My first Forum to join.

dudleyg · 04-04-2012, 10:48 AM

Hi all,

I'm George from NY but now living in Louisville KY and recently bought the Pentax K-5 and the Pentax 100 macro lens from B&H Photo. I've been involved with photography for over 30 years. I'm a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology in Biomedical Photographic Communications. I now specialize in Macro photography, " The world we normally do not see " , that can be very beautiful to look at. I have these pictures printed on canvas via Canvas on Demand Pro. I plan to get another lens that I've been doing research on , a " All in one lens " , something like 18mm to 135 or longer . Does anyone have an opinion as to which one is their best ??

Adam · 04-04-2012, 11:01 AM

Welcome aboard- I hope your experience here is an enjoyable one

As far as all-in-one lenses go, here's what I recommend:
Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens 21977 B&H

It's indeed an 18-135mm, and what's nice is that it's the only lens to feature Pentax's latest rear-mounted DC AF system, which is really fast and practically inaudible. On top of that, it's weather-sealed and and IQ is better than that of the kit zoom lens.

Here are some reviews:
Pentax-DA 18-135mm Zoom Review - Overview - PentaxForums.com
SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Also, remember that whenever you shop at B&H through our forum, you may be eligible for a free premium account upgrade- see my signature

dudleyg · 04-04-2012, 11:58 AM

Adam,

And what about a lens with a little bit longer range like a 18mm to 250 ? I'm thinking a long zoom range can come in great handy when needed at the time. It can be some other third party like Sigma or Tamron too besides Pentax . ??

Thank you for your quick reply ! :-)

Adam · 04-04-2012, 12:40 PM

There are some Sigma/Tamron alternatives:

Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database
Tamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 AF XR Di II LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

The Tamron gets pretty good reviews, but remember that the longer you go, the worse you can expect the IQ to be. Plus, neither has HSM autofocus or weather sealing. Nevertheless, we're planning to do a 3-way comparison between all these lenses in May, so if you haven't made up your mind by then, stay tuned for that. BMW, if you want more advice, I would start a new thread in the lens forum.

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)

PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

04-04-2012, 10:48 AM	#1
dudleyg New Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 23	My first Forum to join. Hi all, I'm George from NY but now living in Louisville KY and recently bought the Pentax K-5 and the Pentax 100 macro lens from B&H Photo. I've been involved with photography for over 30 years. I'm a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology in Biomedical Photographic Communications. I now specialize in Macro photography, " The world we normally do not see " , that can be very beautiful to look at. I have these pictures printed on canvas via Canvas on Demand Pro. I plan to get another lens that I've been doing research on , a " All in one lens " , something like 18mm to 135 or longer . Does anyone have an opinion as to which one is their best ??

04-04-2012, 11:01 AM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Welcome aboard- I hope your experience here is an enjoyable one As far as all-in-one lenses go, here's what I recommend: Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens 21977 B&H It's indeed an 18-135mm, and what's nice is that it's the only lens to feature Pentax's latest rear-mounted DC AF system, which is really fast and practically inaudible. On top of that, it's weather-sealed and and IQ is better than that of the kit zoom lens. Here are some reviews: Pentax-DA 18-135mm Zoom Review - Overview - PentaxForums.com SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR Reviews - DA Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database Also, remember that whenever you shop at B&H through our forum, you may be eligible for a free premium account upgrade- see my signature Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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04-04-2012, 11:58 AM	#3
dudleyg New Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 23 Original Poster	Adam, And what about a lens with a little bit longer range like a 18mm to 250 ? I'm thinking a long zoom range can come in great handy when needed at the time. It can be some other third party like Sigma or Tamron too besides Pentax . ?? Thank you for your quick reply ! :-)

04-04-2012, 12:40 PM	#4
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	There are some Sigma/Tamron alternatives: Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Lens Reviews - Sigma Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database Tamron 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 AF XR Di II LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens Reviews - Tamron Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database The Tamron gets pretty good reviews, but remember that the longer you go, the worse you can expect the IQ to be. Plus, neither has HSM autofocus or weather sealing. Nevertheless, we're planning to do a 3-way comparison between all these lenses in May, so if you haven't made up your mind by then, stay tuned for that. BMW, if you want more advice, I would start a new thread in the lens forum. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers: