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01-07-2014, 05:36 AM   #1
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About to buy a K3

Thats right kids, I think the D800 is sold - and am coming baaaaaack!

But... what lens?
Initially (untill I sell the rest of my Nikon Kit) I'll want a good all-round 'normal' zoom.
I'm a little out of the loop after the last 12 months away, so what will match this new gorgeous camera well?

I noticed in the K-3 in-depth review that the 18-135 WASN'T in the recommended list.

01-07-2014, 05:47 AM   #2
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I find the 18-135 WR to be much better than I expected. Normally I have my Tamron 17-50 that is tack sharp most of the times and the 18-135 isnt bad at all. Quite sharp. I checked this Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 Review - Image Quality - PentaxForums.com before I ordered my K-3 with the 18-135.
01-07-2014, 05:48 AM   #3
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The Tammy 17-50 is that good?
It would go well with a Sigma 70-200 2.8 Im thinking
01-07-2014, 05:51 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lurch Quote
Thats right kids, I think the D800 is sold - and am coming baaaaaack!

But... what lens?
Initially (untill I sell the rest of my Nikon Kit) I'll want a good all-round 'normal' zoom.
I'm a little out of the loop after the last 12 months away, so what will match this new gorgeous camera well?

I noticed in the K-3 in-depth review that the 18-135 WASN'T in the recommended list.
18-135 is a conundrum. It has poor corners at the wide end, and very poor corners at 135mm. Does that matter? Dunno. I tried it and the 18-55 and ended up buying the 18-55.

In terms of normal zooms we're unfortunately a little under-served by Pentax IMO. There's the new 20-40 limited, if you didn't know that. There's also the sigma and tamron that get good reviews, but I've never used either.

01-07-2014, 05:58 AM   #5
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I'm new to Pentax (so you might want to discount my recommendations), but I'm happy with the 18-135 as a good value walk-around when I take into account performance and versatility/portability vs cost. I much prefer the versatility of the range 18-135 in comparison with an 18-55 kit lens, but probably 70% of the photos I like are in the 60-120mm focal length range. And I also like having a WR lens as a primary walk-around lens. I do like the image quality of my 55-300 WR better, but I miss having the wider angle range. Mr frogoutofwater, by the way, has the 18-270 Tamron for Pentax, and while it's very versatile, I think the image quality coming out of my Pentax 18-135 is better (plus, it's WR).

So, if the versatility of the 18-135 range appeals to you AND getting the kit lens with the camera is a good deal for you, I'd grab it. However, if your preferred shooting style suits a wide angle zoom (or the 18-55 range) better, then you might be better off buying the K-3 on its own and picking up a higher quality lens (maybe second-hand) that suits your style.
01-07-2014, 06:03 AM   #6
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I´m quite happy with my 18-135 WR, but i´m a beginner. It is very versatile, but i try to avoid the extremes in the zoom range.
The main question is how big is your nikon kit, how big is your budget.
I think at the moment i would get the new Sigma 18-35mm and a pentax 50-135mm if i had the budget, perhaps the 40mm limited or another prime in the range.
01-07-2014, 06:04 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lurch Quote
The Tammy 17-50 is that good?
It would go well with a Sigma 70-200 2.8 Im thinking
Yes it is that good, a little noisy but sharp as a razor. The Sigma I dont know. I have a Tamron 70-200 2.8. Also sharp and noisy. =)

01-07-2014, 06:11 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arne Bo Quote
Sigma 18-35mm
Ooo - this is looking good.
01-07-2014, 05:29 PM   #9
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Whats the DA 17-70 like?
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