[evl tvn]

Hello,
My name is Bart and in about 8-9 weeks my life will change for ever with addition of my son,
He is the reason I'm in a market for a DSLR for a first time.
I always wanted one but never had a good reason to until now.

After reading countless reviews, vs, comparisons my head hearts but I'm pretty sure that I want a new K-x.
I looking to get the kit with 2 lenses, 18-55 & 55-300 but do I need two lenses or maybe I can cover it with one 18-250?

Tamron web site has a cool page with sample pics and all the lenses they produce to compare them to each other. I see hard to justify for my all around shooting the small difference from 250 to 300 zoom.

I know very little about all the features that SLR type camera provides but I want to learn and improve on my point and shoot skills

Off course the SLR will provide my with fast pics, video and being able to catch all the once in a lifetime things my little nugget will do.
I compared it to D5000 Nikon & T1i Canon but from all the reviews and versatility Pentax comes out on top.

Now few Q's for those that have and used K-x:

1. How is the battery life with using LV in general?
2. Any problems with equipment it self?
3. Should I get the two lens kit or just body and 18-250 lens?


Thanks for reading my post and give me Your opinions so I can be guided in a proper direction.

[Oggy]

Hi and welcome to the forum and hopefully to pentax.

I do not have the K-x (although I am considering one as a backup) so I can't give you first hand info, but having seen results from it, it is looking remarkably good. In some areas it even gives the mighty K7 a run for it's money. It is getting very good write-ups everywhere.

As to the lenses, if you can afford them, go for the 18-55 and the 55-300. These are what I got with my K20 when I bought it.

For kit lenses, both of these are capable of outstandingly good results, and have a slightly larger range coverage so that you can work out what other lenses you need if you decide to get more.

Good luck.

[Rondec]

Pretty sure you are better off going with the 55-300 and the kit. It will be cheaper and a little faster on the long end with better image quality. The 18-250 is pretty good for what it is, but it is a little bulky and tends to lose a little both at the wide end and the long end.

[mattdm]

I have some advice as someone who used the same excuse for getting into photography....

If you get the kit lenses, make sure you also get a decent flash. You're going to be frustrated by their capability in low light, even with the K-x's high ISO abilities. An add-on flash will give you the ability to generate bounced light, which looks more appealing and doesn't shine right in the poor kid's eyes.

I also don't think you'll really need very much by way of telephoto reach -- with a baby, it's all about up close and personal. I'd say, sure, get the 18-55 kit lens if you want, but also get either the 35mm or 40mm DA Limited, plus the Metz 48 AF-1 if you can swing it or the Metz 36 AF-4 if you can't.

In a couple years when you're out at the playground, that's when to add

[hcc]

Bart

>1. How is the battery life with using LV in general?
LV uses more power than the viewfinder. Personnally I prefer the Viewfinder possibly because I am old school.

>3. Should I get the two lens kit or just body and 18-250 lens?
You were given already some good advice (eg Rondec, Matt). I think that your choice will be linked with your budget. Strangely the 18-250mm is more expensive than the two kit lens (18-55mm & 55-300mm).

Ultimately your choice must reflect your needs incl. your budget. In my case I want to carry the camera with an all-rounder lens in a small top-loader bag. I needed the 18-250mm and I do not regret the choice. I often walk outdoor with my small top-loader bag carrying the camera (K-7 in my case) with the 18-250mm mounted on the body. I can shoot quickly: no need to change an lens. I can ignore the problem of changing a lens when it is dusty or wet.

Matt has a good point if you want to do some low-light shooting. A good flash or a fast prime lens. In my case, I choose a fast prime (Nokton 58mm) and I am very happy with its performances in low light without flash.

Hope that the comments will help you.

And welcome to Pentaxforums.com ...

I have the Kx and 2 kit combo... Plus way too many lenses.

With a new baby on the way... Congrats!!!!

I personally would get the K-x and a tamron 28-75 2.8. It has been my AF family shooter for 3 years.

If you do get the two lens kit (which I would get before I got the 18-250) I agree a bounce flash would be very handy.

The other option is the kx 2 kit package and a cheap manual focus fast lens. There are great, fast 1.4 and 1.7 aperture lenses for as low as 50 or 60 dollars.

The Kx is amazing as a low light shooter. I can take pretty good Hi iso shots even at unheard of ISO's

I was goofing off yesterday at ISO 12800 just to see how it would come out... It is grainy but still very usable for a quick family snap. These first two shots are with a 20 dollar Helios 44M F2 lens.

You cant go wrong with the old MF lenses for a cheap way to get indoor shots.


ISO 1600


ISO 12800


ISO 3200


__________________________________________________________

the 55-300 is a really nice lens too IMHO

A few at 300 mm -- the first is a pretty tight crop.

[evl tvn]

Thanks for all the answers,

I will be taking pics indoors and out, we take our dogs on hikes to the lakes and such, now we will just bring another member of our family along.
I'm not looking to be changing lenses to much, or waiting for that perfect shot, more of a spontaneous pics with friends at various times and locations.
I want to be able to adopt to different locations, light and distance with least amount of gear or time.
Is the 18-250 going to do that for me?
Is this lens or kit lenses are OK to video record with K-x?

