[calculator01]

I will second the motion for RAW+ when taking. That gives you the best of both worlds. Don't forget to set the jpegs to maximum quality.

Cards are not all that expensive. Take lots. You will be taking hundreds of pictures, but a 16 Gb card can hold quite a bit.

i second this logic. Give her the jpegs and edit the raw when you can, then give her the best.

[The_Coach]

I would consider renting a 50-135 or, purchasing a DA 50mm f1.8, depending on how much length you think you'll need.

Another vote for the DA* 50-135mm...

fantastic quality !

Can comfortably achieve candid shots without disrupting guests.

Check out the venue if possible and see what the light is like .

[aleonx3]

I will second the motion for RAW+ when taking. That gives you the best of both worlds. Don't forget to set the jpegs to maximum quality.

Cards are not all that expensive. Take lots. You will be taking hundreds of pictures, but a 16 Gb card can hold quite a bit.

The DA*50-135/2.8 is a fantastic lens for the more distant subjects. I'm one of those idiots who actually likes and uses the DA*16-50 2.8. Great range of focal lengths. I would not suggest going wider than 16mm due to the edge distortion which would take hours to fix in post. Nobody likes to look fat, and everybody looks fat at 12mm on the left and right ends. Even 16mm is iffy for this distortion.

I second the DA* 16-50/2.8 lens but try to restrict to the range from 24-50. Also, try to stop down a little instead of full open aperture. I like the recommendation on the DA* 50-135 as well, but I feel that you need a little wider focal length since you will be rather close to the action/people. Good luck!!

[RonHendriks1966]

Well I think you should buy the DA35mm/f2.4 adn put that on your K-x and use it for those nice shots in the convention. On the K-5 one off the other options mentioned.

[BirdDude007]

judging from plumbing repair bills it ain't such a bad gig either...just sayin"

Good luck and bring a nice piece of wide glass with you also like a DA-12-24 or the DA16-45

Yep a little truth there lol, actually this job will be $150 an hour, I make no where that in my hourly plumbing wage

[BirdDude007]

Does anyone here live in Vegas? If so do you have any of the above recommended zooms? If so can you maybe rent them to me? I am very careful with camera equipment and treat it with a high degree of care.

[sterretje]

Just check ahead of time how your K-5 behaves under tungsten light. Mine front-focuses badly.

With regards to the lens, my choice for what you describe would be a 17-50 or a 28-75.

[TER-OR]

You're going to want wide for close shots and a zoom for longer shots. The key here is flexibility, since you don't know what opportunities will present themselves and candids can be better from a distance. The 18-135 may not be bad for this - the 16-50 is supposed to be great, as are the various 17-70 lenses. I have used a 16-45 for conventions etc in the past and it's a decent lens for this - the 16 end is really quite wide, but your camera will eliminate barrel distortion if you have that set. It may not be long enough for some activities, though depending on what this convention does.

Don't forget to have small groups, pairs etc stop and pose for a shot. Those are the images people like to see online.

I also agree the RAW+ is a good idea, and may make you look brilliant if there are shots which really require some work.

[Edgar_in_Indy]

this has the potential of being lucritive in the near future, possibly making it so I can quit my plumbing job and do this full time with travel to lots of cool places around the globe

Congrats, and I hope you are able to make the most of the opportunity. But I'm sure that your plumbing job probably already takes you to a lot of "exotic" locations.


Although I have the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8, if I could only use one lens for a situation like you are describing it would be my Sigma 30mm 1.4. The lens is relatively compact and light, but the large aperture will allow you to stay at low ISO's and you can use the shallow depth of field to get some very interesting, and professional-looking, pictures. As far as I know, the Sigma 30mm 1.4 is the widest 1.4 lens available for APS-C.

The second lens I would take would be a wide-angle. In my case, that would be the 8-16mm, but I used to own the Sigma 10-20mm, and that would be my recommendation for anybody's first ultra-wide since it is much cheaper and is easier to use to good effect than the 8-16mm. If you are doing event photography on a regular basis, then there is simply no replacement for an ultrawide angle for capturing the locale.

