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08-14-2016, 06:19 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by SpecialK Quote
You will want something wider, like a 12-24.
THIS! ^^^ for your existing camera that will be the best investment you could make.

QuoteOriginally posted by WPRESTO Quote
As he currently has several APS-C lenses, the far less expensive K5 or K5 II is a more reasonable upgrade than a K1, if he is in a position to upgrade. If he's limited on funds, a WA is the best pre-trip purchase.
I am not suggesting that anyone upgrade to anything. I am saying what "I would take" based around my experiences so far. Now that you mention it a K-5 series might be an excellent upgrade if he's looking to upgrade the camera body.

That is one thing that I ran up against in my travels was that I hit the ISO ceiling on a lot of shots.

Don't get me wrong... there are hundreds of other things to focus on to get great images, but for me I did hit that ISO limit. Part of that is my main go to lens wasn't super fast (during the day no problems) but when things started getting into dusk or darker the slower lens+the ISO limits are where I bumped my head so to speak when it came to gear.

08-14-2016, 06:54 PM   #17
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I have a 16-85. It does a really nice job.
08-14-2016, 07:05 PM   #18
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If I were the OP I would actually prioritize getting a K5 over an WA lens. That K10D just isn't going to be happy inside buildings... and I say this as a former K10D owner. It's a great camera except for its ISO limits. In his shoes I'd rather have a K5 with the 18-55 rather than the K10D and a WA lens.

Now is also a good time to pick up a K5 because there are folks offloading them for the K1.
08-14-2016, 09:36 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by gabriel_bc Quote
If I were the OP I would actually prioritize getting a K5 over an WA lens. That K10D just isn't going to be happy inside buildings... and I say this as a former K10D owner. It's a great camera except for its ISO limits. In his shoes I'd rather have a K5 with the 18-55 rather than the K10D and a WA lens.

Now is also a good time to pick up a K5 because there are folks offloading them for the K1.
Speaking as a person who took his k100D super to Paris with a kit 18-55 series 1 and a 50-200 about 11 years ago I did notice some limits to interior shots, but the exterior shots were fine. At that time, I didn't own any wider lenses.

Honestly I think the 18-55mm is a good travel option. It is light lens with rationally good image quality. Perhaps a wider lens, a faster lens, or a camera with better low light performance...

08-15-2016, 12:11 AM   #20
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For the pictures inside churches you will need wide angle rectilinear lense. 18mm is too much. For apsc camera look at 10-14 mm diapazone. To shoot with your camera without having high ISO problem, you will need tripod.
08-15-2016, 01:42 AM   #21
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It is a hard one, you will need as wide and as fast as possible.
I usually was taking Sigma 17-70 2.8-4.5 or later 17-70 2.8-4 Contemporary.
In many occasions it was not wide enough, could not get the whole church facade in one shot.
Get something better for low light, K-30 is a great choice and the price is right.
So K-30 + Sigma 17-70 macro + Pentax DA 18-250 or Sigma 18-250 or 300 will give you a very versatile traveling Rome kit.
Love the city, you can feel the history in every brick, my the second choice after Singapore.
kind regards
jack
08-15-2016, 02:50 AM   #22
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For my most recent trip I took K-S2 camera with 16-85, 12-24, 55-300, and A50/1.7 lenses. During almost two weeks, 16-85 was on the camera for most of the time, and I also used 12-24 several times - frequently enough to justify carrying it. 55-300 and A50 did not see any action. As per flash,I used built-in one twice. I agree with Michaelina2 - going light&wide for such a trip is good idea (albeit my gear was not light at all

08-15-2016, 06:03 AM   #23
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Went to Rome a couple of years back.
Most used lens was the 18-135 - it's bright and sunny!
The 10-17 had a fair bit of use (Colosseum and church domes).
Wandered around at dusk and night with tripod and A24.
Summary: ultra wide, light zoom and prime. All fits in a small bag. I think you just need the the first one.
08-15-2016, 06:49 AM   #24
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I neglected to mention that my latest trip to Paris was completed using the Panasonic LX7 which is a fixed zoom camera using a q7 size sensor. The camera produces 10mp images and while high ISO is noisy the lens is fast (f1.4-2.3) snd renders nicely.

