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SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF] Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]

Sharpness 
 8.5
Aberrations 
 7.8
Bokeh 
 7.6
Autofocus 
 8.0
Handling 
 8.3
Value 
 9.2
Reviews Views Date of last review
50 256,460 Mon November 1, 2021
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
96% of reviewers $415.66 8.58
SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]

SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]
supersize
SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]
supersize

Description:
Released in late 2007, the SMC Pentax-DA 18-250 mm lens is based on a Tamron 18-250 mm lens.

It was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the SMC Pentax-DA 18-270mm lens in 2012.

SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL[IF]
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
APS-C
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
No
Diaphragm
Automatic, 7 blades
Optics
16 elements, 13 groups
Mount Variant
KAF
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F3.5-6.3
Min. Aperture
F22-45
Focusing
AF (screwdrive)
Quick-shift
No
Min. Focus
45 cm
Max. Magnification
0.28x
Filter Size
62 mm
Internal Focus
Yes
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 76-6.5 ° / 67-5 °
Hood
PH-RBB 62 mm
Case
S80-120
Lens Cap
Coating
SMC
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Zoom Lock
Diam x Length
75 x 85.5 mm (3 x 3.4 in.)
Weight
455 g (16 oz.)
Production Years
2007 to 2011
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-DA 1:3.5-6.3 18-250 mm ED AL [IF]
Product Code
21697
Reviews
User reviews
Notes
Aspherical and ED elements.
Features:
Screwdrive AutofocusInternal FocusingAutomatic ApertureAPS-C Digital OnlyDiscontinued
Sample Photos: View Sample Photos
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]
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New Member

Registered: May, 2008
Location: Belgium
Posts: 7
Review Date: July 4, 2008 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Very good quality for such a spectacular zoom factor.
Cons: If not locked, lens extends by its own weight.
New or Used: New   

This lens is fantastic, compared to the immense zoom range it offers.
Very low distorsion and CA.
It's a marvelous travel lens.
Very sharp in higher Aperture settings:

(Non working link deleted)
   
Veteran Member

Registered: September, 2006
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 696
Review Date: July 14, 2008 Recommended | Price: $480.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: zoom range
Cons: zoom creep (if lock not engaged), fairly slow at longer focal lengths, no clutch focusing, small lock button
New or Used: New   

Picked this up and finally had a chance to give it a whirl. Must say that I'm impressed with the image quality from a lens with such a large focal range. However, it is on the slow side, so consider this an outdoors, daylight lens. As such, it is the perfect tourist lens. An all-in-one travel solution. Just keep a fast 50 for when the sun does down, and you will have all you need for that trip overseas.

The lens is physically about as large as the 16-45 and extends with focal length. The zoom is pretty smooth for a three-sectioned lens. The manual focus throw is quite short, so autofocus is pretty quick, especially in decent light.

The lens feels a little heavier than the 16-45, but unless I checked the specs, couldn't say for sure. On a K20D, it balances well and had no issues. The zoom is tight, but you will experience zoom creep if you hold the camera with the lens down (and without the lock button engaged).

This will often happen if after you take a picture, you want to review it. I normally have my review screen turned off, and to check a picture, I point the camera down to press the buttons. It is at this time that the lens will zoom out on its own.

About my biggest complaint with this lens is the design of the locking button. Simple enough to engage, but much more difficult to dis-engage. Luckily I no longer bite my fingernails and can use them to dis-engage the button. There is not enough of the button sticking up above the zoom ring to where you can just use your finger tip to move. It was obviously designed by someone who doesn't use the thing.

I can live without the clutch focusing and the zoom creep. Even the maximum apertures are not that big a deal with the K20D's sensor. I took a few shots at the highest ISO settings, and with cleanup, they came out acceptable. But the lock button is a very poor design. That will wear on me eventually.

