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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-14-2015, 10:07 AM
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glad I am not the only one that finds this whole "OMG CARTEL KIDNAP DRUG WAR" thing to be completely overblown.
again, anyone mentions drugs or women, avoid them.
use your head like you would in any US city.
make sure you stay as local as possible--you don't want to be in Miami, you want to be in Mexico, so eat, drink, stay, local.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-12-2015, 07:55 AM
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Mexican "drug war" has been ongoing for decades now.
Again, chances of you being involved in anything related to it are remote. Border towns close to the US are much less safe than actual Mexican cities--and I assume when we say "I am going to Mexico" we don't mean Juarez, Tijuana, Matamoros, etc.
Zona-Rosa (red-light district) activities of strippers and prostitutes will also result in you entering crime world and you should avoid this sort of thing in Mexico.
So, I state again, unless you decide you want to buy drugs and/or women in Mexico and you end up hanging out with shady people, your chances of coming to any harm because of that drug war are fairly remote--but, border towns are a different story as this is where drug activity is highly concentrated and most volatile.
OTOH, people I know who have been mugged while in Mexico were set up by tour operators, bus drivers, etc. That's standard tourist crime, NOT "cartel-related." Typical areas like Puerto Vallarta are very safe. People very nice. Tons of tourists, people with cameras. etc. They aren't looking to rob you, because bad publicity hurts their business and their resort's reputation.
And, the more "local" you are with your travels--unlike say, staying in an all-inclusive or coming off a cruise ship-- the more the locals are going to be looking out for you.
Back to subject at hand:
as far as the kit lens goes, if the kit lenses are $80 or so--like the 18-55 al-II, not sure why you would want legacy/vintage zoom to replace it. Not gonna save much cash, you can always replace the kit zoom if you lose it, it is AF and better performance than the--a bit cheaper-- legacy stuff, etc.
Like I said, on a recent trip to England, I was covered fine with kit lens ($85 or so from KEH), that tokina 80-200 ($35), and Pentax aft-200 flash ($20). I was shooting my K20d because I didn't want to lose my K-01 and the DSLR finder works better outside in bright light than the lcd screen on the K-01.
I shot interior museum stuff, outdoor landscapes and buildings, some posed group shots of a college study-abroad class, and candids (with and without flash) in pubs and restaurants.
Total replacement value of the entire kit would easily be under $500.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-10-2015, 06:53 PM
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I went to England recently and my light kit was the k20d, af200t flash, the 18-55 kit lens, and the MF Tokina 80-200 4.5-5.6 zoom. That Tokina is really small, really light, and really cheap on eBay. And it takes good pics, great value.
Also, most places in Mexico, unless you are involved in shady activities, aren't that different from any other big US city crime wise.
If you're not looking for drugs, you're probably not going to end up in some bad situation. Just keep your wits about you, don't get drunk and bust out the camera late at night, don't leave it in plain view on beach, etc.
Regardless, I suggest you check out that Tokina zoom, it's basically the same size at the 18-55 kit lens, takes great pics, and is so cheap that you won't kill yourself if you lose it, drop it in the ocean, or get mugged.
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