[Snowman46]

Hello Fellow photographer.
I have recently purchase a Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera.
I have asked my wife "aka Santa" to buy me only 1 gift this year. After allot of question and looking at our budget, I have decided on this lens for overall .
Please tell me your opinion on this lens, any pro/cons. It can be exchange as it has not been used or even picked up yet.
I paid $399 for it CAD funds .
Also can someone what would be your preferred setting for indoor photography .
Thank you all.

Product

[felixkh]

Get the Pentax DA 18-135 F3.5-5.6 WR. Your new camera is WR so get a WR lens to go along with it. I have the said lens and I find it good enough as a walk about lens.

[Bronmar]

This is a "universal" lens. Pro: wide zoom range. Cons: narrow max aperture . It needs a lot of light for indooor photography.

[Kwong]

Hello Fellow photographer.
I have recently purchase a Pentax K-50 DSLR Camera.
I have asked my wife "aka Santa" to buy me only 1 gift this year. After allot of question and looking at our budget, I have decided on this lens for overall .
Please tell me your opinion on this lens, any pro/cons. It can be exchange as it has not been used or even picked up yet.
I paid $399 for it CAD funds .
Also can someone what would be your preferred setting for indoor photography .
Thank you all.

Product

The lens is a good walk about lens but requires a lot of light.

[c.a.m]

Hi Snowman46,

Welsome to Pentax Forums. Congatulations on getting the K-50.

Did you get a lens with your K-50? Do you own any other lenses?

- Craig

[shah]

Maybe try a prime. Pentax offers some good cheap ones like the 35mm or the 50mm for a little cheaper, in most cases, than what you paid for. Primes take better photos than zooms. Usually to get the best quality, go for a prime lens. And if you really want that length, just go and buy a 200mm prime. If you're going to spend the money, Primes would be the best orverall deal, because the quality of the picture is just a lot better than with zooms. Good luck to you! Hope you take some great pics!

[paraben]

I own this Sigma 18-250 now for two years and its my most used lens on my K-5. Fits almost any situation for me at daylight. When I need a faster lens for use inside or a narrow depth of field I use a Sigma 18-50 f2.8 or the Pentax DA 50 f1.8.

But, thanks to the great high ISO performance of the K-5 (and K-50), you can even use the 18-250 with good results on dark cloudy days. I shoot a lot of fieldhockey games, and I have learned to make use of the high ISO capabilities. With shutter set at 1/320 or 1/400 and aperture f6.3 at 250mm, I get very nice results, even when the ISO goes up to 3200. Of course, a 70-200 f2.8 gives better results in less light, but the price is 3 times higher, and you miss the wide end of the 18-250. This lens is very versatile, and I like the advantage of not having to change lenses to often.
The 18-135 WR would be a good alternative, as mentioned in this thread, but then you miss the long end up to 250mm.
Aaarrrhhhh, life is full of choises... but I'm very happy with this 18-250, despite of its compromises.

[Snowman46]

Thanks for all replies.
I did forgot to mention that when I purchased the K-50, there was a 18-135mm Lens that was with the kit. And I also found on kijiji.ca 2 used lens that a fellow photographer was selling. 1st one I purchased from him was a 50-20 Pentax for $50.00 and the 2nd was a Sigma 50mm 1:1.4 DG HSM , and that one I purchased for $275.00
So that is my Lens collection das far. But i find I don't use my 18-135 very much.
Once I figure out how to post a photo, I will.
Thanks, and I'm happy to be part of the Pentax community.

[Snowman46]

Hello shah.
what do you mean a prime? Is that a Brand name? I've never heard of it.

[Pablom]

Thanks for all replies.
I did forgot to mention that when I purchased the K-50, there was a 18-135mm Lens that was with the kit. And I also found on kijiji.ca 2 used lens that a fellow photographer was selling. 1st one I purchased from him was a 50-20 Pentax for $50.00 and the 2nd was a Sigma 50mm 1:1.4 DG HSM , and that one I purchased for $275.00
So that is my Lens collection das far. But i find I don't use my 18-135 very much.
Once I figure out how to post a photo, I will.
Thanks, and I'm happy to be part of the Pentax community.

I would understand your purchase if you'd have used the 18-135 and felt it was too short. Why did you decide to buy it?
For that price I'd get a nice prime or two, but that's just me and everyone here shoots differently.
If you elaborate more about you needs and what you are looking for it would be easier to help.
Here are the forum's user reviews, in case you didn't already found them: Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro HSM Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

[crashmars]

I have the sigma 18-250 ,in use for a year now I like it a lot , but wish I had more reach ,the pentax 55-300 from what I hear is better there s some used ones fore sale out there too might want to look that way also

[c.a.m]

Your current lens line-up appears to be:
- DA 18-135
- DA 50-200
- Sigma 50/1.4

You seem to be well covered for focal lengths for now (i.e., 18 to 200 mm), and you have a good 'prime' lens (i.e., single focal length) for use in low light conditions. It's not clear why you have not used the 18-135 much; you might not benefit from the Sigma 18-250 that you mentioned in your first post.

I would recommend that you play for a while with the lenses that you have, get used to the various focal lengths, and then later determine what your next lens should be. The 18-135 is actually a very decent lens and it mates well with your K-50.

- Craig

[Snowman46]

Your current lens line-up appears to be:
- DA 18-135
- DA 50-200
- Sigma 50/1.4

You seem to be well covered for focal lengths for now (i.e., 18 to 200 mm), and you have a good 'prime' lens (i.e., single focal length) for use in low light conditions. It's not clear why you have not used the 18-135 much; you might not benefit from the Sigma 18-250 that you mentioned in your first post.

I would recommend that you play for a while with the lenses that you have, get used to the various focal lengths, and then later determine what your next lens should be. The 18-135 is actually a very decent lens and it mates well with your K-50.

- Craig

C.A.M.
I'm not NEW to photography, but I'm new to DSLR. The DA18-135 is the lens that came with the kit, The other 2 lens I have purchase are used and the price was right, so it is why I have purchased them.
My wife wanted to buy me something for Xmas and I could not think of anything else, so therefor is why I have chosen the sigma18-250. If that is a BAD CHOICE, I'll return it after Xmas and chose something else.
As far as what type of Photography I want to do, pretty much anything in General. I'm an outdoors person, therefore Nature/Architecture/ Insects / People/Wedding /etc,etc. I have lots of learning to do and I like to learn from others experience.
Thank you.

[Pablom]

C.A.M.
I'm not NEW to photography, but I'm new to DSLR. The DA18-135 is the lens that came with the kit, The other 2 lens I have purchase are used and the price was right, so it is why I have purchased them.
My wife wanted to buy me something for Xmas and I could not think of anything else, so therefor is why I have chosen the sigma18-250. If that is a BAD CHOICE, I'll return it after Xmas and chose something else.
As far as what type of Photography I want to do, pretty much anything in General. I'm an outdoors person, therefore Nature/Architecture/ Insects / People/Wedding /etc,etc. I have lots of learning to do and I like to learn from others experience.
Thank you.

This is just a shot in the dark because I can't tell you anything about the 18-250, but the obvious gaps you could fill are either a macro lens (preferably 100ish sinve you already have a 50), a wider prime or something wider than 18 (but since you rarely used your 18-135 I guess that might not be your first choice).