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Putting together a nice kit for $500 (US)

Started Aug 24, 2015 | Discussions thread
math guy
math guy Senior Member • Posts: 2,910
the two-lens kit is pretty good

I just purchased the K-50 two-lens kit in order to get a couple of WR lenses to go with my new K-3 and to have a nice second body. I wavered between the two-lens kit, the 18-135, and the body plus 55-300 WR separately, but ended up with the two-lens kit due to cost (and the fact that I already had better lenses for non-WR purposes). I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 50-200 WR is better than it’s generally made out to be on the forum. And I absolutely love how small that lens is. I previously had the 55-300 (non-WR) with my K-x, and while it was a great lens, it was not light. The 50-200 isn’t much larger than the 18-55, so it’s very easy to use it as a general purpose lens; in fact, I did that last night and was more than pleased with the results.

So my recommendation would be go with the two-lens kit, learn what focal lengths you like best, and then get primes or better zooms for those focal lengths. Having said that, if you decide to go the prime route right away, the 35/2.4 is a steal – doubt you’ll find better IQ for the money.

Not sure where you’re planning to buy from, but Rakuten has been offering 5% and 7% back in points for the past week, in addition to having the lowest price. And they threw in a nice little Pentax gadget bag which is the perfect size for the K-50 and a couple of lenses.

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-- Joe S.
If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. ~ Albert Einstein
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/josephschmitt

 math guy's gear list:math guy's gear list
Sony a6400 Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS Sigma 30mm F1.4 (E/EF-M mounts) Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN (E/EF-M mounts) Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS +6 more
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