Good walk around lens suggestions

tranceplante · 10-14-2014, 09:09 AM

Hi,

I am new to Pentax and I have to say I'm a bit confused with the lenses compatibility. Seems like some older lenses will work on the new DSLR but won't have the auto focus?

Anyway, I am looking for a good walk around lens. Something around 18mm to 70mm (something around there). Does anyone of you have a suggestion. basically I would like to replace the kit lens. I don't find it all that great.

If any of you have suggestions for a lens like that, new or used, it would be appreciated.

Thank you all!

manntax · 10-14-2014, 09:15 AM

18-135mm comes to mid as possible upgrade. Other than that - I would look at primes. If you aren't scared learning - then manual primes will give you amazing quality images for fairly little money. Modern AF lenses will hit you quite a lot. Anyway the best place for you to go right now is : reviews section of forum

Pentax Lens Reviews
Third-Party Lens Reviews

All but M42 screw lenses will fit and works well. With non-autofocus lenses you of course will need to focus manually. SMC-A lenses will give you auto exposure (but still manual focus ).

**jrpower10** · 10-14-2014, 09:25 AM

There are lots of options depending on your budget, both Pentax and third party. I had the Sigma 17-70 for awhile and it was a good lens. I now have the Pentax 16-50 and I really like it. The Pentax 18-135 or 16-45 are less expensive options. You could also wait for the new Pentax 16-85 announced at Photokina, although I haven't seen the release date or anticipated pricing yet.

**Kerrowdown** · 10-14-2014, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by tranceplante

Good walk around lens suggestions

So much really depends on your shooting style and what it is your shooting and whether you want auto focus or not.

As already suggested by manntex, have a run through the review lenses section and see if that helps.

Last edited by Kerrowdown; 10-14-2014 at 09:58 AM.

tranceplante · 10-14-2014, 09:41 AM

hey guys, thanks for the replies. I will look into the 18-135. it looks quite interesting.

I'll try to go see some samples and reviews.

keep them coming

narual · 10-14-2014, 09:52 AM

Pentax makes a 17-70 f/4 lens, which is pretty much what you're asking for. But the 18-135 gives you more distance (but less width) and weatherproofing at about the same price.

Or for a different take, you could get a ~24mm manual focus lens, set it to F/8, and focus at 12 feet. Everything from 6 feet from you to infinity is now in focus without any effort on your part. Jump to f/11 for an extra foot closer to you; or set focus to 6 feet to cover 4-12 feet with anything past 12 feet out of focus. F/11 at that distance gives you 3.5-20 feet in focus. With that, you can walk around with your camera set to Aperture priority and it'll figure out the shutter speed/iso rating, and you don't have to mess with waiting for autofocus if you're snapping something that could change at any moment.

JohnX · 10-14-2014, 10:03 AM

The older non-SDM Pentax 16-45, or the SDM Pentax 17-70 are ideal, with good IQ. Natural replacements for the 18-55 kit lens.

The Pentax 18-135 is often described as 'soft'.

The Pentax DA*16-50 is well regarded, but earlier copies were apparently prone to SDM failure.

If you want top class performance, then I think there's nothing to beat the DA*50-135. Superb IQ, but big and heavy and slow AF, and again early copies were apparently prone to SDM failure.

narual · 10-14-2014, 10:40 AM

Originally posted by JohnX

If you want top class performance, then I think there's nothing to beat the DA*50-135. Superb IQ, but big and heavy and slow AF, and again early copies were apparently prone to SDM failure.

I love that lens, but the OP was asking about 18-70ish... the 50-135 doesn't really qualify. My only complaint with it was that it's just not wide enough to use for everything (and the 16-50 just isn't as good).

infra4801 · 10-14-2014, 11:35 AM

We can give you tons of recommendations depending of shooting style, and of course, price.
- Any fast 50mm are great, can find some used for decent prices, are very sharp, and the autofocus are generally pretty quick. I hear any of the 50mm 1.7 (A, F, or FA) are pretty cheap and sharp. I have the FA 50mm f/1.4, awesome little lens.
- The best replacement for the kit lens, IMHO, is a fast normal zoom: the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 is attached to my camera most of the time.
- Also the 18-135mm, or the WR version, I heard they do quite well for the price.
- When I first looked into DSLRs, the Sigma 30mm 1.4 was an option too.
- Of course, if money is not an issue, get a limited prime, 31mm or 49mm.
Then again, look at this site's market place and at the lens reviews, but I would go for the Tamron.

RoxnDox · 10-14-2014, 11:49 AM

Originally posted by tranceplante

hey guys, thanks for the replies. I will look into the 18-135. it looks quite interesting.

I'll try to go see some samples and reviews.

keep them coming

There's a big thread of photos from the 18-135 right here in the Lens subforum: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/179869-da-1...at-can-do.html It's my walk-around lens and the one I got my best photos with from our Alaska cruise... For *my* needs it is about perfect.

