Tamron 18-250 vs Kx Kit lenses

OK, so after the DPR review I am totally bitten by the Kx bug - just the right thing for me coming from the K100D and with low light performance one of my most important criteria. (I had a Samsung GX-20 briefly, which has a lot of nice features, but I tended to notice the noise from ISO400 on...)

So the choice is, body only or the kit w/ 18-55mm and 55-300mm DAL lenses (and the Pentax cash back). I do have the Tamron 18-250mm already, which is a decent walkabout lens, although I can see its limitations - it's a bit soft at the long end, with a tendency to slight blur towards the edges of the frame.

Does anyone know from experience how the two DAL lenses compare to the Tamron, particularly in terms of sharpness and focus speed/precision? Any input would be highly appreciated

Not with the DAL lenses but the DA are the same optic wise.
The DA 55-300 is regarded as the best zoom in that budget range so can't do wrong with that and it looks like an upgrade.

I had the Pentax DA 18-250 and it was the same quality as the 18-55 kit lens but like you said the 18-250 is soft at the wide/long end and I found myself using the DFA100mm a lot with the 18-55 but when I bought the DA40 I hardly use the zooms any more certainly not the DA18-250. So I sold that lens and bought a DA*50-135 which is just perfect for me.

It's pretty much all up to you what you want.
I would try to go for the DA version myself instead of the DAL because of quik-shift (which DAL doesn't have) but everyone use their lenses differently, so you might not feel it as a limitation.

Thanks Stefan. I always considered the Tamron as a compromise, with great versatility, which is helpful if I don't care too much about IQ and just want to carry one lens. I also have a few manual lenses - M50 F1.4, Vivitar 24mm f2, Vivitar 135mm F2.8 and a Vivitar 70-210 Series 1 (all three Komine) - which are great fun in situations where they fit my needs.

Would love to have the quik-shift feature but I guess the current £650 package (Kx + the two DAL lenses, before cash back) only comes as that - if you were to combine the DA versions with the body it's easily £150 more than that.

And, ah! ... the DA 50-135... nice one, but outside my budget for now

Wolf

Yes me too, the Pentax 18-250 seemed like a very nice walk around lens and later when you get some primes or higher quality lenses then you notice that it's has some compromises.
All in all it's a very decent lens though for the range he has.
I will probably go just out with the primes you've, it was one of the reasons why I wanted a DSLR for the primes and the specialize lenses.

Just call the shop and see if they can make you an offer with the DA lenses instead of the DAL version, most of them probably can do something for you.

I bought the DA*50-135 just before the price hike and ordered it from SRS and let it ship to me when the Pound was week against the Euro so I had for a very good price, almost half the price what it is in the shops now.

I can't help with your dilema, except to suggest reading the following reviews to compare the long end of the Pentax 18-250mm (optically similar to your Tamron) to the Pentax 55-300mm (bound to be optically identical to the L version):

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/367-pentax-smc-da-18-250mm-f35-63

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/396-pentax_55300_458

I expect and hope they'll soon be a WR version of the 55-300, too.