[creampuff]

Get the kit lens. Use it as the cheapest AF wide angle lens available from Pentax. It's great for infrared photography and cheap enough to use as a "beater" lens.

[Marc Sabatella]

Get the kit lens. Use it as the cheapest AF wide angle lens available from Pentax.

Ah, yes, the DA18/3.5 :-) Actually, it's two lenses in one - an 18/3.5 and a 28/5.6 :-).

No really, while I don't use this lens that much, I do like it a lot, and am more than happy to take it instead of my primes on daytime/outdoor walks.

[WMBP]

Ok. So I am upgrading from the K10D to the K20D. I have heard so many positive things about the 18-55mm II vs the original one. I was never really satisfied with the 18-55mm that came with the K10D. I would really like the wide angle of it. I have the 40mm f2.8 and the 50mm f1.4 and then a telephoto. Should I get the new kit lens or just the body?

I'll never buy another camera package that requires me to pay more for the kit lens. I sold my old kit lenses a long time ago because I found that I never used 'em. My replacements for the kit lens - my four most-used, multi-purpose lenses - are these:

1. Pentax 16-45 f/4 zoom [$380]
2. Sigma DC 17-70 f/2.8-4.5 zoom [$340]
3. Sigma EX DG 28 f/1.8 macro prime [$290]
4. Sigma EX DC 18-50 f/2.8 macro zoom [$370]

All prices current as of today (4-13-2009) from B&H Photo online.

I can recommend any or all of these. In any case, for the shooting that I do, these four lenses work better for me than the kit lens. Notice that one of the above is a fast prime (the Sigma 28), and two of them are fixed-aperture lenses (Pentax 16-45 and Sigma 18-50). The Sigma 17-70 isn't a fixed aperture, but it's a more versatile lens than the Pentax kit lens because it's got more telephoto reach. I use the 17-70 as a walking around outdoors lens.

If I were king at Pentax, I'd be very tempted to release the next camera (K30D?) with the Pentax 16-45 f/4 lens on as the kit lens. Pentax makes a 17-70, too, that seems similar to the Sigma model I've got. 17-70 is a very versatile zoom range for a Pentax digital camera.

Now, having said that, I want to make it clear that I'm not dissing the kit lens. I have not used the newer model but I know it's supposed to be better than the old kit lens. You will save a little if you buy body only, but then you'll have to pay more to get any of the lenses I mentioned. So if budget is the primary consideration, get the kit lens. If you can find an extra couple hundred dollars, you might find as I have that there are several good alternatives to the kit lens.

Will

[madisonphotogrl]

Will, thanks for your thoughts. $$ is always an issue, isn't it? I considered selling my 40mm f/2.8 but it is so small and cute! Not to mention I love it! A lens I got for christmas FA 50 F/1.4 I have a love hate relationship with. It is so fast but wide open I can't get what I want it to focus on, in focus. However that is my husbands favorite lens and he will now have the K10D. so you see that leave my Tammy 70-300mm and I would not be so smart to sell that lens. I like the results, when I have the ocassion to use it and the price was good... So that leaves me with nothing really to fund a better lens right now... other than the potential K20D $$. again so conflicted. One of my main reasons for wanting the new body is to free up the K10D so my hubby can come shoot with me.. I don't like to share my "bodies" with him much... LOL

[madisonphotogrl]

Will my experience with Sigma lenses is that they have been stiff to zoom and very noisey when focusing. has that been your experience? I found the Pentas 16-45 for $309 at amazon. My snobbish veiw is if I am going to get a nice zoom why not get the 16-50 F2.8? You never know when you may need more light.. Faster is better in my opion... with primes at least. I have not been able to afford a fast zoom, yet.

[WMBP]

Will, thanks for your thoughts. $$ is always an issue, isn't it?

Yes, of course. For me, too. AS I've said in this forum more than once, if I were rich, I'd probably be shooting Nikon instead of Pentax.

.. that leave my Tammy 70-300mm and I would not be so smart to sell that lens. I like the results, when I have the ocassion to use it and the price was good...

Yeah, I sold my Tamron 70-300 and then had to buy another one because I needed something good in that range and couldn't afford the more expensive alternatives.

So that leaves me with nothing really to fund a better lens right now... other than the potential K20D $$. again so conflicted.

I can't remember: have you considered buying another K10D? Just a thought. If you aren't desperate for the one or two things about the K20D that really are better (in my case, low-light/high-ISO performance) then the K10D is still a great camera.

But yes, it's tough. Worse than that, it's virtually impossible to make the right decision every time. You don't really know what you need and/or really want until you've got it. What that means is that you really can't afford making a wrong purchase here and there and having to learn from it. Over the last several years I've sold cameras and lenses and other stuff not because I've ever bought anything bad, just because some of my purchases didn't turn out to work for me as I'd hoped.

Will my experience with Sigma lenses is that they have been stiff to zoom and very noisey when focusing. has that been your experience?

Not really. I am pretty fond of my Sigma lenses. The 28 and the 17-70 both work well and feel pretty solid. I know that there are lots of reports about bad Sigma lenses but my experience has been quite good. But I don't offer a guarantee with my testimonials, so be careful. Important to buy from a vendor that will accept returns, know the return policy, treat the new lens VERY delicately when it arrives and do some quick and careful test shooting so you can decide whether to keep it or not.

Will