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05-26-2010, 09:44 PM   #1
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Advice needed on new kit

I used to be a Nikon shooter, back in the days when manuals were shipped out on clay tablets, shooting mainly Kodachrome 64. Lovely film, with that exquisite silky grain. I primarily do wildlife and landscape photography, so portability and weather resistance is important. One day, I pressed the button and the shutter stayed open.....

The guy in the camera repair store said not to bother getting the old warhorse fixed, but to instead convert to digital. I bought a Canon Powershot, but missed my SLR's capabilities ( and long zoom ) terribly. So, when I got my bonus this year, I decided to upgrade. I short listed the Pentax and Olympus offerings over Nikon and Canon for the weather resistance. Pentax then won over Olympus because it looked more nonexpert friendly. ( Before my first cup of coffee, I can handle "Make sure little pointer is set to green. Take picture" Usually. )

I was all set to get the house trim painted and was dithering between a KX and a K7 and one of the zooms, and then I got invited on safari. Suddenly the K7 or KX / 55-300 zoom combo that looked so inviting now felt like I was taking a knife to a gun fight. Okay, I can handle a paint brush, I have a good ladder, and the trim is way up in the air where nobody can see it. That means the paint-the-trim money can go to photography instead. So, what am I missing ? What would you change ?

Pentax K7 body
Pentax KX body
Pentax DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6AL WR
Pentax DA 55-300MM F4-5.8 ED
Pentax SMCP-DA* 300mm f/4 ED (IF) SDM Autofocus Lens
Pentax 1.7x teleconverter
Kenko 1.5x Pz-AF Teleplus SHQ teleconverter for Pentax
Circular polarizers for all lenses : B+W, Marumi DHG or Hoya high transmission
Extended warrantees on DA*300
Sandisk 8GB ( 4 )
Pentax battery grip for K7
Spare battery for K7
3 sets of Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries
Slow charger that charges individual cells

Will all of these play together nice ? What changes would you make ? ( Yes, I know that I need a tripod but I can make do with my old Vanguard for a bit )

Thanks !

05-26-2010, 10:32 PM   #2
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All I've got to add is that the K-7's button layout is much different from the K-x, and it might be hard for you to use them both together!

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05-27-2010, 01:50 AM   #3
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Rime,
Both the K-x and K-7 camera are excellent and you will not be disappointed. The K-s is an entry dSLR. The K-7 is a semi-pro (ie more advanced) camera. Since you already used SLR, the K-7 might be the better choice for you.

However, I would encourage you to try both bodies in a camera store. The layout of the bodies is different. The feel is also different: plastic for K-x and metal for the K-7, smaller body for the K-x, ... You do not want to be disappointed by your purchase and I urge you to try the camera before you purchase.

If you go for the K-7, the 18-55mm WR and 55-200mm WR lenses are the ideal combo for a start: weather resistant (WR) lenses for a WR body. (You may even start with the 18-55mm WR and await for the 55-300mm WR that is supposed to be relased later this year.)

In addition, I recommend you get a good quality SD card: eg a Sandisk Extreme III Class 10. With the HD video and Hi continuous shooting, you will need a fast card.

Hope that the comment will help.
05-27-2010, 04:19 AM   #4
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I am assuming that this is the kit that you already have and you wonder if you need to add to it? I think your kit looks good. For a safari, you will want long lenses and looks like you have that pretty well covered with the DA 55-300 and DA *300. The biggest gaps to me in your lens line up are in the middle of the range (probably not so useful in a safari situation), where a DA *50-135 would work well, as would one of the 70-200 f2.8 zooms.

I don't think you'll have difficulty with the kx and K7 together. They do have a very different feel to each of them and you'll get used to where things are at on each body. Just make sure your settings are what you want ahead of time. Program or Av mode each work well.

05-27-2010, 08:02 AM   #5
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Earlier this year we went on Safari spending a week each in remote bush camps in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Transportation was in small 6 passenger single engine bush planes. The reason I mention this is because you were allowed 26 pounds of luggage and no more. They weighed everything very carefully and if you went over you had to leave something behind. We were there just after the rainy season and everything was lush. The game drives were done in early morning (dark) and again in late afternoon coming back in the dark. My DA* 200/2.8 was the most useful here and it stayed on my K20. My assistant (wife) carried my K10 with a Tamron 70-300 in another bag.. Also in the kits was a FA 50/ 1.4 which proved useful in the camp evenings and my trusty 18-55. Six extra batteries and six 8mb cards filled out the two camera bags and I never felt under gunned. Our guides were outstanding, understood cameras, and were able to get us very close to the animals, usually within yards.
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05-27-2010, 09:53 AM   #6
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if you can afford it, and the weight increase, I would drop the 550300 in favor of a 70-200F2.8

since you have the 300f4 you won't be using this zoom with a TC but at shorter focal lengths you get an additional stop.

