Which wide zoom for k3?

Tatouzou wrote:

nabwong wrote:

Hi

I am using a k-3 with 55-300wr currently. I use it mostly for walking in trails to capture wildlife. I also have the 50mm 1.8. My other rig is a Fuji x-e2 for street stuff.

I'm thinking of adding a wide zoom for the k-3. The finalists are sigma 17-50 f2.8 or Pentax 16-85. (Or both?). Which would you get? Pentax 16-50 the 3rd option but lots of stories of sdm failure.

Used to have

18-135. Didn't really like the IQ. Can't put my finger on it. Just looked flat.

Tamron 17-50. Like the IQ but a little noisy.

Sigma 18-250. Not sharp.

As a walk around zoom, I would also consider the Pentax DA 18-135.

The range is ideal to be ready to shoot at any scene, it focuses fast, is WR and very rugged, like the DA 16-85, but much smaller and lighter, which is very nice: a lighter bag, and a more compact combo that doesnt drive so much attention in the street.

It is soft in the corners at 18 and above 85 but very sharp in the center, which is what matters for wildlife and in most scenes. Stopped down between 20 and 70 its sharpness comes very close to the best zooms.

IMO, the photozone measurements are correct, but the conclusion is not. If the lens had only been tested between 18 and 70, it would have been rated as good. The final world is that it is a very nice transtandard general purpose lens, which can also go to medium telephoto at a twist of the hand.

At sunrise and zoomed out, showing a good resistance to flare

The kind of unexpected snapshot that has been possible thanks to the huge range of the lens. If you pixel peep, the rowers are not really sharp, IMO, it is not because of the lens ,I probably focused on the ship and they just are a little out of focus. But at normal watching size either on a HD screen or on a A4 paper print, you wont notice it.

Another sample at 135, which is the "worse" it delivers

From 70 to 135, DA 55-300, that you and I already have, is better, but the overlapping range between the two lenses is very nice in the field.

I have the DA 17-70 f4, which is much better, close to DA 16-85 in sharpness, range and form factor. But DA 18-135 is my favorite for travel or wandering around.

Thanks for your thoughts. I had the Pentax 18-135 for 6 months and I wasn't in love with it so I sold it. I currently have a Fuji 18-135 that is leaps and bounds better than the Pentax. It costs more too but not too bad. And I agree that the 55-300wr has much better sharpness than the 18-135 in the telephoto range. If the 55-300 had a Dc motor, it would be a perfect Lens.