[Hayashi]

Since its release in 2015, I have been always interested in buying one

I know, optically it is same as the long-running DA18-55 WRII, plus the interesting RE mechanism and very welcomed DC silent motor.

But one concern is that, it has a plastic mount, it is the durability that I worry about.

Anyone got this cute and easy lens can give me any advice ?

Thanks very much !

[R.Miller]

I just picked up this lens to replace an 18-55mm wr that was not that great. I really like the silent focus over the screw drive. Many dislike this lens due to the wonky locking mechanism and plastic mount but that does not bother me. I like it much better than the 18-55mm wr it replaced.

[UncleVanya]

I have one. I started with the smc da l version and ended up buying the hd da version. It’s a good lens. Much better than the old 18-55 I had. Silent focus, light, small - all good things. The hood is a bit strange and I dislike the lens cap needed to mate with the hood. I don’t love the retracting design as it can be fiddly. I like the hd da 20-40 more (faster, less fiddly, lens cap that’s nice to handle… ) and so the hd da 18-50 gets less use than it should. When I need wider and longer and can deal with slower and bigger than the 20-40, it typically means using the 18-135 not the 18-50 for me.

[ChristianRock]

Yes... I use mine quite a bit. What's not to like? Extremely small (shorter than the DA 35 2.4! when retracted), WR, silent fast focus, great sharpness (way ahead of the old DA 18-55, I think they tweaked the optics*) and also great color and contrast. I bought it as my "biking lens" but I ended up much more than I predicted. Most of the time if I don't have a prime on my camera, it's got the HD 18-50. My SMC DA*16-50mm f/2.8 still sees some use as it's fantastic for people picture, but not as much as the HD 18-50.


*I think it was tweaked. I used to own a DA 18-55mm and this is a different level. The RIcoh Imaging page for the lens states that it was released for "high resolution digital systems" so to me it makes sense that it was tweaked, even if they don't announce these things. It performed well on my K-3 (24MP), K-S1 and K-S2 (20MP) and of course on my 10MP bodies. Almost as sharp as a Limited prime. Almost

Some pictures...

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Last edited by ChristianRock; 07-18-2022 at 09:22 PM.

[Hayashi]

I have one. I started with the smc da l version and ended up buying the hd da version. It’s a good lens. Much better than the old 18-55 I had. Silent focus, light, small - all good things. The hood is a bit strange and I dislike the lens cap needed to mate with the hood. I don’t love the retracting design as it can be fiddly. I like the hd da 20-40 more (faster, less fiddly, lens cap that’s nice to handle… ) and so the hd da 18-50 gets less use than it should. When I need wider and longer and can deal with slower and bigger than the 20-40, it typically means using the 18-135 not the 18-50 for me.

I think that hood is like that of DA-21mm limited, some like it, and some dun like it.

---------- Post added 07-18-22 at 11:51 PM ----------

Yes... I use mine quite a bit. What's not to like? Extremely small (shorter than the DA 35 2.4! when retracted), WR, silent fast focus, great sharpness (way ahead of the old DA 18-55, I think they tweaked the optics*) and also great color and contrast. I bought it as my "biking lens" but I ended up much more than I predicted. Most of the time if I don't have a prime on my camera, it's got the HD 18-50. My SMC DA*16-50mm f/2.8 still sees some use as it's fantastic for people picture, but not as much as the HD 18-50.


*I think it was tweaked. I used to own a DA 18-55mm and this is a different level. The RIcoh Imaging page for the lens states that it was released for "high resolution digital systems" so to me it makes sense that it was tweaked, even if they don't announce these things. It performed well on my K-3 (24MP), K-S1 and K-S2 (20MP) and of course on my 10MP bodies. Almost as sharp as a Limited prime. Almost

Some pictures...

Thanks for the sharing

Ya, that's all I know about the original 18-55WRII, its image quality just exceed expectation

I suppose the optically identical HD18-50 would do even better with the new HD coating.

How about the plastic mount ? Do you find any problem with it?

[Papa_Joe]

There is a in-depth review, that might be off interest for you.

