| Author: | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2011 Location: Newport, South Wales Posts: 187
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 8, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $360.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Amazing value and great results | | Cons: | Fairly heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5 - K-3II
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: New
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My DA 16-45mm F4 was my 'go to' lens as it is a particularly good example but this is in another league.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2012 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: July 14, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp from 2.8, Nice colours and contrast, quiet AF | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-5
Autofocus: 8
New Or Used: Used
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Excellent lens.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: October, 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 558
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 17, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Accurate Color Reproduction, Fast Aperture (For A Zoom) | | Cons: | Big, Heavy, bokeh is a bit busy. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-3
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: New
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This was my first "High End" lens. Its an amazing lens at that. The colors it produces are very accurate and lend themselves well to post processing either in camera or later with Photoshop or similar. It focuses fast and is very quiet, it does not hunt much if at all.
It is a big heavy lens. Its not a lens that I would consider a good walk around lens just due to the size and weight. However, when I know that I need to get the shot and won't have time for trial and error, or I have the opportunity to stage the shot properly prior to taking the picture this is my go to lens.
I personally feel the bokeh is a bit busy, however, its not horrible by any stretch, and hasn't caused me to "miss" a shot yet.
Overall this is a stellar lens and I highly recommend it.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2011 Location: Gotland Posts: 169 | | Review Date: March 10, 2016 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very good all-around performer | | Cons: | Size and weight | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K3II
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: New
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A very good all-around lens. 17 mm gives extra wide coverage. 2,8 all the way is quite bright. Feels well built. Very good value for money.
Not weather sealed. The front lens seems to attract more dust than usually.
I shoot RAW and use the auto-correction in Photoshop CS6. Makes no big change but makes straight lines straight.
I have used the Sigma 18-50 2,8 for the last decade and lately on he K5. I felt that combination was good enough for me and quite handy. Then the K5 broke down and I upgraded. The K3II is a wee bit bigger than the K5 and a bit heavier. The Sigma 17-50 is bigger and heavier than the 18-50.
The combination feels substantially bigger and heavier to lug around and looks less discreet. The extra wide angle is a benefit and the technical picture quality has improved, a plus when it comes to rotating and cropping a shot. A technical improvement but at substantial cost in size and lack of discretion.
This is now my standard set-up.
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2015 Location: Osaka Posts: 158 | | Review Date: December 25, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp from 2.8, Nice colours and contrast, quiet AF | | Cons: | Coma at 17mm, big and heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K30
Autofocus: 10
New Or Used: New
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This is a fantastic quality lens for the price.
The good stuff:
- Picture quality is very good, it beats my Pentax DA21 for IQ and sharpness.
- It gives great results. Surprisingly good at 2.8 even at 17mm but especially good at 50mm. Best at 5.6.
- Auto focus is quiet and accurate.
- Very contrasty
The bad stuff- It is big and heavy. If you are used to primes or the lighter Pentax lenses you are going to notice it. I use mine for travel so it can be a burden, but some people like the weight as a stabilizer.
- Mine is a lose fit on my K30; there is a little play at the joint.
- There is noticeable coma at 17mm at the edge of the frame (only noticeable when you shoot stars or similar)
Overeall a great lens that I would highly recommend for the price. However, it is big and heavy which means I often end up leaving it at home.
First is 17mm, F8, iso100, 0.5secs
Second sample taken at 17mm f2.8, iso1600, 15secs . Edge crop showing coma.
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MG]https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/members/89785-alnjpn/albums/9740-japan/picture95709.jpg[/IMG]
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: August, 2013 Posts: 731
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 11, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | SHARP!, easy of use, good range, fast aperture 2.8, Quiet auto focus | | Cons: | Lens zoom is reverse of pentax lenses, a little big, a little heavy, moderate speed on auto focus | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K5-ii, K-5iis
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: Used
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I was able to pick my copy up from ebay used less than a year. WOW! it is sharp and will likely be my favorite lens of all time. Just take a look at the photos attached to this post. It really is like having a bag of primes in one lens. I can say, center sharpness is wonderful through the range and 50mm this lens really shines. You will really love this lens.