The third lens I would grab would be my Sigma 85mm 1.4. If I had both the 30mm and 85mm available, I would probably be using one almost as much as the other. A fast telephoto will allow you to capture candid photos of people interacting completely oblivious of the photographer, and the fast aperture will let you isolate subjects when you want to. And if I had two bodies available, I would keep the 30mm on one and the 85mm on the other.

Finally, if I had any extra room in my camera bag then I would bring my 50-150mm f/2.8 or a flash.


If you are going to be in a convention-hall or other very large, open area, then I would not bother with a flash since you will not be able to bounce it off anything, and you will be mixing lighting temperatures, but in more-enclosed spaces a properly used flash can take your photos to another level.

But if you have a very limited amount to spend right now, then I would echo the suggestions of the Pentax DA 50mm 1.8. For under $200 that would give you your "candid" telephoto, and you can use your 18-135mm for wider shots.

[BirdDude007]

Congrats, and I hope you are able to make the most of the opportunity. But I'm sure that your plumbing job probably already takes you to a lot of "exotic" locations.


Although I have the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8, if I could only use one lens for a situation like you are describing it would be my Sigma 30mm 1.4. The lens is relatively compact and light, but the large aperture will allow you to stay at low ISO's and you can use the shallow depth of field to get some very interesting, and professional-looking, pictures. As far as I know, the Sigma 30mm 1.4 is the widest 1.4 lens available for APS-C.

The second lens I would take would be a wide-angle. In my case, that would be the 8-16mm, but I used to own the Sigma 10-20mm, and that would be my recommendation for anybody's first ultra-wide since it is much cheaper and is easier to use to good effect than the 8-16mm. If you are doing event photography on a regular basis, then there is simply no replacement for an ultrawide angle for capturing the locale.

The third lens I would grab would be my Sigma 85mm 1.4. If I had both the 30mm and 85mm available, I would probably be using one almost as much as the other. A fast telephoto will allow you to capture candid photos of people interacting completely oblivious of the photographer, and the fast aperture will let you isolate subjects when you want to. And if I had two bodies available, I would keep the 30mm on one and the 85mm on the other.

Finally, if I had any extra room in my camera bag then I would bring my 50-150mm f/2.8 or a flash.


If you are going to be in a convention-hall or other very large, open area, then I would not bother with a flash since you will not be able to bounce it off anything, and you will be mixing lighting temperatures, but in more-enclosed spaces a properly used flash can take your photos to another level.

But if you have a very limited amount to spend right now, then I would echo the suggestions of the Pentax DA 50mm 1.8. For under $200 that would give you your "candid" telephoto, and you can use your 18-135mm for wider shots.

Do you think I would have any luck with the 18-135 in this low light situation?
Also........I did mention I have a 50mm1:1.4 M lens, I also have a 50 mm 1:1.7A lens, I can focus on the fly pretty well and the aperture will mostly be close to wide open, you think I could pull some good shots of with one of those?
My client is willing to pay for rental lenses, what are some good ones to rent? Im considering the 50-135 and the 16-45 zooms

[Edgar_in_Indy]

Do you think I would have any luck with the 18-135 in this low light situation?

The 18-135mm would primarily be for your wide end until you get a dedicated wide, and you're not going to get a fast aperture at wide end anyway regardless of lens (at least until Sigma releases their 18-35mm f/1.8 for Pentax!). So you'll just have to up your ISO as necessary to compensate when you shoot wide.

A tripod can come in handy here, especially when you are shooting the actual venue rather than focusing on moving subjects. You can get some really cool shots with a wide angle and a tripod. With a tripod, you can sometimes even use the motion blur of a long exposure to your advantage, by showing the venue with a blur of motion as people move around (or sometimes even making people disappear entirely when there is only light traffic).

Also........I did mention I have a 50mm1:1.4 M lens, I also have a 50 mm 1:1.7A lens, I can focus on the fly pretty well and the aperture will mostly be close to wide open, you think I could pull some good shots of with one of those?

Sorry, I must have missed that. I myself couldn't imaging wanting to shoot too much in a fast-paced situation with a manual lens, but if you're good at it then you should at least bring one along.

