r.t. dowling Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Has anybody compared the two? They're the same price at B&H. I realize thegenuine Pentax should automatically be better than the Sigma, but that's notalways the case. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strpichu Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Well, I didn't try the Sigma. But Pentax's kit lens is a lil' dark, but OK :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zane1664879013 Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I don't have either lens, but comparisons can be done on several attributes. Which are most important to you? Build quality, sharpness, focusing speed, ??? Web searches are probably your best bet, since nobody's offering much here (so far). I'll make one comment though---it's tough to beat the Pentax SMC lens coating. Thought by many to be the finest in the business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markku_ylilammi Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 First, I cannot say anything about the Sigma lens but I have the Pentax version. The patent protection of the Pentax SMC coating has vanished a long time ago, so all manufacturers use multi coating nowadays. The Pentax 18-55 has been ranked among the best digital kit lenses available (only Nikon have one of parallel quality). However, this does not make the 18-55 very good. You must stop it down to f:8 to get acceptably good sharpness and the geometric distortion at the wide angle end is simply too strong. However I suspect that a Sigma with the same price tag is no better. The Pentax 18-55 is as good as a low-cost kit lens can be. You will be quite satisfied in normal shooting if you remember the limitations (no low light photography, no landscapes with flat horizon). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zane1664879013 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 > The patent protection of the Pentax SMC coating has vanished a long time ago, so all manufacturers use multi coating nowadays. Somewhat correct. The base patents on *multicoating* have expired. That does not mean that all multicoated lenses are the same. The genuine Pentax SMC process, developed in partnership with Zeiss, is still proprietary and second to none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mawz Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 No comparison. The Pentax is better built (including a metal lensmount), has better features (including full-time manual focusing) and is optically superior. The Sigma is inferior to the crappy Nikon and Canon 18-55's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_l7 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 I'm really impressed by Pentax 18-55mm when I first picked it up. It's no Canon L, but for $100, the build quality is surprisingly good. Plus Full time manual focusing, how can you ask for more? I had Sigma 18-55 a while back. It's not in the same league as Pentax in terms of build quality and handling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruinog Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 I do have the DA 18-55mm. Not bad for a cheap zoom. Avoid using it beyond F6.3 and you'll get nice pictures with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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