UPDATE: 03/28/16
The love continues....
The more I use this lens, the more I love it. I consistently get sharp results with contrast and pleasing color. I find the focal range of 17-50mm is Very Very Useful. It is so handy, it makes it difficult for me to break out my primes.
The colors in this lens seem to be a bit more even and natural, where my DA lenses produce more saturated blues and greens. This may be a + or - depending on what you like. Me, I love it since I use this lens for people photos most of the time.
My copy on my K-5ii has a small bit of play in the mount, not enough to cause any issues. When attached to my K-5iis it seems to fit better. Who knows, but I still love this lens.
Update 05/23/16
I still love this lens! Very very very sharp. I typically stop down to f4-6.3 for group shots and I can see so much detail. This lens is by far my favorite I own. My typical portrait kit is Sigma 17-50, Pentax 50-135, Pentax 10-17, Pentax 50mm 1.8. I normally only end up using the 17-50 and the 50-135.
Believe me for Pentax zooms, it doesn't get much better than this lens. I am constantly blown away at what details I can see in my images. I can't say I feel the same way with the rest of my glass. Perhaps this lens simply tugs on my creative side in a way others do not. At any rate, I can't speak highly enough about it.
If you find one in good shape, just buy it.
   | | | | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2015 Location: Kansas Posts: 63 | | Review Date: July 10, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $307.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, well built, balances well with camera, silent autofocus | | Cons: | Autofocus can be slow and hunts a little | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: New
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Excellent lens overall, I like to think of it as a bunch of primes into one lens. A very fast zoom lens, the 17-50 on APS-C is similar to a 24-70, which many professionals use. I would recommend pairing the Pentax DA* 50-135 with this, as it is equivalent to about 70-200 on APS-C. Having two two lens in your set is a great option and I highly recommend it.
The lens overall is great, built well, looks big and professional  with the big filter diameter. It's a bit heavy, especially because my first lens was a 35mm prime. But you get get used to it very quickly and it balances very well with my K5. It does suffer from some flaring, but the included lens hood is nice. Sigma even includes a little soft pouch that's nice for traveling with your lens, it's pretty nice quality too.
Great value, I like it.
This wasn't the sharpest the lens could be. I was briskly walking around and took this shot, there's some slight blur.
Shot wide open at 1/125, ISO 400.
It was also raining a considerable amount when I was taking this picture. This lens is not weather sealed but it didn't really have any issues. The lens does extend when zooming, and some water got inside the zoom part but it dried and works fine. When I was walking, I did try to point the lens down so the water would land on the camera body instead of the lens barrel.
| | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2014 Posts: 2
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 19, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $650.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Excellent IQ, sharp focus, reliable focus, | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Camera Used: Pentax K20D
Autofocus: 10
New Or Used: New
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Like many people reading this review, I was tossing up between the Sigma, Pentax and Tamron equivalent offerings of this lens. The Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 was the most expensive, but according to my research was also the best overall in terms of IQ and build quality; so I took the plunge and bought it. Now, three years on, I can safely say this is the best lens I own!!
IQ is outstanding; so much so that the subject of many of the images "pops". I have found the colour saturation and exposure levels to be very accurate, with great pictures all the way from 17mm to 50mm. I've never had any issues with mis-focussing - except in dark conditions, however this is probably more reflective of the K20D, than the lens. Perhaps at f2.8, IQ may ever so slightly drop, however most of my shots have been at f4 or above.
By means of comparison, I shoot real estate photography and use the Pentax 12-24mm which close to the best, if not, the best, rated lens in its class, and produces great images. But, the Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 produces ever so slightly better images!
Go on, buy it!
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: February, 2014 Location: Zagreb Posts: 73
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 12, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very sharp, great bokeh, silent, fast AF | | Cons: | flare prone | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-500
Autofocus: 10
New Or Used: New
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This is basically the best standard zoom lens for Pentax APS-C cameras.
