[MarkJerling]

@Kunzite and @Dan Rentea:
Please stop bickering in this thread. I don't want to issue thread bans.

[twilhelm]

Then you can look towards a K3II body to experiment with the pixelshift and astrotracer. I think the 55-300 is good enough, but I've never owned it, so take this with a grain of salt. I would look into a DA 15, a lens with a lot of character. You will find a lot of inspiration in the dedicated thread. I'm starting to believe you need to invest more in traveling to some nice places rather than gear. I'm sure NZ has quite a lot of them.

I can highly recommend the 55-300 for a starter, very affordable tele-lens. I’ve owned the original version for years and have always been pleased with the images. Over the years, due to paid work such as weddings, I’ve upgraded to DA* lenses, but I still grab the 55-300 for sticking in my pocket during a walk.

There are thousands of images here taken with the 55-300 that are stellar.

[DeadJohn]

Yes, but until you heavily rely on SR, 500 mm FL on APSC calls for 1/800 at least of safety shutter time so you have to crank up the ISO...

My stated context was wildlife and airshows. Airshows are always in bright light, even if cloudy. A lot of wildlife is in good light, too. Many of my 50-500 images are in the ISO 200 through 400 vicinity without SR.

I never use the 50-500 indoors. That's not what the lens is designed for.

[Dan Rentea]

@Kunzite and @Dan Rentea:
Please stop bickering in this thread. I don't want to issue thread bans.

I don't try/like to troll or go off topic. What I didn't like in the comments above is that someone implies that I'm lying. How would you react if you say that a list of lenses are "Available on order" because this is what it is written on the Pentax website for the lenses I listed a few comments back and someone starts to tell you that it isn't true because sometimes those lenses apear on stock? If you come to Romania as a tourist and you want to buy one of the lenses I listed a few comments back and for each lens it is written "Available on order", do you start thinking of what the store is trying to say when it wrote this phrase? For me "Available on order" means that the store doesn't know when or if will bring these lenses in the shop because of poor sales, but if you want to buy them, place an order.

You perhaps wrote my comments and you realised that I made a few sugestions for the OP based on his initial description of the problem, which is somehow similar to Romanian situation. I quote the OP "The problem is that there either isn't a lot of Pentax gear available here in the UK and what is available seems very high priced." The most important sugestion I made to the OP is to find out the type of photography he wants to approach if he wants his money well invested in cameras or lenses. The name of the system may or may be not important. For people with small budget who predominantly shoot landscape and macro, Pentax is an excelent choice. All you need is a K-S 2, a DA15mm lens and a D-FA 100mm macro (very good lens) and you don't need almost anything else. For this kind of photography done as a passion, the lack of support and the lack of lenses in stores is not so important.

But let me give you a practical example, starting from the fact that the OP doesn't know what he wants to shoot. I organise a lot of photo meetings for people who want to go out to shoot and socialise. In 3 weeks I will have such a meeting and the theme of the shooting is "warrior Vikings". We will have a trained horse, a hawk, costumes, make-up artists and so on. I always invite a known photographer to these meetings so that the participants can have the option to ask questions and learn tips and tricks. There are 10 participants, 3 feminine models and one masculin model. I have 4 Canon shooters, 4 Nikon shooters and 2 Sony shooters. The photo session is in the woods and we have to use fast lenses (at least f2.8 lenses) and flashes in HSS because the hawk will fly, the horse will run and so on. Let's say that I'm a Pentax user who has bought his first camera and I want to participate to this photo session and I have a K-3 II with the kit lenses (18-55mm and 50-200mm). I will have 2 problems at this photo meeting:

1. the lack of a fast lens - I can't rent in Romania a 55mm f1.4, or a fast zoom like DA* 50-135mm f2.8. And I can't buy them either because are not available in store. Ok, let's say that I will use my kit lenses and raise the ISO by 2-3 stops more than the guy next to me who is using a rented 85mm f1.8 lens and I will be able to get some shots
2. the lack of support when comes to trigger the flashes in HSS; I will provide 2 Godox AD200, 2 Godox AD360 II, and a lot of Godox TT685 flashes for this shooting session. All cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony (even Fuji and Olympus) can be triggered in HSS with Godox triggers and no other tricks. If I give to the guy with Pentax an ND filter so that he can avoid using HSS, the ISO will be even more higher so it's not an option. I will have to buy a Cactus V6 II if I want to be able to help him or otherwise he will be looking at us because he can't shoot in HSS and freeze the bird in flight, or the horse running.

So you see, sometimes the lack of support can be frustating for photographers, even if they have competitive cameras. That's one reason for why beginner photographers tend to go to Canon/Nikon/Sony. They find cameras in stores, they can rent lenses, they can buy Sigma/Tamron lenses if their budget is low, they can buy from the second hand market because there are plenty of cameras/lenses at affordable prices.

Some people acuse me that I bashing Pentax by saying the above or that I'm trolling. I'm not. I'm just trying to say that for some people like the OP for example, the high prices of Pentax lenses/cameras in his country and the lack of available Pentax lenses/cameras it is a real concern, esspecially if the budget is tight. The same problems are also in Romania when comes to available products in store and also when comes to support of Pentax dealer, even if the prices are usually lower than the prices for Canon, Nikon, Sony.

I conclude by saying again that for macro and landscape photography on a budget (at least this is what I understood from what the OP wrote regarding his concerns), Pentax is hard to beat and the lack of support is not that important for these types of photography.