With this lens, I no longer need the 18-55 nor the 50-200. Maybe not the 55-300, unless I wanted the longer reach. As much as the 16-45 fell short and failed to meet my expectations, the 18-250 far exceeded them. Highly recommended if you are in the market for an all-in-one snapshot lens.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: August, 2008
Location: Brazil
Posts: 532
Review Date: August 10, 2008 Recommended | Price: $450.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: great range, build quality, VERY sharp stopped down to f/8, f/10
Cons: vignetting that often requires correction
New or Used: New   

I got this lens together with my K200 and I really like it. For someone who values the convenience of the zoom range, it's pretty much unbeatable. It gives up some image quality compared to short range zooms, with a bit of vignetting and distortion, but one must also consider all the shots NOT taken when you're losing time swapping lenses, or the dust that would eventually creep into the camera when swapping lenses on the field. And vignetting is easily corrected if shooting raw.

Also, this lens is surprisingly good at resisting flare. I don't use the hood anymore since flare is not a factor with this lens.

So I give it a 9 rating, considering the limitations imposed by the zoom range and that it should perhaps not be somebody's only lens.

Take a look at the sunset below (click to see larger) - the sun is IN the frame and you have to look intently to find any flare. The 18-250 salvaged this shot for me as the ones I took with the FA 50 were blinded with flare. There are more of my shots with it (Non working link deleted).

(link to photo deleted - photo no longer available)
   
Pentaxian

Registered: August, 2008
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 11,250

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: October 17, 2008 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Versatility (zoom range + macro) & optical performance
Cons: some vignetting

This lens has been called the "undisputed king of superzooms" (https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/29771-utili-zoom.html).

I like it a lot for its versatility. Having 18mm at the low end of the focal range is great. The 10mm difference compared to a zoom that starts with 28mm is dramatic. In comparison, 50mm more or less at the end of the focal range do not matter that much. In many tests the 18-250mm has been found to be a great improvement over the Tamron 18-200. (Note that the Tamron and Pentax versions of the 18-250mm lens are identical modulo cosmetics.)

With body shake reduction activated, I found that I could take tack sharp shots even at 250mm without a tripod, with proper holding techniques.

I love its close focus ability of 45cm throughout the entire zoom range. Strictly speaking its not a true macro (1:1 magnification factor) as its magnification factor is "just" 1:3.5. This is due to the fact that changing the focus also changes the effective focal length. Bob Atkins reckons that the effective focal length of the 18-250mm is ~125mm at its close focus distance of 45cm. (See his Tamron 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 AF Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Review for his findings on this matter.) Still you can make some great macro shots with it with an incredibly low barrel distortion of just 0.01%. I've heard one person moan about focus influencing focal length -- a common side effect with internal focus lenses -- but frankly I couldn't care less. I get maximum zoom for objects that are far away, plus great macro capability. A 300mm telephoto with a close focusing distance of just 150cm gives less magnification.

An advantage of the internal focusing system (IF) is that you can use a polarising filter, which won't turn when you are changing the focus.

Like many modern designs from Tamron/Sigma, the 18-250mm optimises the centre sharpness in favour of better average across the field performance. That means that you'll get excellent centre sharpness but corners won't be near up to that level, in particular not with higher apertures. I believe this is a good decision as you'll get the chance to get great IQ for where it matters. Often things that happen in the corners are not important and will not be in the plane of focus anyhow. If you want to take landscape pictures that are sharp from corner to corner, near to far, then you'll need much more expensive lenses or, best, a view camera. For a print size up to 8x10, the 18-250mm will deliver A/A+ performance in almost all focal length and aperture settings and even with 11x14 prints you'll only get down to a B with some settings. (Source: PopPhoto Review of the Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II Macro)

At this price point and the very high zoom range, there are obviously some downsides:

You'll observe vignetting across the whole zoom range unless you stop down the lens sufficiently.

The lens isn't fast to begin with (f/3.5-6.3) and the need to stop it down in order to avoid vignetting / increase corner performance doesn't make it faster. However, with body shake reduction and very good low light performance from my K100D I've always been a very happy user so far. Even low light indoor shots worked well for me. I have never tried a prime yet so I don't have the comparison but on an absolute level, I'm more than happy.

