Pentax 16-45 or the Sigma 17-70 ?

[Alien_Zero]

Which do you prefer the Pentax 16-45 F4 or the sigma 17-70 f2.8-f4 for an every day usage lens?

One of them is going to endup as my future K10D (soon by Gods welling - before summer) every day lens!

So which one do you think has the edge?

Peace 

[tcom]

I have the DA16-45 so far. The range is a little bit short as single walk about lens. For my upcoming trip in the desert, I want to limit the lens swap to a minimum, so I ordered a 17-70.

I hope to get the lens on time and will be able to compare both.

[Alien_Zero]

Cool, keep us updated about those 2 lenses 

One thing that I'm not sure about is the performance of the Pentax 16-45 in low light.
That is important to me cause I'll be using the cam. mostly in night time!

[tcom]

I would rather recommend zou using a fast prime at night time, or a constant f2.8 zoom lens.

[aneopa]

Hi Tcon, can you give your opinion about these lenses?

I´ll buy one of them in august and i´m really have not made up my mind. I like the bigger focal distance in Sigma, but the pentax seems to be more sharper than sigma, specially at 16mm.

Any thoughts are welcome!

Thx

[natasredrum]

Pentax is suppose to come out with it's own 17x70 later this year

[aneopa]

Pentax is suppose to come out with it's own 17x70 later this year

Sorry but I don't believe anymore in Pentax fixed dates.

Alias, on the roadmap (http://www.digital.pentax...co.jp/en/lens/roadmap.pdf) theren't any indication of a target date for this lens...

Where did you get this info?

Thx anyway!

[natasredrum]

I just read alot in all the forums and that was the thought process I got.  I thought they may come out this august with the new K100 super.  They may have got the go ahead now that Hoya has entered the picture.  We can cross our fingers.

[aneopa]

Yes, I´ll cross my fingers too, I´ll wait until August anyway...

[PeteD]

I have a 18-55mm and a 16-45mm, both quite good but I have always thought something faster and a little longer would be nice.

The Sigma 17-70 size is attractive but I would prefer that the 70mm end was the faster end, wide I don't need so fast, at 70mm F2.8 would be nice, therefore I have not bought a Sigma 17-70.

What other options are there?? Tamron 28-75 F2.8 appears to be a very good lens, fast at the long end would make it a passable portrait zoom and more attractive to me, would still have the 16-45mm for when I need wide. Perhaps the Tamron 28-75mm and a 14mm Pentax will make a nice pair for me or with the 16-45mm a nice trio?

What I really want is the Pentax DA17-70mm to be constant F2.8, that would be nice, this is a lens I would buy.

Cheers.

Pete

[Huato]

What I really want is the Pentax DA17-70mm to be constant F2.8, that would be nice, this is a lens I would buy.

Ya, me too.

[sooming]

A viable choice will the the upcoming DA* 16-50, but I find my 16-45 at f/4.0 is more than enough to satisfy my taste for excellent optical quality. No doubt I do prefer a slightly longer reach, but the 16mm is sweet enough to offset it. For longer reach, I really don't mind switching to 50-200 or 70mm.

[natasredrum]

All I know is my 18-55 takes crappy photo's  no detail at all.

[starkillerz]

I have the 16-45 and it is a great lens IQ (Image quality) and sharpness wise. However, as some people have mentioned, it is not very good in low light (and the pop up flash sometimes cast a shadow because the lens is long). It is not a real macro lens either (Even though, at 40 cm you can take very good macro like pictures!). I also find that 45 as a walkaround lens is limited (this is why I have the 50-200 too).

So the 17-70 has the edge for:
f2.8 (low light)
Walk around lens
Macro

and the 16-45 has the edge for
wider,
IQ
Almost Macro
price

Just my view on the subject.

[aneopa]

My doubt is about the image quality of Sigma in comparison with the Pentax.

I'm tending to believe that lenses have a similar IQ, can anyone confirm (or not :-)) that?