HD vs. SMC Pentax-DA 18-50mm F4-5.6 Review - Conclusion | PentaxForums.com Reviews

[AfterPentax Mark II]

The HD DA 18-50 is an amazing lens in different ways. First of all it is a "pancake" zoom lens and what also amazes me is the mediocre RE mechanism and the rough hood with dito cap. Second it delivers very good pictures with adorable colours, sometimes with a saturation that makes me think of having used a polarizer, that is amazing. I doubt that it is optically the same as the older 18-55 version II, it may have the same formula but that is all. But it is silent and fast focusing, the zoom mechanism works well. If I am honest, I won't buy one at the retail price. I bought one because I was curious how it would perform on my oldest DSLR's (Samsung GX-10 and the K-7) and in terms of IQ it beats the 18-55 WR on the K-7 with a great length. Don't worry about the "plastic" mount, because compared to the metal mounts it gives much softer touch when mounting on the camera. I do not see signs of wear on the lens mount, not more than on a metal mount, so it is sturdy enough to move over the metal parts of the camera mount. So I feel lucky that I was able to buy the HD version complete in box for just €69,00, which is about the same price in dollars at the moment. I had a choice between an SMC version and this one and you will not believe that the HD version (complete in box!) was cheaper than the SMC version. I just looked at the site of the shop I bought it and the second hand SMC version now is on offer for €119,00. A new HD DA version would cost me € 299,00 and I think you can get a better lens for that money (not as cute but the 18-135 comes to mind). But if you can find one for around €/$ 125,00 you buy yourself a lovely lens. In the morning you "extract" the lens and after a whole day of taking pictures you "retract" it, so you will not find much annoyance with the fiddly retraction mechanism, which is fiddly because of the position of the button and the small parts where you can put your fingers to turn it. Hope this helps.

July 20 2022: I just noticed that the price for the HD DA version is no longer 299,00 but € 199,00 which is the same as the older 18-55 WR version. Which makes the second hand price of € 119,00 for an SMC a bit steap... Having the experience with my affordable version I think that a price of around $ 200,00 is not bad for a new one. As I said, I was lucky with my copy.

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Last edited by AfterPentax Mark II; 07-20-2022 at 06:38 AM. Reason: additonal information added

[SFX]

I have the SMC version. There are no problems at all with the plastic mount. That also applies to the DA35 and DA50 plastic mounts!

[kypfer]

My 18-50mm lives on my KP as a general-purpose snapshot lens … to my mind it fits in well with the "compact-looking" ethos of the KP.
Good points … with the lens retracted, it doesn't take up much space in the bag … the lens-hood doesn't need to be inverted and remounted to work.
Bad point … difficult/impossible to use a polarising filter with the hood fitted, or fit the hood with a polariser fitted, whichever way you look at it
For me, image quality is a given. It's a Pentax lens, it won't be bad … some may be better, but it's perfectly adequate for most purposes!
The "plastic" mount isn't a problem for me. To use the term "plastic" is a little degrading. It's a non-metallic high precision engineering material.
Drop it awkwardly it may snap … probably no more likely than a metal mount bending under the same stress.
At least you can glue the "plastic" mount back together again
If your camera abrades the "plastic" mount to any extent, it probably does much the same to a metal mount … get the camera fixed!
My HD version cost me £60 on eBayUK just a few months ago … worth every penny

[UncleVanya]

I think that hood is like that of DA-21mm limited, some like it, and some dun like it.

How about the plastic mount ? Do you find any problem with it?

Plastic mount is zero problem.

Hood itself is mostly fine, the lens cap is what I complain about. It’s ungainly, fits like a weird Tupperware lid, and would be difficult to replace if lost. Unlike the fa 31, fa 77, and da 15 that I own it isn’t a nice smooth to put on metal cap that can be left off and a conventional cap used instead. This is more like the da 20-40, you can’t mount a filter without removing the hood. The filter can be attached and the hood mounted to the filter - if the filter isn’t on a step up ring! The cap is also really large and spoils the look of the lens - I realize that’s silly. I owned the smc version without the hood and it was a bit smaller and less ungainly looking due to the lack of hood and conventional lens cap.

[ChristianRock]

I think that hood is like that of DA-21mm limited, some like it, and some dun like it.

