lens query

Please forgive my lack of knowledge, I have recently bought a K-x as my first digital SLR, it comes woith a zoom lens (18-55mm), but I have been looking at buying another lens and am interested in the pentax da 50-200mm ed wr lens, which seems a good price for a novice like me.

My query is, the write ups say it does not have a switch to move from AF to MF and i have enrolled in a course that requires the ability to shoot manual as well as AF, does the lack of this switch prevent manual settings or is there another method.

Thanks.

The switch to move between manual and auto focus is built into the camera body, not the lens.

The particular lens you mention has a "Quick-Shift" function that allows you to leave the camera in autofocus and then grab the lens to manually focus (override) at any time.

The lens will be just fine for your course.

You don't need to WR because the Kx isn't WR (weather resistance) either.
Je can look at the normal version the DA or the DA-L which is the light weight version with a plastic lens-mount and without a lens hood and quickshift.

If you've a bit more money to spend the DA 55-300 is a better lens in most aspects.

Your 18-55mm doesn't have a switch either right?
Most lenses from Pentax use the motor inside the camera for AF so there is no switch on the lens but there is one on the camera.
If you've a lens with SDM (HSM sigma) or DCyou would have a switch on the lens to turn it off.

the F, FA, DA lenses from pentax will all be able to Auto focus.
the DA and DFA lenses (except the DA35 f/2.4) will have have Quickshift, the DA-L variants (like ur 18-55) don't have it.



ps. there are some nifty things you can do with quickshift but it's too much to explain it in detail now but you can setup the camera so that it will the quickshift lenses are used as manuel focus lenses but you can set the AF under a different button and without any switching you can press that button and the lens will auto focus.
So it's a bit like Auto focus on demand.

DC lens doesn't have an AF/MF switch Stefan .

Sorry my mistake.
The DA 17-70 has SDM and doesn't have a swith either when i think about it...

True - but that one is in my camera bag so I didn't look at it, whereas the 18-135 is on the camera.

But the rest do have a switch though

Sorry to go off topic but i'm curious what you think of the 18-135 so far.
I believe you have the DA*50-135 so how does that compare?

Way off topic (Sorry :blush

The 50-135 will be winging it's way to Slovakia on Monday.
I never use it, so have sold it to Kingfisher.
Selling it was also part of the deal when his nibs agreed to me getting the 18-135.

I am very happy with the 18-135, though I haven't really put it through it's paces yet. Just not had the time.
I am taking it sailing on the Wad a week on Monday and it may well be the only lens I take with me to La Palma.

I'm keeping the 17-70 though, I just love that lens.

Rover - any lens will allow you to manual focus, just change the switch on the camera body. If you're starting out you could grab yourself a manual focus Pentax-A zoom, like the 80-200mm. That'll force you to practice manual focussing skills, and only set you back thirty quid or so....

Thanks for all the advice, its a bit clearer now.