[ProfessorBuzz]

One comment on ball heads - some are not designed to be tilted way up. They have a slot carved in them on only one side, or the lock knob is on the wrong hand when you are aiming for the stars. I suggest you actually try this in store by aiming up the lights.

[mikesbike]

I think mapping out your desired kit before buying anything is sensible. I also think from everything I’ve read and seen that the 28-105 is a very good lens to have. But your intended use matters.

I agree with UncleV. I also wonder about your needing the battery grip with the K-1 II. The price quoted including it in the kit, is the same as buying the kit with the lens included, then adding the battery grip separately at its current price. The K-1 II is a meaty camera, plenty secure for hiding even with a large lens, on its own. You could buy the kit with the DFA 28-105mm lens and other accessories, including a camera bag- as I have done, for $2,197 which saves $100 on the lens compared to buying the body and lens separately. This lens is great for most of my needs, is modest in carrying weight for its zoom range, and it has WR construction.



As others have said, the DFA 28-105mm is an exceptionally fine-performing all-around lens. Fine for landscapes in good or even in low lighting. Night scenes are another matter. If wanting a zoom lens for that, especially if there is movement in the scene, this is why the Pentax DFA 24-70mm f/2.8 is offered. I got the FDA 28-105mm in the kit and I'm glad I did. But for needing a low-light/ high action f/2.8 zoom lens, I already had my Tokina 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 ATX Pro II for many years, and was glad to put it back into service for FF use. It is a much heavier and bulkier lens than the DFA 28-105mm, but not as much so as the DFA 24-70mm.

Keep in mind, the K-1 II is a very good performer at higher ISO settings, so getting a high enough shutter speed in lower lighting can be accomplished even with lenses that can't open to f/2.8 just by bumping up the ISO. OTOH, I am glad I have my Tokina zoom lens available for very low lighting or fast acton needs. There are some situations where having even more aperture than f/2.8 is the best way to go. Then one must turn to prime lenses.

I would suggest this for your consideration- get the K-1 II kit with DFA 28-105mm lens and accessories (currently at about $2,197), hold off the battery grip for now. Then also get the FA HD 35mm f/2 prime lens for low light with action or night shots. It still provides some wide angle. If you get too much wide angle in landscape shots, distant parts of the scene look much farther away than in real life.

I would not blame you if you decided to get the larger, heavier, more costly DFA 24-70mm f/2.8 instead, for its greater aperture and more wide angle but less telephoto, if this meets your needs better. But in that case, buying it with the camera as a kit does not save money compared to buying separately. Buying it separately and then buying the camera as a kit with another lens like the FA HD 35mm f/2 looks to save you some on that lens.

I am very skeptical about the accuracy of the exif from your shots with the sony outfit. At ISO 100 and a shutter speed of 1/1600 s or 1/2000 s and f/2.8 aperture would grossly underexpose any night scene- unless it was not really a night scene but made to look like one via underexposure. Then, at such high shutter speeds, even with extremely shaky hands, there should not be blur, even if you swung the camera around! There is also a lot of noise for ISO 100!

[C_Jones]

I have a K-1 II and it is an excellent camera.

[kayasaman]

More amazing responses!!

You guys are really so friendly, I feel like I've come into a really nice place.

Agreed with everyone who talked about the D FA 28-105. Absolutely fantastic "Not sure what I'll shoot today" or "I'm gonna travel and don't wanna think about it too much" lens. Hold off on any other lenses until you see what else you need; the DFA 28-105 has given me a bunch of decent astro shots already, for example.
About filters and tripod; I generally like having a CPL on my DFA - again, if you don't know what you'll shoot, having the CPL helps when it's needed. That's about the only filter I use it *extensively*. I have a reverse grad ND for sunsets on a tripod (K&F Concept) and a Rollei Astroklar for night photography, but I don't use them often. For the tripod, I only really use it for long exposures, pixel shift and astro - the K-1 goes to ISO 12k like a champ so handholding is easy until it's really dark. SR also helps.

Regarding backpack: do you need to carry your laptop with on photo outings? I personally prefer carrying a good hiking backpack (Currently very happy with my Osprey Talon 33, previously I used a Quechua Forclaz 20 Air - I think that one's no longer made). Those tend to have good access and they are very comfortable when it comes to carrying weight over the entire day.