The barrel distortion at 18mm is quite high but in normal scenes you'll only really notice it by comparison with a corrected version. This, and some CA (chromatic aberration) can be easily corrected with post processing (e.g. Photo Laboratory or Raw Therapee).

My copy doesn't suffer from zoom creep. The barrel will extend on its own when you point it downwards and shake it hard but in normal shooting conditions, it will stay at the same focal length.

Conclusion: For specific applications (corner to corner sharpness, 1:1 macro, available light shooting, etc.) you'll obviously find specialist lenses that will outperform the 18-250mm. However, they will also be much more expensive and you'll have to be prepared to change lenses all the time. This is not only cumbersome and may make you not take a shot sometimes, but also increases the risk of getting dust/pollen on your sensor when changing lenses outdoors. In terms of versatility I think the 18-250 is hard to beat and it provides remarkable optical performance, not only with respect to its zoom range, but also in absolute terms. If your print sizes are 11x14 and lower, I believe you'll be very happy with this lens all the time. Used within certain parameters, it will provide outstanding performance for even bigger print sizes.

Specifications:
18-250mm, f/3.5- 6.3.
16 elements in 13 groups.
Two LD (low dispersion) elements, one AD (anomolous dispersion) element, two hybrid aspherical elements.
Internal focusing.
Focusing turns 55 degrees counterclockwise.
Close focusing distance: 45cm.
Weight: 450g
Filter size: 62mm.
Zoom lock at 18mm to prevent zoom creep while carrying.
Petal-shaped lens hood included

Also see http://www.tamron.co.jp/en/news/release_2006/news0914.html

Many user testimonies can be found here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=309&sort=7&cat=43&page=1
   
Site Supporter

Registered: October, 2008
Location: Wilmore, KY
Posts: 376
Review Date: November 11, 2008 Recommended | Price: $470.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Range, reliability, general quality
Cons: zoom creep, a bit slow,

Solid and serviceable. For quite some time, this lens was all I had for my Pentax K20D. Supplementing with the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 zoom made for a "killer" pair. The "super zoom" was the main lens, and the Tammy was the low-light hero.

This lens really does it all for the intermediate/hobby photographer. I notice out near 250mm that it's not as sharp as I'd hope, and I see some CA/PF. Also, at 18mm vignetting is pronounced, but I have still gotten some excellent crops from some of my more badly vignetted 18mm shots. I have been delighted at the color and contrast of this lens.

I used this lens on an archaeological dig in israel in July of 2008 and found it equal to almost every task I could throw at it. Even stood up to dirt and dust well. It has the look of a veteran lens now, and still performs well. While I have a couple of Limiteds and some arguably better zooms (like the DA*50-135) somehow this lens often ends up on my camera. It's my "point and shoot" or "too-busy-to-change-lens" lens.

If I could only have one lens, this would likely be it. If you want "limited prime" quality sharpness and bokeh (my standard for a 10), this isn't likely to please you. But if you want one lens to handle about any "outside" shooting you will need other than Bigma-class long shots and "bug on dewey flower" macro stuff, this will do the job.
   
Forum Member

Registered: December, 2008
Location: PARIS - FRANCE
Posts: 94
Review Date: December 28, 2008 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: 18-250 ....Nothing to modify
Cons: Reds seems to be very strongs...

Perfect lense, but my pictures of some items in red colour are very red...

But the range from 18 to 250 is a perfect solution for travelers.

I would recommand easily.


Check this

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/everything-else/68339-pentax-lense-18-250...tml#post687533

that can help .....
   
Veteran Member

Registered: March, 2007
Location: Toronto (for now)
Posts: 1,748
Review Date: January 1, 2009 Recommended | Price: $350.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Sharp for an UZ, decent build quality, decent wide open.
Cons: Zoom creep, infuriating hood, muddy colour, poor mid tones

I understand this lens is a compromise and after comparing it to the 18-55 and 50-200 kit zooms it is sharper than the 18-55 and slightly softer than the 50-200. Colour and contrast is below the standard of the 50-200, however it's close enough to justify replacing the two kit zooms with this lens.

The sweet spot is between 20 and 100mm where the lens is sharper than it has any right to be. It's also quite tolerant of being used wide open compared to kit zooms.

Weaknesses include very strong distortion at 18mm, abberations near the wide end, muddy colour (not unusual for Tamron consumer/kit lenses), poor mid tones and a tendency to ghost if over exposed.

Also note that this lens exhibits a severe shortening of the actual focal length when close focussing, 250mm is equivilent to about 150mm on the DA50-200 at about 6ft.

Overall though, it seems far stronger than previous ultra zooms and at the very least covers the kit zoom range without changing lenses.
   
Forum Member

Registered: January, 2009
Location: Sydney
Posts: 86
Review Date: February 10, 2009 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Very versatile lens, one lens for all
Cons: Excellent for good lighting, not so in low light or indoor at low iso

My copy was purchased new from amazon and got sent to Sydney, Australia with a quite dear (20% of total cost) shipping. But overall, I still manage to save money as to ebay or local seconds.

This is my 3rd lens purchase. When I first got it, with little experience about what I want , I did find it excellent in all aspects, especially its 14X superzoom feature.

Back then, the sole reason I brought it was to use it for a upcoming travel in Europe, instead of the burden having to carry many lens and.....changing/ cleaning them. And did it....this lens made a splendid success!

It is now one of my less used lens, only because I don't travel as often, and I now have 2 bodies one with wide and one with tele.

Still, for any oversea trips, I would prefer this lens over 2 bodies sheerly for its versatility.

The one main advantage of this lens is it will make you take more pictures than any other lens!

my 18-250mm

closeup k10d 142.5mm 1/15sec f5.6 iso1600

portrait k10d 220mm 1/180sec f6.3 iso 200

landscape k10d 18mm 1/350sec f3.5 iso200
   
Senior Member

Registered: March, 2009
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 263
Review Date: March 4, 2009 Recommended | Price: $390.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Extremely handy. Covers all basic wide and telephoto needs. Well-made, high quality. Easily your main lens. Not too heavy considering it's a 18-250. Very compact! Will make you take more photos under all circumstances, except low-light.
Cons: Poor low-light. Zoom extends fully if not locked and it's pointed down. Still need other lenses for good bokeh or low-light. Has almost no bokeh. Good quality photos, but hard to take GREAT photos, because it's an all-around lens, not a special lens.

This is the perfect all-around lens. It does the job of several zoom lenses, and does it well. You need one.

It's very compact. Compare it to the massive Canons that do the same. This one compacts nicely, and the secret is, it only extends when you zoom, where it gets very long and can poke people in the eye next to you, if you are in a crowd and forget it extends so much! But that's okay, because it's better to stay small when it's packed up or shooting wide. While the Canon telephoto zooms look impressive because they are so big, that is only because they don't compact and extend - their shell stays one size.

With this one, it easily fits anywhere and I often carry it in a small pouch, or it stays on my camera and fits anywhere or in any bag a regular lens will fit.

This is a solid, well-constructed lens. Just get used to the fact if it is pointed down, and not locked, it will extend by itself. So what. Everyone says it, we know it, get used to it and lock it. Nothing we can do about it.

It is my main lens I keep on the camera ALL the time. It's heavy, but that's cause of the zoom and good construction.

I only find I can't take GREAT photos with it, just good ones. That's because it's an all-around lens. Some will disagree, but for really good photos you need some bokeh or shallow DOF, which this has almost no bokeh. But I shoot more photos with it than I would with another lens, because it can cover all my wide and zooming needs.

Also, it sucks in low-light. ISO can make up for it, and a steady hand if the subject doesn't move - but this is obviously not a low-light lens. At 18mm and f/3.5, you can do okay, but the f-stop/aperture quickly starts to suck as you zoom in, until it is almost black in low-light.

You still want nice primes that are wide and telephoto with good bokeh and good open apertures, though.