My client is willing to pay for rental lenses, what are some good ones to rent? Im considering the 50-135 and the 16-45 zooms

Renting is fine if they want to pay for it, but I'm not sure that it would change my recommendations for lenses.

Whichever way you go, I think a great place to start would be with an f/2.8 standard zoom and a fast 50mm. In Pentax land, the standard zoom would be the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 or Pentax 16-50mm f/2.8 (I myself am partial to the Sigma since it seems to have better image quality from the sample pics I've seen from both lenses, and plus the warranty is much longer). And a good, inexpensive 50mm would of course be the Pentax DA 50mm 1.8. And then from there you could flesh out your kit as you get some more experience and start to feel what your lens limitations are. Depending on your shooting style, you may feel the next necessary lens is an ultra-wide, or you may prefer a longer telephoto. Just pay attention to whether you are running more frequently into the 16/17/18mm end, or the 50mm end.

If you are wanting to buy a lens on the cheap, you may also want to consider the older Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8. From what I've seen, it's a very decent lens and it sells for cheap. Usually in the $200-$250 range, but sometimes you can get lucky and score it for less than $200. I doubt the casual observer would be able to tell any difference between the pics from that lens, or the more expensive Sigma 17-50mm or Pentax 16-50mm. So for around $400 you could pick up the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 and the Pentax DA 50mm 1.8 and have a very good starter kit that would cover most situations and be easy to build on.

[BirdDude007]

Congrats, and I hope you are able to make the most of the opportunity. But I'm sure that your plumbing job probably already takes you to a lot of "exotic" locations.


Although I have the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8, if I could only use one lens for a situation like you are describing it would be my Sigma 30mm 1.4. The lens is relatively compact and light, but the large aperture will allow you to stay at low ISO's and you can use the shallow depth of field to get some very interesting, and professional-looking, pictures. As far as I know, the Sigma 30mm 1.4 is the widest 1.4 lens available for APS-C.

The second lens I would take would be a wide-angle. In my case, that would be the 8-16mm, but I used to own the Sigma 10-20mm, and that would be my recommendation for anybody's first ultra-wide since it is much cheaper and is easier to use to good effect than the 8-16mm. If you are doing event photography on a regular basis, then there is simply no replacement for an ultrawide angle for capturing the locale.

The third lens I would grab would be my Sigma 85mm 1.4. If I had both the 30mm and 85mm available, I would probably be using one almost as much as the other. A fast telephoto will allow you to capture candid photos of people interacting completely oblivious of the photographer, and the fast aperture will let you isolate subjects when you want to. And if I had two bodies available, I would keep the 30mm on one and the 85mm on the other.

Finally, if I had any extra room in my camera bag then I would bring my 50-150mm f/2.8 or a flash.


If you are going to be in a convention-hall or other very large, open area, then I would not bother with a flash since you will not be able to bounce it off anything, and you will be mixing lighting temperatures, but in more-enclosed spaces a properly used flash can take your photos to another level.

But if you have a very limited amount to spend right now, then I would echo the suggestions of the Pentax DA 50mm 1.8. For under $200 that would give you your "candid" telephoto, and you can use your 18-135mm for wider shots.

obviously a ton of good advice there I sure appreciate it, I am still leaning towards a Sigma
8~16mm(I think that is the range) then I want to get the Pentax 16~45mm from there I will try for the 50~135mm I want to get my full rang in zooms first and then start collecting primes.
I am thinking that I shouldnt just go waltzing into this shoot with just my 18~135 on one camera and my 50 on the other, ya the 50 will be fast enough but the zoom will really limit me to dangerously high ISOs, so I am gonna lean towards the fast zooms, ya they are only a stop or two faster, but I need all the speed I can get on my side, besides that, the IQ of tbese faster zooms put my zoom to shame

[TER-OR]

The Sigma 8-16 is a brilliant lens. UWA lenses are specialties, though, and may not be what your client wants to see. It does have its own special rendering. At 16mm it's very wide but at 8 it highly distorts the edges and gives a fisheye in the center - the effect is very cool but for a convention setting? I don't know if your client will want to see this.

The ISO performance of the K5 can let you get indoor pictures with that 18-135, it won't be a problem. You won't be shooting at ISO 100, but at 800 or even 2200 there's very little noise. If you want to use two bodies, the UWA lens is one to consider. A good portrait lens is another to consider.