For the filter, I was thinking of reflections and yeah a CPL is a good choice, then an ND for bright days where I want to increase the exposure time to get the 'blur' effect. The grad filter of course would be when the sky is brighter then the foreground - or reverse grad for the inverse.
Of course one can achieve many different types of effects in post using computer software but I feel that it kind of takes away the fun and thrill of doing the photography and getting the image as you want it straight out of the camera (minor tweaks aside)

For the backpack, I was thinking that it would come in handy to combine the camera gear and laptop. If I go anywhere locally then I don't need the laptop but if I go far and/or to stay over night then I always have my laptop with me.

The good thing about the K&F Concept bag I mentioned earlier is that it does also come with a shoulder bag too so you don't need to cart all 1.2kg of backpack around all day if you don't need it.

I wonder what the K&F tripod is like? I have looked at them additionally.

Currently I'm thinking about perhaps one of these guys: Carbon Fiber Ultralight Tripods | Really Right Stuff
but of course at the moment it is just a lot of research

I agree with UncleV. I also wonder about your needing the battery grip with the K-1 II. The price quoted including it in the kit, is the same as buying the kit with the lens included, then adding the battery grip separately at its current price. The K-1 II is a meaty camera, plenty secure for hiding even with a large lens, on its own. You could buy the kit with the DFA 28-105mm lens and other accessories, including a camera bag- as I have done, for $2,197 which saves $100 on the lens compared to buying the body and lens separately. This lens is great for most of my needs, is modest in carrying weight for its zoom range, and it has WR construction.



As others have said, the DFA 28-105mm is an exceptionally fine-performing all-around lens. Fine for landscapes in good or even in low lighting. Night scenes are another matter. If wanting a zoom lens for that, especially if there is movement in the scene, this is why the Pentax DFA 24-70mm f/2.8 is offered. I got the FDA 28-105mm in the kit and I'm glad I did. But for needing a low-light/ high action f/2.8 zoom lens, I already had my Tokina 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 ATX Pro II for many years, and was glad to put it back into service for FF use. It is a much heavier and bulkier lens than the DFA 28-105mm, but not as much so as the DFA 24-70mm.

Keep in mind, the K-1 II is a very good performer at higher ISO settings, so getting a high enough shutter speed in lower lighting can be accomplished even with lenses that can't open to f/2.8 just by bumping up the ISO. OTOH, I am glad I have my Tokina zoom lens available for very low lighting or fast acton needs. There are some situations where having even more aperture than f/2.8 is the best way to go. Then one must turn to prime lenses.

I would suggest this for your consideration- get the K-1 II kit with DFA 28-105mm lens and accessories (currently at about $2,197), hold off the battery grip for now. Then also get the FA HD 35mm f/2 prime lens for low light with action or night shots. It still provides some wide angle. If you get too much wide angle in landscape shots, distant parts of the scene look much farther away than in real life.

I would not blame you if you decided to get the larger, heavier, more costly DFA 24-70mm f/2.8 instead, for its greater aperture and more wide angle but less telephoto, if this meets your needs better. But in that case, buying it with the camera as a kit does not save money compared to buying separately. Buying it separately and then buying the camera as a kit with another lens like the FA HD 35mm f/2 looks to save you some on that lens.

I am very skeptical about the accuracy of the exif from your shots with the sony outfit. At ISO 100 and a shutter speed of 1/1600 s or 1/2000 s and f/2.8 aperture would grossly underexpose any night scene- unless it was not really a night scene but made to look like one via underexposure. Then, at such high shutter speeds, even with extremely shaky hands, there should not be blur, even if you swung the camera around! There is also a lot of noise for ISO 100!

Yeah, I totally agree with the suggestion here. Unfortunately it looks like B&H Photo don't ship to my side of the world currently as the site is saying "Restricted" under the shipping section

I even had the idea of visiting my friend in TX and grabbing the camera then, but it seems that my location is black listed too on top of everything else, due to current world circumstances

Looks like I will need to grab the kit locally which means way more $$$ for me

Definitely the 24-70mm or even the 15-30mm area really interesting and have been suggested a lot. The results also look great from the few compressed web photos around.

I'll check out the Tokina and see if there is a zoom lens for K-mount available new, though I don't remember seeing one. Perhaps I might find one used?? Just in case I can't stretch all the way to the Pentax DFA 24-70mm.

hmm.... not sure about the EXIF data. The image was shot on vacation back in around 2003-2007 period if memory serves me well. For the time it was a good camera but for today I am looking at getting something much better of course, I am also pretty upset with the day time images of the 108MP mode in the Samsung S21 Ultra, night time is not too bad but can be a lot better. I've attached the images.


