Hi Chris,
what a reasoned response... ! Good stuff. I too have leap into lens choices, flash choices, bits and bobs etc.

I figured I would take my K10, and poss my laptop to a shop. Shoot with the lens then go to a coffee shop and review the images.... cheeky I know but Jacobs staff in Liverpool are really nice. I would ask them to price match. If they had the lens in of course.

I tried the K7 in there and the light was standard shop light, so not that bright really... and I couldn't fault the K7 with the kit lens. It was so quick!!

Yeah the Tamron looks really nice... cheapish too. It has circular blades so nice bokeh, I imagine. I have a 90mm MF Tamron and on my ME super this would produce amazing shots. I have been using a Tamron 18-250 and this is a really nice lens considering, shame it was on a eos 350d... who designed the handling on that!!??

I was thinking of the Tamron 17-50 initially and the responses here are not changing that.

If only I could get my lovely wife to see long term with my photo gear. Sheesh... they negotiated less obstacles on kick start!!

Bluewhistle

Hi Chris...

thanks. The Tamron does look good. I find Sigma QC awful. I've had so much problems with calibration and so on. Though my 10-20 Sigma is very nice. Is the af on the Tamron any good? Where can I buy a version... a good seller, who will swop a copy immediately if it is "off". I may even buy one this week!!

I can read a million reviews on the net but there is nothing better than the real experience from Pentax users on this site.

I have a shoot on monday... reshooting some of the problem shots. I may have to use my kit lens at this rate. Its ok but not beautiful.

Thanks

Bluewhistle

Hi David,
yes I have had some lovely images with the K10d, the thing is a beauty but I did some shots for a school recently and at 800 the images were ok. But the Af was a nightmare. Now I know if I had a da16-50 such as yourself things may be a little different.

Most of my work tends to be quite arty. Mainly portraits, influenced by Victorian art, or Russian constructivism or whatever really. I work with a musician and we do a lot of studio flash stuff, so I'm working at 100 iso.

I did a shoot the other day and I know its the lens but it was so soft when I focused on her in the middle distance. I've had the thing fixed 3 times so desperately need a new lens.

I do find that MY K10 can sometimes throw strange artifacts at high iso. almost like part of the image is playing tetris. This happens very rarely. The main problem the other day was I was shooting into the light and the dynamic range was just too much for the camera so I was losing image integrity in the trees in the distance. Again the lens probably isn't helping but the KX and K7 are bang up to the minute and things have moved on.

I do get what you are saying about the K10, it is such a classic. And even when I buy a new one., that will be my back-up.

Ta.

Hi All,
haven't posted for a while just lurked and watched you all with an envious eye. Some of you have the most glorious 'footers'!!

Right! Predicament time. I love photography and I love Pentax gear - but due to several problems I HATE my current equipment.

Pentax K10d with a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 lens. The camera can't help being a bit old and not good enough at focussing in low light (I need this) and noisy but the lens has always been a problem! It seems most of my gear feels a little haunted.

Sent it back to Sigma a few times and the problem is is that this Mark One version, not the Macro is inconsistent.

So firstly... should I buy the K7 or the KX. I want beautiful images with good bright noiseless images at least up to 800iso.

Lens wise... I would in a ideal world love a lens with a focal lenth of 16-70mm f2.8. Imagination is a wonderful thing.

Options are. Pentax 16-45... though max aperture a bit tight. But there appears to be deals with this K7 combo.

Sigma 18-50mm new version.

Or go to Jacobs... ask for a demo and throw flour in the assistants face, run to the car (wife and kids keeping the motor going) and head for Mexico (I'm currently in Merseyside).

I want sharp...well resolved, contrasting images before I get into light room.

Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 XR Di II LD

I see so many of you have wonderful images and my efforts are being hampered by the gear!

Thanks for your time
Bluewhistle - now Bluewhistle 2