---

Last edited by Dan Rentea; 11-16-2017 at 02:54 AM.

[MarkJerling]

Dan, I don't have any issue with your point of view. All I ask is that you and Kunzite try to avoid getting into a scrap. You two have been getting personal and I'd like to see that stop please.

[Kunzite]

Mark, it seems I'm the only one following your request.

[Rondec]

Pentax support varies by country. There aren't many stores in the United States that sell Pentax meaning that you can't handle gear ahead of time (there aren't very many actual camera stores any more either), but companies like B and H, Adorama, and Amazon have full lines of Pentax gear and prices are pretty reasonable. Lens rentals are available via a couple of different companies.

Professional service isn't really available, although I think it is available in Japan.

I still don't know if I lived, say in India, if I would shoot with Pentax. I certainly would have to think about it. But I think the UK is actually pretty decent. Certainly we have a lot of members from there.

[Kunzite]

We have to make the best with what options are available for us. Sometimes that's not enough, and we have to move on.
For the OP, I don't have any advice but: whatever decision you'll make, it will be the correct one.

[pathdoc]

You thought Pentax was good enough to stick with it and buy a K-70 after your K-50 died.

I think you need to keep this in mind when you consider switching: you got the fifty for free, so what was it about Pentax that made the seventy worth paying for, and does what you want to jump to offer the same things?

Remember too that old glass can be good glass (sometimes extraordinarily good glass), and Canon closed that door on its own legacy lenses back in the film era, while good AF glass is... well, you get what you pay for.

Pentax's options may be limited in full frame, but they cover from 15mm to 450mm, and it's really, REALLY good glass.

It comes down to what the cameras do, or don't do, that holds you back from getting the shots you want. Switch if you need to, but do not switch lightly.

[beholder3]

It comes down to what the cameras do, or don't do, that holds you back from getting the shots you want.

The OP said he is mainly into landscape and walking around shooting...

[CarlJF]

I think at this point I want to replace/upgrade my 55-300mm because I am simply not happy with it. I have to stop down to f13 to get anything sharp...

Before buying anything, I would check the lens for a front/back focus issue. Based on my experience with the 55-300, this lens is very good at F/8, particularly below 250mm. Even wide open it's still very good in the center and can produce quite decent results on scenes where edge sharpness aren't critical. Having to stop down to F/13 to get anything sharp is highly unusual for this or any lens.

[following.eric]

Before buying anything, I would check the lens for a front/back focus issue. Based on my experience with the 55-300, this lens is very good at F/8, particularly below 250mm. Even wide open it's still very good in the center and can produce quite decent results on scenes where edge sharpness aren't critical. Having to stop down to F/13 to get anything sharp is highly unusual for this or any lens.

I do think it's an unusual problem and I did buy one of those focus cards and ran tests. It varied depending on what focal length I shot. I've tested many times every aperture on a tripod and came to the same conclusion with manual focus f11 to f13 yielded best results. I have been looking even for a wr newer 55-300mm and almost had one before thee seller sold it after I agreed to take it.

So now leaning towards 50-135 or da 200mm if I'm going to upgrade and improve my glass then I'll take the next step and get second hand

---------- Post added 11-16-17 at 08:51 AM ----------

You thought Pentax was good enough to stick with it and buy a K-70 after your K-50 died.

I think you need to keep this in mind when you consider switching: you got the fifty for free, so what was it about Pentax that made the seventy worth paying for, and does what you want to jump to offer the same things?

Remember too that old glass can be good glass (sometimes extraordinarily good glass), and Canon closed that door on its own legacy lenses back in the film era, while good AF glass is... well, you get what you pay for.

Pentax's options may be limited in full frame, but they cover from 15mm to 450mm, and it's really, REALLY good glass.

It comes down to what the cameras do, or don't do, that holds you back from getting the shots you want. Switch if you need to, but do not switch lightly.

I agree. To be honest the K70 sets the bar high and it functions so great.

So i don't think I'll switch really. But I do want new glass. So that's next

[Kunzite]

A newer WR 55-300? If you have such thoughts, check the 55-300 RE PLM.

[HarisF1]

Eric, keep an eye out for the Tamron 70-200 as well. It's a bit larger than the 50-135mm but still has excellent image quality. You also get the longer 200mm end which eliminates the need for a separate telephoto lens. By the way, I'm the guy that was on 'the auction site' with the DA 60-250

[following.eric]

A newer WR 55-300? If you have such thoughts, check the 55-300 RE PLM.

here in the UK a 55-300mm PLM costs £100 pounds less than a DA 50-135 or DA* 200mm. I havent seen a PLM version second hand yet and even on ebay its pushing £450. well cheapest I just found on ebay in the EU is £389 while world wide I can get for £275. Pound hasnt been good and imports are not an option.

for £559 I can get either of the other two lens mentioned from SRS or similar.

---------- Post added 11-16-17 at 01:21 PM ----------

Eric, keep an eye out for the Tamron 70-200 as well. It's a bit larger than the 50-135mm but still has excellent image quality. You also get the longer 200mm end which eliminates the need for a separate telephoto lens. By the way, I'm the guy that was on 'the auction site' with the DA 60-250

I figured it was you. Sorry I didnt buy the lens. I am still in the market for something. Yesterday a 50-135 in good condition came up for £399 and was gone within the hour. I would prefer to sell my listed gear first before moving on to another lens.

I'll keep my eye for the Tamron version