[dadipentak]

Nothing beats the privilege of owning an expensive lens with a short warranty combined with a high probability of having several SDM issues. Thanks, but I'll pass on that go with a more reliable 3rd party option backed up with a real warranty.

I'm not sure how this responded to my post but we seem to be on the same wavelength.

I suspect the SDM issue is pretty much a thing of the past but I wish Pentax would communicate some confidence on that score with a longer warranty.

[SteveM]

I currently have the DA 55-300/4-5.8, which is a great lens, but I'd like something with constant aperture throughout the range that's faster. The two options that I'm considering are the DA* 200/2.8 and DA* 300/4 or just the DA* 60-250/4. (Of course, I have assorted primes from the ultra-wide to short-telephoto range.) Which option would you choose? If it matters, I normally shoot between the ultra-wide to normal range. I only want something better in this range for long-distance photography such as shooting graduations or wildlife. Please let me know what you guys think!

Whatever lens you choose, there will be some sort of a trade off. I found the DA*300 to be very capable when using it handheld. While I haven't owned the 60-250, it's about the same weight as the 300. The 60-250 might be preferable for shooting a graduation, whereas the 300 might be preferable for wildlife, although for me, 300 is too short for birding etc. Is AF and weather sealing mandatory for you? Do you have a friend in the area that could loan you a MF lens to see if you like the results?

[baig.sabeeh90]

Would it be wise to pickup an MF lens for a graduation, for example? This is assuming that my MF skills are bad, which I don't think they are, but I don't know.