Which Sigma is that? 100-300 f4?

I'm not sure about whether to get this lens, but increasingly believing that I'll kick myself later if I don't get it. The main optical weakness seems to be at 150mm, and I apply the same logic to that as I to do my existing Sigma (vs the 12-24): namely that the Sigma is likely to be a lot better at 150mm f2.8 than the DA*50-135 is!

Deciding factor will be time - I've a dissertation to finish off, and hand in on Friday. So if SRS still have one then, I might well be in the queue.

True, but my main use will be portraits (I've found recently that close "head shots" are more my style). Since I already have two f2.8 lenses in the Sigma's range, I was considering (in traditional LBA reasoning :wink whether gaining 77mm f1.8 might be better than gaining 51-99mm f2.8 and 101-150mm f2.8 (especially since I didn't seem to use 101-150mm very much on my DA50-200)

The HSM on the 50-150 is supposed to be very fast.

Also, Sigma's HSM is more reliable than Pentax SDM. There is no way of knowing how common SDM failures are, but many more people buy Sigma lenses - due to them being multiformat - and there are no widespread complaints other than the lenses front/backfocusing on arrival (this is obviously not as big a concern as complete failure, and also seems to be more common on Canon mount)

Yep, that's what I'm looking at. My thinking though is that, while the Sigma seems a fine lens (especially at this price), it might not be the best option for my uses. At a recent shoot I used my DFA50 a lot, and the times that my DA50-200 came out were generally for at or around 200. That plus the weight/size of a zoom, and 'saving for longer and getting an FA77' is an idea that's increasingly beckoning to me!

It's a photo of Pentax equipment so it's fine - how else would those of us without multiple bodies post our lovely Pentax gear pictures?

The midrange body is pretty close to being a fact (at least everyone talks about it as a definite). The higher-end body is perhaps less of a stick on - if it does happen, rumors are it'll be similar to the Canon 7D (ie 'APS-C Max') rather than full frame.

I agree that the K7 is too expensive compared to the competition - a few rubber weatherseals surely don't cost that much!

Can any of our resident lens hoarders offer comments on this? I'm looking at it as an alternative to the DA*50-135, because I have an opportunity to get a new one (of the Sigmas) at a very reasonable price. Mechanically I'm happy with it (lose weathersealing, but get faster and more reliable HSM), but what is the optical quality like? Since I really don't like SDM my alternative is likely to be saving for a (new or used) FA77 rather than the DA*50-135 itself.

Just buy two DA40s!

Nice to see that somebody besides Sigma (who are likely only doing it for the Hoya FLD cooperation) knows that we still exist!

If any landscape shooter ever needs an advert for APS-C, please compare the barrel distortion of the Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 with the Nikon 16-35 f4, which isn't even as wide