[Frank B]

If the 15, 40 and 70 are what you have, I think you'll be fine. If you can add the 21, I do find that to be one of my favorite "walking around" lenses for sightseeing in cities. The 3 (or 4) DA limiteds will fit in a very small bag, and, for me at least, are much more comfortable for wandering around sightseeing than a larger zoom lens. I tend to walk with my camera in my hand, and have tried using zooms (like the 16-45) but generally switch back to the little primes after the first day or so. For me, the handling characteristics of the small primes always seem to outweigh the convenience of the zooms.

[philippe]

First of all, welcome in Europe and enjoy your stay!

As you already own some DA primes, I would advise you to do what you intended to and go for the DA 15 mm, I have one and couldn't live without anymore, as with all the other DA's I have!
Add the DA 21 mm, if you can afford it, and your kit will perfect! As others said over here, this is a good lens with an interesting view-angle.

When traveling in Europe, take your time to observe, pre-visualise and carefully compose you picture.
As a European, I feel that Europe, particularly the old (medieval) city's, is not the place for 'fast shooting'.
Europe is the place for 'slow photography' as well for 'slow food', the last not being the least at all!

Oh, and before you go, have a look at the work of some European masters like Eugene Adget, Joseph Sudek, Willy Ronis and lots of others, they are a source of inspiration!

[Jasvox]

I travel throughout Europe almost constantly for 9 out of 12 months each year and always take a camera with me. My "go-to" lens is my Tamron 17-50 for a number of reasons (Speed, wide angle, IQ to name a few), but it can get a little heavy after having been out and about for 8-10 hours at a time. If you want a one lens solution to cover those angles, I heartily recommended that lens. Sticking with primes, I think the DA15 would make a great addition to your other primes. Everyone has their reasons, but I would never carry a 55-300 along with other lenses just due to weight and having to keep up with a bag full of gear whilst on the road for weeks at a time, not to mention you can crop and enlarge enough to make up for most shots.
Another lens I like to carry from time to time is my 18-250. Quite simply, this lens does it all other than low light, quick shutter shooting. If you have a k-x, you can shoot at 1600 and above to make up for the slower speeds of course. The good thing about that lens is once I put it onto the camera body, it stays there and I never have to bother with keeping up with other lenses, changing lenses in a crowd or in a hurry and the IQ of the lens is very fine by my standards...I dont work or plan on working for National Geographic. On another note, I do at times keep things very simple and light and just put my FA35/2 onto my body and travel with it. The focal length is fine, the low light shooting is fantastic and the IQ is superb, all in a very compact form factor.
Like I mentioned earlier, everyone is different and have their unique motivators, but in my opinion, traveling with a backpack full of glass can be cumbersome at times as well as borderline superfluous. I guess it all depends on your style of shooting and your peace of mind about having every option available to you. I think no matter what you take or leave behind, you'll get plenty of fantastic photographs of your trip.

Where will you be going by the way?

Jason

[simico]

So what do you reckon DA 15/40/70mm ltd plus my zoom?

If you don't mind changing lenses often then the 3 primes are a good travel kit, though 15mm might be not wide enough in the cities depending on your style. I'd probably leave the 55-300 at home.
I can also second the recommendation of bringing just a 16/17-50mm zoom for maximum convenience, especially when you are traveling with a group of people (who may not want to wait for you all the time) or in the mass at popular sights.

[whbroker]

I returned from 12 day Med Cruise in early November. Visited Toulon, France; Cinque Terre Italy: Vernazza, italy: Sorrento and the Amalfi coast: Venice: Dubrovnik, Croatia and Corfu Greece. Weather was mixed lots of cloudy and rainy days.
My lenses for my white KX were Sigma 17-70mm, Sigma 10-20mm and Pentax 28-105mm. Never used the Pentax but used the Sigma 17-70mm in all areas but Venice where I used the Sigma 10-20 lens. The Sigma did a fantastic job and my MyPublisher book just arrived and I get "Wow" comments on photos taken with camera and lens. Also did panorama of Amalfi using 9 photos and producing a 11" x 33" photo.

[LFLee]

Back from Hawaii trip, and realized that when you travel, a zoom lens is really more convenient. You really don't want to waste your vacation time in changing lens (In my case, I change my lens only in places where dust will not get in easily, like in the car, find a corner of a building, etc.).

I bring 35 ltd, 77 ltd along with the kit lens and 50-200 WR, I use the kid lens most for its wide angle, use 35ltd in the night, 50-200WR for some whale watching shots (not long enough still!), 77mm ltd didn't get to use much.

In the middle of the trip.... I wished I have the 18-135WR.

Lee

[pxpaulx]

I got back last week from 15 days in Italy - the 15mm is a must, it was on my camera 80% of the time (ran an exposure plot because I was curious!). Someone else mentioned the 18-55 WR and I can vouch for it on rainy days as well, made shooting in the rain a breeze, which was several days in Venice.

I also took the sigma 30mm f1.4, 43mm and 70mm ltds. They probably only accounted for 10-12% of my photos, and primarily the 43mm of the 3 (less than 50 shots with the 70mm - great for portraits but I never really found a groove with it).

The size of the 15mm vs a wide zoom is easily worth its weight in gold while travelling.

[timh]

Your plan is a good one! If you don't need 10mm the DA15 is perfect.

[1banger]

I'm going to Europe this year and will have the 15,31,77 ltd's.

It depends on your shooting style really. I use a 5DMKII with Zeiss 21,50, and 100 so the
above range keeps me in the same perspective, (pretty much), when I go from one to the other.

[raider]

I too am going to Europe at the later part of this year...but I don't intend to bring our DSLRs with us. I think we will just bring our compact PnS. Thinking of getting the Samsung EX1 and Pana LX-5 for the sake of compactness and ease of carry.

[timh]

I too am going to Europe at the later part of this year...but I don't intend to bring our DSLRs with us

I don't understand this! Not a criticism, lots of people are the same, but travel is precisely when I would have the best camera kit I could muster with me.

[simico]

I don't understand this! Not a criticism, lots of people are the same, but travel is precisely when I would have the best camera kit I could muster with me.

I think it depends on whether you travel there to take shots or just take a few shots for memories while enjoying your trip. For the former one will carry a DSLR with a bunch of lenses, for the latter a good bridge or super PnS will be enough.
The true value of your shot doesn't depend on the gear used and on technical image qualities.

[timh]

The true value of your shot doesn't depend on the gear used and on technical image qualities.

That's true of any image that's not intended to be sold (and some that are!)
I didn't say it was wrong, just that I don't understand - travel opens up photographic opportunities like nothing else.

[lkjr]

Headed to Italy in a few months and really torn if I want to lug by K-x with me. Agree with others that a good point and shoot is a viable suggestion....I have a Panny LX3 (LX5 is the new model) that goes with me everywhere...wide angle, great in low light, Leica lens...super street camera imho.

[Nilnoc]

Since we've progressed beyond the original poster's question, I'd like to say that my trip to Europe with 2 bodies and 4 lenses was enhanced by using a rear lens cap that joins two lenses together. Just google "OP/TECH USA Double Lens Mount Cap for Pentax Lenses". It makes a 4 piece kit into a 3 piece kit. With the 2 unmounted lenses joined together, they both fit easily into the same pouch. And the OP/TECH rear lens cap has a quality O-ring gasket.