18-270 zoom best single lens for most users?

Most photographers are on a budget these days. Hoping that somewhere they will find a single lens that will do most everything, with far better quality than a cell phone. Wide angle to telephoto, great for those 98% of all pictures taken in daylight through twilight. Pentax has one such lens -- the 18-270 f/3.5 / f6.3, our entry in a popular class called superzooms these days. It is fairly small, lighweight, and easy to use, and can focus as close as 1.6 feet.

Range. The 18-270 is equivalent to a full-frame 27-432 zoom. That's huge... for wide angle to FAR away shots. Set the camera at f/8 and blast away. As a reporter for a small-town paper, I can testify that this lens can handle any daylight or twilight situation, with our high-ISO sensors really helping out in low light if you go down to f/4 or f/5.6 and still need some shutter speed to capture motion. But in daylight, absolutely perfect -- the wide zoom range almost guarantees you'll get a good picture.

Price and quality -- it's about USD $600 on Amazon. A good value for so much capability. Image quality is very good but not excellent. But this is not a lens for pixel peepers. It is for everyday use, like on vacation, and perfect for photojournalists. It is actually a Tamron lens rebadged as a Pentax, with some added features. It is not WR weather-resistant -- if you live in a rainy area, like Seattle, I'd recommend the 18-135 WR as your single lens.

So -- would you agree that the 18-270 zoom is the best choice for folks looking for one single lens that will do most everything? People on a budget, and others just looking to simplify their lives? What do you think?

Below -- handheld snapshots in the kitchen, one at 18mm, the other at 270, low room light, no flash, OOC no Lightroom, K-70 on P Program. Closeup 1/60, f/6.3 ISO 6400, Distant 1/50 /f3.5, ISO 800. This low-cost camera & lens combination is amazingly useful to get that shot... images that you can always bring up later in LR without losing too much detail.