[iheiramo]

Now the question is urgent: Not what camera to swap for, but...damn...what system? What format? What camera? What lenses?

When my Nikon gear was stolen from the car, and I was in same situation you are now, I chose Pentax. The more I've learned about photography. The more satisfied I've been with my decision.

My insurance paid quite reasonably for my old gear, so it was actually a interesting chance to start over without the burdens of the past.

[honey bo bo]

In 2014 My K200D WR & the 2 kit lens and several Manual lenses I had accumulated were stolen from my Vehicle. I had intended on bringing it to camp the following day. My Home owners Insurance policy had a $10,000.00 replacement rider for Miscellany. Meaning that all my camera gear had to be replaced with similar items new. $9200.00 latter I ended up with a K-3 WR plus most of the lenses in my signature or depreciated cash to buy other equivalents if I wanted. One of significance is the Sigma Bigma 150-500 was replacement for a Sigma 500mm mirror lens (no longer in production ). There was a $500.00 deductible. Check your Home owners policy.

[ChristianRock]

If you are considering the K-P or the K-1 then I assume you are getting some insurance money, or are otherwise in a position to invest in a new camera and lenses.

In this case, it depends on what you have to invest.

A K-1 with the DFA 28-105mm would be a great place to start.

A K-P with the DA 16-85mm would also be an excellent choice. And so would the K-3 or K-3II (flash or astrotracer? you decide).

Also, you say you had a Pentax prime but didn't really specify what it is. There are many to choose from, new and vintage, that work well with either body - it just depends on what you are looking for.

Personally, I would stick with Pentax as the value of the brand is excellent, and you don't seem to do professional video (which is Pentax's weak point).

[jddwoods]

To LensBeginner and normhead: My lenses were a Sigma 17-70 (the 'everyday' lens) a Sigma 18-300 (got this on a lark to shoot last summer's Solar Eclipse), and a DA Limited 35mm Macro (wickedly expensive when I got it...not so expensive now.


I'm not terribly constrained on my gear investments. Insurance will help, but I'm also able to cover my losses and then some. Though I'll probably take things slow due to having to deal with a ton of other stuff that also needs to be replaced.

Thanks for all the opinions thus far.

k/r

Bill Herndon

I am very sorry to hear of your loss. It must be really frustrating. I would concur with recommendations to go for the K-P and 55-300 PLM with either the 16-85 or 18-135 depending on your budget and needs. Primes can be added whenever you want. There are many good used DA Limiteds available on this forum, B&H, Adorama or KEH. I think you would be quite happy with the K-P with the two zooms for a starting kit that covers everything you lost and may even be an upgrade over what you had.

[Pentax Syntax]

So sorry Bill. Horrible feeling I am sure. One thing to remember......the thieves could not, and did not, steal your knowledge of the Pentax system and it’s nuances. That’s invaluable and will let you heed all of the advice offered here. Myself, I would buy a K-1ii with the three 2.8 DFA zooms and a 43 limited prime and never look back.

[Bill Herndon]

Is this another hypothetical, or are you the 'you' you refer to as 'you'?

So to hear about your(?) loss. Hypothetical or real, you're operating from a clean slate...

Not hypothetical...really happened to me. Thought that if I described the scenario as happening to any of us it might spur some interesting discussion on the wide range of possibilities.

Thanks for your thoughts on listing the pros/cons.

k/r

Bill Herndon

[clackers]

Sad to hear the circumstances, Bill.

Given there aren't legacy lenses to think about courtesy of these villains, you should consider all the brands before deciding which to go with.

None of them make bad cameras, it really is a buyer's market.

[eyrr]

It's hard to know what to recommend without knowing more about what sort of thing you usually take pictures of. Is there anything beyond that that you haven't done but might be interested in trying? Any upcoming (next year or so) events (eclipse, visiting people or places, baby / toddler etc) you anticipate wanting to shoot?

You bought the 18-300 on a lark for an eclipse. Was the longer reach interesting or useful on an ongoing basis?

You tried the KP and decided to wait for the K3III before making a decision. If you do stay with Pentax, perhaps a K70 would tide you over until the K3III arrives. Then you could choose between the KP and the K3III and possibly sell the K70 to help fund that purchase.

[BROO]

I would look seriously at another brand.


If you have a soft spot for Pentax then wait for the replacement K3 or just buy the KP but you will be in a slow moving, conservative (still researching the future) brand that is really only interested in satisfying it's user base. I love my K-1 but mainly because it gives me access to legacy lenses.

You don't need Full Frame either.

I would reconsider mirrorless, buy a Fujifilm X-T2 https://photographylife.com/reviews/fuji-x-t2 and forget about the past. At the end of the day it is just a piece of office equipment. It's the photos that matter.

My honest advice

[Paul the Sunman]

I spent a very long time researching systems before I settled on Pentax. I don't regret my decision. It suits me; your needs may vary. The worst thing about Pentax though is the very limited and ageing third-party lens support. If there's everything you need in the Pentax inventory though, that doesn't matter.

This question is like asking people who you should marry. I don't think I'd be taking advice from anyone about such matters. Go with your heart.

