Hi all,
Just joined the Forum yesterday and already have a question that I would appreciate any insights. I have a K-01 and currently use DA limited primes. But sometimes when I travel or go out with the family, I would prefer the convenience of a zoom lens. So I want to add a short zoom in the 17-70 range.
A key criteria for me is that the zoom have a quiet focusing motor. I like how stealthy the K-01's shutter is, and it would defeat the purpose if I attached a dentist-drill like the Tamron 17-50 or 28-75 to it, even though I know those lenses have lots of fans for their affordability and IQ.
So, as I see it, my options are, within a budget up to $500:
- Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 HSM - I like the constant f/2.8 across the range but worried it's a bit big/heavy for the K-01? Plus could be a bit short for a portrait shot (50mm)?
- Old Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4 HSM -- goes up to 70mm, opens up to f/2.8 at the wide end, but could also be a bit too heavy like the Sigma 17-50...
- New Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.0 HSM Contemporary lens -- could be the Goldilocks "just right" lens for me? Not many reviews yet, so worried about its performance and image quality-- I may not want to be an early adopter!
- Pentax 17-70 f/4.0 SDM - worried about SDM failures, also a bit heavy, and not as fast as options above, but it does give "Pentax colors"
- Pentax 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 DC - since I have a K-01, WR isn't critical to me, nice range up to 135mm but definitely not as fast as above lenses. Nice compact size and the most lightweight of all these options, which make it attractive to mount on K-01.
I'll be using this zoom for travel, weekend outings with the family, maybe some indoor shots of friends and family. (I've ruled out the DA* 16-50 because it's too expensive, way too big for the K-01, and SDM and some IQ concerns I've read online worry me.)
Thanks for any comments or opinions. Let me know if I'm missing any options, but I think I have found all the ones that are currently available that satisfy my criteria.