Hi, this is my first post! :-)
I hope this is the right place in the forum to start with??
Basically I have decided to buy a Pentax K1 MKII. I have fallen in love with the Silver edition which also comes together with the grip, and found it new online. Though I also love the black edition too so if the silver is unavailable I can always fall back to this body color.
My interests are mainly landscape and low light photography and would love to get into astrophotography too. I shoot a lot at night but never had a decent camera (or lens) to do this with; now is the time to get one! :-D
As the photography universe is so big including the Pentax ecosystem, the key for me really is where to start....?? Truth be told, I'm a little lost - ok maybe quite a bit lost :-P
As I've already decided on getting the K1, the key components I am looking at are:
* Lens
* Filter
* Tripod
* Backpack
Of course when it comes down to options there are so many and that's really what I need to narrow down and find the right setup for me.
Here are what I've looked at already and my thoughts:
Lens - I need a wide angle and a standard zoom, maybe even a fast prime. Already I have looked at Pentax, Tamron, Tokina, Rokinon, Sigma and Samyang offerings. With so many choices where to even begin??
Filter - I think a kit might be the best option for me. Something that contains the standard ND, GND and Polarizor combination. Lots of reading and NiSi look like a really good choice, though Haida maybe an option to lower cost?
Tripod - this is a difficult one. Of course something that is stable, lightweight and will last. So far I've looked at: Induro, Benro, Really Right Stuff, Gitzo, Oben and Vangaurd. There too many different models and selections to choose from so I'm totally lost here.
Having read through this:
https://photographylife.com/how-to-choose-and-buy-a-tripod-for-a-dslr-camera
a panable ball head would probably be the correct choice for me.
Backpack - Another difficult choice. So far I have looked at Lowepro, Vanguard and K&F. Based on features and size (especially as my laptop is large, Lenovo P series 15.4") I am leaning towards the K&F KF13.107 -
Outdoor Camera Backpack Large Photography Bag with Laptop Compartment Tripod Holder Waterproof Raincover Hiking Travel Professional DSLR Camera Backpack for Men Women Side Access
Would anyone be able to help me narrow the choice and selections down? It might be a good idea even to go for an older generation Pentax lens. This video was a great insight:
where a 40 year old 135mm lens was picked up for just $40 and still offered amazing results.
Quickly I also wanted to ask what the difference is between the DA and FA range of lenses when mounted on the full frame K1? Using the DA lenses do the images come out cropped?
Additionally, many people have said that the MKII has noise reduction baked in to the RAW files? Is this still the case? Reading the instruction manual for the camera, and it seems that you can turn this off and change the behavior to reduce more or less at different ISO settings.
As a kid and later teenager growing up with a Nikon FM and later at university a Sony Cybershot DSC P8, I was always very keen to capture lights and beautiful landscapes, I've still got both cameras today but find that now I need something of higher quality then my cellphone (which has been my camera for a while now) to bring the whole outdoors experience back. - though I think the Nikon FM is older then I am by a few years lol
I am really looking forward to working handheld with shake reduction at night. Many attempts in the past failed because I was shaking too much and never had a tripod. Now things have improved with my new cell phone - Samsung S21 Ultra but there is a ridiculous amount of baked in processing which is causing the images to look terrible when displayed on large screens. Basically it's a phone at the end of the day and not a dedicated camera :-)
Many thanks in advance for any advice and/or suggestions.