There will be a massive advantage in using the K1 over all the other digital cameras I have available, it kinda sucks to have what could have potentially been a really nice shot ruined by 'automatic processing'.

---

Last edited by kayasaman; 06-16-2021 at 01:45 PM.

[Michaelina2]

Lots of good advice, lens and etc. The K-2 MkII, plus 28-105, 70-210, and HD 1.4TC covers about all of your bases. The high ISO capabilities of the K-1 II makes it possible for you to be good to go from 28mm thru 210 FF, or 42mm thru 441mm (crop factor) via APS-C.


As to tripod, when you feel its time, consider getting one with a leveling base plate ( amazon.com : IFOOTAGE Tripod, 61?tag=pentaxforums-20& Carbon Fiber Video Camera Tripod with Quick Fastbowl, Max Load 19.8 lbs, Compatible with Canon, Nikon, Sony DSLR Camcorders : Camera & Photo )... and instead of a ball-head, consider ( amazon.com : Acratech Long Lens Head : Tripod Accessories : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20& ). I'll be surprised to learn they disappoint.


Also, it's all about content and composition. If you put your mind to it, using LR and PS, it's easy to develop the skills of a world class post processor. Work every day for about three months and your friends will think you are some kind of wizard. You might just surprise yourself.


Finally... for inspiration, check out Thomas Heaton on YouTube:

Thomas Heaton - YouTube

Cheers and Enjoy the season... M

[kayasaman]

Lots of good advice, lens and etc. The K-2 MkII, plus 28-105, 70-210, and HD 1.4TC covers about all of your bases. The high ISO capabilities of the K-1 II makes it possible for you to be good to go from 28mm thru 210 FF, or 42mm thru 441mm (crop factor) via APS-C.


As to tripod, when you feel its time, consider getting one with a leveling base plate ( amazon.com : IFOOTAGE Tripod, 61?tag=pentaxforums-20& Carbon Fiber Video Camera Tripod with Quick Fastbowl, Max Load 19.8 lbs, Compatible with Canon, Nikon, Sony DSLR Camcorders : Camera & Photo )... and instead of a ball-head, consider ( amazon.com : Acratech Long Lens Head : Tripod Accessories : Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20& ). I'll be surprised to learn they disappoint.


Also, it's all about content and composition. If you put your mind to it, using LR and PS, it's easy to develop the skills of a world class post processor. Work every day for about three months and your friends will think you are some kind of wizard. You might just surprise yourself.


Finally... for inspiration, check out Thomas Heaton on YouTube:

Thomas Heaton - YouTube

Cheers and Enjoy the season... M

Thanks for the Youtube link. Just checking it out now


I think as per everyone's suggestion and having spent some time last night thinking about how best to approach this, I have decided that I will start with the 28-105mm lens and camera combo with the addition of the 15-30mm F2.8 if I can stretch that far. If not and can't get a good deal then I will look at the Samyang 24mm F1.4 and 14mm F2.8 fixed lenses.

Having a cell phone with equivalent focal length of 24mm and 13mm (disregarding the 2 telephoto lenses) that seems to be what I'm used to currently. Unfortunately it seems that kits are not available in my location and what are called "bundle deals" seem to not even include the original Pentax battery but use a 3rd party of some sort and no-brand SD card.

The following images were taken using the 24mm camera in my phone. Thinking about them in more detail, I may want to experiment going a little wider - slightly as in not too much. Virtually I just need to start thinking about how I want to formulate my shots and what I want to show them in them.

As a bit of fun I've also attached a handheld shot of the moon. That's the 240mm telephoto with 10x digital zoom.


One day down the line I hope to grab a long telephoto or telescope and start exploring the night sky.

[mikesbike]

Not bad for a cell phone. I am surprised it can do f/1.8 in such a small package. Since you had mentioned your shopping B&H I thought you must live in the US, which is why I brought up their price deals. The Tokina lens I have is long out of production. The choice of having f/2.8 constant aperture in a quality zoom lens unfortunately also means much more size and weight-especially when going with a FF setup instead of APS-C. The alternative to that and for lighter carrying is an even faster prime lens like the FA HD 35mm f/2.

