Originally Posted by Gooshin
thats not the issue here, the issue is what will be the supposed IQ of these lenses that would warrent anyone to buy them considering there already exist alternatives.
If you can find a close alternative to the Sigma 18-125 HSM for Pentax then I'm all ears. The new DA 17-70 SDM coming out might be consider an alternative. However aside from that I don't know of a single "big zoom" for pentax in the $400 or less price range with HSM/SDM built in. There are plenty of non-HSM/SDM zooms around, but very few with it. You've got the DA* 16-50 and 50-135, but the $650+ price tags put them out of the league of this sigma. So until the 17-70 SDM arrives there really isnt anything else unless you want to go screw drive.
Plus, I'm not arguing on behalf of the Zeiss lens...I see no more use for it then anyone else does.
Originally Posted by Gooshin
i would rather have a good zoom to begin with so that i would never have to worry about such a thing
We would all love something like a 16-85mm constant f/4 with SDM and weather sealing, but the $800+ price tag and large size/weight that would accompany a lens like that would put it clear out of the market of this Sigma.
Originally Posted by Gooshin
they would be better off buying one of the many 18-200mm options and the now 18-250 option, same bananas
For some people that will be the case for sure, however others like me value lower distortions and sharper images over truly extreme zooms. Now if this Sigma lens turns out to be no better than the 18-2XX's after it gets tested then sure, I agree, it is pointless. But sigma knows that, so I have to assume it has better IQ then it's in-house 18-200 brother.