Jim

tranceplante · 10-14-2014, 11:58 AM

ok... I have another questions. Can someone link me or break down for me all the terminology for the pentax lens. what does those term means: DA - SMC - WR etc..??

So confusing

reeftool · 10-14-2014, 12:13 PM

The DA series is the latest crop of Pentax glass. SMC stands for Super Multi Coating and that is the older lens coatings on Pentax lenses going back many years. The newest coating since Ricoh bought them is HD. WR means weather resistant and the lenses with a * are the high end, professional grade lenses which are also weather resistant. SDM means it has a motor driven auto focus. The DA 18-135 also has a motor driven AF but it isn't SDM. A large number of Pentax lenses are screw driven from the camera body. Still confused?

lytrytyr · 10-14-2014, 12:15 PM

Originally posted by tranceplante

ok... I have another questions. Can someone link me or break down for me all the terminology for the pentax lens. what does those term means: DA - SMC - WR etc..?

For an explanation of what many of the technical terms mean, see
PENTAX Lens Technology / Lenses / Products | RICOH IMAGING

For the lens series:

DA means optimized for digital, only designed to cover the smaller APS-C frame, no aperture ring
D-FA means the same, but covering 24x36mm.
FA means the final series of film lenses, with an aperture ring
F was an older series, the first autofocus lenses
A means manual focus, automatic aperture control from the camera body
M were small manual lenses
K were the first K-mount lenses, also manual, not as small as the M lenses.

Undot · 10-14-2014, 12:17 PM

You should find the different lens types (generations) explained here:
Pentax K-Mount Lenses Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series
At the bottom of that page there's also the different abbreviations, like WR for weather resistant or SDM (Pentax' supersonic autofocus).

I bought the 18-135mm as kit lens and am quite satisfied as an all-rounder zoom to walk around with. I'm sure it doesn't have the qualities of more expensive glass, but for its price, size and weight I really like it. There's a recent in-depth review about it here:
Review: Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 - PentaxForums.com Reviews

@reeftool: hm, I thought the 18-135 was SDM? At least it has that tag in the database and I thought it too quiet to be anything else.

Edit: hmm, guess it is a traditional DC motor, sorry.

tranceplante · 10-14-2014, 12:22 PM

Originally posted by reeftool

Still confused?

ahaha it's better now. Thanks to all of your for your replies. It's starting to all make more sense now.

10-14-2014, 09:09 AM	#1
tranceplante New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Montreal Posts: 19	Good walk around lens suggestions Hi, I am new to Pentax and I have to say I'm a bit confused with the lenses compatibility. Seems like some older lenses will work on the new DSLR but won't have the auto focus? Anyway, I am looking for a good walk around lens. Something around 18mm to 70mm (something around there). Does anyone of you have a suggestion. basically I would like to replace the kit lens. I don't find it all that great. If any of you have suggestions for a lens like that, new or used, it would be appreciated. Thank you all!

10-14-2014, 12:13 PM	#12
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,553	The DA series is the latest crop of Pentax glass. SMC stands for Super Multi Coating and that is the older lens coatings on Pentax lenses going back many years. The newest coating since Ricoh bought them is HD. WR means weather resistant and the lenses with a * are the high end, professional grade lenses which are also weather resistant. SDM means it has a motor driven auto focus. The DA 18-135 also has a motor driven AF but it isn't SDM. A large number of Pentax lenses are screw driven from the camera body. Still confused? Last edited by reeftool; 10-14-2014 at 12:14 PM. Reason: spelling

10-14-2014, 12:17 PM	#14
Undot Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 176	You should find the different lens types (generations) explained here: Pentax K-Mount Lenses Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series At the bottom of that page there's also the different abbreviations, like WR for weather resistant or SDM (Pentax' supersonic autofocus). I bought the 18-135mm as kit lens and am quite satisfied as an all-rounder zoom to walk around with. I'm sure it doesn't have the qualities of more expensive glass, but for its price, size and weight I really like it. There's a recent in-depth review about it here: Review: Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 - PentaxForums.com Reviews @reeftool: hm, I thought the 18-135 was SDM? At least it has that tag in the database and I thought it too quiet to be anything else. Edit: hmm, guess it is a traditional DC motor, sorry. Last edited by Undot; 10-14-2014 at 12:33 PM.

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10-14-2014, 09:15 AM	#2
manntax Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	18-135mm comes to mid as possible upgrade. Other than that - I would look at primes. If you aren't scared learning - then manual primes will give you amazing quality images for fairly little money. Modern AF lenses will hit you quite a lot. Anyway the best place for you to go right now is : reviews section of forum Pentax Lens Reviews Third-Party Lens Reviews All but M42 screw lenses will fit and works well. With non-autofocus lenses you of course will need to focus manually. SMC-A lenses will give you auto exposure (but still manual focus ).

10-14-2014, 09:25 AM	#3
jrpower10 Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Richland, Washington, USA Posts: 935	There are lots of options depending on your budget, both Pentax and third party. I had the Sigma 17-70 for awhile and it was a good lens. I now have the Pentax 16-50 and I really like it. The Pentax 18-135 or 16-45 are less expensive options. You could also wait for the new Pentax 16-85 announced at Photokina, although I haven't seen the release date or anticipated pricing yet.

