[SpecialK]

Frankly I would go with a 12-24 or something in that range.

[sterretje]

I would just go with the kit you have If you want to spend money, a wider lens might be a better investment (as suggested by SpecialK).

[suehylen]

Where do you find a Tamron 18-250 for y new Pentax K 5?
Sue

[RioRico]

Where do you find a Tamron 18-250 for y new Pentax K 5?
Sue

Nowhere, probably. The DA18-250 and its Tamron twin are out of production. They are widely available used. Some NIB (new-in-box) 18-250 might be stashed away in a stockroom somewhere, but such will be very hard to find. Your options for buying a used copy are basically:

* Look at the Marketplace here; they sometimes come up for sale.
* Look at KEH or other online retailer with a guaranteed return policy.
* Take your chances with an eBay or Etsy or other online seller.

[Glen]

I have the 18-135 and am enjoying it a lot. I haven't performed a good image comparison yet as I only just received my DA17-70 back from Pentax repairs this evening. Perhaps on the weekend I'll try to photograph the identical scene at the same aperture an then check the differences. However I can say that the 18-135 is a great walk around lens due to handy range. It is very well made or at least has a good quality feel to it. The lens is lighter than the 17-70 and that is a big plus for a walk around. I've never really needed the weather proof feature but if I do, it is nice to know that this lens has those seals. Another plus is that it has the new type of motor - DC rather than SDM - and we know how problem prone the SDM systems can be. The DC might be better or worse but it is too early to tell. It does focus fast and very quietly though.

I would give the 18-135 a thumbs up. The only thing is that I still haven't arrived at any conclusions on image quality for or against it yet.

[Arn]

I think the 18-135 is a great option. I bought it as a kit walk-around when I bought my K-5, and it has provided lots of good shots. It's not as sharp as my 12-24, nor my 50-135, but it was a lot cheaper than either of those. It's easy to use, not too heavy, and covers a very versatile range for 1 lens. Great AF with no issues, and my copy has not developed any lens creep. Lots of other info in the review section at Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
See also https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/140258-review-...resistant.html
In the versatility to money ratio - great little lens.

[edzstudios]

Choice of a "walkaround lens" really depends on your shooting style more than anything else. Most people tend to recommend zooms with wide ranges for "walkaround" the justification being that it "covers all your bases". I personally the the opposite stance. I think the best walkaround lens is a 35 or 50mm equiv. prime. Shooting a prime trains your eye - you develop an more intimate connection with that focal length - you begin to "see" the way the camera sees. You will find yourself noticing shots that you overlooked before, your composition skills will improve. Your photography will become more creative. Personally, on pentax, my choice of walkaround lenses would be the DA21 and/or the 35. Then again, I work almost entirely between 35-135mm equiv. so YMMV!

[RioRico]

Choice of a "walkaround lens" really depends on your shooting style more than anything else. Most people tend to recommend zooms with wide ranges for "walkaround" the justification being that it "covers all your bases". I personally the the opposite stance. I think the best walkaround lens is a 35 or 50mm equiv. prime. Shooting a prime trains your eye - you develop an more intimate connection with that focal length - you begin to "see" the way the camera sees. You will find yourself noticing shots that you overlooked before, your composition skills will improve. Your photography will become more creative. Personally, on pentax, my choice of walkaround lenses would be the DA21 and/or the 35. Then again, I work almost entirely between 35-135mm equiv. so YMMV!

That's indeed a valid approach. Back in the day, I often carried just a 135/FF rangefinder or other fixed-lens camera with a 45mm or 50mm lens. I also missed many shots. But I learned a helluva lot, especially with an ancient folder (the very first 135/FF camera) with a 50/3.5 lens, no rangefinder, just basic manual controls.

This is the approach I take with my LOTD (lens of the day) strategy, where I grab a single lens and use only that one for a day or ten. Sometimes it's obvious: 21-24-28-35-40-45-50-55mm lenses are pretty damn handy. Sometimes it's surprising: my big Alpa-Chinon 300/5.6 feels better on walkabout than do my SuperTak 105/2.8 or 135/2.5 or TeleTak 200/5.6. Sometimes it's transformative: I never go anywhere now without my tiny Enna Tele-Sandmar 100/4.5 and CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (12 iris blades), a couple of LOTD winners.

The ideal walkabout depends on where and how you walk.

[Biro]

If you're going to spend most of your time in urban areas, I would suggest either the DA 12-24 or perhaps the DA 15 Limited prime. The DA 21 Limited prime would also be a nice compromise. But if you need more flexibility, I can't argue with the 18-135, which adds weather resistance to the equation.

[edzstudios]

The ideal walkabout depends on where and how you walk.

That's a great quote, well said!

[PALADIN85020]

Although I have the Pentax 18-250, as a single all-purpose lens it's too heavy, has lens creep, and is not weather resistant. I purposely bought the 18-135mm as a walkaround single lens for a recent trip to Hawaii. I would have liked a longer reach, but for 90% of my shots it's sufficient, and the K-5 pictures are big enough that I can crop to simulate a longer lens. Here's some sample shots as used on the K-5:

[Tony3d]

Those look great! I think that's the lens to go with, plus I'm really use to quickshift now.

[humbr]

I bought a used Tamron 18-250 from Henry's for my K100D late last year in preparation for a Grand World Voyage (4 months!). I already had 18-55 and 70-300 but changing lenses in a hurry or in less-than-ideal places resulted in crap on the sensor once too often. (If you put your lens into a pocket, make sure it is a clean pocket as the rear lens cap _will_ come off if there is dirt to be collected :-( )

15000 photos later I have no regrets. Yes, it is a bit heavy at times, yes it has zoom creep if you point it straight down but I never missed a shot due to lens changes :-) Another major advantage is that you can frame from where you are, in many cases you can't move around to frame the shot to your liking.

Gerrit and Pat’s Travels has most of the trip documented if you need samples. I'll be adding the last bunch of ports this week, going on another cruise this Sat :-)

I now have a K-5, and first lens on it is a Sigma 18-250 OS HSM. No lens creep on that one. My wife insisted on keeping the Tamron with (now) her K110D.

For an around town lens I will be working with an old SuperTakumar 24 1:3.5 until I find an FA 50 F1.4. I like the idea suggested earlier of picking a lens for a week/month and only working with that.

Gerrit

[baker5]

Pentax 50-135mm F2.8 SDM.. not cheap but a great lens. I have shot over 2000 shots with this lens and still love using it.

Fast focus, crystal clear pictures, bit heavy, solid build. Low light shots are amazing when paired with K-5.

Its not as wide as the 18-135mm but I rarely use lower than 50mm (and have a lightweight 35mm 2.4 in my pocket if required).


80mm F8.0 1/320

[northislander]

I like to use the 40mm 2.8f pancake for my walk around lens on my k5. Its really small and light weight, I can fit the K5 with this lens on in my jacket pocket. With 16m pix of the K5 if you need to crop and zoom later in PP.