18-135mm WR

Any thoughts on the new lens? Dare we hope for faster "DC" focussing? The initial price seems a little high but always it will probably come down.

K.

there is talk the new lens will cost about $150.00 cdn with the new k5 as a kit...
we'll see...
if true it is big incentive to buy the kit..

It's good news all round... I might get one unboxed, or perhaps someone's 17-70 f4 cast-off

i'll have to try hard to resist replacing the 17-70 f4...

I'm pretty much sold on the concept of the WR lenses - very liberating to be able to carry on shooting in the rain.

The focusing speed I've never had a problem with, but the range of this lens and the WR look very interesting.

If it's as good or better than the 18-55 ALII/WR I'll be first in the queue. Ok it's not that fast ( not a problem on a K5!) but it's a good size, great range and WR. Long overdue but very promising, on paper at least.

DPreview is saying it will be priced at £600 (!), and available from November. It's very tempting to have one lens replacing my two most frequently-used ones (and WR too), but I'll be comparing the image quality with my FA24-90.

I have just bought a Sigma 18-250, I might have waited for this lens if I had known about it beforehand.... I'll try the Sigma for a few months and see how good the 18-135 WR: maybe I'll have to sell the Sigma and get one of these......

£600 would be way over the top for what is essentially a kit lens, $150 is more in my league! If the IQ is good, I'm thinking it would make a good choice for hiking although on the K20D I rarely go above ISO 400.

K.

To be fair, this assumes that a "kit lens" is by defintion a cheap, poor lens. Don't forget that the 43mm f1.9 Limited is also a kit lens - it was originally only sold as a kit with the then new MZ-3.

A little early IMHO to be dismissing this. I expect it to be as good as all the other Pentax lenses - and that's a pretty high standard.

I'm sure I read it will be priced at $549.

600 pounds is surely not correct.

Once the discounts start maybe around $450 - 500 after Xmas ?

I wasn't dismissing it at all John, in fact quite the opposite! My 18-55mm "kit" lens has been my main lens ever since I got it and I have seen no need to "upgrade" to the other alternatives. If I need something faster I use one of my older manual lenses. £600 does, however, seem a bit pricey for a lens which I assume is intended to sit in between the basic lenses and the star lenses, and would, to be frank, be out of my current price range. It is a lens I am very interested in because, as I said, I like to hike and a single WR lens would be ideal for that use. I just have my fingers crossed that it's price is in my range and that its IQ is as good as my copy of the 18-55mm.

K.

I like the range, I'm currently very happy with my DA 17-70 but having just bought the DA 12-24 I might well be tempted as the wide end (17mm vs 18mm) isn't quite so critical for me now.

It will be interesting to see if it's IQ can match the DA 17-70 though as I'm not prepared to take a backward step for increased focal range - I'd probably go with the Tamron/Pentax 18-250 if this was the case. The price would need to come down a fair bit too.

Simon

I'm tempted, even though I have the 17-70. The range is attractive, and the WR a plus. I'd buy it as a kit with the K5 though. I assume the kit will be available before November even if individual lenses aren't.

I thought my LBA was cured, and really I have all the lenses I need but the thought of this one has got me interested again .

It sounds great for going for walks...but...but... I love my 12-24 for walks as well, and the 50-135 is fab (but heavy), so its kind-of duplication apart from the WR.... so it depends, if its cheap yes, if its expensive then no point in me getting one.