K7 First steps...

I agree with you - the USP of the K-7 is to pack all of those features into a "small is beautiful" robust body. It's not for everyone, but if you're going to go for small and discrete, then stuffing a huge lens on the front kind of defeats the point.

I'd seriously consider the two lens WR kit to start with - just so that you have some good travel and weather resistant options without spending a load on DA* lenses.

After that, I'd supplement with a few well-chosen primes. Starting from scratch, if you want to go with the "one on the camera and a couple in your pockets" approach, I'd buy the DA Ltds - 21,35 and 70. Then I'd buy a secondhand fast 50 for portraits.

That would do to start with (and for airshows I think I'd add the Sigma Bigma into the mix as well as the Pentax lenses you mentioned).

Thanks for the explanation of the TC. Indeed I am going to have to lookout for one of these in second hand places as it is an intriguiging piece of kit to have for my MF lenses.

good luck with you hunt for a 1.7 af tc any change you can find 2 one for me aswell

The TC I mention works with most manual focus lenses, but not all. The lenses that can't use it are listed in its manual. One lens I had that wouldn't work with it was the 135-600mm zoom. I think there are one or two of the older, more exotic, primes that it won't work with either.

Well I finally got to look at the K7 and I'm sold! Just got to flog off all my Nikon Gear now and were Set, I also Have to Say I was really taken with the two little WR Zooms and for £899 it Seems a real Bargain for the K7 and the Two Lenses. K7 is sweeeet! Not too big, not too small and solid with a decent balance and heft, everything seems to be pretty much in the right place and I could operate it without looking at the Manual straight away! No frills and frippery, just a Nice Camera, I think we'll get along fine...:arrow:

Glad to hear you like it!

As you're moving from a different brand, can I prempt two of the most common questions we hear from new people on pentax forums? If the camera is off and you rotate it in your hands, it's normal (though doesn't happen with every single camera, so an absence is also no problem!) to hear a small click or feel a small vibration. When the camera is off there's no power to the sensor stabilisation, so the sensor can move by a fraction of a mm and this is what you can hear. It's not damage in the camera!

Secondly, if you buy any second hand manual lenses, you will not be able to take any photos with them until you go into the custom settings menu, page 6, and change the setting "using aperture ring" to "permitted". It's page 294 in the manual.

Welcome to the Pentax family - hope you get some great shots!

Cuchulainn - love the pre-emptive strike!

Your forum name suggests you are Irish or located in Ireland?

Thanks Steve! Mm - I'm amazed the amount of time I see those questions, so thought it fair to let a new person know about them in advance - I completely understand why they are a worry for new pentaxians, but also see how annoying they can be for old hands

Yeah, I'm Irish - living in the uk now though.

Erm I was kinda aware of that anyway
Still good info though

I may have a great deal on a 12-24 but really wanted the 15 limited, price will be about the same! Feel like the zoom is too good to miss at that price, so I'll go with it because the optics are soo good. 40 ltd next then I'm torn. Want A good focal length for airshows so I want the 300 ( Is there a convertor that works Sdm?) which means I need either the 50-135 or the 60-250 to fill the gap which is getting a bit pricey for me! Any good alternatives you guys can come up with? Had nothing but trouble with Sigma on my Nikon bodies but I may be willing to try again...

The 12-24 is an excellent lens - I'm a big fan of primes (especially the nice compact Pentax Limiteds of course) but I make an exception for the DA12-24. It's probably the best zoom lens I've ever come across so I forgive it its relative chunkiness compared to my other lenses.

As for the gap between 40mm and 300mm how about the D-FA 100mm Macro? It's almost a half-way house (40mm + 150% = 100mm, 100mm + 150% = 250mm so near as dammit ), it's very light, takes the same 49mm filters as the Limiteds (and many more Pentax lenses), not much bigger physically than the 18-55 kit lens, gives 1:1 macro without additional accessories, makes a fantastic portrait / mid-telephoto lens and is good value for money. That's what I'd plug the gap with anyway...