the 55-300 is kind of a waste considering the 300F4

Ultimately you will want a 10-20 or 12-24 also
05-27-2010, 09:38 PM   #7
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hcc/Adam : I'm going to have to get used to a new layout anyhow. I have read over and over that for safari that 2 bodies is almost required. I figured that if I got a KX and a K7, that I'd get the KX's great high ISO performance for low light situations and the K7 for the rest of the time I'll get the KX in other-than-black to make the mental mapping easier

Good point on the WR 55-300 : after you mentioned that I did some googling and it looks like if I can wait a couple of months I can get the 55-300 in WR. Since I do a lot of hiking, WR is very important to me. I've missed a lot of great shots because the camera was safe in the car/pack.

Ahab : I've read that for safaris longer is better and I was worried that the 300s, even with the telconverters, wouldn't be quite enough. Was it the speed of the DA*200 and the FA 50/1.4 that made them so useful ?

Lowell : This is my first experience with a prime, and I have read that sometimes that a prime just gets you too close to the action : that you can't "frame" a picture the way you can with a zoom. I definitely need to get the wide lens that you suggested : I never had that in my Nikon days.

Thanks to all !

05-28-2010, 07:30 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rime Quote
hcc/Adam :

Ahab : I've read that for safaris longer is better and I was worried that the 300s, even with the telconverters, wouldn't be quite enough. Was it the speed of the DA*200 and the FA 50/1.4 that made them so useful ?
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Rime, absolutely. If you are getting close you don't need longer. The most animals are seen in early morning or late afternoon when lighting conditions can be trying. Mid-day you are back in camp taking a nap and so are the animals. We were not allowed to stand up or get out of the Landrover without permission of the guide so you can't use a tripod. I took along a combo walking stick/monopod but didn't get much use out of it. The folks with the long lenses kept asking to look through my 200mm and were amazed how bright the viewfinder was. Some had been on safari before, (dry season) and said their guides were afraid to get close so I imagine that should be taken in consideration.
05-28-2010, 09:05 AM   #9
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Can't wait to see your DA*300 shots. The more I use mine, the more I appreciate its top-notch rendering.
05-28-2010, 10:13 AM   #10
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Time and Dust...

... will be you main photog challenges.

Time, in the sense that all stuff has a learning curve. You need time to make mistakes and learn from them BEFORE you get on site.

Dust is the enemy. If your gear is not weather sealed leave it at home. This means a K-7 and DA (star) lenses. Budget accordingly.

Sounds like a great trip. Please share your 'lessons learned' when you return.

Cheers...
05-28-2010, 10:21 AM   #11
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Why bother with a teleconverter with those other lenses? You would only use it on the 300 anyway.

If you need to get near 500mm, look at an older manual prime.
05-28-2010, 02:03 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rime Quote
I What changes would you make ?
Nice kit. You need two bodies for a trip like this.
I agree with others, the DA 55-300 isn't necessary for now.
I'd want a fast normal lens and a D FA 100mm WR macro.
I would definitely want a TC, but why two?
What is the advantage of a charger that charges cells individually? Sounds like a pain in the keister.

Last edited by audiobomber; 05-28-2010 at 02:22 PM.
05-29-2010, 06:59 AM   #13
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How's this for close?
This was taken with a P&S from another Range Rover from our group. I'm in the back seat closest to the lion. I could smell his breath. Most of the folks with the long lenses ended up using their P&S's for many of their close shots. In the National parks you must stay on approved trails, we were fortunate to enter some private preserves where this was not the case.
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05-29-2010, 08:10 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ahab Quote
How's this for close?.
In an open vehicle, too close for me!
06-01-2010, 08:29 PM   #15
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Michaelina2 : Trip's not until December, so I'll have lots of time to play with my new toys. Looking like my suitcase is going to be camera gear and a change of underwear...

Ira/audiobomber : The 2 teleconverters are because I kept reading that long lenses are necessary, and using a teleconverter + the 300 prime or the 55-300 zoom seemed like the only way to get the necessary length and still have something that I could afford/handle. I hadn't really considered buying used, because I haven't had a lot of luck in the past.

Ahab : All I can say is, WOW !
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