10-14-2014, 09:32 AM	#4
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,818	Originally posted by tranceplante Good walk around lens suggestions So much really depends on your shooting style and what it is your shooting and whether you want auto focus or not. As already suggested by manntex, have a run through the review lenses section and see if that helps. Last edited by Kerrowdown; 10-14-2014 at 09:58 AM.

10-14-2014, 09:41 AM	#5
tranceplante New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Montreal Posts: 19 Original Poster	hey guys, thanks for the replies. I will look into the 18-135. it looks quite interesting. I'll try to go see some samples and reviews. keep them coming

10-14-2014, 09:52 AM	#6
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	Pentax makes a 17-70 f/4 lens, which is pretty much what you're asking for. But the 18-135 gives you more distance (but less width) and weatherproofing at about the same price. Or for a different take, you could get a ~24mm manual focus lens, set it to F/8, and focus at 12 feet. Everything from 6 feet from you to infinity is now in focus without any effort on your part. Jump to f/11 for an extra foot closer to you; or set focus to 6 feet to cover 4-12 feet with anything past 12 feet out of focus. F/11 at that distance gives you 3.5-20 feet in focus. With that, you can walk around with your camera set to Aperture priority and it'll figure out the shutter speed/iso rating, and you don't have to mess with waiting for autofocus if you're snapping something that could change at any moment.

10-14-2014, 10:03 AM	#7
JohnX Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London Posts: 1,116	The older non-SDM Pentax 16-45, or the SDM Pentax 17-70 are ideal, with good IQ. Natural replacements for the 18-55 kit lens. The Pentax 18-135 is often described as 'soft'. The Pentax DA16-50 is well regarded, but earlier copies were apparently prone to SDM failure. If you want top class performance, then I think there's nothing to beat the DA50-135. Superb IQ, but big and heavy and slow AF, and again early copies were apparently prone to SDM failure.

10-14-2014, 10:40 AM	#8
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	Originally posted by JohnX If you want top class performance, then I think there's nothing to beat the DA*50-135. Superb IQ, but big and heavy and slow AF, and again early copies were apparently prone to SDM failure. I love that lens, but the OP was asking about 18-70ish... the 50-135 doesn't really qualify. My only complaint with it was that it's just not wide enough to use for everything (and the 16-50 just isn't as good).

10-14-2014, 11:35 AM	#9
infra4801 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 55	We can give you tons of recommendations depending of shooting style, and of course, price. - Any fast 50mm are great, can find some used for decent prices, are very sharp, and the autofocus are generally pretty quick. I hear any of the 50mm 1.7 (A, F, or FA) are pretty cheap and sharp. I have the FA 50mm f/1.4, awesome little lens. - The best replacement for the kit lens, IMHO, is a fast normal zoom: the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 is attached to my camera most of the time. - Also the 18-135mm, or the WR version, I heard they do quite well for the price. - When I first looked into DSLRs, the Sigma 30mm 1.4 was an option too. - Of course, if money is not an issue, get a limited prime, 31mm or 49mm. Then again, look at this site's market place and at the lens reviews, but I would go for the Tamron.

10-14-2014, 11:49 AM	#10
RoxnDox Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Gig Harbor, Washington, USA, Terra Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,494	Originally posted by tranceplante hey guys, thanks for the replies. I will look into the 18-135. it looks quite interesting. I'll try to go see some samples and reviews. keep them coming There's a big thread of photos from the 18-135 right here in the Lens subforum: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/179869-da-1...at-can-do.html It's my walk-around lens and the one I got my best photos with from our Alaska cruise... For my needs it is about perfect. Jim

10-14-2014, 11:58 AM	#11
tranceplante New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Montreal Posts: 19 Original Poster	ok... I have another questions. Can someone link me or break down for me all the terminology for the pentax lens. what does those term means: DA - SMC - WR etc..?? So confusing

10-14-2014, 12:15 PM	#13
lytrytyr Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,310	Originally posted by tranceplante ok... I have another questions. Can someone link me or break down for me all the terminology for the pentax lens. what does those term means: DA - SMC - WR etc..? For an explanation of what many of the technical terms mean, see PENTAX Lens Technology / Lenses / Products \| RICOH IMAGING For the lens series: DA means optimized for digital, only designed to cover the smaller APS-C frame, no aperture ring D-FA means the same, but covering 24x36mm. FA means the final series of film lenses, with an aperture ring F was an older series, the first autofocus lenses A means manual focus, automatic aperture control from the camera body M were small manual lenses K were the first K-mount lenses, also manual, not as small as the M lenses.

10-14-2014, 12:22 PM	#15
tranceplante New Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Montreal Posts: 19 Original Poster	Originally posted by reeftool Still confused? ahaha it's better now. Thanks to all of your for your replies. It's starting to all make more sense now.