just saved a bunch of money..

And it has nothing to do with car insurance :^|

My plan was to pick up a gap lens between the 18-50 and 100-300 zooms. The clear choice would be a DA70/2.4, which would be $200 (used, black) at best. Silver would be nice.. oh that's $375 if I am a lucky bidder. Well, no hurry.

No hurry became no need, as I found a bargain DA∙L 50-200wr lens. Now weather seals extend from 18 to 200mm, no gaps and about $150 less spent than on the Limited 70. Sure I'd still love to have one.. but that is for another day.

I've used numerous copies of the 50-200 - in fact I believe my first copy came as a swap for my first copy of the 55-300mm lens. I've tried both DA and DA∙L copies, both WR - and strangely enough the L version (composite mount, no quick-shift focus) has provided consistently preferable images! In any case I have preferred the overall results from the 50-200 over the 55-300, whose slower focus and less-consistent bokeh are drawbacks. OK I also admit to greatly preferring the shorter lens' bulk.

The image here is with an early copy of the DA 50-200wr on a K-7. I dropped the exposure deliberately, because it's my photo and I can do what I choose with it.

not again yes again.. not

Recall the short time since my K-5 departed and I embraced the µ43 for the third time, more or less. If you'd rather not click I will stipulate that it was mid-December, six short months ago

Also recall that I am not sane, and occasionally stressed financially.

All set?

No surprise to you then to learn that a K-5 is on the way here, and the gx7 is gone. Yes 'tis true.
Someone had a Want to Buy offer when I had a dollar crunch, and gx7 plus 20mm have departed.

I returned to µ43 for several good reasons, and one important factor was low prices. I could pick up an Oly PEN with 16Mpix sensor for under $250. This time the low prices swung to Pentax: I let the two items go, picked up the K-5 and put $250 in the bank! My 'new' K-5 has over 50k clicks on the shutter, but that's either quarter or half of the rated lifespan - and per the first paragragh I'll likely let it go for some good reason before I've put 5k more on it. Sad.. but true.

This leaves me* with a K-5 and several lenses that failed to leave with the previous camera (including a da18-250), plus the GM1 and a few decent Lumix zooms - and some of that Lumix gear is changing again soon.

..something like this?

I've decided that for me smaller µ43 is better, so the gx7 plus 12-60 are not ideal. I offered the 12-60 in trade for a gm1 or a baby kit lens, and an offer came back for a gx1 and 12-32mm pancake zoom. Not sure yet about the body, but kit lenses come no smaller than that 12-32! I've now read up on several "GM1 or GX1?" threads, and many prefer the GX1 ergonomically despite the newer sensor and a few added GM1 tricks. Plus a viewfinder can be added to the GX1. Perhaps that deal is worth a test drive in any case!
Deal agreed to, GX1 and 12-32 for the 12-60. O what fun!

*Kit update, FWiW:

K-5 + 17-28FE,, 28-80 1:2 and 100-300 Σ, 70-150 Rikenon - 25-450mme

GM1, GX1 + 14/2.5, 14-42ii, 45-150, 30mm Σ, -- 28-300mme

a long, strange trip

My K-5 history will resume shortly with an EX copy coming from KEH. I owned my original copy of the Classic model from January 2012 to December 2014* and later tried the II and IIs versions. All did marvelous work.

I had hoped to grab another II - but current finances dictate that saving $70ish is worth doing.. so I did it. I nearly went for a K30 in white, but several factors steered me back to the K-5: familiar control set, iso80, quiet shutter, incredible battery life  - and I already own a 2nd battery + usb charger that's charging in advance! Such extras as a grip don't interest me much, but it's available. The K30's better video specs do not compensate for the positives noted above, especially since the nx300 is available when video beckons.

*Ouch - here's an insightful quote from January 2012, when the K-5 arrived.
Several packages arrived at our house today, heralding a new era in my imaging 'career'.  Lately, 'career' has been more like 'careen' as I hopped from one K-mount camera to another in the past twenty months, attempting to have the best possible camera while paying medical bills.

It's tough to admit, but it stuns me that I owned a Pentax camera for nearly three years, as three months feels about right lately. I'm hoping that my previous experience with the K-5's staying power will keep my wanderings in check for a while!