My motivation for carrying this rather than a Dslr kit was size and complexity. The trip included five additional family members - lens changes were out of the question. My carry on already had two laptops a kindle a pair of phones an external battery powered charger, a pillow, medicines etc. There simply wasn't room or time for a system camera.
08-15-2016, 07:20 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by W412ren Quote
Went to Rome a couple of years back.
Most used lens was the 18-135 - it's bright and sunny!
The 10-17 had a fair bit of use (Colosseum and church domes).
Wandered around at dusk and night with tripod and A24.
Summary: ultra wide, light zoom and prime. All fits in a small bag. I think you just need the the first one.
The only issue I have with this plan is that the 18-135 is really nice at 24mm. I don't know that I would bother with a manual focus prime from ~22mm to ~50mm if I've got an 18-135 with me unless I need the prime for light grabbing. An AF 24mm prime might be nice for walk-around & size reduction as the 18-135 isn't the smallest thing around. If you're doing night shots and have a tripod, that f2.8 prime just doesn't seem that useful here unless the A 24mm renders in ways that you like over the 18-135.
08-15-2016, 08:31 AM   #26
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Just my two pence; in Rome, as in most old cities, you may well find yourself in many situations where the 18mm isn't wide enough and you can't step back to include all you want in a scene.
How you go wider is as much a matter of budget as anything else given that you might want to upgrade your body if you plan to do many interiors.
I've had good results from both the Sigma 10-20 and the Sigma 8-16 but they are not a cheap option although you might find the older 10-20 at a more reasonable price.
08-15-2016, 10:14 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
Ha, so basically the peanut gallery has told him that his entire kit is wrong, has to be encouraging.
The 70-300 is very useful if used outdoors. Rome is full of "details" impossible to get close to. Think of statues on churches or other architectural elements as bells or the Colonna Traiana sculptures. Or maybe parts of Rome visible from some hill, like the Pincio. Have a look at this page

Panorami dal Pincio a Roma: foto

and judge by yourself.
08-15-2016, 10:14 AM   #28
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I second the advice of a very wide angle lens...

But, mostly, as I'm not that expert in that area (camera equipment)... My advice is to visit Coppedè district, Monte distict, Capuchin crypt (higlhy recommended as not famous - here a super wide lens is strongly needed), Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano, Vittoriano Terrace (great view here), Saint Peter in chains (make sure to come from Via Cavour, throw "ascent of borgia" stairs) (to the side, engineering faculty where I study... You may want to visit very fast if you have time - ... but in reality, a lot of tourists come there just to go to the bathroom )

and so on...

Last edited by Sasha; 08-15-2016 at 10:35 AM.
08-15-2016, 10:20 AM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
Don't expect to take any 'money shots,' or 'wall hanger' quality images. If you get something you consider interesting, it will only be interesting to you... six months after you return and the dust settles, when all is said and done, no one else will care.

Put first things first... You're going so you can share the adventure and enjoy the company of your friends. "Stuff" gets in the way... keep it to a minimum.

Time is your nemesis. Planning your day and knowing where you are going to enjoy lunch and dinner in advance is essential.

So, photography-wise... Go light and Go wide.

Q-7 (or similar) w/01 (low light & normal FL), 06 (telephoto for details) and 08 (wide and low light) lenses, plus two extra batteries, charger and several 64GB cards. With a little care, you should be able to easily get K-3 quality images inside/outside, day/night.

Many settings severely restrict, or prohibit photography. Having a kit that can be carried discreetly in your pocket/shooting vest/jacket keeps you out of the time wasting bag checking queue, reduces security service hassles and adds greatly to your peace of mind.

'nuff for now...my $0.02 & enjoy... M
I would agree with the sentiment expressed in this the above post.

I went to Europe in the 1970's. For two weeks, my wife and I dragged my camera gear, consisting of a Pentax SP500, a 55mm f2.0 lens, a Vivitar 70-210mm zoom lens, camera bag, assorted filters and 15 rolls of film, around with us. The only things I used were film and the camera with the 55mm lens. In over 300 shots, I used the zoom lens only a couple of times! To this day we recall what a pain that camera bag was as we traveled around.

My suggestion would be to just take your existing camera and the kit lens. You'll worry less about your equipment and enjoy your trip more.
08-15-2016, 10:27 AM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by mi2nc Quote
Any ideas on lens to bring?

This is a once in a lifetime trip. My mother-in-law is renting a house for a month. My wife will be there the whole month. I will be there for 12-13 days. As for where will we go. Of course Rome, Venice, Pompeii and several small towns north of Rome. I have a K-10D with Kit lens, a pentax fast 50mm , and a Tamron 70-300 telephoto-4.0-5.6. I also have a Flash

I would rent any lens that you guy think I need.
I've been to Rome a couple of times. First time I brought a K5 with 18-135 and 55-300. Never used the 55-300. Since most shots were less than 50 mm and of those the average was at the wider end; the next time I went was with a K3, Sigma 10-20, and a Tamron 17-50. The Sigma 10-20 was on the camera about half of the time. Of those shots the average was toward the wide end.
I found that in general there is not much room available between you and the subject. And the subject tends to be fairly large. And if those two aren't true then you want to be close up to get the shot without a whole bunch of people between you and what you want to shoot. Hence most of my shots tend to be towards the wide end in Rome. Same thing in Venice and Florence.
Enjoy - Rome is well worth seeing!
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