Tim,
Answers follow in response to your individual points.
Originally posted by Hannican I am interested in landscape and wildlife photography and plan on shooting constantly while overseas. I'd guess that fully 80% or more of my shots I've taken in the past 2 years were outdoors and I'm looking for recommendations for a gear configuration that will work well for these applications... (specifically looking for recommendation on potential lenses).
I've settled on the K10 camera, for a variety of reasons (price, features, fact that it forces you to learn about photography w/out relying on 'scene' modes), but will I be able to get adapters and other components (lenses, accessories, filters, replacement batteries, etc, etc) while in China? Is Pentax well represented in Asia? Or should I purchase all of my gear before I leave to make sure that I've got everything I need?
I was in China in 2001. At that time, I was using a camera that used AA batteries. I could not get good info before traveling about whether I'd be able to buy AAs in China, so I carried a ton with me. Quite unnecessary, as it turned out. I was able to find AA batteries everywhere we traveled. (We were always in big cities -- Beijing, Lanzhou, Guangzhou.)
Not sure about adapters for the K10D's battery charger, but I assume you can get one. But if it were me, I think I'd consider getting a camera that takes AAs instead. On the other hand, you're going to be there so long that buying non-rechargeable batteries will be pretty expensive.
Sounds like you've decided on the K10D. But I'd also suggest that you consider getting a high-end fixed-lens superzoom like the Canon PowerShot S5 IS or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50. The air pollution in China is really bad. In Lanzhou, one morning, I was sitting in the lobby of the Lanzhou Legend hotel and looking outside everything seemed to be light yellow, washed out. I asked our guide what was up. She replied that it was a sand storm, but quickly added that it wasn't serious. I asked what it would be like if it was serious. "We would not be able to see anything," she replied. Lanzhou is especially bad in this regard, but even in Beijing and Guangzhou there was noticeable dust everywhere we went. You'll see people in every big city in China -- street workers, especially -- wearing face masks to help minimize the adverse effects of pollution.
The moral is: you're not necessarily going to relish the idea of changing lenses in this environment. There are of course ways to deal with it. But a high-end fixed-lens superzoom will be very versatile and will take excellent photos, too. Plus it will be lighter and easier to carry everywhere.
Just my thought. Not recommending against the K10D, which I own myself and love. But if I were going back to China (which I hope to do soon), I'm not sure I'd lug the K10D, for various reasons.
Quote: Also, and really most importantly, what recommendations do you have for an additional lens, or perhaps even for two more. I'm well aware that they are the single most important component of the set-up, but since I'm so new to the art I can't really see myself spending any more than $300 on a single lens... yet! I'd really like something with a great telephoto (although I know those are quite pricy), but I'd settle for a great mid-range solution too. I'm thinking that versatility is going to be most important for initial lenses...
If you get the K10D, I'd suggest getting the Tamron 18-250. Really nice lens, and it would answer the problem I raised above with changing lenses. Put this one lens on the camera, go to China and never change lenses. Not the best lens if you're going to shoot weddings, do portraiture, macro work, shoot architecture, shoot action sports, etc. But the Tamron 18-250 is all about high-quality versatility, which I think is exactly what you'll need. The new Pentax 18-250 seems to be (a) very similar and (b) a little more expensive. Until someone tells us that the Pentax version of this lens has appreciably better image quality, I'd go for the Tamron.
Quote: I'm just a little worried after having read numerous times now that the Pentax compatible glass line-up is not as expansive, or as high-quality, as that of Canon or Nikon... is there any truth to this rumor?
There certainly ARE fewer new lenses available for the Pentax mount than for Nikon or Canon. But that doesn't mean that it's a big problem for Pentax owners. The fact that somebody else is richer than I am doesn't mean that I am poor -- it doesn't even mean that their quality of life is better than mine. The Pentax system provides excellent quality lenses -- including digitally optimized zooms -- for just about every need you can imagine. The main problem is that you might have only one or two choices, instead of five or six.
I said "just about" every need, because my impression now is that Pentax is not the best system for a handful of purposes. I would not pick Pentax for shooting certain types of sports, because the K10D's fps rate isn't impressive, compared to some of the Nikon bodies. And the Pentax system might not be the best choice if you want to become a National Geographic wildlife photographer, because we don't seem to have as many very fast, very long telephoto lenses as Canon and Nikon have. But for most other forms of photography, the Pentax bodies and the lens line-up (Pentax's lenses plus those available from Tamron and Sigma) make for a very, very capable system.
Will