[aslyfox]

Note to all reading this thread

check your insurance coverage in advance of loss

I have found it worthwhile to include my photography equipment in a " rider " to my home owner's insurance

I have also chose to use " Lenstag "

your choices may be different

___________________________________

That's true. If the OP is in a good location that has stores with hardware on the shelf, checking out other systems in-person would be nice. Not everyone has that luxury, of course... taking a trip to one of the big camera stores in NYC, for instance, would be great.

possibly cheaper than a trip to NYC, consider renting equipment for a try out

[lesmore49]

Sorry for the break in and theft. It's never great when this happens. We had our RV trailer stolen about 20 years ago, fortunately we had insurance.

Interesting question , one that I have posed to myself over the years...what would I replace my Pentax gear with if it was stolen ?

I have thought maybe a Leica Rangefinder with either a 28 or 35 mm lens. Very expensive, but I might be able to swing it if the worst happened. The Leica RF is a fine camera...I have an old 11f RF body and a 50mm Leitz Elmarit collapsible 50 normal. I've had it for almost 40 years now, I love it and the RF focus. But I'm no spring chicken and I think I'm at the stage...where auto focus is a must have. Also being reduced to one body, one lens is very limiting.

I thought Canon 5D3 before I bought my K1 last year. Some new old stock were available and it's a camera and system that is very good. But I thought and still do that the K-1 has lots of advantages.

I've thought about the Fuji system, but it's ASP-C and I like full frame format. A buddy has one, I looked at it, I dunno...doesn't impress me. I'm sure it's fine but I think there seems to be a bit of 'bandwagon' effect going on with Fuji. New...lightweight..compact size. Many think it's the camera system to have, maybe it is, but I like FF. It is nice to have a compact to carry around as a daily, but I have a Canon G12 and although it doesn't have a big sensor...I like it...dials aplenty to make fast adjustments, good quality picture potential, rugged.

In the end I thought if the worst happened and my Pentax stuff was stolen, I'd probably replace it with Pentax stuff once again. I like my Pentax gear. Replacement stuff I would probably get would be...a K-1 ii body, 77mm Ltd., 300mm plus 1.4 extender, 28-105 (have a great walk around lens), maybe a 15-30 and a Pentax flash. Maybe a 31mm Ltd. also and a replacement Sekonic light meter .

That's what I would get, as it fulfills my needs...other photographer's needs are different and hence different equipment would be required for them.

My decision came down to the quality level of Pentax equipment and the picture quality I get from it. It works for me and I like the equipment and results. The old adage of why fix something if it isn't broken, holds true, in my case.

[emalvick]

I would be in a similar position, and I think there are a couple of things I would consider (not as alternatives but just considerations):

1. I already know what I like in Pentax and I would consider how happy I have been with it... this includes lenses, cameras, flashes, etc. Consequently, I know I wouldn't have to replace everything just key items

2. I would consider if or what I was waiting for in terms of an upgrade if this hadn't happened. For instance, I cycle back and forth between whether I want FF or to stick with APS-C. I have generally been waiting on the K-3ii replacement (currently I have a K3 and K5 that I use) to then make a reassessment

3. I would consider if or what in other brands I might consider and potentially use Lensrentals or other to try out a body and lens of a different brand that may be tempting me

4. Then I would make a decision, which would likely be a used K3ii and a few lenses to hold me over until the replacement I want comes along or just buy into the other brand if the rental worked out great.

It's really been tough since I got the 31, 43, 77 trio as I cannot imagine being happier than I am when shooting those 3. It's only a question of how happy I would be if I got a FF.

[BirdDude007]

So sorry to hear ab out your loss, I too was robbed, it was more of a grab and run job, and the main casualty was my K3/grip/55-300mm (screw drive) lens that I got on a good $150 one time deal, i never even got a chance to try the lens out.
luckily I have homeowners insurance and also am very glad they did not get the rest of my gear(lots of nice lenses and a K5 body/grip)
yes it really sux when someone comes into your personal space and steals from you. When I got the ins money I replaced the camera and grip/ however i replaced the lens with the same lens but with PLM, I am glad to be able to stay with Pentax. I just want you to know that you can find lots of great deals in the marketplace here, that is one of the best places to start for replacing your gear.

[WideVistas490]

First, my condolences for the loss of your camera equipment. Good luck with the insurance claim and addressing the other losses you incurred.

Once past the initial shock, I would view this as an opportunity and not a threat. Echoing other comments, I would factor in several things when considering a replacement system:

- What do you miss most about the hardware and glass you had? What did you like best? Perhaps more important, how did it help you get the pictures you wanted? What are you needs and do you think Pentax still meets them? For example, I greatly appreciate the ergonomics, weather sealing, image stabilization, controls, compact size, and all-around value of my K3ii and K5 when I come back to them after using another camera. Much of my photography is during travel, so these features are important to me.

- How important is the Pentax brand to you? I think they make great cameras and glass at a good value, but also think they are a contrarian brand. I've found this affects availability at local stores, as their stock will be limited and they'll often have to special order a Pentax item for me if choose to buy it in store.

- If another brand/body appeals to you, consider renting it for at least 10 days or longer so you can get at least a weekend or two of time with it. For example, I rented a K-1 last Summer and decided I wasn't quite ready for the upgrade. As an aside, I later learned Borrowlenses is gradually selling off their Pentax hardware, so rental equipment availability might be something to be mindful of as well.

If I suddenly lost all my Pentax gear, to include various M lenses from the 80s, I might consider quickly buying a used K3 or K3ii and a kit zoom as a temporary measure until I had more time to consider my options. In the long run, I would consider something like the Fujifilm XT-2 for it's small size, old-fashioned metal dials, weather sealing, and great IQ. I also think the XT20 would be a good option.