This lens is great step-up option from the Kit Lens, and offers a reasonably bright constant aperture of f4.0. Iv'e even used this lense wide open at indoor concerts/plays with good results. As a 'standard' zoom, this lense serves admirably, at a 35mm equivalent of 24-68mm focal lengths. It is reasonably light for a quality optic, and offers the Pentaxian a 'quick-shift' clutch mechanism to easily shift back and forth from AF to MF. My new go-to optic if I want just one or two lenses for a casual walkabout.
Strengths:
Sharp, even wide open, famous Pentax multicoating, and anti-ghosting formula for improved digital performance. Nice lense hood with window feature to facilitate use of a rotating circular polarizer. (Never leave home without one!) Amazingly, this lense holds it's own against prime lenses at just 1/2 stop from wide open. I have not done extensive testing, but this is a fine optic. Images shot on my Ds can easily be interpolated to 150% without any noticeable pixelation. Puts my FA 20-35mm to shame wide open, and the extra 4mm on the wide end makes this lense my go-to for wide angle shots.
Weaknesses:
A bit long & on the chunky side (67mm filter size) and a tad hefty, but compared to any f2.8 standard zoom, (usually 77mm filter) this lens is very manageable. Hey, there's always a tradeoff. Slight back-focus issue noticed in AF low-light, wide aperture conditions, but I usually shoot in MF, so this almost never is an issue.
Before buing it I read much good about this lens. Almost everywhere it is praised for its optical characteristics, price, and build quality.
Personally, I bought it because there was nothing else on offer. (Hopefully, the new Pentax announced real star lens is comming soon.)
I agree that optically it is a very good tool. It is sharp and, what is much more important, distortions are quite well controlled.
I also fully agree that its pricing is very good.
But I can not really subscribe to rash assertions about its "excellent" built quality. It is OK, or could be said as good for the price, but it is far away from the professional standard I'm used to. For me personally, build quality is of the utmost importance and this lens in no way holds to the professional standard in this respect.
Strengths:
Sharpness.
Minimum distortions.
Price.
Weaknesses:
Build quality is OK (good for the price, though).
Similar Products Used:
Pentax film and digital cameras
Standard, macro, tele and other lenses
Customer Service:
Had some involvment with customer services, but not for this specific product yet.
A constant aperture zoom which is a very big step up from the kit lens.
Strengths:
Constant aperture, much sharper than a zoom has any right to be (am I showing my age here?), well-balanced and very little distortion for a zoom. In fact, lower distortion than a lot of primes!! (my age again?).
Of course, it's not cheap. But you definitely get what you pay for!
A crisp, strong lens with very little flare. That SMC coating is impressive!
Weaknesses:
I will replace it with the 16-50 f/2.8 eventually, when it is released. I find f/4 hard on the old eyes.
For those who care, the lens casts a shadow with the on-camera flash below 28mm.
Similar Products Used:
SMC Pentax A 70-210 f/4, Pentax 12-24 f/4 DA, Pentax 28-70 f/4 FA, Pentax 45-125 f/4 K.
A Canon zoom with an older Canon camera.
Some Olympus zooms for DSLR's
A couple of cr@ppy Quarranty zooms.,
Customer Service:
Never needed it with lenses. They've been great with the MX cameras I used for a quarter of a century.
Initially I debated months due to its size and weight. That has turned out to be an absolute non issue. It does weight a tad more than the 18-55 Kit lens, but it focuses instantly - no hunting. just locks on, and is razor sharp. The size and balance is actually very pleasing on my K100D, a bit longer and larger in the barrel, especially with the 70mm primary lens, which appears massive when compared again with the 18-55 Kit.
Purchased it with the $100 Pentax rebate bringing the overall price to $250. The Kit 18-55 is a very good bargin - this for the extra funds is a great lens, extremely sharp, the next step up beyond the kit lens.
Build Quality is excellent, metal mounting base, zoom crisp and smooth. Manual focus is again smooth and accurate - holds the position easily as expected. Feels very substantial and does not have the flimsey plastic feel to it at all.
No vignetting, realistic color, sharp images, nothing soft, very pleasing to use.
There is a gap in lens coverage when used with the 50 - 200mm zoom, but that has not been a problem at all.
Strengths:
Everything - a solid instrument.
Weaknesses:
Nothing, other than it does not come with a lens bag. The 10-17 came with one, which I find to be a very nice touch, especially in use. I believe that all the lenses should come with their very own bag/case.
Similar Products Used:
Pentax DA 18 - 55 mm, F3.5-5.6,
Pentax DA 10 - 17mm, F3.5-4.5 ED (IF) Zoom
The optical characteristics are good:
1. Flare resistance outstanding!
2. Distortions are low. Especially, when compared to similar products from other manufacturers. For example, Canon 17-40/4 L is more than twice as expensive, but distorts the image more at the widest setting, as on-line tests show. I guess, the price difference is due to the fact that the Canon lens is dedicated to a larger full-sized sensor. But it does not matter if your camera is APS.
3. Sharpness is very good throughout the zoom range.
Constructively, the lens is OK, as much as it's manufacturing cost allows.
Strengths:
Very good optics.
Weaknesses:
I would agree to spend more for a full metal construction.
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