If I wanted ONE lens that I can take pics indoors, outdoors & occasional landscape or a moon at night what would I need?
Understanding that I will lose some of quality at each, but I'm sure it would be still better then my old point and shoot, wouldn't it?

Thanks for help, I have the funds ready just don't know what to get

[mattdm]

If I wanted ONE lens that I can take pics indoors, outdoors & occasional landscape or a moon at night what would I need?

DA 35 Macro Limited f/2.8.

Not joking. See:

The Online Photographer: The SMC Pentax DA 35mm ?/2.8 Macro Limited

and

The Online Photographer: Normal Lens = Universal Lens?

[Marc Sabatella]

If I wanted ONE lens that I can take pics indoors, outdoors & occasional landscape or a moon at night what would I need?

That's not a realistic goal. Yes, I know you acknowledged that quality would suffer, but I think it goes beyond what you are expecting. It's not just optical quality, but the fact that any lens that had a wide enough range of focal lengths to cover all the situations you might envision shooting in (eg, an 18-250) would also have too small a maximum aperture to give you fast enough shutter speeds to get sharp pictures in low light. Yes, you can raise ISO ridiculously high, and in the right conditions get surprisingly good images, but the camera won't work miracles. For shooting without flash indoors, you'll almost certainly another lens, and probably sooner rather than later. But might as well shoot with the basic zoom(s) first to get an idea of what focal lengths you like before getting anything else. Whether you go with the 18-250 versus the 18-55 + 55-300 is a completely personal decision. I personally like a two lens solution because I like lighter lenses on my camera, and the 18-250 is over twice the weight of the 18-55. But the 55-300 is about the same weight as the 55-300 - one reason I'm glad I have the much lighter 50-200 instead. Others are not as sensitive to weight as I, and dislike changing lenses more than I, and they are fine with the 18-250.

but either way, as I said, you'll probably want something else for low light shooting soon enough - especially for the pictures of your son!

[evl tvn]

Ok,
so Here is what I narrowed my starter kit to:

1. I will get the 2 lens kit ( 18-55, 55-300 )
2. Lowepro Cirrus TLZ 25 Holster ( I'm sure I can fit body + 2 lenses from what I read on this case )
3. SanDisk 16GB Extreme - SDHC Class 10 ( pics and video )
4. Hand strap ( just not sure which one yet)... probably pentax?

How Am I doing so far?

Everything comes from Amazon and just fits in my $800 budget

After I will learn to work with this then maybe I will get a lens as Matt suggested or something I will know by then that I need to satisfy my goals.

Marc, the weight of lenses does not bother me at all, I always have a back pack when we go hiking with dogs, water, snacks, first aid kit for them...

Ready to hit the order button since I have to get ready for Maggie's baby shower in 4 weeks
She want's me to take the pics with this new toy.

[indytax]

Good choices and I'm sure that you'll enjoy it. Soon enough, you'll want to add more and more to that kit, and many of the above suggestions are worth considering...

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival (the baby, not the camera).

[Marc Sabatella]

Note it wasn't the weight *in the bag* I was talkng about, but the weight *on the camera*, which affects how it feels and balances in my hand. But that's a totally personal thing - some prefer having more weight in the front of the camera, which is what a heavier lens does.

[evl tvn]

My new toy showed up last night.

I'm lost like a rabbit in cabbage field, so my functions and possibilities I have to learn but it will be fun once I have it under control.

I have few Q's on little things:

1. I have 6 Duracell Rechargeable batteries ( 2400mAH, NiMH, 1.2V ), I read that they are as good as Enloop ones so can I use them?

2. Where can I get a LCD screen protector like for mobile phones to prevent scratches that fits 2.7" screen?

3. Are there UV protective screens for kit lenses?

4. Is there an eyecup for K-x?

Thanks for help, Bart

[DavoMrMac]

Hello

I cannot help on all of your questions, but three of them as follows.

1. They should be fine, but the Eneloop use a different technology which is slow drain, so they may suit better. Yours should work OK though.

2. I normally get mine from DealExtreme.com - they do very cheap 2.7-inch ones that serve the purpose. A bit better quality are Exim screen protectors. Or you can get glass ones on ebay (which I might go for).

3. UV filters for the kit lens are plenty. Either 52mm or 58mm, Hoya, Kenko, Giottos. Not sure what lenses you purchased in the end, so just check the front of the lens which will give you the thread size.

[Marc Sabatella]

1. I have 6 Duracell Rechargeable batteries ( 2400mAH, NiMH, 1.2V ), I read that they are as good as Enloop ones so can I use them?

If they are billed as being "low self-discharge", "pre-charged", or "hybrid", then they might b as good as Eneloops. otherwise, they're not, but iht still work OK.

3. Are there UV protective screens for kit lenses?

Please see the many other threads on the subject of filters, and after reading through them, decide if the minimal protection protection they offer is worth the cost and potential loss of IQ. Some say yes, most say no.

4. Is there an eyecup for K-x?

Aside from the one it came with? There is the O-ME53 magnifying eyecup; presumably others would fit too.