Originally posted by veezchick I fear it might very well be the last - standards far too high
As I said and Ben echoes, I *really* doubt this is the issue if you're happy with the 18-55. The 18-55 is fine for what it is, but it's not obviously better than the 18-250. If you are seeing any noticeable difference at all in sharpness or contrast, something is very wrong.
Quote: - in which case I'm doomed to shell out big bucks for an expensive prime lens and/or switch to a system that has better quality zooms available
The Tamron 18-250 is pretty much universally considered the best superzoom, period. There are no much better superzooms available for Canon or Nikon - the people wanting superzooms for those cameras are buying the Tamron, too. Well, some might be fans of the new Sigma 18-250 or Tamron 18-270, but those are or may soon be available for Pentax, too.