Originally posted by EarlVonTapia Going on a trip soon. I think I've solidified my travel kit. Here's what I got:
K-30
DA 15
DA 35 2.4
DA 18-250
Q
01 Prime
03 Fisheye
Batteries, tripod, filters, etc.
Things that did not make the cut:
Sigma 10-20 - It's just too chunky. I suspect there will be times when I will miss the 10mm, but I also feel that those times will be far outweighed by the times I curse having to lug it around.
Tamron 17-50 - In theory I could have just taken this lens and the DA 15 and been happy, but I opted for the DA 35 2.4 as my "normal" walkaround as it's lighter and more discrete.
DA* 50-135 - Too big.
DA 70 Ltd - I hardly use this as is. Best not to have to worry about it.
AF 540 FGZ - Only used for product shots.
The 18-250 almost didn't make the cut, but I felt that there would be times I curse myself for not having a telephoto, and it's really the only telephoto I have.
I came back from my nearly three month trip a week ago. I left with only the 18-250, DA 35 2.4, DA 15, and the Q with the 01 and 03 primes. Here are my thoughts:
- The 18-250 was a freaking all-star. Keep in mind I wasn't on any sort of professional assignment, so better glass probably could have yielded slightly better results. That being said, the versatility was much appreciated. Out of 1801 kept photos, 1236 were taken with the 18-250. Of those 1236 photos, 443 were at 18mm (mostly landscape/cityscape type shots). 171 photos were taken at 250mm, though this may be inflated a bit because I spent a lot of time looking out from my balcony taking pictures of people below. The rest of the focal lengths fell into the double digits.
- Next up, surprisingly, was the Pentax Q with the 03, clocking in at 275 shots. This is a fun little camera combo that everyone loved. I won't travel again or do any sort of photography outing without it.
- The DA 35 2.4 contributed 149 shots to the collection. I used this a lot at first, but I was unhappy with both its tight field of view and its low-light capability (or lack of). I did appreciate its nice even sharpness, low distortion, flare resistance, and small size though. Something like the FA 24 F2 I think might have suited me better. Anyways, about halfway through the trip it got permanently stuffed into my bag and never got out again.
- The DA 15 contributed 127 shots. Now, it's not because I didn't like taking shots with it. It was simply a specialist type lens. It only got out when I wanted to do a deliberate photo outing, which didn't happen all that often. The few shots I took with it are amazing. It's small size means it will accompany me just about anywhere.
- The 01 Prime for the Pentax Q saw minimal use. I used it one evening, and was so unhappy with the results, I didn't use it again. Only 12 shots were kept from using it. I'm going to sell it, meaning my Q will be strictly a fisheye machine.
If I had to do this sort of long trip again, I would set out with the following.
Pentax DA 18-250 - Awesome travel lens.
Tamron 17-50 - To replace the DA 35 2.4. It's bigger, but close enough in speed, and the added versatility of the zoom should make it ultimately more useful.
Pentax DA 15 - For those glam shots.
Sigma 10-20 or the Pentax 10-17 fisheye - An ultrawide is a must for travel. I'm still not 100% happy with the Sigma 10-20, mostly for the size. I think I might switch it up for the 10-17 fisheye, which is a lot smaller.
Pentax Q + 03 - Fun!
And
Gorillapod + ballhead - Many times it was unfeasible to lug my tripod around. A Gorillapod would have been the best solution. Having owned one in the past, I know they are unusable for DSLR's without the ballhead attachment.