I purchased it today as a walk-around lens. I'll post sample pics eventually and maybe even a video showcasing the sound of the internal motor, if anyone's interested. Summary so far: no more loud bzzt bzzt when auto-focusing; the black finish is similar to the textured finish of the K200D body; I'm too excited to say anything objective right now.
The shot was made with M 50mm F1.7 (at F5.6) on a tripod with the 2s mirror lockup, ISO100, manual white balance.
EDIT: Here are the videos comparing the noise when these two lenses hunt.
EDIT2: I uploaded new and improved videos.
YouTube - PENTAX DA 18-55 II (take 2) YouTube - PENTAX DA 17-70 F4 SDM [IF] (take 2)
Note also, that 17-70 doesn't extend to focus.
Last edited by asdf; 01-15-2009 at 09:55 PM.
Reason: Added links to videos.