For sale is a SMC Pentax DA L 18-55mm lens, it came with dad's K-01 but never really been used. in great condition with original front cap, but no lens hood. Also comes with a UV filter on it.

£35 posted to mainland UK?

Adrian

I've received the lens, and took it for a few snaps in the Lake district a few days ago.

Have posted the photos here

I'm no good at actually analysing things, but the feeling is, it does seem to give me what I miss when I'm carrying the 31mm, though a lot of the time I do find myself going back to around 30mm ish focal lengths. Certainly not the same breed, think the 31mm renders images in a very different way, but it is a very pleasurable lens to use (at least for myself!!)

Got the 20-40mm ltd from Japan via a mate. Took it into the Lakes on Monday for a play around since I was taking the folks there too. It was a gloomy day, very strong winds, and not much motivation really.


Scales Force


Bottom of Scales Force


Buttermere


Honister Pass


A stitched panorama of Crummock Water


Any thoughts?
Either way, I found the lens very versatile, and it does fill in what I miss occasionally when I'm using the 31mm, but whilst it's not quite FA 31mm quality in terms of rendering and bokeh, it certainly is a very nice piece of engineering, and I don't seem to do the 31mm justice anyway!

Thank you Jim and Richard,

Jim's review is very detailed and outstanding, mods, is this worth highlighting for other users/posted separately somewhere if Jim agrees?

Richard, thanks for the practicalities regarding the lens. I'm pretty sold on getting one so I shall see when my friend helps me to get one from Japan!

Thank you again.

Adrian

No doubt, the 31mm is a keeper, I toyed with the idea of swapping it for a 35mm F2 + a 15mm a while back but decided that I love the 31mm too much to let it go.

The 31mm will still be the go-to lens when I'm kicking about, or for trips that don't require absolute down-sizing, and the 20-40mm will be the "convenient" lens to go to, making my collection consisting of the 10-17mm fisheye, 31mm, 20-40mm and the 70mm ltd.

More than good enough for my needs.

I tend to shoot mainly around the 30mm, or slightly wider end, the 70mm hardly ever gets used, I think I've used it on a few occasions but none that I absolutely needed it, and given the nature of the trip, the 20-40mm suits me well. I'm very used to using just the 31mm, so not having the extra 2mm on the wide end, and losing the 40-55mm bit from the standard kit isn't much of a bother.

I have owned the 17-70, as well as a super zoom at some point, but have decided to trade them off and stuck with primes. I somewhat found zooms restricted my thoughts a lot. With a prime, or something like the 20-40mm, I'm often forced to walk, or change positions, so I actually get to look at what I'm picturing a lot more than just picturing it. Afterall what's the point to travel and come back with photos and know nothing else about it. I also admit that I do miss out on various opportunities to picture things, but, again, that doesn't bother me a lot, whatever I can't photograph I'll remember.

The 18-55 has served as a great lens for my mountain adventures, I was never worried about breaking it, and it has certainly delivered quality, as well as held up to my abuse!

Matt, what do you have at the moment? If you already have the K5, maybe it's worth just getting the glass, and save up the cash till you have enough, speculate on the body-market, then get a body later on when things are a bit more settled! After all, most of us, are probably limited by our own skills as opposed to the equipment, I certainly am!

I toyed with the idea of changing my K5 for a K5 IIs or a K3, but then decided that I just like it too much, and it does well for me, so why change it, I don't think I've used the camera to its full potential at all!

Going off reviews it certainly is a mixed bag, for me, it's merely a fact of practicality, especially when I'm off the beaten track, the fewer lens changes I can get away with the better, since I'm literally very far off the track, and conditions can get grim, which also means WR is a very big selling point, as I'd love not to have stuff seeping into the 31mm!

My normal set up is, 31mm when it's a fair weather day, and the standard kit lens if it's foul. The 20-40 will most likely replace the kit lens, and also means I'll still get Ltd quality on foul days, and on long trips like the one coming up where space/weight is of a premium, it'll be the only thing I take along.

Looking at sample pictures they don't seem bad, off a guess looks like this might be a bit of a Marmite lens...probably will suit myself quite well, as it covers practically the vast majority of focal lengths I ever shoot at.

I've read a few reviews too, interestingly they seem to whinge a bit about sharpness, mostly corner to corner sharpness, at all apertures .
Stopped down, the performance looks pretty on par with da ltd standards if one takes into account it's a zoom...
Since when have people been just so concerned about getting every single grain sharp...

I have always found myself in very simlar dilemmas to conqueror.

But then I only got rid of lenses really due to practical and financial reasons. There were the odd one, or two that I decided that I would never use and hence sold them off.

Looking at the logic, if you really don't find yourself using anything at the tele end at all, then the only change I would make to the setup is swap the 55-300 for the 50-135mm, and probably sell the 100mm off at the same time if you don't do much macro.

I personally own the 18-55mm WR, 10-17mm fisheye, FA 31mm and the DA 70mm, and have previously had a 70-300mm Tamron, a 90mm macro, M-135mm, various old primes of 28mm/50mm, the fa43mm and the da40mm (and XS too).

I've eventually settled for what I have now, with the soon-coming addition of the DA 20-40mm to the collection, and in years time maybe the 15mm. My predominant lens is the 31mm, even when I'm backpacking I can take two or three lenses along, but the DA20-40 will allow me to take just one, and save space for gear that would save my life if needed. As you may have guessed, size and weight is my biggest concern, but if you're considering the 50-135mm then that's unlikely to be your issue.

If I were in your position I'd probably give most of your photos a bit of an analyse and see what do you end up using most, and think if you're likely to take up something drastically different in the future, if you aren't, then probably don't need to change anything, as your current set-up actually covers you for more or less every aspect you can possibly venture into.

P.S. Someone's already mentioned this, but unless you're to get the 31mm, don't sell the 35mm off.