Get this, you won't be sorry. Just don't expect miracles. Expect a solid lens that will cover ALL your BASIC needs.

I give it a 9 or higher on construction, ease, and everything else.
I give it an 8 overall, mainly because the photos come out average, unless you really push your creativity. I feel because it had no bokeh and a large DOF, it almost works against my creativity, and I have to fight more for creative, beautiful photos. Quite a challenge! But as I said, this is for all your BASIC ZOOMING needs, and it does that well!

Also at $350-$380 or so currently, the price and value is GREAT! Anything below $400, and it's a real value. Does the job of several zoom lenses!
   
Veteran Member

Registered: May, 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,725
Review Date: March 25, 2009 Recommended | Price: $499.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Versitle, Good Value
Cons: Lens Creep

This lens is wonderful. I have used it for quick family shots, I have used it for a wedding, and I have even used it for fast moving, low light Roller Derby. It did wonderfully in most every situation. The only place that it struggles is low light zoom out. It start to hunt a little there but you can compensate by adding light.
   
New Member

Registered: November, 2008
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 13
Review Date: April 3, 2009 Recommended | Price: $390.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Excellent IQ for a UZ equal or better than Kit Lens
Cons: heavy, zoom creep when pointed down

This lens never ceases to amaze me. I expected a little bit of compromise with this lens compared to a fairly capable kit lens, but other than weight, there is none.

This lens gives me the versatility and allows me to take shots I could not take before. It is simply amazing to go from 28mm to near 400mm (equiv) continuously.

Even though its quite heavy, after getting used to it for a while, it is quite nicely balanced with my K100 body.

Overall a great lens and well worth the money.

________________________________
UPDATE:
After owning this lens for almost 2 years, I've noticed a couple of shortcomings that changed the way I use this lens.

It is obviously a slow lens and shows a tendency to focus hunt in indoor/low light situations, much more than my kit lens. Now that I upgraded to a K-x and have more room on ISO, this is less of an issue, but still a fairly noticeable difference.

It is still a great travel lens but certainly not the only lens I carry. Now I make sure I have a faster lens on my camera when I'm shooting indoors.

There is still no single lens that can do it all but this one performs great for what it is supposed to do. My rating of 9 stands.
   
Senior Member

Registered: December, 2008
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 210
Review Date: May 25, 2009 Recommended | Price: $360.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: range, IQ
Cons: slow, distortion, zoom creep, vignetting, quality control

The good:
  • The range is simply extraordinary.
  • The IQ is great: better than the kit lens and the Sigma 18-125, and almost as good as the Sigma 17-70.

The bad:
  • Slow. It's f/3.5-f/6.3, which is reasonable, but you need to stop down to avoid significant vignetting.
  • Distortion. Particularly at the wide end, there's a lot of distortion. If you have the software to correct it, though, no worries.
  • Zoom creep.
  • Vignetting. This lens suffers from quite severe vignetting. I find it most troublesome in the middle of the range, where it becomes "sharper" and quite distracting on even scenes like blue skies. Be prepared to crop slightly or otherwise fix in post.
  • Quality control. The image circle is only barely large enough to cover the APS-C sensor; as one stops down, the vignette corners become sharper, and if the lens is not adjusted properly you will have a dark corner. My lens has been "repaired" once and replaced once and still suffers from this; e.g., at 21mm, the upper left corner is clean at f/5.6 but the upper right corner is noticeably dark until f/9.5 or f/11.

