Originally posted by coley fillet ... You must admit that this Pentax kit lens just doesn't hit the mark compared to the other brands
Just over a year ago, it was the best of the bunch (reviews on the net). I'm reasonable happy with it (very happy with the DA55-300).
I don't own a Kx so can not comment on it and on the validity of the claims. I agree that a low price is no excuse for bad QC. However the sample size might be smaller and therefore more bad apples can reach the market.
If you're not happy with the camera and/or lens, I suggest that you take it back to the store and let them have a look at it and compare it with another one. It's still under warranty so fixing should not be an issue and swapping it might also be a possibility as well.
By the way, after buying a FA31, my K10D had to go in because of focusing issues. I suspected them, but the FA31 basically proved them because of the f/1.8 aperture resulting in a shallow DOF. Because of this, my next camera will be one where I can adjust the path (K20D/K7/,,,,,)