over the years I've gathered a lot of pictures and they're spread out over multiple hard disks, external drives, etc. I've tried a couple of programs to sort them out but there isn't one that fits all my needs.

What I would like is a program that I can use to sort all my pictures by date, move them into folders named by date (and camera if possible), geotagging and facial tagging would be an added bonus.

I used Olympus ib to batch correct the date but leave the timestamp intact. Unfortunately it doesn't add the geotag or face tag to the metadata or move the physical location of the file. It's also very slow. Also tried Windows Photo Gallery but didn't like the interface nor does it do everything I want.

I tried a couple other ones that were worse and not worth mentioning. Picasa is next on my list to try. Photoshop Elements also caught my eye but I was wondering what other people use before I spend the cash on that.

What do you use?

Ah, good to know I didn't pay over the odds.

I'm thinking of getting the 50-200 WR lens as well to get a bit more on the zoom range then learning how to use an SLR before I expand the collection.

I'll go for the spare battery when I get the 2nd lens, sounds like a good idea. I found that one day of heavy shooting, and the battery lasted very well, died on me on the second day as I didn't charge it. Live View is a serious drain on the battery though it appears.

So far I'm loving the K7. Thanks for the help guys!

Ah yeah, I should have guessed that I went to a shop just off Nathan Road, called Wing Shing. My friends recommended the place and they've been around for years, so they must be doing something right! The shopkeeper seemed very open and honest, so a trustworthy place I'd say.

Problem I'm finding with Pentax out here is that it's not very popular compared to Canon or Nikon. It makes finding a good deal on the K20D somewhat tricky and the K200D I cannot even find in-store.

Ended up getting the K7 since it was easier to find and the shopkeeper was a smooth talker! Smaller and lighter, so suits me since I plan to take it hiking and stuff.

I got the body, 18-55 WR Lense, 8gb transcend memory card, a case, screen protector, and a beach mat freebie for around 850 pounds. Is that a good deal or did I get ripped?

TST? not an acronym I'm familiar with

great, thanks!

Think I'm all set to join the world of SLR Photography Now if I was only better at PhotoShop

Just thought of a new question, I'm going to buy this camera when I am in Hong Kong (hopefully cheaper). I speak the language so I should be able to haggle for a good deal or some freebies at least.

I'm assuming the shop assistant can spot an amateur a mile away and will try to pull a fast one on me. How can I tell the kit lenses are the Weather Sealed ones and not the normal ones?

I agree, makes a lot of sense. I will go for the two kit lenses and upgrade a year or so later maybe when I hopefully get good!

Thanks for the help!

Thanks for all the replies guys!

Even if it was raining, I would still want to take photos so weather sealing is important. I don't like the idea of wrapping the lens in plastic and risk having water enter the body. Rather spend a little now and save on the possibility of grief later!

I think I will get the kit 18-55 (maybe the 50-200 too) and then wait till I get a bit better and invest in the DA* 50-135 or 60-250. Or should I just forget the kit 18-55 and invest on the 16-50?

Thanks for the fast replies. I'm still an amateur to this so if you think different focal lengths would be better suited, I'd gladly consider it.

Also, I was only wanting the "all rounder" weather sealed but having both weather sealed would be nicer since I do long outdoor activities where the weather often turns quickly.

I didn't realise the kit lenses were weather sealed too. Is the image quality and speed of the kit lenses good? I'm always sceptical of kit stuff.

Someone recommended the DA* 16-50 and the DA* 50-135 instead. Would they be a better choice?

*edit

Just saw the prices of the DA*, and if I'm not looking at the wrong ones, they're £800+? Now that's out my price range for sure!

Hello All

I've recently decided to make the step up from a compact to a SLR. Photography is something I'm interested in and something I would like to get good at. I've spent the past weeks reading reviews and decided that weather sealing is important so it's either the K20D or K200D body for me, depending on what deal I can find.

I'm going on vacation on Monday so I don't have time to fully read up on all the different lenses so I need some help.

I'm looking for 1 weather sealed lens for hiking/cycling/etc and general touristy stuff so I would want this one to be an "all rounder" since I'd use it the most often. Any suggestions?

What other lenses should I consider for landscape and city type photos? I'm thinking a telephoto (70-300mm?) and a wide-angle zoom (28-80?). If that sounds good, which ones do you recommend?

My budget is flexiable at the moment (as long as it's not crazy prices) but I would not print large photo's all that often so obviously I don't want the top of the range ones.

Can someone offer advice? Would be greatly appreciated since lenses are a completely new concept to me!