

A bag to hold everything might be handy. A second battery and SD card, maybe a little 6" table-top tripod.

And a rocket blower for cleaning off dust.

clockwork247 · 06-09-2011, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by MRJV

I just bought my first DSLR the K-r. I got the kit which included the two lenses. What other accessories are a must. I know very little about it and want to make sure I have what I will need.

What type of filters do I need?

Will eventually want a flash but not a priority for me.

Any good advice would be great. Are there any tutorials that could help me get going.

Thanks

what you buy depends on what you shoot. go play around and shoot different stuff and see what you like to shoot...

generally speaking the package is usually a great saver, it's got enough range to shoot alot of stuff.

MRJV · 06-09-2011, 07:51 PM

Cool thanks for the quick responses, the kit I got came with a card, bag, neck strap. I will probably buy the AA battery adapter ASAP.

I bought it mainly because I have a Eurpoean Vacation coming up as well as a baby on the way. Most will be around the house and mostly playing around. Are the hoods all the same or is there one you can recommend?

Docrwm · 06-09-2011, 08:06 PM

Originally posted by SpecialK

No filters, except perhaps a graduated neutral density. Use a lens hood when shooting and a lens cap when not shooting.

A bag to hold everything might be handy. A second battery and SD card, maybe a little 6" table-top tripod.

And a rocket blower for cleaning off dust.

I'll second the rocket blower! When you need it, you NEED it.

K57XR · 06-09-2011, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by MRJV

Cool thanks for the quick responses, the kit I got came with a card, bag, neck strap. I will probably buy the AA battery adapter ASAP.

I bought it mainly because I have a Eurpoean Vacation coming up as well as a baby on the way. Most will be around the house and mostly playing around. Are the hoods all the same or is there one you can recommend?

If you get the AA adapter get Eneloop rechargeable batteries and a decent charger. Most of battery charger nowadays are universal but I've seen some that are for US (115VAC-120VAC 60Hz) only. Avoid fast/rapid chargers these will only shorten battery life.

For lens hood, get the plastic bayonet mount. I believe your lenses are both 52mm threads but uses different types. The 18-55mm original hood is a Ph-Rba 52 (Petal) while the 50-200mm is Ph-Rbb 52. You can find generic ones on eBay.

In addition to a rocket blower, I would suggest getting a lenspen. It's small enough to clip on your shirt pocket.

Cheers!

Sunday · 06-09-2011, 08:56 PM

I'm in a similar position (well, except the baby, congratulations) and on my list there is a tripod, a second card, a second battery, the dust blower. Also the fine printing at the bottom of the list says hoods for lenses and a CPL. A small bag also (I already have a bigger one).

What I already have and perhaps would be useful to you is a photography book. If you're a beginner (like myself) move it to the top of the list.

And of course there's always a second list filled with lenses. My camera is on its way, didn't shoot a picture so far, but I'm salivating at lenses.

**Bill_R** · 06-10-2011, 01:19 AM

+1 on the battery charger and lens hoods. hawk1500 had a clone of the AA adapter here for much less than the pentax one. I bought one and it's great.
For hoods I'd go with the ones that reverse over the lens instead of those that screw in to the filter thread - much easier to store lens + hood.

justinr · 06-10-2011, 01:48 AM

With regards to filters a UV filter (sometimes called a skylight) is highly recommend to protect the front glass of each lens. General use and cleaning will mean that with time the first piece of glass will get scratched or it's coating damaged in some way so it's better to have an easily replaceable item up front

As far as anything else goes then after things like spare batteries, bag, cleaning kit etc it depends upon what you intend to do with the camera and it may be better to spend a couple of weeks with it before deciding where your interests lie and what items you really require. It was nearly two years after I got into the craft in a serious way before I bought a tripod and now with high ISO's and good noise suppression I find I am using it less and less.