[kayasaman]

Not bad for a cell phone. I am surprised it can do f/1.8 in such a small package. Since you had mentioned your shopping B&H I thought you must live in the US, which is why I brought up their price deals. The Tokina lens I have is long out of production. The choice of having f/2.8 constant aperture in a quality zoom lens unfortunately also means much more size and weight-especially when going with a FF setup instead of APS-C. The alternative to that and for lighter carrying is an even faster prime lens like the FA HD 35mm f/2.

I must say the States has many advantages, though at the price of many disadvantages Though the scenery is gorgeous!!

Would love to visit so many places including the Rockies, Colorado, Montana, Alaska to name a small few out of many.


Yeah, there was a review on Youtube that I saw where the photographer loved the K1 but as he was into shooting wildlife and especially birds decided to switch over to a Panasonic Micro 4:3 system. Actually before I got set on the K1, I was looking at the Olympus EM1X, even though the K1 made my short list.

Really what swayed me over was a lot more reading in and around the subject of landscapes and low-light/night.


Though I made the decision to potentially look at the 24mm and 14mm from Samyang, I feel that the 20mm from Samyang and a 15mm Irix might be a better choice as a fallback incase I can't grab a good deal on the 15-30mm DFA lens...

Currently a really interesting review with images I'm reading is here: Crisp, Fast, and Wide: Fstoppers Reviews the Irix 15mm f/2.4 Wide-Angle Lens | Fstoppers

For me at least a really great guide to technique and equipment is Photographylife site: https://photographylife.com/
Though there are a few others which I'm reading a lot of too.


So hopefully if all goes well, fingers crossed - I should be ordering a simple K1 kit at the end of this month. I'm giving myself a little margin just to keep reading more and absorbing the information around. I don't want to rush into things and make a mistake on getting something that either I won't need or will never use.

However, I'm absolutely certain that a new world and door will open for me with the power that the K1 will bring. It just needs to be explored

[BertilArild]

Hello! I am incidentally reading this thread about the K1 II and the gear.-I would like to put in a suggestion about backpacking. The swedish outwear brand "Fjällräven" has a small bag called "Photo Insert" which you can use in three ways.-1)just as a small photo-gear bag;2)put it inside another rucksack or even better,inside the "Fjällräven Kånken" for which it is custom made for;3) take out the loose and flexible inside compartment walls with velcro fastenings and use it in whatever bag that suits you together with you gear or other things(thermos etc).
Greetings/Bertil(K-70,K-1II,Q7).

[Serkevan]

Not bad for a cell phone. I am surprised it can do f/1.8 in such a small package. Since you had mentioned your shopping B&H I thought you must live in the US, which is why I brought up their price deals. The Tokina lens I have is long out of production. The choice of having f/2.8 constant aperture in a quality zoom lens unfortunately also means much more size and weight-especially when going with a FF setup instead of APS-C. The alternative to that and for lighter carrying is an even faster prime lens like the FA HD 35mm f/2.

Most phone lenses are anywhere from f/1.7 to f/2.2 or so - the catch is that with ridiculously small sensors, the actual FL on the lenses is ~5 mm, so there's no need for anything spectacular to make them fast... and it's a smartphone, corners are both gonna look terrible (and get massively doctored/cropped out before the user can even look at the photo).

[wadge22]

A few things others aren't mentioning:

-Maybe a prime would be a great starter lens? D FA 50 1.4 is very fast, which would benefit your handheld night photography. It delivers stunning IQ. I think a lot of astro shooters prefer primes, and if you're trying to get into that should research lenses specifically for that use because it's very demanding on lenses.
Some people (like me) shoot pretty much only primes, and if you are one of those people Pentax is a great choice! Nothing wrong with other approaches, of course.


-I don't read many others suggesting them often, but I absolutely love my tabletop tripod. Mine is a Berlebach, and there is a Leofoto that looks pretty good too. A beanbag or plate that can have a tripod head mounted on it might be just as good. These kinds of options will have you crouching down a lot more, but they are much more compact. You can fit them inside your bag, which I value a lot sometimes. They will always compliment any bigger full size gear you might get later, because sometimes that portability is key.


-Consider buying used for some things. I know that with my tripod and monopod and heads type equipment, I bought a much higher grade product used on ebay than I would have ever even considered if I had been looking at the new price tags. I'm very glad that I went that route. I also bought my K1 used from a reputable camera store (KEH), and it was a great deal and has had no problems whatsoever. Used lenses, on the other hand, aren't a %100 success rate, and certainly wouldn't help you narrow your options.

