K-5 Lens Help

[mrlynn]

Hello, Thank you all in advance for any help!

I am picking up a K-5 for Christmas and having difficulty choosing a lens. I have virtually no photography experience whatsoever and too much on my plate for a class. I shoot inside portraits of my dogs and take pictures of them in action doing things like agility courses and so on. usually not more than 50-70 feet and looking for a Do-It-All lens.

I have bought several point and shoot cameras in the past and have really not cared for things like processing times and the such. With it being Christmas and all I thought I would like to get the best that I can get and zeroed in on the K-5 with a Zeiss Distagon ZK lens. Now my questions are the following: Do the Zeiss ZK lens work with all of the auto-focus features of the K-5? Or, is the Pentax 18-55 enough for what I am looking for, which is stellar results?

i just don't want to make any mistakes. Thank you.

Lynn

[blackcloudbrew]

As far as I know the Zeiss Distagon is a manual focus lens. You may not want to start with that if you are new to all of this. As a starting point here, any lens made for the Pentax K-mount will work with any Pentax DSLR body, although not always the same but it will work. Not knowing what your budget it, I would have to recommend that you get the K5 with a the DA 18-55 kit lens and possibly consider the DA 50-200 as well. Those two will give you plenty of range from wide angle to telephoto so that you can learn to use your camera and get nice results. Manual lenses are a lot of fun but there is a learning curve with them. It took me about 6 months of using my first DSLR before a got a manual lens of any kind and when I got it it, I made all the nubie mistakes, but...I had learned my camera.

Once you are comfortable with your camera, the lens you buy after that will be a statement of where you are going in photography. Best of luck with you K5 and post some pictures here.

[Ron Kruger]

There is no such thing as a "do-it-all lens." And I would not recommend an expensive Zeiss lens, especially since you didn't even mention the FL. Pentax makes possibly the best kit lens on the market, and they do produce stellar results, if you have good light and know what you are doing. You will have neither good light nor, judging from your post, know what you're doing, but kit lenses are designed for beginners and that is what I'd recommend.
The truth is, you can't buy automatic "stellar" results at the camera store. If what you are doing is for promotional or commercial reasons, hire a professional or find and advanced enthusiast until you learn more about photography.

[Frogfish]

Hi Lynn.

IMHO I'd start with the excellent kit lens and buy yourself a good flash (Pentax or maybe Metz 50 for auto functions, called P-TTL or try Yongnuo 560 for a low cost but excellent manual unit) to bounce off the walls at home (you then won't need a 'fast' lens e.g. f2.8 or faster).

However outdoors you may later want to consider lenses like the Tamron 17-50/2.8 (superb lens for much less that the Pentax equivalent) or Pentax 50-135/2.8 (a wonderful lens) for a little more reach with amazing IQ. The Tamron 28-75/2.8 is regarded as a wedding/portrait staple and the range may also suit you better.

If you like prime lenses then for your needs I'd consider the Sigma 30/1.4, 31/1.8 Ltd, 43/1.9 Ltd, FA 50/1.4, 77/1.8 Ltd, & Sigma 85/1.4 amongst others.

There are plenty more superb manual lenses, new & old, too. I have four Zeiss lenses with superb IQ (some the Pentax Limited range are also of this quality) but you have to first convert them to PK Mount and both Leica R and Contax Zeiss MM lenses can easily be converted to PK mount for manual use on your camera.

[Felix]

The DA18-55 WR kit lens or the DA18-135 WR lens are wonderful lenses.  I just got the 18-135WR 6 months ago and am loving the photos I have taken with it.  I used to have the 18-55WR and have since sold it off.  Not forgetting the 50-200WR too.  If you can get the K5 with the 18-55WR & 50-200WR as a 2 kit lens, it would be the ideal setup for you.