I always think that accumulation of equipment should be gradual rather a rush as then you are much more likely to end up with what you use rather than what looks pretty in a dealers window.

cats_five · 06-10-2011, 02:46 AM

Agree you need a bag (one you can carry the paper manual in as well), and a second SD card right now, and either the AA battery adapter or a second battery. I also am in the 'use a UV filter all the time' camp - there is the other camp that's greatly opposed to their general use. Lenstip did a good test of lots of brands and the Hoya HMC came out best - that's not their most expensive one, it's one up from the cheapest one.

Beyond that, as is said above, it depends on what sort of photography you do.

If you start dabbling in ND filters (graduated or otherwise) look at the Cokin-style systems as one set of P-size filters will do lots of lenses with just an extra adapter ring if they have a different filter ring size, plus you can slide graduated filters up & down to get the graduation in the right place.

I do lots of long exposures so a tripod is a must, but the remote release is a luxury - the shutter delay on the camera is almost as good.

Also - hard disk space on your PC, and a backup. Hard disks of a size unimaginable just a few years back are cheap. Make sure you have plenty of room on your PC for your images, and make sure you have some sort of backup - an external USB HDD will do - and always download your images from the camera every time you use it.

There are all sorts of things you might want in the long term - Photoshop, a fancy monitor for your PC, lots of RAM for the PC, a new PC, a fancy large-format printer, more lenses...

However, hopefully you have got a DSLR as you want to take better images. Better image quality, better artistic merit. It's easy to fine help with the former, help with the later is a lot harder. Some suggestions:

1) Join a Flickr group Flickr: Photography Critique

2) Join a camera club

3) Take a photography course

justinr · 06-10-2011, 04:53 AM

A few years back a friend took his shiney new zoom birding and one of his subjects expressed itself physically all over the front of his camera ensuring the lens was a write off. A UV filter would have saved the day he reckons and I've never gone without since.

Good point there Cats Five about beefing up the 'pooter. With digital photography the camera is only the starting point.

calicojack · 06-10-2011, 05:22 AM

Originally posted by MRJV

I bought it mainly because I have a Eurpoean Vacation coming up as well as a baby on the way.

Depending on how soon these events are happening:
EXTRA BATTERY and EXTRA MEMORY CARDS and EXPERIENCE !!!!!!!!!
Go out and shoot your neighborhood as if it was Europe. Have any friends with a baby? Go take pictures of him/her. If not shoot kids playing.

Learn how long your battery will last between charges. Learn how many photos it takes to fill your memory card (and how to upload, delete, reformat that card).

Next is to get hoods that are appropriate for your lenses (block out that stray light coming from the "off" angle).

Filters..... Skylight / UV / Clear protective Useful but unnecessary.
Polarizer, when you need it, there is no substitute. Graduated Neutral Density (2 stops) will help darken those overbright skys, but takes a bit to get used to.

A convienient sized bag goes without mentioning.

Most important is experience and practice. Stop reading this and go out and shoot pictures. Europe and the baby are coming sooner than you think !!!

Docrwm · 06-10-2011, 06:05 AM

Remote is about $5 shipped if you get a non-Pentax one and for longer exposures I don't consider it a luxury because it allows you to not touch the setup and you eliminate, not minimize, the vibration that comes from pushing the release on the camera.

OP did not say which 2 lens kit - so if its the 200mm then the 52mm hood will work, if not and its the 300mm kit then its a 58mm hood. There are some perfectly fine non-Pentax rigid hoods for each available online for about 1/4 the cost of the OEM parts. Of course they do not have PENTAX emblazoned across them but that is a hardship I can bear.

Good call on the computer end and hard drives. As for computer upgrades the best one I have invested in recently is a USB 3.0 card for my Quad Core computer. The transfer speeds are incredible compared to the old 2.0 units I have been using. If you are transferring lots of files

at max resolution then the difference is real in my experience.