[aslyfox]

. . . -I don't read many others suggesting them often, but I absolutely love my tabletop tripod. Mine is a Berlebach, and there is a Leofoto that looks pretty good too. A beanbag or plate that can have a tripod head mounted on it might be just as good. These kinds of options will have you crouching down a lot more, but they are much more compact. You can fit them inside your bag, which I value a lot sometimes. They will always compliment any bigger full size gear you might get later, because sometimes that portability is key. . . .

the Moman is an interesting mini tripod

Description:
Folded Length :165mm / 6.5inch
Weight: 261g / 9.2oz

Max Extended Length :110mm / 3.9inch
Max Load (Tripod) :80kg / 176lb

The legs have one locked position, and turning the single wheel lock can fan the legs all the way out for a flat tripod.

The locked position creates a 10" diameter between all the legs

When the legs go completely flat, the diameter between all the legs is 12"

please see this thread:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/22-pentax-camera-field-accessories/36082...ml#post4206692
numerous photos showing multiple positions and lenses can be found there with more details

Read more at: moman mini tripod reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database

[VSTAR]

Here is my experience with purchasing a k1…as others have stated…

Start with the 28-105. Use it for everything, then determine how wide you want to go and read the reviews on this site for the various other lenses.

Buy a couple of filters for the 28-105, polarizer a must, perhaps an ND, clear filter for protection-everyone has there own opinion.

Get a used flash unit…like the 360fgz- they are very reasonably priced.

Get a screen protector for the lcd screen and put on from the first day you get it.

2 memory cards and a couple of extra batteries with charger (Amazon)

For a camera bag…if you have a camera store in your city then they likely have all the common bags. Bring the camera, fit inside, see if it fits well in the bag and how it feels over your shoulder/back, is it waterproof or comes with a nylon cover.

Tripod, most medium priced ones work well unless you have some heavy lenses on it, or doing long exposures. New ones not expensive- camera store and Amazon great for them.

Start with the basics, use everything, then figure out where to go next.

[kayasaman]

Really great advice advise again. Many thanks everyone.

I'm trying to juggle everything together and see what would need the most initially before expanding.


The FA 50 F1.4 was suggested and it's a great idea. Locally they come included with the body for around $3500 US, to put things into perspective.

On the other hand the 28-105mm is gona be at around $2600 US for body plus lens.

Currently I'm leaning towards trying to get a deal including the Samyang 20mm F1.8 and Irix 15mm F2.4. I've read the reviews and seen some pictures and they look great.

At this stage where focal length and lens speed is still exploratory, these will probably benefit me the most. Unless anyone has any serious objections or thoughts against these two lenses.

They seem to be very good for night work including cityscape and landscape, the Samyang/Rokinon is definitely an Astro lens as was reviewed by the lonelyspec site which I linked to previously in this thread. Of course I can look at filters too. I definitely agree with the polarizer suggestion, perhaps using a CPL instead of a rectangular one might be a good starting option.

Lots of great tripod suggestions too. I think at this stage there are too many manufacturers and too many different price points to get my head around. My recent reading is around the FLM and Novoflex brands. Novoflex seem to be quite interesting as they supply different legs with the tripods for tabletop/lowdown use and being German have excellent build quality.
Probably can look at this after a few months of learning the camera and how it handles.


It's still quite a complicated decision to make.... do you go with the flexibility provided by zoom lenses or go with the weight benefit of small prime lenses??


As for flash... hmm.... I'm not really a flash person. I guess you could use it for softening shadows in short depth shots but I always seem to associate flash photography with portraits, a style which I don't do much of.

[jatrax]

do you go with the flexibility provided by zoom lenses or go with the weight benefit of small prime lenses

For work I use zoom lenses almost exclusively. Time is valuable and fooling around switching lenses takes up time. But for personal use I do like the small primes. I have a nice set of Pentax-F primes that I like to use. Just saying it doesn't have to be one or the other. Get the DFA 28-105 to start, see what focal lengths you like shooting and fill in with primes for those areas. The small primes are not in general going to have much advantage over a modern zoom. The new DFA 50 and 85 will but they are as big as many zooms.

I'm not really a flash person

Flash is a whole new area to learn. I think most photographers would benefit from a flash but when starting out unless it is a priority I think it is something to let go until later. The learning curve to do it right is rather large.