Lens Choice

Hi all, hoping you might be able to help me with my dilemna a little (apologies for the length...).

Right, I'm a fairly new owner of a K10d having only previously used compacts. Currently nothing beyond the K10d, 18-55 kit lens and memory cards.

Kind of photography I'm interested in is I guess landscapes and portrait mostly, maybe a bit of macro. Biggest factor in my dilemna is a planned second honeymoon to Tahiti in about 11 months. I got some "great" photos that I'm happy with artistically but given the limitations of a 3mp compact I'm not over the moon with technically (I guess thats the right descriptions?) or in ability to blow them up which I'd like to do.

So idea is to get myself set up with lenses and the rest to go back and spend some time getting some great photos.

Slightly more near time desire, we're having a BBQ on Saturday and I'd like to spend time not cooking playing with a new lens...

As I understand it my old compact's rating of 35-105 is 35mm equivalent so the same as 24-70ish on the K10d. Using compacts I've definitely tended to feel more limited by the zoom range rather than wide angle.

For my first new lens, I had been thinking of going for a 50mm 1.4 as a photographic tool to play with. Particularly for the BBQ struck me as an interesting one to use letting me play with a big range of apertures that I just can't get with the kit lens.

However, I'm then wondering about whether thats short sighted given the longer term aim and whether on a buy the best kind of process I should think about getting the DA* 50-135, which gives me nearly as much range of apertures as well as a good bit of range. But then I'm not sure if 135mm is long enough to deal with everything I want, and the cost is definitely going to limit the range of other lenses I can go for...

So thoughts from people? If I picked up the two DA* zooms and a macro would I feel limited for anything other than wildlife/safari type shots? Am I going to be able to shoot handheld over 135mm anyway? and isn't there talk of a teleconverter which might be ideal with the 50-135mm option?

Other alternative I suppose would be the 50mm, a 200/300mm max zoom and a better lens to replace the kit (although maybe not as far as the DA*) and maybe even an ultra-wide. Lots more variety and versatility but I'm not sure I need it and I'd probably be giving up quality for the stuff I did do.

Help!

wysi

Edit: Oops should say, I suppose one factor is second hand values. How much would I lose if I bought a DA*, decided it wasn't worth the cost (to me) and floggedd it on?

For such a trip, I would look at the Pentax 17-70 DA F4 lens that is due very soon. You could then look at getting a Sigma 180mm Macro which works very well as a prime.

I have the 50-135 and don't think it can be bettered, but it is heavy and not an ideal travel lens.

I have the Kenko 1.5 adaptor that also works with SDM, though it does seem to have a bit of a problem with hunting on the 50-135, though not on my other AF lenses.