I have found the Eneloops to be absolutely amazing in their capacity in my K-x. I highly recommend you get 8 in one of those color coded packages, that allows you to keep your sets together and identify better used vs fresh. I also recommend some of those small plastic battery storage units that hold 4 AAs each so you aren't fumbling in the bottom of your bag for them at some critical moment. Seems silly but for a couple of $s they really help (particularly if you are trying to gather them one handed).

gp1806 · 06-10-2011, 06:19 AM

Here are some links for you. You want these, they are needed.
18-55mm hood.
PH-RBA 52mm Lens Hood for Pentax 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL BF - eBay (item 260776557551 end time Jun-28-11 00:19:38 PDT)
If you have this lens - 55-300mm hood.
PH-RBG 58mm Lens Hood for Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED | eBay
Or if you have this lens - 55-200mm hood.
Lens Hood for Pentax RBB 52mm K-r K-m K-x DA 50-200mm | eBay
Some things that are nice to have.
LCD protector.
Optical Glass LCD Screen Protector for Pentax KR K-R | eBay
AA adapter.
Brand New Battery Holder Box for Pentax KR K-R Camera - eBay (item 180669498715 end time Jun-18-11 17:50:54 PDT)
Remote release.
New Remote Control for PENTAX K-M,K-X,K-r,S6,S60,S4,S5z - eBay (item 220796416903 end time Jul-08-11 02:55:48 PDT)
If you travel, this charger is smaller than the Pentax and will also charge from a car.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Battery-Charger-D-Li109-DLi109-Pentax-K-r-DSLR-NEW-/3603...item53e5955450
Extra battery.
D-Li109 Li-Ion Battery for Pentax K-r DSLR NEW DLi109 - eBay (item 290513308146 end time Jun-14-11 14:03:59 PDT)

06-09-2011, 07:29 PM	#1
MRJV New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA Posts: 3	What else do I need? Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. I just bought my first DSLR the K-r. I got the kit which included the two lenses. What other accessories are a must. I know very little about it and want to make sure I have what I will need. What type of filters do I need? Will eventually want a flash but not a priority for me. Any good advice would be great. Are there any tutorials that could help me get going. Thanks

06-09-2011, 07:35 PM	#2
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	A good fast SD card is a must. There are several threads here about the choices. I've thought about the K-r and if I were to go with one I'd get the AA adapter for it in a flash. Tripod for really sharp photos. Remote. Hoods for the lenses as, unless things have changed from the K-x, the kit doesn't come with them and they can significantly improve performance of a lens.

06-09-2011, 07:42 PM	#3
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	No filters, except perhaps a graduated neutral density. Use a lens hood when shooting and a lens cap when not shooting. A bag to hold everything might be handy. A second battery and SD card, maybe a little 6" table-top tripod. And a rocket blower for cleaning off dust.

06-09-2011, 07:42 PM	#4
clockwork247 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 360	Originally posted by MRJV I just bought my first DSLR the K-r. I got the kit which included the two lenses. What other accessories are a must. I know very little about it and want to make sure I have what I will need. What type of filters do I need? Will eventually want a flash but not a priority for me. Any good advice would be great. Are there any tutorials that could help me get going. Thanks what you buy depends on what you shoot. go play around and shoot different stuff and see what you like to shoot... generally speaking the package is usually a great saver, it's got enough range to shoot alot of stuff.

06-09-2011, 07:51 PM	#5
MRJV New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA Posts: 3 Original Poster	Cool thanks for the quick responses, the kit I got came with a card, bag, neck strap. I will probably buy the AA battery adapter ASAP. I bought it mainly because I have a Eurpoean Vacation coming up as well as a baby on the way. Most will be around the house and mostly playing around. Are the hoods all the same or is there one you can recommend?

06-09-2011, 08:06 PM	#6
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Originally posted by SpecialK No filters, except perhaps a graduated neutral density. Use a lens hood when shooting and a lens cap when not shooting. A bag to hold everything might be handy. A second battery and SD card, maybe a little 6" table-top tripod. And a rocket blower for cleaning off dust. I'll second the rocket blower! When you need it, you NEED it.

