Advice on buying a K10D

Hi.

I've been offered the following and am looking for some advice.

Pentax K10D £120 with 18-55 lens
Tamron: 18-250mm (IF) MACRO 1:3.5-6.3 £120
SMC PENTAX-FAJ 75-300mm £100
SIGMA 70-300mm DL MACRO £100

The above are mates rates which seem ok after looking at way these things go on Ebay but that isn't really the question.

I usually use a Panasonic TZ3 but it doesn't give great results in 1 area.

My kids do Judo and motocross and I'm hoping the camera and one of the lens will better suit indoor and outdoor sports photography than my compact.

I'm not looking to blow shed loads of cash and thought given the prices its worth giving it a go and it would give me a reasonable introduction into using a proper camera and then who knows I may upgrade to something newer.

Any thoughts or advice?

Cheers

The prices are fine, but you don't need two 75-300mm lenses. I'd just take the one, unless you feel like shifting the toher on eBay.

The camera's up to the job (and a steal at that price) but for indoor sports you really need fast (f/2.8 or better) lenses and none of those you've listed fall into that category. They should be fine for the motocross outdoors in daylight, but I think you'll find the judo shots a little disappointing.

Unfortunately fast lenses for that sort of work cost £several hundreds++ and there's no way of doing it on the cheap unless you get really lucky and find a seller with no idea of value. Needless to say that rarely ever happens...

Still, for the money you're looking to pay I'd get the body / kit (18-55) lens and one or other of the 70-300's and see how you get on - if you don't like it you could easily re-sell for what you paid and you've lost nothing in experimenting.

Thanks for the info so far, very quick.

So of these...

SMC PENTAX-FAJ 75-300mm £100
SIGMA 70-300mm DL MACRO £100

Are they both much of a muchness or is one better than the other.

What would the

Tamron: 18-250mm (IF) MACRO 1:3.5-6.3 £120

Be used for?

The Pentax is the better lens IMHO, but I'd buy both, try and see and then sell on the one I didn't like.

The 18-250mm is an excellent general pupose lens and usually much more expensive than that.

Marc, welcome to the forum.

As others have said, the K10D and kit lens is a steal at that price, as regards longer lenses I have sent you a PM

PM sent as well;

Oi! I got him first

I Know but got to try