Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 Review

Conclusion

The new Pentax 18-135mm lens is a very welcome addition to the Pentax lens lineup, and seems like a natural companion to the K-5 and K-30. It boasts impressive AF performance as well as above-average image quality, and offers a flexible multi-purpose zoom range, which when combined with its weather-resistant design makes for almost an irresistible combination. It's excellent considering it's such a long zoom, but its image quality does not match up to that of fixed-aperture zooms or Limited lenses. For reasons found earlier in the review, we recommend this lens for serious amateur photographers: it's versatile, durable, sturdy, and sharp. While the zoom range itself seems nice for beginners, this lens certainly doesn't have a beginner-friendly price tag: you can get a Pentax K-x kit for less than the 18-135mm alone! Plus, for those looking for a "superzoom" walkaround lens, cheaper third-party offerings of 18-250mm and 28-300mm lenses are available. If you're packing a tripod or looking to get the best possible image quality, you will likely be better off turning to Limited primes rather than a zoom such as the 18-135mm, but if you want to travel light and be ready for anything, then this lens is the right one for you!

Rating

Details on our lens rating scale are available on our review homepage.

Tell us what you think about this lens! Post a review in our user review database!