06-09-2011, 08:44 PM	#7
K57XR Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 830	Originally posted by MRJV Cool thanks for the quick responses, the kit I got came with a card, bag, neck strap. I will probably buy the AA battery adapter ASAP. I bought it mainly because I have a Eurpoean Vacation coming up as well as a baby on the way. Most will be around the house and mostly playing around. Are the hoods all the same or is there one you can recommend? If you get the AA adapter get Eneloop rechargeable batteries and a decent charger. Most of battery charger nowadays are universal but I've seen some that are for US (115VAC-120VAC 60Hz) only. Avoid fast/rapid chargers these will only shorten battery life. For lens hood, get the plastic bayonet mount. I believe your lenses are both 52mm threads but uses different types. The 18-55mm original hood is a Ph-Rba 52 (Petal) while the 50-200mm is Ph-Rbb 52. You can find generic ones on eBay. In addition to a rocket blower, I would suggest getting a lenspen. It's small enough to clip on your shirt pocket. Cheers!

06-09-2011, 08:56 PM	#8
Sunday New Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 18	I'm in a similar position (well, except the baby, congratulations) and on my list there is a tripod, a second card, a second battery, the dust blower. Also the fine printing at the bottom of the list says hoods for lenses and a CPL. A small bag also (I already have a bigger one). What I already have and perhaps would be useful to you is a photography book. If you're a beginner (like myself) move it to the top of the list. And of course there's always a second list filled with lenses. My camera is on its way, didn't shoot a picture so far, but I'm salivating at lenses.

06-10-2011, 01:19 AM	#9
Bill_R Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 262	+1 on the battery charger and lens hoods. hawk1500 had a clone of the AA adapter here for much less than the pentax one. I bought one and it's great. For hoods I'd go with the ones that reverse over the lens instead of those that screw in to the filter thread - much easier to store lens + hood.

06-10-2011, 01:48 AM	#10
justinr Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Tipperary Photos: Gallery Posts: 394	With regards to filters a UV filter (sometimes called a skylight) is highly recommend to protect the front glass of each lens. General use and cleaning will mean that with time the first piece of glass will get scratched or it's coating damaged in some way so it's better to have an easily replaceable item up front As far as anything else goes then after things like spare batteries, bag, cleaning kit etc it depends upon what you intend to do with the camera and it may be better to spend a couple of weeks with it before deciding where your interests lie and what items you really require. It was nearly two years after I got into the craft in a serious way before I bought a tripod and now with high ISO's and good noise suppression I find I am using it less and less. I always think that accumulation of equipment should be gradual rather a rush as then you are much more likely to end up with what you use rather than what looks pretty in a dealers window.

06-10-2011, 02:46 AM	#11
cats_five Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Fife, Scotland Posts: 835	Agree you need a bag (one you can carry the paper manual in as well), and a second SD card right now, and either the AA battery adapter or a second battery. I also am in the 'use a UV filter all the time' camp - there is the other camp that's greatly opposed to their general use. Lenstip did a good test of lots of brands and the Hoya HMC came out best - that's not their most expensive one, it's one up from the cheapest one. Beyond that, as is said above, it depends on what sort of photography you do. If you start dabbling in ND filters (graduated or otherwise) look at the Cokin-style systems as one set of P-size filters will do lots of lenses with just an extra adapter ring if they have a different filter ring size, plus you can slide graduated filters up & down to get the graduation in the right place. I do lots of long exposures so a tripod is a must, but the remote release is a luxury - the shutter delay on the camera is almost as good. Also - hard disk space on your PC, and a backup. Hard disks of a size unimaginable just a few years back are cheap. Make sure you have plenty of room on your PC for your images, and make sure you have some sort of backup - an external USB HDD will do - and always download your images from the camera every time you use it. There are all sorts of things you might want in the long term - Photoshop, a fancy monitor for your PC, lots of RAM for the PC, a new PC, a fancy large-format printer, more lenses... However, hopefully you have got a DSLR as you want to take better images. Better image quality, better artistic merit. It's easy to fine help with the former, help with the later is a lot harder. Some suggestions: 1) Join a Flickr group Flickr: Photography Critique 2) Join a camera club 3) Take a photography course

06-10-2011, 04:53 AM	#12
justinr Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Tipperary Photos: Gallery Posts: 394	A few years back a friend took his shiney new zoom birding and one of his subjects expressed itself physically all over the front of his camera ensuring the lens was a write off. A UV filter would have saved the day he reckons and I've never gone without since. Good point there Cats Five about beefing up the 'pooter. With digital photography the camera is only the starting point.

