Originally posted by UncleVanya Just for giggle. Which lenses have you owned and tried.
My experience does bit match yours. Focusing has improved since the k-5. You will find quite a few people who suggest the focusing continues to improve.
Focus throw must be short for autofocus.
OK, here comes a list, mini-review style:
Pentax-A 35-105mm f/3.5
Some call it "stack of primes", I can't agree more. All zoom lenses should be made like this. I probably got my best results with this lens. A bit heavy, yes, but who cares?
Verdict: Excellent
Pentax-A 135mm f/2.8
I haven't used this many times but when I did, there was that definite "wow factor" there. Sharp and contrasty, very nice colors.
Verdict: Excellent
Pentax-A Macro 50mm f/2.8
Sharp lens. I guess the only drawback is the lack of 1:1 magnification?
Verdict: Very Good
Pentax-A 70-210mm f/4
Soft throughout the entire zoom range, no matter what aperture it's set to. It's been collecting dust ever since I got it. Overall, a complete waste of money.
Verdict: Trash
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 DG
Not terribly good, not terribly bad either. Used it a couple of times, love the wide end on it.
Verdict: Medium-Good
Pentax DA 17-70mm f/4
The "would be decent" lens if not for said focus inaccuracy. It seems that the SDM is on its way out now too. Would not buy again.
Verdict: Mediocre
Pentax-A 24-50mm f/4
I got some decent results out of this one. It's a bit slow and soft on the wide end. The major drawback here it was designed for film cameras. If this was let's say a 16-30mm or similar, I'd use this one most of the time. Unfortunately it isn't.
Verdict: Good
---------- Post added 01-10-18 at 03:24 AM ----------
Originally posted by pres589 The Tamron 17-50, Sigma 17-50, Pentax 18-135, Pentax 16-85, Pentax 20-40 are all worthy of consideration and can be purchased right now. And I'm leaving lenses out.
Honestly, my suggestion would be to buy a newer camera, but you sound like your mind is already made up. Good luck.
EDIT: One other thought; Get that Pentax 17-70 onto a K-70 and see what you think.
I've actually been looking at the Sigma 17-50 for a couple of years now. However, sample shots show that it may not represent a good value. It was a bit expensive the last time I checked, dunno. It only got 3.5 stars on Optical Limits (formerly Photozone), the same as the Pentax 17-70. At that point I decided it's probably not much better.
I immediately disregarded the Pentax 18-135mm when I got my camera body because of mediocre results. I think it's common knowledge that long zooms aren't very good?
A friend of mine has the Pentax 16-85. He sent me a couple of samples and while I sort of like the results, I'm not really flattered. The way the lens extends on its full focal length scares me.
The 20-40 looks interesting, but is it wide enough??? It baffles me why it does not start from 16-17mm. Scared to buy just to find out.