---------- Post added 07-18-22 at 11:51 PM ----------



Thanks for the sharing

Ya, that's all I know about the original 18-55WRII, its image quality just exceed expectation

I suppose the optically identical HD18-50 would do even better with the new HD coating.

How about the plastic mount ? Do you find any problem with it?

I do think the optics have been tweaked. Not a new formula, but I think it has been updated. It is sharper than the old 18-55mm (I had the DA AL II version, same optics as the WR versions).

I have no issues with the plastic mount (should I say composite mount?). It makes the lens lighter and has no functionality hindrances. If you're worried about dropping the camera and lens - the mount surviving would be the least of the problems I should note that I've had the DA 35mm f2.4 "Plastic Fantastic" for 9 years now and no issues with the mount. My family messing with it caused a scratch to the front element from banging it around inside the car, but the lens mount saw no issues...

Aberrations are very well controlled - better than my HD DA 21 Limited. The 21 is sharper (more microcontrast I think, probably sharper too) but the 18-50 is not that far behind, and my copy of the 21 is super sharp. Lots of good details with both of them.

A couple more:

[ChristianRock]

Plastic mount is zero problem.

Hood itself is mostly fine, the lens cap is what I complain about. It’s ungainly, fits like a weird Tupperware lid, and would be difficult to replace if lost. Unlike the fa 31, fa 77, and da 15 that I own it isn’t a nice smooth to put on metal cap that can be left off and a conventional cap used instead. This is more like the da 20-40, you can’t mount a filter without removing the hood. The filter can be attached and the hood mounted to the filter - if the filter isn’t on a step up ring! The cap is also really large and spoils the look of the lens - I realize that’s silly. I owned the smc version without the hood and it was a bit smaller and less ungainly looking due to the lack of hood and conventional lens cap.

The first time I had a DA 21 several years ago, I didn't like that kind of hood/cap design either (and the DA 21 front cap is metal, not plastic). I only had the 21 for about 10 days and then I undid the trade I had made for it. Last year I bought both the 21 and the 18-50 and this time around I was used to the hood/cap. I think it makes for a much more compact setup - especially the hood, and the kind of cap becomes a necessity due to the design of the hood. I wouldn't want the 18-50 cap to be metal as it would be a bit big and heavy, so I'm actually very ok with the whole thing. So your mileage may vary I'm very glad to have the lens, it's been quite useful to me. Never thought I'd enjoy a lens that is so slow, but there you go...

[ChristianRock]

I forgot to mention - in all the pictures I posted, I had the Sharpening setting in RawTherapee turned off. Like with a good prime, I find I don't need to add sharpening (and the artifacts that come with it, which for me can detract from the natural look of a picture).

[Hayashi]

There is a in-depth review, that might be off interest for you.

HD vs. SMC Pentax-DA 18-50mm F4-5.6 Review - Conclusion | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Cool !

Didn't realize PF got a review on it

---------- Post added 07-19-22 at 07:23 PM ----------

I forgot to mention - in all the pictures I posted, I had the Sharpening setting in RawTherapee turned off. Like with a good prime, I find I don't need to add sharpening (and the artifacts that come with it, which for me can detract from the natural look of a picture).

My first Pentax lens is 18-135

So I skipped the beginner time with kit lens 18-55WRII

I also hear that the 18-55WRII is already quite good

Thanks for your sharing once again 😘

[mikesbike]

My first Pentax lens is 18-135

Well, you've got the best one for versatility with quality imaging. And still compact for such a great zoom range. I've had mine for over 10 years, used on many camera bodies, and just used it this past weekend on a KP for an event where its capabilities were greatly needed, and it delivered admirably!

However, I also got the amazingly compact DA-L 18-50mm for next to nothing prepackaged as a kit with the K-S2 at a marvelous price shortly before the K-70 came out. This replaced my old K-r and DA 18-55mm II as my compact, lightweight walk around combo. Great for social events, where such compactness avoids drawing attention, and can even be put into a large jacket pocket! I love the RE feature of this lens. Image quality has been plenty good for such needs, even better than my old 18-55 II, with much quicker and more reliable AF, and WR to boot. On the K-S2, its compactness also works conveniently with the selfie-with-friend feature of this camera.