Love Pentax k30

I wonder how many people on this site are like me? I have had various cameras over the last few years Olympus e410/e520 Panasonic g2/g5 both with several lenses also several bridge cameras. Then I picked up a K30
and fell in love with it. I have 35mm 2.4/ 55-200 / 18/55 wr / 55-300 / Tamron 90 macro / Sigma 10/20 and a few manual focus lenses........Great............problem..........When I go out for the day with my wife [ just recovering from serious illness ] I find my gear too bulky to carry about .........I can never consider changing systems again so I went mad and picked up a Fuji x100s........great for walking about fantastic iq and forces me to think instead of zoom........does anyone else think along these lines....??
Sorry if this post is not allowed on this site because the mention of x100s but the main point is about keeping my pentax gear for when I go out shooting alone.
Dave..

If you find it works well for you, no-one here will have any problem with that!

You've got a great Pentax DSLR and lens collection - the K30 is a nice compact and feature-packed camera. What if you got a very small prime lens to take when you need to stay light - the IQ on some of the Pentax options is very high and they add very little bulk to the camera body?

Dare I say it, you could have bought a Pentax MX-1, or even a Ricoh GR, then you wouldn't have to worry about posting information about it!

Regards
David

Nigel has given you a way forward here, if you want to stay with a Pentax DSLR. The 21, 40 and 70 make a great prime set. Each one adds only a centimetre or two to the front of the camera body, and the two not in use easily fit in a pocket.

Philip

Some good ideas and options but I wanted to take a camera with me with no choice to change lenses and make me use just one option and to try and make it work. Like when I first picked up the K30 this new camera felt perfect in my hands, I only shoot with a viewfinder as using the rear screen is not for me , when I go out just to take pictures I take my K30 and most of my lens options and love taking all types of shots , but walking around with my wife and sometimes we take my nephews three kids out for the day I think my new camera will be perfect .
There are so many options when looking for a camera sometimes it makes it hard to choose and after some not so good buys in the past my K 30 and recent purchase x100s seem to suit me . not everyone will agree but that is what life is like with everything..........how boring if we all drove the same car and wore same clothes
Just like to say I never went out to buy a camera and had not read much about this camera at all...........was in the local currys store with my wife picking up a new toaster so had a browse around the camera section My wife said " why don't you treat yourself to something " with a smile I said "only thing here I would buy is a grand "..........we cant really afford it either.............but my wife and I have been together since 1975 and we are also best friends { yes I am lucky } she smiled and told me if I wanted it why not bye it? ..............I said no coz it was too much money...........my wife reminded me that life is about doing what you want to do now as you may not get another chance in the future. She has gone back to work after spending a year off with two major ops and cancer treatment , that has made us both look at life in a new way...............
Thanks all for your thoughts.
Dave..

Nothing wrong with the k30 and x100 option - I use it too (though original x100, not the new one). It makes a great combination and I'm happy with the images from either camera.

Thanks its nice to know I am not alone..........
Dave..

Sorry Dave, I misinterpreted the point of your first post - I thought you were looking for a way to make your Pentax system more compact. I think you have made an excellent choice in the X100s. I like to have different focal lengths available, so when travelling very light I take a Lumix LX7, which I'm keeping until the day that Pentax produce a compact like the MX-1 but with a viewfinder!

Philip

No problem....I picked up a couple of other cameras with viewfinders...one was a Panasonic but was too small for me so was a canon I just like the viewfinder with the size of the camera and sensor................did not like the price much though
Just noticed my spelling on previous post and made me smile.
Dave...

Dave, I have only picked up my K10D in the last few days. I have not touched it for the best part of a year - my wife bought me a Fuji X10 for Christmas and I have found it quite liberating to not have to cart a load of gear around so i know exactly where you are coming from.

I love the little X10, but since picking up my K10D again I now really fancy a K5 as they have dropped so much in price.
I am also after a Sigma 10-20. How do you find yours?

Seems there are a few people who think similar to myself....
The 10-20 sigma seems a good lens to me but have only used it a couple of times , its much wider than any lens I have had before and I think I need to practice a little with it......there are two pictures in my gallery taken with it{ old schoolroom/Sandwell valley pool ]
I suspect some people on this site have gotten more out of it than me but I will keep trying it until I know when to use it or not.
I looked at the x20 before buying the x100 and it seemed rather good to me....
I have never handled a k5 but as the title of this post says......K30 is great .build/weight/performance.........everything good for me..
Thanks.......
Dave..

Cheers Dave, all the best to you both!

Thanks...hope you are happy with whatever you decide to buy.........
Dave..

Surely ultimately, a DSLR will always offer the most as it it is so flexible. You can head out with a backpack full of lenses to cover every possible shooting opportunity at top quality, or you can pack lite with a couple of zooms.

Or, restrict yourself with a single prime. This has for decades been a route to more creativity - not restricting at all as you have to find better angles and viewpoints and move around a lot. If the location is so full of shots then you will want to return in future with a different lens maybe, and you'll benefit also if the lighting is different then.

We have quite small DSLR bodies - surely this with the huge range of lens possibilities will prove less limiting in the end?

I think it is all about choices...........I have been out with only a 35mm lens but it is a little long sometimes........also looking at my k30 and wishing I had more lenses which me makes me feel like an idiot for not bringing them with me , this new thing for me is to travel very light without any choices when I am busy watching kids or walking with my wife........I may not get the best out of this camera in these situations but we will see........
I will put it in my bag when I go out alone and compare it to my pentax gear.........my pentax gear is what I love but the x100s seems another great option for me and maybe a few others ......but like I say we all differ in what we feel comfortable with in various situations..
Its all about enjoying a hobby that we all love..........
I know there are some people on this site who could take better pictures than me using a point and shoot..........but like I say we are all doing are own thing and as long as we are happy with what we have and how we use it that is all that counts.......
Must say its nice to hear peoples thoughts on this post....
Thanks again.........
Dave..