I wouldn't rent a 16-45, it's not worth the money. Buy one instead. Another option is something in the 20-30mm range. I have a Sigma 28mm f1.8 which I really like indoors, up close and as a "what the eye sees" lens. Their 30 is also supposed to be very good. I've used the 28 indoors in dimly lit hotel settings wide open and have been VERY impressed.

[Edgar_in_Indy]

I am still leaning towards a Sigma 8~16mm(I think that is the range)

I was about to give the same advise about the 8-16mm. The Sigma 8-16mm is a great lens (I own it), but I would actually recommend the Sigma 10-20mm or one of the 12-24mm's for somebody's first ultra-wide. While 8mm can certainly be fun sometimes, it's not very easy to use to good effect without a lot of practice at ultra-wide angles, and it's VERY easy to use wrong at 8mm, especially any time human subjects are in the frame. And having an ultra-wide that reaches all the way to a wide-standard 20mm/24mm can often be useful.

The 8-16mm is also a very expensive lens. The cheapest one on eBay right now is $860, and it's coming from Japan so it would not have a US warranty. They rarely show up used, and when they do they're still expensive since it's a one-of-a-kind lens. There are NO used copies available on eBay or on the PF Marketplace right now as far as I can tell.

The Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6, on the other hand, can often be found used for $300-$350, and even new it's only $429. That was my first UW, and when I owned it, it was often my most-used lens when I was out with my family. I kind of regret selling it in a way, since I don't find myself using the 8-16mm quite as often. Not that I would consider selling my 8-16mm, but I can't recommend the 10-20mm enough. It's a more general-purpose lens than the 8-16mm. My copy of the 10-20mm was very sharp, even wide open, which is typical of that lens.

[BirdDude007]

The Sigma 8-16 is a brilliant lens. UWA lenses are specialties, though, and may not be what your client wants to see. It does have its own special rendering. At 16mm it's very wide but at 8 it highly distorts the edges and gives a fisheye in the center - the effect is very cool but for a convention setting? I don't know if your client will want to see this.

The ISO performance of the K5 can let you get indoor pictures with that 18-135, it won't be a problem. You won't be shooting at ISO 100, but at 800 or even 2200 there's very little noise. If you want to use two bodies, the UWA lens is one to consider. A good portrait lens is another to consider.

I wouldn't rent a 16-45, it's not worth the money. Buy one instead. Another option is something in the 20-30mm range. I have a Sigma 28mm f1.8 which I really like indoors, up close and as a "what the eye sees" lens. Their 30 is also supposed to be very good. I've used the 28 indoors in dimly lit hotel settings wide open and have been VERY impressed.

Oooops I should have mentioned that I just wanted an 8~16mm basically for my own personal use....lol
I actually want to use tbe 16 ~50mm for this shoot.
I have decided to rent the 16 x 50mm 2.8 and the 50 x135mm 2.8 for this shoot, and for a couplr reasons.
1- I really dont know how much I will get to move around so I need the flexibility of the zooms
2-the faster lenses will be needed in such a low light situation
3- the client is paying for the rental, if I had to pay then I would most likely just invest in the lenses(which I am planning on doing when I reinvest my proceeds from my shoots)
4-i have been wanting tne two lenses for a while now, so this will give me an opportunity in a real world shooting situation to try them out before I buy.

also on another note I will be packing my 50mm,35mm manual lenses among most of the rest of my equipment, so if need be I will have access to them.

I will have the following set up during the shoot-
1-K-5 for my main camera with 16~50mm, and battery grip
2-K-X for secondary/back up camera with the 50~135mm on it, it will be sporting my Peak Design "Capture" to clip it onto my waste.
3-an old Quantaray (ol trusty) zoom flash with bracket for mounting off body, and dedicated module, I also picked up a small soft box for it hopefully I can get some practice before the shoot, therd wont be hardly any flash work at this shoot, but I wanna be prepared.
4-i will have a small Lowepro bag that is designed for just stowing a DSLR and an extra lens, around my waist worn like a butt bag, that will be there for accessories and extra neeced things