Regarding the 35mm, certainly the reviews are positive, and I'm guessing that the relatively simple construction might make quality control less of an issue than with more complicated designs. But the glaring deficiency is the lack of a bayonet for mounting a hood, so you're stuck with using a threaded hood. There are many hood designs and materials to choose from, each with pros and cons, but a hood should be an immediate purchase.
---------- Post added 07-02-2014 at 05:28 PM ----------
Originally posted by mellowyeahlow Concerning the Zoom lens. I've decided to hold off and buy the Pentax 18-135 one day. I just read alot of reviews on sigma/tamron alternatives. And honestly people kept on talking about sharpness being bad. So I'm going to save a little money and buy a zoom lens later on this year.
You won't find consensus on the performance merits of the 18-135, or at least you'll find much less of one than for, say the 35mm or 50mm DA lenses.
Having said that, it would be vastly more important to have some kind of telephoto capability now, vs. worrying about the relative optical merits of various models. There are plenty of good longer zoom lenses you could buy used for less than $100, and for that amount of money it's not worth missing out on an entire category of photographs for even a few months. A < $100 lens might not match a good copy of the 60-250 or 50-135, but if you decide your lens isn't good enough at some point, you can upgrade it and get some of that < $100 back. Meanwhile you won't miss out entirely on photographing certain subjects that just won't work at 55mm. When buying used I'd suggest limiting yourself to sellers that will accept unconditional returns, so if you don't like the lens you receive, you can return it, maybe for just the cost of shipping.