Summary: If you don't want to miss shots due to the wrong lens and no time to change, this lens is a good choice modulo the drawbacks/compromises above (and likely the best choice in its class). But test your copy before the return period runs out! "Within spec" is not perfect and might not be good enough for you.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: February, 2009
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 3,757
Review Date: July 18, 2009 Recommended | Price: $400.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Very sharp from 18 to 135, unbeatable zoom range
Cons: Prone to catching dust, zoom creep, somewhat heavy
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 6    Autofocus: 7    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New   

As the other reviewers have said, this is a superb travel lens. Not having to worry about changing lenses in difficult environments, or when your companion travelers hurry to see the next thing on the map, coupled with an amazing IQ for its focal range makes this lens almost the ideal day travel piece of glass. (I must have gotten a good copy, since to my naked eye it's clearly superior to the kit lens.) I wouldn't use it in low light: then the AF needs to hunt a lot. The zoom has, indeed, some bad vignetting under certain circumstances (if my observations are correct, especially in very harsh light) and at lower apertures--I didn't include this flaw among the negatives, because DxO automatically corrects this aspect along with geometric distortion, etc. The creep doesn't really bother me: whenever I want to zoom above 150mm I just hold the retractable elements in my left hand.

UPDATE: Sold this lens a long time ago... Now looking through the pics taken with it: superb. I used the 16-45mm for travel as well, but I think this one (the 18-250) is still better for travel. More versatility, great IQ. I bitterly regret having sold it.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: March, 2009
Location: Chicago suburbs
Posts: 848
Review Date: October 4, 2009 Recommended | Price: $329.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Great range
Cons: Zoom creep

This is a great "do it all" lens for those times you don't want to carry all your other lenses. Image quality is very good - as good as the kit lens. That is saying much, because Pentax has the best kit lens out.
At the 18mm setting, the lens is very small for a super zoom, not much larger than the kit lens. At 250mm the lens does really extend though. The included petal hood will reverse mount for storage. My K200D and this lens fit in the small size Lowepro top load zoom case, designed for the kit lens.
My lens will creep down and extend when hung around my neck. A zoom lock is provided to stop this. There is some distortion at the wide end, but not really noticeable unless you look for it. There is some vignetting as well, again not bad. Both can be fixed in post processing. This lens needs a camera body with shake reduction. The f6.3 at 250mm really can't be hand held except in full sunlight. You can also find this same lens sold under the Tamron name.
A very good lens for its intended use. Recommended.
   
Senior Member

Registered: June, 2009
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 238
Review Date: October 18, 2009 Recommended | Price: $400.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Range, color, relative sharpness
Cons: Not great for low light

What this les isn't great at:
Low light without flash - I only use this indoors when I can use a flash, have good lighting, and/or put it on a tripod. In low light, the focus is slow. In daylight- it's fine.

It has a larger profile on the camera than a small prime- it's hard to shoot "incognito".
What this lens is great at:
Helping me learn what range I will use most.

Super as a travel or grab and go lens. Sometimes taking photos is not the primary activity, but rather a compliment to other activities. When I travel, I prefer to focus on the people that I am with, the new ones I am meeting along the way, discovering the area and great food. I do enjoy taking nice photos along the way, but I don't like to bring anything more than just a very small bag. This lens is perfect for that.
Overall:
I have found the lens to produce nice contrast, color and sharpness when I don't screws things up on my end. I have also found some CA (purple fringing) at high contrast areas. For the most part, this only shows up when I am really looking for it, and doesn't rear it's head in my prints or web sized photos. I don't print larger than 8X10. Perhaps it would show on a larger print...dunno. My Point & shooot Panasonic FZ-28 with it's supossed lecia lens had much worse CA/PF

I suspect that compared to other such lenses with similar range, this one is about as good as it gets. I find it easier and cheaper than carrying a bag full of primes. ( I only have one prime right now anyhow)

A few things to remember:

When using this lens with the built in flash- you can't go wide without getting a shadow in your photo. Just the nature of the size of such a lens. Using a small white card to bounce the flash from the pop-up off the ceiling, zooming to about 30mm, or using a hotshoe flash solved the issue.

The lens has a lock on it for a reason. Gravity will slowly pull the barrel out if it is pointed downward. When walking around, I lock it at 18mm, and when taking a shot with the lens pointed down, I physically prevent the barrel from extending further than desired with my hand.

With such a broad range and such a price, I've found it to be a grea value, and very handy. Maybe someday I'll be enough of a photog snob to turn up my nose at a zoom lens such as this, but for now, I still like it.
Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]



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