Compared to the other two f2.8 zooms, the Tamron doesn't have silent AF and the build quality is not as good, the Pentax is the not as sharp, has the SDM AF and suffers from CA.
This lens is sharp wide open from 17-50mm, getting tack sharp at f4, has beautiful bokeh, and very fast and silent AF. If it was WR it would be perfect. The only issue I can think of is slight flaring when shooting into the sun.
Great workhorse lens,perfect for everything from portrait (creamy bokeh at 50mm f2.8), to landscape photography (tack sharp corners at 17mm f4 and above).
Here's a few shots I've taken with the lens:
For more examples, go to my Flickr page
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2014 Location: Singapore Posts: 106
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 2, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $540.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | f/2.8, sharper tha pentax lens, fast focussing, | | Cons: | not a sigma ART lens | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Camera Used: Pentax k-30
Autofocus: 8
New Or Used: New
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It is arguably the best 17-50 f/2.8 lens around. Much better than canon, nikon, pentax version. It offers fast focusing with HSM. Bokeh is awesome and this lens is ideal for portrait work.
cons:
1. Flare prone, needs hood.
2. Front element moves when zooming.
3. not weather resistant.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2009 Posts: 13
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 31, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Excellent quality for price, reliable AF, solid build | | Cons: | A little heavy, no weather sealing | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: New
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Excellent general purpose/walk around lens. Have owned it for a year now, and except for telephoto work, it's the lens that's always on the camera.
There is some softness in the corners at its widest (not surprising), but the center is very good wide open, and once stopped down a bit (f/4 or more) this lens is amazingly sharp. Very little aberration to deal with, and certainly nothing that doesn't disappear completely in post-processing. Bokeh is not too bad, but I suppose could be better. Given that this isn't really meant as a portrait lens, this is not surprising, and quite forgivable.
Sigma's HSM is quiet, reliable, and reasonably fast. The build quality is very high, I only wish it had weather sealing - if that were the case, it might not ever leave the camera!
It is heavier (and bigger) than a kit 18-55, but the better image quality and faster aperture more than make up for that, I think.
Overall, an excellent option for a fast, standard walk around zoom, especially considering its relatively low price.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: November, 2009 Location: CA Posts: 8 | | Review Date: December 12, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $420.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Sharp 5.6 to F8, ok 2.8, not so good pass F9.5 | | Cons: | backfocus on two samples, +11 adjustment | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 8
Camera Used: KX, K20
Autofocus: 7
New Or Used: New
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Two new samples have back focus. Best sharpness f 5.6 to f 8. Had to adjust +11 on Kx and +10 on K20D. Focus ok most of the time with Kx. Image have better contrast than pentax 18-55.
Live View really out of focus when locked on, perhaps due to adjustment. Perhaps this new batch suffers from related problem with the Sigma 18-35 F1.8.
| | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2014 Location: Plaisir Posts: 2
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 3, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | sharpness, construction, bokeh | | Cons: | flare | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 7
Camera Used: Pentax K3
Autofocus: 9
New Or Used: New
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This lenses is wonderful, focusing, construction, handling, bokeh, sharpness ... Great !!!
Just, flare is marked. For bulb and street art or for long shoot photo in night for city light, there are some flare. It's bad (between good and bad, I forgot this word) for this lense.
But with Photoshop or other, we can erase it easely.
It's a very good lense. With K3, perfect.
Paris by night :
With "Expo Zoom" :
Small Bokeh ... :
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2013 Posts: 109
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 24, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, 2.8, nice zoom ring, AF | | Cons: | if WR it's the best! | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K-3
Autofocus: 10
New Or Used: New
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My workhorse lens. Let the images talk.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2014 Location: Paris Posts: 1,939 | | Review Date: August 21, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $517.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharpness, bright, great color | | Cons: | a little heavy, bokeh | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 9
Camera Used: K5 IIs
Autofocus: 8
New Or Used: New
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very nice, sharpness straight from 2.8 and get even better stopped down. bokeh not very impressive but good enough for me, a little heavy for a "kit" lens.
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