How bad is the DA18-55?

hardwired · 09-01-2007, 07:45 PM

I picked up the DA50-200 to take advantage of the rebate and to complement my FA28-70/f4 as a lightweight compact combo.

The FA28-70 is a nice lens but wish it would go a bit wider on the digital, so I am considering picking up the kit lens for $80 or so. What can I expect from the DA18-55 IQ in comparison to the FA28-70?

Budget can't really go for a $350+ Sigma or alternate Pentax option at the moment.

Can anyone point me to picks taken with the 18-55 that shows it's good and bad points?

Also, any reason to believe that the quality of DA18-55 purchased seperately might be any different between the one that comes with the body kit usually priced for only $50 more?

TDN · 09-01-2007, 08:09 PM

kit lens is the same in kit or separate.

It's definitly worth getting, gives you a decent wideangle and it's actually not a bad lens.

I don't think you can get anything better in the same range with AF for the same price.

Tom

little laker · 09-01-2007, 08:43 PM

I wouldn't want to live without the kit.
I've gotten more good pic's with it than all my other lenses combined.
Granted I've used it more than all my other lenses combined, but that also says something about it.

Entropy · 09-01-2007, 08:58 PM

I've been quite happy with it.

As I understand it, as far as kit lenses go, it's an excellent one. It's not a DA* by any means, but it's an excellent lens.

Even after I eventually get a Sigma 17-70, I will probably retain the kit lens for many situations - It's a decent lens, and it is extremely small and light.

Basically you can't do any better in its price range, nor can you do any better in its weight range.

MJB DIGITAL · 09-01-2007, 11:11 PM

i have it too...good lens

r3nx · 09-01-2007, 11:52 PM

The kit rules.

hinman · 09-02-2007, 12:10 AM

I too like it for its price. Some samples from me as a new comer to k100d

Test on SR from 1/8 sec to 1/2 sec shots
My dSLR with Pentax K100D - Hin's Photo Blog
Pentax K100D Test Shots - Hin's Tech Corner

Outdoor shots (I like it for outdoor)
Portraits with Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner
Morning with Pentax Kit's Len - Hin's Tech Corner
Yellow Flowers with Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner

Soft pictures in indoor settings (not so good for indoor)
Soft Pictures from Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner
Pentax Protrait Lens - Hin's Tech Corner

Thanks,
Hin

r3nx · 09-02-2007, 12:16 AM

Heyball
Sunset
Little girl
Young boy portrait

I added some photos I found on my site. All made with the 18-55. I love it!

axl · 09-02-2007, 02:07 AM

I have it too. You can't really get much better lens for the money. It's realy good for being a kit lens, especialy outdoors and stopped down. Wide open, at 18mm it's apparently bit soft, but stop it down and it's gooooood.
And yes, it's lightweight and compact. You can't go wrong with it.
Enjoy it!

bc_the_path · 09-02-2007, 02:20 AM

It has vignetting and distortion noticeable at the wide end. These are mostly correctable using even the Pentax Photo Laboratory. The reason I replaced it with a Sigma 17-70mm was (other than a crisis of LBA) ı was using the narrower end (55mm) more and I wanted a larger aperture there.

I still believe the kit lens is very good for its price and I would buy it bundled with the body.

simonkit · 09-02-2007, 02:26 AM

Hmmm,

I'm going slightly against the flow here - I've just moved to DSLR (samsung GX-10) & to be honest replaced the 18-55 after 3 weeks, just wasn't happy with it - images lacked contrast.
I now have the Sigma 17-70 & believe its a large improvement on the kit - it is always possible though that I just had a poor version of the kit lens?

Here's a 17-70 shot:

Simon

Mike Cash · 09-02-2007, 03:27 AM

My only gripe with the kit lens is that it doesn't play nicely with my Sigma 500 flash. Maybe it's the flash's fault, but since it works fine with all my other A lenses and my one FA-J lens, I think not.

**matsoberg** · 09-02-2007, 06:04 AM

The kit lens is a good bang for the buck. I hear this hesitation every now and then and I´m suspicios that the "bad 18-55 rep" has something tho do with the not so good Canon kit lens of the same focal range?

.....

// Mats

ycl · 09-02-2007, 06:21 AM

My view is an amalgam of the opinions above. It's good because it (1) is extremely cheap (esp when bundled with the body); (2) provides a wide f.o.v. (and a useful range overall) -- it's still the widest lens I have; (3) very light and small; and (4) provides very acceptable image quality under good lighting conditions. But it is what it is, and thus has clear negatives: (1) vignetting at wide end; (2) images often lack contrast (I agree with simonkit on this), and lens will often produce images that lack a 'pop' or 3D quality; and (3) almost useless indoors w/out flash.

Some will find the lens good enough -- and from the posted examples above, the lens is obviously capable of rendering beautiful images when in the right hands -- and some will not. C'est la vie, de gustibus non est disputandum, etc.

Duh_Vinci · 09-02-2007, 06:21 AM

Mats,

That was exactly what I thought, since I used to own Canon equipment, and their EF-S 18-55mm was just plain "blah"... So when I ordered K10D, I got it as a body only. After seeing so many wonderful photos with the kit lens from Pentax, I bought one, just to have it - best kit lens imo!!!

