[jpzk]

Thought that was the Hotel California...

Really ...

[UncleVanya]

The DA 70 is better

*hides*

Lol.

The forum bake off was a tie but most like the 77 more. However the difference in price is more significant than when the review was done.

Compact size is a big draw for the da 70. I certainly like mine.

[Lev]

Seems like I'm becoming another Pentaxian

...

and you cannot ever leave !

hmm, I'll personally send you a message when I'll make first shot 😃

---------- Post added 08-12-15 at 11:04 PM ----------

Yes, the "amigos" mentioned above are generally considered to be fantastic glass. There are other choices, though. The pancakes are small lenses, and while their apertures are not as wide as the amigos, they have their own charm. These pancakes are the 21mm, 40mm, and 70mm - they're all Limited series, and are good glass. It all depends on what you're after, what your budget looks like and what your style is.

A good zoom is very useful for everyday "walkaround" use. The 18-135 is a nice WR lens and not super expensive. The 16-50* is a big step up from that, and you will pay for that step. There are plenty of other choices like various 17-50 lenses from a few manufacturers. Take your time and do a little research before buying an expensive lens. Figure out whether it's going to fit your needs.

I'm currently very excited about fixed focal length as 17-50 does which I think 18-135 doesn't, there must be big difference, and also considering a crop factor.

[UncleVanya]

I'm currently very excited about fixed focal length as 17-50 does which I think 18-135 doesn't, there must be big difference, and also considering a crop factor.

Did you mean fixed aperture?

[Lev]

Did you mean fixed aperture?

yes, to be more correct - constant aperture

---------- Post added 08-13-15 at 10:29 AM ----------

but I read both good and bad reviews about this lense, I'm not sure why bad, many of them mentioned sdm failure...

[TER-OR]

Most of the time you'll stop down a bit anyway, so constant aperture isn't SUCH a big deal for most shooting. If a lens is decent wide-open, though, that is a valuable feature.

[ChristianRock]

Welcome!

The 3 amigos are great lenses, I'm sure, but pricey to start with. Though right now they are cheaper than usual, so if you want the ultimate in Pentax glass quality, by all means get them

If price is an issue - for great image quality at a lower price range, the combo of DA 20-40mm Limited (a relatively small, prime quality short zoom) and DA 70mm Limited together could be a good starting place for just over $1,100 new. Of course there are cheaper options as well - a DA 21 Limited + DA 35 2.4 + DA 50 1.8 combo would cost just over $600 and still pack a pretty good punch in terms of image quality, and a DA 18-135mm lens for just over 300 dollars would give you pretty decent quality and a full WR combo with your K-3. Then there's the 16-85 as well... and a lot of other options, and we didn't even get into the used available offerings

[UncleVanya]

I'm currently very excited about fixed focal length as 17-50 does which I think 18-135 doesn't, there must be big difference, and also considering a crop factor.

What about the crop factor are you thinking about? Also did you mean 16-50 above? The 17-50 is offered by some 3rd parties. The 16-50 is an f/2.8 constant aperture zoom. It is fairly large and bulky. Some people love it - others feel it isn't quite up to the same level as the DA* 50-135 or 60-250. I don't have any experience shooting it but look carefully at weight and bulk.

Personally when just kicking around I like to take either my light 3 prime kit (DA 15, DA 40, DA 70) or my 18-135. Sometimes I add my 1.4X TC and Raynox to the 3 prime kit giving me (15 f/4, 40 f/2.8, 56 f/4, 70 f/2.4, 105 f/3.5) with macro options. If I know I might use it the 60-250 might go with the 40 and 15 in a bag along with the 1.4x TC. Or maybe the 200, or my 100 Macro... the combinations get staggering. I have too many lenses... (sacrilege to say here I think).

[Lev]

Welcome!

The 3 amigos are great lenses, I'm sure, but pricey to start with. Though right now they are cheaper than usual, so if you want the ultimate in Pentax glass quality, by all means get them

If price is an issue - for great image quality at a lower price range, the combo of DA 20-40mm Limited (a relatively small, prime quality short zoom) and DA 70mm Limited together could be a good starting place for just over $1,100 new. Of course there are cheaper options as well - a DA 21 Limited + DA 35 2.4 + DA 50 1.8 combo would cost just over $600 and still pack a pretty good punch in terms of image quality, and a DA 18-135mm lens for just over 300 dollars would give you pretty decent quality and a full WR combo with your K-3. Then there's the 16-85 as well... and a lot of other options, and we didn't even get into the used available offerings

Yes, I think 16-85 is way better than 135, as some reviewers are saying last one softens the edges little bit on zoom close to the end.

