Semi new to this... need some direction

[Tinkgrrbell]

Hello! I took a year of photography class while in school and have been yerning to get back into it.

I own a Pentax A3000 SLR and have no idea what lenses I need to buy. This is where hopefully you guys will come in and school me. I'd like to take outdoor/wildlife pictures but since I only have the camera and a flash I know I'm not set up for that yet. What lenses should I get? What fits this camera? Do I need a filter? I can't believe I don't remember more about this, it's only been a few years!

Also, I've been looking on ebay for some equipment. Is this safe?

Thanks in advance! :mrgreen:

 

[markc]

What lens do you have now? For wildlife, you usually need a strong telephoto in order to fill the frame with the animal without scaring them off. They can be expensive. If you want to do landscapes, then a wide-angle is typically used, but I've seen many detail nature shots taken with a telephoto that are very nice. A 50mm (normal lens; neither wide nor telephoto) is a great all-around lens.

 

[Tinkgrrbell]

Well... the lense reads Tokina 1A 49mm. It is the lense that was on it when I bought it. Are all lenses universal? I'm trying not to run into the problem of buying one off ebay and not having it fit lol.

 

[markc]

Nope. You have to get one with the right mount.

The part you are looking at is a skylight filter on the front of the lens. In this case, the 49mm is the diameter of the threads. There should be another "mm" number somewhere on the barrel and an f#.

 

[Don Simon]

Your camera takes the Pentax bayonet mount, variously known as K-mount, PK, PK-A, several variations on the name but all will fit the same mount. You'll know if it fits because Pentax lenses for 35mm are all either bayonet mount or screw, so if it's a Pentax and it doesn't have a screw thread then it will fit. Lenses for the Pentax bayonet mount were also made by Vivitar, Tokina, Chinon, Cosina and some others. Some are better than others. You can also get screw-mount lenses to fit on your camera using an adapter. Ebay is safe to buy from, but make sure you ask whether the lens is clean and free of fungus, that the focusing and aperture rings turn ok and that the shutter stops down accurately.

 

[Tinkgrrbell]

Thank you! I appreciate all of your guys help

 

[Torus34]

On lenses:

Just start using what you've got. If you find that your lens takes in too wide a scene, you'll probably want a 'zoom' lens that runs from 55mm up to 180mm or so. Such a lens is great for portraits since you don't need to have the camera right in the face of the subject.

If you find that you can't get close enough to an object, get a set of 49mm close-up lenses to fit your present lens.

If you want a wider field of view, get a 'zoom' lens that runs, say, 28mm to 55mm or thereabouts.

Finally, if you find that even with a tripod to ensure steadiness, you are unhappy with the sharpness of your lens, bite the bullet and go for more expensive lenses - possibly single-focal length lenses such as a 135mm or a 28mm [sometimes referred to as 'primes.']

 

[benhasajeep]

As for ebay purchases you can't always go by their rating. I have bought alot of items from ebay the most expensive being a $3,000 lens! My best caution is to never bid on an item without 1. looking at new costs at reputable internet stores (alot on ebay is actually more than you can flat out order from a true retailer). 2. Look at the feedback of the seller, but also check what they have been selling. A person selling $5 trinkets all of a sudden selling $1,000 or more camera equipment might be a little suspicious. 3. If its too good to be true IT IS!! 4. If the only payment option is Money order or wire transfer, RUN away from it.

I have had 2 small issues but recieved full refunds on both. Probably on 150 purchases on ebay.

By the way. They guy sent me the $3,000 lens before I paid for it! I told him I would not do the same for him. But he said I sounded honnest. Of course I paid him. Was later stolen by a camera store who closed down while they had it.

 

[Tinkgrrbell]

Dang, that sucks Ben! All too often stuff like that happens, sure makes it hard to trust anyone.

I'm going to head down to the camera shop when i have a little xtra time and money, hopefully I can pick up a zoon lens so I can play around and decide what I like for what kind of shot. I would like to get one before Sunday when I go 4wheeling but I'll just have to use what I've got. Hopefully the pictures turn out good

Thank you guys again for the help!