Regards,
D

09-01-2007, 07:45 PM	#1
hardwired New Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 14	How bad is the DA18-55? I picked up the DA50-200 to take advantage of the rebate and to complement my FA28-70/f4 as a lightweight compact combo. The FA28-70 is a nice lens but wish it would go a bit wider on the digital, so I am considering picking up the kit lens for $80 or so. What can I expect from the DA18-55 IQ in comparison to the FA28-70? Budget can't really go for a $350+ Sigma or alternate Pentax option at the moment. Can anyone point me to picks taken with the 18-55 that shows it's good and bad points? Also, any reason to believe that the quality of DA18-55 purchased seperately might be any different between the one that comes with the body kit usually priced for only $50 more?

09-02-2007, 12:10 AM	#7
hinman Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Fremont, CA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,473	Like it for the price and quite good for outdoor I too like it for its price. Some samples from me as a new comer to k100d Test on SR from 1/8 sec to 1/2 sec shots My dSLR with Pentax K100D - Hin's Photo Blog Pentax K100D Test Shots - Hin's Tech Corner Outdoor shots (I like it for outdoor) Portraits with Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner Morning with Pentax Kit's Len - Hin's Tech Corner Yellow Flowers with Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner Soft pictures in indoor settings (not so good for indoor) Soft Pictures from Pentax DA 18-55 - Hin's Tech Corner Pentax Protrait Lens - Hin's Tech Corner Thanks, Hin

09-02-2007, 06:21 AM	#14
ycl Junior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: NY, NY, USA Posts: 37	It is what it is My view is an amalgam of the opinions above. It's good because it (1) is extremely cheap (esp when bundled with the body); (2) provides a wide f.o.v. (and a useful range overall) -- it's still the widest lens I have; (3) very light and small; and (4) provides very acceptable image quality under good lighting conditions. But it is what it is, and thus has clear negatives: (1) vignetting at wide end; (2) images often lack contrast (I agree with simonkit on this), and lens will often produce images that lack a 'pop' or 3D quality; and (3) almost useless indoors w/out flash. Some will find the lens good enough -- and from the posted examples above, the lens is obviously capable of rendering beautiful images when in the right hands -- and some will not. C'est la vie, de gustibus non est disputandum, etc.

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09-01-2007, 08:09 PM	#2
TDN Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 96	kit lens is the same in kit or separate. It's definitly worth getting, gives you a decent wideangle and it's actually not a bad lens. I don't think you can get anything better in the same range with AF for the same price. Tom

09-01-2007, 08:43 PM	#3
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,703	I wouldn't want to live without the kit. I've gotten more good pic's with it than all my other lenses combined. Granted I've used it more than all my other lenses combined, but that also says something about it.

09-01-2007, 08:58 PM	#4
Entropy Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 976	I've been quite happy with it. As I understand it, as far as kit lenses go, it's an excellent one. It's not a DA* by any means, but it's an excellent lens. Even after I eventually get a Sigma 17-70, I will probably retain the kit lens for many situations - It's a decent lens, and it is extremely small and light. Basically you can't do any better in its price range, nor can you do any better in its weight range.

09-01-2007, 11:11 PM	#5
MJB DIGITAL Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: st. louis Posts: 1,170	i have it too...good lens

09-01-2007, 11:52 PM	#6
r3nx Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Estonia Posts: 64	The kit rules.

09-02-2007, 12:16 AM	#8
r3nx Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Estonia Posts: 64	Heyball Sunset Little girl Young boy portrait I added some photos I found on my site. All made with the 18-55. I love it!

09-02-2007, 02:07 AM	#9
axl Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Nove Zamky, Slovakia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,181	I have it too. You can't really get much better lens for the money. It's realy good for being a kit lens, especialy outdoors and stopped down. Wide open, at 18mm it's apparently bit soft, but stop it down and it's gooooood. And yes, it's lightweight and compact. You can't go wrong with it. Enjoy it!

09-02-2007, 02:20 AM	#10
bc_the_path Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ankara, Turkey Photos: Gallery Posts: 399	It has vignetting and distortion noticeable at the wide end. These are mostly correctable using even the Pentax Photo Laboratory. The reason I replaced it with a Sigma 17-70mm was (other than a crisis of LBA) ı was using the narrower end (55mm) more and I wanted a larger aperture there. I still believe the kit lens is very good for its price and I would buy it bundled with the body.

09-02-2007, 02:26 AM	#11
simonkit Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Wales, UK Posts: 645	Hmmm, I'm going slightly against the flow here - I've just moved to DSLR (samsung GX-10) & to be honest replaced the 18-55 after 3 weeks, just wasn't happy with it - images lacked contrast. I now have the Sigma 17-70 & believe its a large improvement on the kit - it is always possible though that I just had a poor version of the kit lens? Here's a 17-70 shot: Simon

09-02-2007, 03:27 AM	#12
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	My only gripe with the kit lens is that it doesn't play nicely with my Sigma 500 flash. Maybe it's the flash's fault, but since it works fine with all my other A lenses and my one FA-J lens, I think not.

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09-02-2007, 06:04 AM	#13
matsoberg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Norrtälje Posts: 220	The kit lens is a good bang for the buck. I hear this hesitation every now and then and I´m suspicios that the "bad 18-55 rep" has something tho do with the not so good Canon kit lens of the same focal range? ..... // Mats

09-02-2007, 06:21 AM	#15
Duh_Vinci Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,301	Mats, That was exactly what I thought, since I used to own Canon equipment, and their EF-S 18-55mm was just plain "blah"... So when I ordered K10D, I got it as a body only. After seeing so many wonderful photos with the kit lens from Pentax, I bought one, just to have it - best kit lens imo!!! Regards, D