[Des]

Thanks Des! I think I am starting to lean towards the KP, since it is more durable for not that much more money. Also starting with the 18-135. Then practice for awhile and see what I want for lenses after that. We will be in NYC for Astros/Yankees game in June, so I am thinking of stopping in at B&H to chat with someone there about lenses as well. I don't want to nickle and dime myself with lenses, I want to get good ones.
My goal is to have a wide angle that I am proficient enough with to be able to get some decent photos at the beginning of December at Petrified Forest, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Hunts Mesa and Arches NP.

Regarding the wide angle, any of the options mentioned is good. The question is which one suits you.

I've had the Pentax DA 12-24 for some years and it has given me some of my favourite images:












But it's a little bulky and often gets left behind on a walk, so I recently got the DA 15 f4 Limited, which is very pocketable. I'm loving it too. The point is that there's a case for either zoom or prime (I'm just using these ones as examples), depending on how you want to use it.

If you develop an interest in astrophotography, that would point you to a wide lens with a wider maximum aperture (e.g. f2.8). But for landscapes you will generally be shooting at f6.3, f8 or f11, so it doesn't matter that the maximum aperture is only f4 or slower.

The one thing to note about ultrawide angle (UWA) lenses is that you don't use it just to stand at a lookout and get everything in one shot. You might as well use your phone for that. Effective use of UWA means learning new skills about composition and shooting angles. There are plenty of good online tutorials about this. You should also aim to use a tripod as much as possible, not only for the steadiness but also for the angles.

One reason I suggested waiting a little before getting the UWA lens is that it will be easier to work on those skills once you have become familiar with the basics: controls and features on the camera, focusing effectively, the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed and ISO), hyperfocal distance, etc.

Another way to get wide field of view images without a UWA lens is to take a series of overlapping photos in a panning motion (preferably on a tripod) and stitch them together with software. There are free stitching programs that do this effectively, like Microsoft Image Composite Editor You can use any focal length for the images to stitch. The main thing is to ensure that the shots to be stitched are sharp from edge to edge and use the same aperture, focus distance and white balance. For examples, see this thread:
Panorama-orama - Post your Panos - PentaxForums.com

I will be upgrading to an ipad Pro as well...are there programs that work with ipad pro for processing RAW photos?

Can't help with that one. All I'd say is that editing on a small screen is much more difficult - in a pinch maybe, but using a big monitor is better. Maybe you can output to a big screen from the ipad?

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Last edited by Des; 02-22-2019 at 01:27 PM.

[Perfessor5646]

Jen,

I think I went down the same path as you are going but before I was active in these forums. Despite my July 18 sign up date I didn’t start posting until December or January.

I already had on old Pentax K10D and some lenses I inherited from my Dad, so I had some reason to go further down the Pentax path.

1) I bought a K70 body in mid-August 2017. The KP had just been out for a few months and was untested in my mind.
2) I bought the 18-135 two weeks later to replace the 18-55 kit lens that came with the K10D.
3) Sometime later I bought the 55-300mm PLM to replace the old Sigma 70-210 Dad left me.
3) I bought a 12.9” iPad Pro with the keyboard and stylus in Feb of 2018 and subscribed to Light Room CC to get a TB of cloud storage and free updates.
4) I bought the Sigma 10-20mm and fell in love with ultra wide angle POV.

I started getting occasional opportunties to shoot for local glossy magazines. The K70 and even the K10D and my lenses was more than adequate for their specs, (JPG images at 300 dpi) but I decided to get something with some pro features like a battery grip and dual memory card slots so I bought a K-3ii as my go to body and bought the 16-85mm based on it’s slightly higher recommendations here. I also bought the Sigma 8-16mm when a buddy offered to buy the Sigma 10-20mm. He backed out and now I have both. No reason to keep both but no urgent reason to sell one either.

I’m 68.5 years old, in good health, single with grown children and still working so I decided to “gear up” in 2018 and try whatever caught my fancy and declare a moratorium on additional gear in 2019 effective Chinese New Years.

So counting the quirky mirrorless Pentaxes, the DA Ltds and a couple DA* lenses I own 5 bodies and 20 lenses, many of which were pre-owned. In essence, way more stuff than I need. Everything that I’ve shot that was used online by non-profit orgs or published in print could have been shot with my K70 (or KP if I’d had the nerve) my 18-135, 55-300, 10-20 and a nifty fifty like the one I inherited from Dad.

For my purposes the 12.9” iPad Pro screen is fine for photo editing. 99% of what I shoot is going to be posted on someone’s website and viewed on a cell phone. JPGs with a little tweaking in post are fine. Late last year I had 8 photos used in a magazine article on homelessness. 2 full page photos and one on a two page spread. All the images were shot with the four lenses I mentioned above, a wide angle zoom, mid range zoom, telephoto zoom, none of which were “professional” level lenses and a fast 50. (In this case I did take my DA* 55mm because I had it and focus is silent.)

You’ve gotten an awful lot of good advice here. I kind of stumbled and fumbled my way down this rabbit hole. Good luck and keep us in the loop.

John

[Ex Finn.]

Kp with the battery grip, DA*11-18, DA 20-40 ltd and maybe the DA15mm for "wide angle to normal travel kit"
Went to FL. gulf coast for last Christmas and the DA15 was not wide enough.
I am anxiously waiting to hear more about that upcoming 11-18, it could be the catsmiaou in grand canyon and painted desert. My 2C worth.

