K100D lens (frustrated) : 18-55, 17-70,18-125

[shayt]

hi,

i am going to buy K100D next week,
and like many others, i have a lens question.

i searched in the forum so many times, but i still wonder.

in the past i shot with a Canon S1 and i checked my pictures for the focal length i used, and my statistics are :
38mm (that's the minimum in that camera) - 1100 shots.
range of 39mm-50mm - 175 shots
range of 51mm-70mm - 300 shots
range of 71mm-120mm - 500 shots
range of 120mm-380mm - 1000 shots
380mm - 350 shots

so basically i should go with 18-55, 16-45, 17-70, 18-125, and it will be very good for me.
and add somthing like 70-300 or even prime 300 for the longer range.

let's focus now on the short range and i will wonder in the future for the long range.

i summarized all the important things for me -
company, range, F-stop, price, weight
pentax, 18-55, 4.0-5.6, $140, 225g
pentex, 16-45, 4.0-4.0, $495, 365g
sigma, 17-70, 2.8-4.5, $425, 455g
sigma, 18-125, 3.5-5.6, $340, 385g

about the prices, i know it could be cheaper, but i prefer to buy locally, so assume these are prices.

it's my first DSLR,
and i am a little affraid of weight (so i don't know what to think on the 455g of the 17-70.
and i wish for a minimum F as possible (like we all want...), so the 17-70 is the best here.
the 17-70 is also very good in macro (1:2).
18-125 is tempting because of the all-around range.
18-55 is cheaper, less weight
16-45 is expensive, and it's has short range, so i think i prefer others.

please comment, i am very frustrated.

thanks,
Shay

[jeisner]

Personally I would recommend the 16-45/4 or the Sigma 17-70. I think the Pentax is the better lens and a shorter range will most often mean better quality (lower distortion for one). But some prefer convienience and that is valid if its what you prefer, the 17-70 is still a good lens.. Pentax is releasing their own 17-70 but not until mid next year..

Then either the Penatx DA 50-200 (if you can handle only having up to 300mm) or Tamron DI LD 70-300 or Sigma 70-300 APO DG macro

[CptOfGondor]

the 16-45 f4 ED/AL got really good reviews. almost like the Pentax version of the popular Canon 17-40 f4 L.

[ccallana]

I would buy the 18-55 as the kit lens - much cheaper than $140 when purchased as a kit.

Add the 50-200, very good deal with the current rebates (if you are in the US).

Stick with this combo for a while, see how it goes. Later you can add a longer lens if you need it - Pentax or Sigma 100-300, or a 70-300. Maybe even the 60-250 due out next year ($$$).

200mm on a K100D is equivalent to 300 on 35mm, so it should suit you well.

As you progress, you may find out want to get different lenses, but for just starting out in dSLR - you can't beat the value of these 2 lenses - best kit lenses on the planet for the money as far as I'm concerned :)

[WightWalker]

I would buy the 18-55 as the kit lens - much cheaper than $140 when purchased as a kit.

Add the 50-200, very good deal with the current rebates (if you are in the US).

Stick with this combo for a while, see how it goes.:)

Agreed - this is an excellent combination.

[nishant_81]

hey, so you mentioned there are rebates going on? could you please let me know where...

thanks!

[Nesster]

Too late, sorry, they ended on the 11th... but Oh, they have a new one starting on the 12th:
http://www.pentaximaging.com/purchase/rebates_offers/

I bought the 16-45 f/4 under the previous rebate, but I see the offer is still $100 back on that lens.

[FastM]

You must have the 18-55, it's a great little lens for no money. You'll be buying others lenses soon enought, trust me. You will be surprised at the great shots you get with that kits lens, and BTW, it focuses very close.

[engrmariano]

why not buy tamron 18-250? i think its a good avery day lens...

[engrmariano]

why not buy tamron 18-250? i think its a good every day lens...

[ericp]

Yeah, the Tamron 18-250 was gonna be my suggestion; I'm in a similar position (although trying to decide between the Canon XTi/17-85IS and the K10d/? as a starting point).

The kit lens - yes its cheap and good value, but if I already know I'm going to want to replace it within a year or so, is it worth it?

I like the look of the 16-45, but it's somewhat short compared to the canon setup I had in mind. The $100 rebate on it right now is very nice, though.

The 17-70 should be a nice fit (and I'd consider it to pair with the XTi too).

However, the Tamron would give me a nice range that still makes it useful as a travel lens, if/when I'm ready for faster/better lenses. It's also, apparently, well-regarded (for its class, which is generally full of compromises to make a >10x zoom). I already know that longer term I'm likely to want something a little longer, as well as a fast prime like a 50/1.4

I guess the one of the issues I'm having is mapping out a sensible wish-list of lenses that cover my (expected) needs. I'm finding this much easier to do for a Canon-based setup, which may influence the decision (although it's by far not the only factor).