I'm seriously thinking to buy this 16-85.

I think that a combination of short and long range lenses are always better than having a combo in terms of image quality, except of constant aperture lenses of course.

Thanks for your info, these prime lenses will be my next step up!

---------- Post added 08-14-15 at 01:44 AM ----------

What about the crop factor are you thinking about? Also did you mean 16-50 above? The 17-50 is offered by some 3rd parties. The 16-50 is an f/2.8 constant aperture zoom. It is fairly large and bulky. Some people love it - others feel it isn't quite up to the same level as the DA* 50-135 or 60-250. I don't have any experience shooting it but look carefully at weight and bulk.

Personally when just kicking around I like to take either my light 3 prime kit (DA 15, DA 40, DA 70) or my 18-135. Sometimes I add my 1.4X TC and Raynox to the 3 prime kit giving me (15 f/4, 40 f/2.8, 56 f/4, 70 f/2.4, 105 f/3.5) with macro options. If I know I might use it the 60-250 might go with the 40 and 15 in a bag along with the 1.4x TC. Or maybe the 200, or my 100 Macro... the combinations get staggering. I have too many lenses... (sacrilege to say here I think).

Yes I meant 16-50, I'm not really worry about weight and bulk, it would be just nice to have a quality constant aperture lense but these reviewers at amazon.com claim that this lense has an issue with SDM, it fails often. Do you have any experiense with this lense?

[UncleVanya]

I don't have the 16-50. The good news is that sdm failure on that lens can be overcome by using a process to convert the lens to screw drive.

[Lev]

I don't have the 16-50. The good news is that sdm failure on that lens can be overcome by using a process to convert the lens to screw drive.

But why should one buy such an expensive lense and then fix it himself is beyond me.

[ChristianRock]

Yes, I think 16-85 is way better than 135, as some reviewers are saying last one softens the edges little bit on zoom close to the end.

I'm seriously thinking to buy this 16-85.

It costs quite a bit more, so the 16-85 better be superior to the 18-135

But the 18-135 isn't bad for what it is and its price. It just depends on what you are looking for. Often edge to edge sharpness on a walkaround at 135mm isn't really necessary, as you're using it to photograph objects and details of things. But if you can swing for the 16-85 that's a superior lens according to all who have used both.

The 16-50 is really due to a revamp, but that will probably be a while as Pentax will want to shift their serious photographers to their full frame system, so they'll invest in releasing new FF lenses for a while before they do anything with the more serious APS-C lenses. I think what we have there now is what will be available for the next 2-3 years.

I would say that in addition to the 16-85 I would suggest you get at least one prime lens to have fun with. If it can't be one of the 3 amigos at least make it one of the Limited lenses. Something like a DA 40 Limited wouldn't cost an arm and a leg and would at least give you a taste of what IQ your new camera is capable of. A DA 35 Limited would also give great IQ plus macro abilities which is always fun.

[UncleVanya]

But why should one buy such an expensive lense and then fix it himself is beyond me.

Lev - my suggestion was meant to be reassurance that it could be overcome easily. I haven't had an SDM failure yet but they certainly happened enough to be noteworthy and impact people's views of the reliability. On the other hand the fact that you can bypass sdm and use the lens is a valued option to many.

To be clear HSM and other silent focus options fail for other manufacturers as well. We are not clear on statistics and can't be sure of failure rates other than what has been collected here which is clearly incomplete.

[Lev]

UncleVanya, I it's ok I got it, I just didn't know that, looks like it's ok to ignore that sdm issue, in all other details it's a good lense and I wish it will be in my bag some day. Thanks.

Thank you Christian and other people who spent their time for me, I think I'll go for 16-85, at least I will be 100% sure that it's attached to the number one aps-c camera in the world.

[TER-OR]

That 16-85 is looking like a nice lens. I think that's a good choice as a walkaround.