Hi everyone !
I know that the new lenses of pentax (18-35, 24-70, 70-200) are all weather sealing and benefit from the best optics of pentax.
I am really attracted by the weather sealing aspect of thoses lens and having big chunky lenses doesn't bother me as well. But as a new pentax user, I absolutly love the color/feeling of the limited series lenses and also the other third party and FA lenses (yes I am talking about full frame lenses).

I found a link that list the WR pentax lenses and most of them are zoom lenses. I would like to know if the three lenses I listed above are/will be rendering the same optical quality and feeling as the limited lenses.

My dilema is this one to be brief :
- I am not attracted to zoom lenses because I love having prime lenses mainly to frame my shot myself and not being lazy zooming all the time. I also like having 2-3 primes so I know what kind of FOV I get and I will know my gear perfectly.
- I am really attracted by the WR aspect of pentax cameras and gear since I travel a lot and dust, sand, rain is a major concern (though I can live without, I would prefer having it)
- My fav gear is a wide angle lens, a short telephoto that I use for macro and portrait and landscape.
- I also love fast lenses, everything faster that f2.8 makes me cramble ...
- I am really wandering if the new zoom leses are optically about the same as all other lenses of pentax, meaning that no other prime lens is optically superior as thoses zoom.If so I will definitly consider the zoom ones.

I have spotted the macro 100mm f2.8 pentax WR on the prime side .... the two other I would like to get are the new wide angle WR 18-35 and the new 70-200mm WR.
I hope some of you are in the same spot as I am and can help me out a little bit.

[UncleVanya]

18-35?

The can of worms you just opened...

Zooms like the 24-70 and 70-200 are wonderful tools, but they are not primes. That says nothing about image quality, I'm going to say there is endless debate about that. Many people get a nice walk around wr zoom and some primes. This allows you to function when needed, and still use the primes the way you like.

[Adam]

- I am really wandering if the new zoom leses are optically about the same as all other lenses of pentax, meaning that no other prime lens is optically superior as thoses zoom.If so I will definitly consider the zoom ones.

The new zooms are among the best zooms in Pentax's lineup, but I don't think they'll outperform every single legacy prime...

There's a host of roadmapped primes (most likely weather sealed) that will be launched starting next year:

2016 Pentax Full Frame Lens Roadmaps - CP+ 2016 | PentaxForums.com

I deeply apologize for the 18-35mm mistake... I am looking at so many lenses that I loose track.
I just looked at the lens roadmap. Unfortunately waiting for 2017 at the earliest is a big fact I need to take in consideration. mainly I will meed some lenses before that .
I am planning to do a trip in dry/desert area, with a lot of sand and possibly snow. And I am scared to death if anything happend to my camera. That's why the zoom WR and possibly the 100mm macro WR are interesting.

At the same time, the sigma 85mm f1.4 and the 35mm f1.4 look so nice. The sharpness look on part with canon/nikon equivalent, and the focal are exactly what I'm looking for.
My previous setup is 21mm f2 and 90mm macro f2.8 (not pentax obviously).

I guess I have to try all the lenses I am interested in and make my choice according to the feeling/rendering/WR aspects.

[clackers]

I am planning to do a trip in dry/desert area, with a lot of sand and possibly snow. And I am scared to death if anything happend to my camera.

Consider the DA* 55 f1.4.

[Adam]

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 is an amazing lens. I'm definitely ordering one for the K-1

[clackers]

The Sigma 35mm F1.4 is an amazing lens. I'm definitely ordering one for the K-1

Yeah, I've got it and it'll be my street photography prime, Adam.

For the DA* 55 f1.4, I should have mentioned I am looking at FF lenses.

The combination sigma 35mm and 85mm f1.4 sounds like a killer one. But it is not WR

[Sandy Hancock]

For the DA* 55 f1.4, I should have mentioned I am looking at FF lenses.

DA*55 is full frame in everything but name. If you are planning to get the DFA*70-200 that just leaves the wide side. I agree that a fastish, high quality wide WR/AW prime would be fabulous, but the DFA28-105 zoom is relatively compact and affordable, and might cover your bases while you wait.

[pkokity]

I just got the K-1 and purchased the 28-105 figuring that it would be the best walk around lens for when prime-sharpness isn't a concern. I am familiar with the both the tamron 24-70 and 70-200 (which is what the pentax versions are) for use on a D750 (that I traded for the K-1) and they are beautiful heavy/fast lenses. However, 2 of the reviews I am seeing make it look like the 28-105 provides a more consistent/even quality of picture throughout its range/apertures when it comes to sharpness. If I remember correctly, the 24-70 is only slightly better for CA for some of its range by something like .3 pixels and slightly more distortion due to the larger range. . . not a big deal for in-camera corrections or PP. Also, the 28-105 feels like the perfect size/weight on the K-1 for walking around. It also fits beautifully on my K-5IIs having nearly the same dimensions as my Sigma 17-70 F/2.8-4 "C" lens.

So, do you really need the only added benefits of being slightly wider and F/2.8 that the 24-70 will give you for your non-prime walk around needs?

As for for the 70-200, if I remember correctly, users have complained that the Tamron version doesn't actually quite achieve 200. So, the 28-105 complimented with the beastly 150-450 would be slightly lighter and give you a lot more range for touring the world than the 24-70/70-200 combo.

. . .my .02

[clackers]

I am familiar with the both the tamron 24-70 and 70-200 (which is what the pentax versions are)

No, the 70-200 (as well as the 150-450) is an all-Pentax design and superb by the accounts of our members lucky enough to own it.


The 15-30 has been sourced from Tamron.

[pkokity]

No, the 70-200 (as well as the 150-450) is an all-Pentax design . . .

Ok, I thought that I had read in reviews that it is essentially the Tamron 70-200 but with Pentax coatings.

[clackers]

Ok, I thought that I had read in reviews that it is essentially the Tamron 70-200 but with Pentax coatings.

No, you've got it mixed up with the 15-30 or 24-70.