[roxiemyhorse]

Regarding the wide angle, any of the options mentioned is good. The question is which one suits you.

I've had the Pentax DA 12-24 for some years and it has given me some of my favourite images:












But it's a little bulky and often gets left behind on a walk, so I recently got the DA 15 f4 Limited, which is very pocketable. I'm loving it too. The point is that there's a case for either zoom or prime (I'm just using these ones as examples), depending on how you want to use it.

If you develop an interest in astrophotography that would point you to a wide lens with a wider maximum aperture (e.g. f2.8). But for landscapes you will generally be shooting at f6.3, f8 or f11, so it doesn't matter that the maximum aperture is only f4 or slower.

The one thing to note about ultrawide angle (UWA) lenses is that you don't use it just to stand at a lookout and get everything in one shot. You might as well use your phone for that. Effective use of UWA means learning new skills about composition and shooting angles. There are plenty of good online tutorials about this. You should also aim to use a tripod as much as possible, not only for the steadiness but also for the angles.

One reason I suggested waiting a little before getting the UWA lens is that it will be easier to work on those skills once you have become familiar with the basics: controls and features on the camera, focusing effectively, the exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed and ISO), hyperfocal distance, etc.

Another way to get wide field of view images without a UWA lens is to take a series of overlapping photos in a panning motion (preferably on a tripod) and stitch them together with software. There are free stitching programs that do this effectively, like Microsoft Image Composite Editor You can use any focal length for the images to stitch. The main thing is to ensure that the shots to be stitched are sharp from edge to edge and use the same aperture, focus distance and white balance. For examples, see this thread:
Panorama-orama - Post your Panos - PentaxForums.com


Can't help with that one. All I'd say is that editing on a small screen is much more difficult - in a pinch maybe, but using a big monitor is better. Maybe you can output to a big screen from the ipad?

Very nice photos!!!

---------- Post added 02-21-19 at 09:49 PM ----------

Kp with the battery grip, DA*11-18, DA 20-40 ltd and maybe the DA15mm for "wide angle to normal travel kit"
Went to FL. gulf coast for last Christmas and the DA15 was not wide enough.
I am anxiously waiting to hear more about that upcoming 11-18, it could be the catsmiaou in grand canyon and painted desert. My 2C worth.

We are doing a Hunt's Mesa at sunset tour and Monument Valley at sunrise tour the next day. Even if I don't get the best pics, I can't wait to see it!! Painted Desert/Petrified Forest will be in the AM.

[roxiemyhorse]

i bought the KP with the 18-135 lense to start.

It will arrive this week.

😬

[Perfessor5646]

i bought the KP with the 18-135 lense to start.

It will arrive this week.

😬

Excellent choice. We hope to see photos soon after. FYI: There is a thread dedicated to the 18-135 lens. I just can’t copy and paste a link to it from my tablet.

[aslyfox]

i bought the KP with the 18-135 lense to start.

It will arrive this week.

��

great decision, have fun

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Last edited by aslyfox; 02-25-2019 at 06:32 AM.

[ZombieArmy]

i bought the KP with the 18-135 lense to start.

It will arrive this week.

😬

The KP is an amazing camera, if you have any questions about it when you start shooting don't hesitate to ask.

[mikesbike]

i bought the KP with the 18-135 lense to start.

It will arrive this week.

😬

Congratulations! A marvelous choice. Please don't forget the setup and usage guide I posted for you. Any problem getting it done, we're here to help. Then you can proceed to enjoy exceptionally fine results and great versatility right out of the gate.

[mikesbike]

Since you are completely new to DSLR camera use, here are some tips for getting your lens onto the camera so you can get things going. Of course, when you get your camera, read over the "getting started" instructions.

To mount your lens on the camera, it is best to put the camera on a clean table face-up. Do this at a time and in an area where there will not be dust blowing around when the camera interior and the lens rear element are exposed. Put the lens next to it on its face with the lens cap on and its bottom up. You will notice on this lens there is a white line at the base, running lengthwise to the edge of the bottom running through the lens name: "Pentax 18-135mm".

Remove the rear lens cap. If you look over the edge where the white line ends, you will see a red dot on the metal of the inner lens mount which corresponds to the location of the white line. Now remove the camera's body cap covering the lens mount opening. You will see another red dot on the metal part of this opening. Carefully invert the lens and line up its white line and red dot with the red dot on the camera's lens mount opening. It should then sink into place. Then rotate the lens clockwise to the point where the white line becomes centered below the flash housing having "Pentax" on the front. You will detect a "click" signifying the lens is successfully mounted.

It is best to do setup adjustments with the lens mounted. You can cradle the camera in your lap to do this if you wish, with the lens cap on. The lens hood, which should always be used when shooting, can be stored in reversed position on the lens when the camera is not being used. However, when using the built-in flash, the lens hood should be removed completely as it might cast a shadow in the lower portion of your photo.

(To remove the lens, you must depress the release button located at the bottom of the camera's mount housing on the right side, and hold it down while turning the lens counter-clockwise with the other hand gripping the lens right at its base, not on the zoom or focus collar, which would turn instead of the lens in this direction.) Always keep the camera body's lens mount covered either by a body cap or a mounted lens.