Sigma AF 28-300 HZ ASP?

Is this at all worth buying? I'm asking the question because I saw a new one go from Wiloughby's on ebay for something like $98USD. However, I suspect such a focal-length spread probably dooms it in terms of quality images.

Perhaps someone on the forum actually has one and could comment.

Ted

Ted,

Remember the Riley Rule. Buy Pentax. You owe it to yourself, to your camera, and to your photographs.

G

Well, said, George. I try, each day, to live by the Riley Rule. Alas, there are those bleak days when my pocketbook simply isn't up to it. But all is not lost, as saving one's daily pocket treasure of left-over, unspent coins will one day lead to Pentax lens acquisition.

(Actually, this is what I do. I have a one gallon glass pickle jar into which I toss my pocket change each night, which, here in the US consists mostly of quarters, and when the jar is somewhere in the neighborhood of a third full, I have the requisite $400 to renew my annual auto license fee (03 VW Passat), and as I have begun to top that level it shouldn't be too long. The trick to this is that, when the sales clerk says, "That'll be $10.35," I never reach in my pocket for the .35 cents, but instead hand the clerk a dollar bill. More change. Sounds a bit stupid, but I find it an effortless way to save a small sum). A note of caution: Never try to lift a one gallon pickle jar full of coins.

28-300? There's no way you'll get decent quality from that wide a range. Pentax may make one, and it'll be far superior to the B list lenses.

But I'd advise a couple of more moderate zooms and a few primes.

Thank you, Arthur, for the opinion, and it's well-founded. I do believe I'll stick to Pentax lenses as they've served me so well lo these many years. Merely a matter of saving up for one. By the way, I actually like the kit lens that came with the camera, and, at least for now, it's wide enough. What I don't understand about the camera is that 'sometimes' I get a sharper image when it's set on the smiley face than when set on landscape. I'm not really sure about this as there are so many variables. I guess I must be patient. Learning a camera as complex as a DSLR obviously takes time. Shot some sunset desert stuff today (weird rock formations) with my beloved black Spotmatic and using it seemed, in comparison, amazingly simple, plus I knew pretty much exactly what I was going to get.

Pentax may at some point "badge" one, but I doubt they'd make it as it'd more likely be a rebadged Tamron, Tokina or Sigma. That's not necessarily a bad thing e.g. the Pentax FA 28-200, while a rebadged Tamron, is a better quality lens that several "real" Pentax's I've had, suh as the FA 28-80 or the 18-55 digital kit lens.

After a couple of weeks of use now I have to say that I'm not at all impressed with the kit lens, and in fact I'm thinking about using an old 18-35mm Cosina instead until I decide on what wide angle zoom to buy.

Maybe there's some variation in performance. Sue and I both use the 18-55 lens and find it sharp and crisp as long as it's stopped down. Wide open it is a little soft, but then so are many lenses.

The 24-90 is better.

I use the 16-45. It's way better than the other kit lens, and makes a great "walking around" lens. Sharp, minimal distortion.

It's expensive, but you get what you pay for.