06-10-2011, 05:22 AM	#13
calicojack Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Long Island, N.Y. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,124	Originally posted by MRJV I bought it mainly because I have a Eurpoean Vacation coming up as well as a baby on the way. Depending on how soon these events are happening: EXTRA BATTERY and EXTRA MEMORY CARDS and EXPERIENCE !!!!!!!!! Go out and shoot your neighborhood as if it was Europe. Have any friends with a baby? Go take pictures of him/her. If not shoot kids playing. Learn how long your battery will last between charges. Learn how many photos it takes to fill your memory card (and how to upload, delete, reformat that card). Next is to get hoods that are appropriate for your lenses (block out that stray light coming from the "off" angle). Filters..... Skylight / UV / Clear protective Useful but unnecessary. Polarizer, when you need it, there is no substitute. Graduated Neutral Density (2 stops) will help darken those overbright skys, but takes a bit to get used to. A convienient sized bag goes without mentioning. Most important is experience and practice. Stop reading this and go out and shoot pictures. Europe and the baby are coming sooner than you think !!!

06-10-2011, 06:05 AM	#14
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	Remote is about $5 shipped if you get a non-Pentax one and for longer exposures I don't consider it a luxury because it allows you to not touch the setup and you eliminate, not minimize, the vibration that comes from pushing the release on the camera. OP did not say which 2 lens kit - so if its the 200mm then the 52mm hood will work, if not and its the 300mm kit then its a 58mm hood. There are some perfectly fine non-Pentax rigid hoods for each available online for about 1/4 the cost of the OEM parts. Of course they do not have PENTAX emblazoned across them but that is a hardship I can bear. Good call on the computer end and hard drives. As for computer upgrades the best one I have invested in recently is a USB 3.0 card for my Quad Core computer. The transfer speeds are incredible compared to the old 2.0 units I have been using. If you are transferring lots of files at max resolution then the difference is real in my experience. I have found the Eneloops to be absolutely amazing in their capacity in my K-x. I highly recommend you get 8 in one of those color coded packages, that allows you to keep your sets together and identify better used vs fresh. I also recommend some of those small plastic battery storage units that hold 4 AAs each so you aren't fumbling in the bottom of your bag for them at some critical moment. Seems silly but for a couple of $s they really help (particularly if you are trying to gather them one handed).

06-10-2011, 06:19 AM	#15
gp1806 Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicago suburbs Photos: Albums Posts: 848	Here are some links for you. You want these, they are needed. 18-55mm hood. PH-RBA 52mm Lens Hood for Pentax 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL BF - eBay (item 260776557551 end time Jun-28-11 00:19:38 PDT) If you have this lens - 55-300mm hood. PH-RBG 58mm Lens Hood for Pentax DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED \| eBay Or if you have this lens - 55-200mm hood. Lens Hood for Pentax RBB 52mm K-r K-m K-x DA 50-200mm \| eBay Some things that are nice to have. LCD protector. Optical Glass LCD Screen Protector for Pentax KR K-R \| eBay AA adapter. Brand New Battery Holder Box for Pentax KR K-R Camera - eBay (item 180669498715 end time Jun-18-11 17:50:54 PDT) Remote release. New Remote Control for PENTAX K-M,K-X,K-r,S6,S60,S4,S5z - eBay (item 220796416903 end time Jul-08-11 02:55:48 PDT) If you travel, this charger is smaller than the Pentax and will also charge from a car. http://cgi.ebay.com/Battery-Charger-D-Li109-DLi109-Pentax-K-r-DSLR-NEW-/3603...item53e5955450 Extra battery. D-Li109 Li-Ion Battery for Pentax K-r DSLR NEW DLi109 - eBay (item 290513308146 end time Jun-14-11 14:03:59 PDT)