[Snajder]

I have decided to upgrade from a K-X to either a K-5 or K-30, mostly because of the WR. I like doing street photography, just walking around and taking pictures of people..
I went from a (bad) Tamron 17-50 f2.8 to a nice DAL 35 2.4 which I like very much, but since I am upgrading to a WR-camera, I figured I might aswell look into getting a WR-replacement lens aswell.
What is the best weather sealed lens for me? I want to be in the area between 20 and 50mm, no more than that..

[jatrax]

AFAIK there are no WR lenses in that range. You have the DA*16-50 and the DA*55 which are weather sealed. Supposedly better seals than the WR line of lenses. But neither are what I would use for street photography.

Maybe I'm missing something but that's all I can think of.

[Julie]

Doesn't seem like Pentax has many WR lenses in that range... most are longer lenses.

Your WR choices would come down to:
SMC Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM Reviews - DA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

The DA* 16-50 and DA* 55 are pretty large lenses, so not really the most ideal for street, imo... but they are weather sealed.
The 18-55 WR will probably give you disappointing results, if you are used to the good DAL 35 2.4.
I can't speak for the 18-135 WR, as I've never owned one, but having briefly handled one, I did notice that it wasn't as large and heavy as I had imagined it. It was pretty compact and light.

Most Pentax Street shooters seem to go with the FA and DA Limited lenses for their small sizes, but none of those are WR, sadly.

[crewl1]

You could also use the 18-135. I prefer smaller primes for street (like your DA35 - I use FA35 a lot) but when it looks like rain I put on the 18-135.
Some of the stuff in my street Flickr (link below) are using the 18-135.

[Ratmagiclady]

Fortunately, if you have a WR body, in the course of street photo, it's not too hard to protect a small prime. It might be nice to be heedless of downpours and such, but I really do find that the body being sealed means you're ninety percent there, for most practical purposes. (I've got the habits from old mechanical cameras with minimal sealing themselves. Those seem to serve pretty well. )

In the actual rain, I think you'll find that a bigger lens is of less concern to people than it would be when it's a bright day, so if you've already got that 35 you could consider a WR lens to double as your out-in-the-rain go-to. I think there you're basically choosing between speed and compactness.

[EarlVonTapia]

I love my k30, but it's bad for street photography. the mirror slap is super loud and can be heard from quite a ways away. of course, this might not be a problem for you.

[Snajder]

I love my k30, but it's bad for street photography. the mirror slap is super loud and can be heard from quite a ways away. of course, this might not be a problem for you.

Thank you for that input.. I do find it annoying that the K-x is loud... Is the K-5 quieter?
I did consider a Fuji X-e1 or something like that to get a quieter camera but I think I have decided to stay with Pentax since I have so much gear for pentax.. I think I have decided at least..

[Na Horuk]

I think you can find the shutter sounds on youtube. The K-5 is quieter, as is the K-01 (no mirror). But the 18-135 might not be a bad idea. I think for street it can be good sometimes to zoom in to your subject. From 55mm onwards its a good focal length for portraits.

[GDRoth]

The 18-135 is a very compact lens giving good results. I love mine and heartily recommend you try it.

[Snajder]

Since there are no WR-lenses anyway, how does the Sigma 30mm f1.4 compare to the 35 f2.4?

[bdery]

The 18-55 WR is the smallest widish WR lens available, and it's surprisingly reliable.

If you ditch the WR lens idea, why not look at a DA21, DA 40 or simply keep your 35?

[reeftool]

It's easy enough to protect your lens from rain and you're not likely to be shooting in a downpour as water will be getting on the front of the lens. If you're upgrading to a new camera, get the 18-55 WR along with it or the 18-135. I think there were some package deal specials going on.

[Na Horuk]

Since there are no WR-lenses anyway, how does the Sigma 30mm f1.4 compare to the 35 f2.4?

Some people really like the Sigma because it is wider and faster. But it has triangular highlight bokeh (which can be great, or terrible), check out some sample photos.
The DA 35mm is pretty nice, especially for near subjects, but no quickshift and no distance scales (which some other Pentax lenses have and might be useful for street photography)

[EarlVonTapia]

Since there are no WR-lenses anyway, how does the Sigma 30mm f1.4 compare to the 35 f2.4?

I have owned the DA 35 2.4, and I currently own the Sigma 30 1.4.

The Sigma 30 1.4, with the hood, is a lot bigger and heavier than the DA 35 2.4. It really looks like a monster pro lens, and again it's probably not the best for street photography in that regard, unless you have no qualms about having people noticing you.

The DA 35 2.4 is much smaller and discrete. It doesn't come with a hood (although you can get one) but without the hood it forms a nice little package with your camera. It is closer to my preferred length for street shots (I like using 50mm for a bit of reach).

[kh1234567890]

The 18-55 WR kit lens is reasonable for street photos, if a bit on the slow side. After all, with street photo technical perfection comes second to capturing the right moment

If you don't really need WR then the DA21 is great because of its size. I find 35mm a bit too narrow on APS for street photos, 21mm is about right.