Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens USA
The Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens is a high-quality telephoto zoom lens that is designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras. It offers a focal length that is equivalent (in 35mm format) from 27.5 to 207mm. This wide coverage is ideal for a variety of telephoto applications, including portraiture, sports and scenery.
The image circle in DA-series lenses is designed to perfectly match the 23.5mm x 15.7mm size of the CCD used in Pentax digital SLRs to optimize camera performance. This design also contributes to a drastic reduction in size, weight and production cost compared to 35mm-format counterparts with similar specifications.
Pentax DA (DA-Star) zoom lenses come equipped with the SDM System, which assures smoother, quieter auto-focusing operation by using a built-in supersonic motor. Like all Pentax lenses, this lens is treated with smc coating for maximum light transmission, sharp definition, and high contrast images.
In addition, SP (Super Protective) coating made of a special fluoride compound has been applied to the front surface of the lens through the use of a unique evaporation process. As a result, the lens offers excellent water and oil-repellent performance and makes for easier cleaning should the lens be accidentally smeared with fingerprints or cosmetics.
- Extended 7.5X zoom range is ideal for a wide range of shooting conditions.
- Weather resistant to handle damp, inclement conditions.
- Compact and lightweight design for easy portability.
- Direct Current (DC) motor supports quick, quiet autofocus operation.
- Pentax Super Protect (SP) coating helps repel dust, water, and grease, making the lens easier to clean.
- Pentax Quick Shift focus system allows instant on-the-fly switching from auto to manual focus.
- An aspherical lens element helps to compensate for spherical aberration to maximize image quality.
- Equivalent to 27.5-207mm in the 35mm format.
- Developed specifically for Pentax digital SLR cameras.
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length |
18 - 135 mm Comparable APS-C Focal Length: 27.5 - 207 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/3.5 - 5.6 Minimum: f/22 - 38 |
| Camera Mount Type | Pentax K |
| Format Compatibility | Pentax Digital (APS-C) |
| Angle of View | 76° - 11.9° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1.3' (40 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.24x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:4.16 |
| Groups/Elements | 11/13 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 62 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 2.9 x 3.0" (7.37 x 7.62 cm) |
| Weight | 14.3 oz (405 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 32 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Durable (16)
- Lightweight (15)
- Fast / accurate auto-focus (14)
- Easy to use (13)
- Strong construction (11)
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/scenery (15)
- Everyday (13)
- Travel (12)
- Landscape photography (7)
- Wildlife photos (7)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Enthusiast (9), Photo enthusiast (9), Semi-pro photographer (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (32)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 32 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Versatile
- Weather sealed
Cons
- Soft edges
Best Uses
- Shooting Indoors
- Shooting Outdoors
- Walk-around lens
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I haven't really played around with this lens that much. However, I can really tell that it is soft in the corners. At the same focal length with my SMC PENTAX DA 18-55MM F3.5-5.6 AL WR and my SMC PENTAX DA 55-300MM F4-5.8 ED, it is not as sharp in the edges.
Having said that, it is still a good walk-around. The reason I bought this is so that I do not have to keep changing lens, especially indoors.
I believe that every lens has its own personality. You use it for what it is, and not for what it is not.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact Design
- Easy To Use
- Improves Picture Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Close Up Filming
- Shooting Indoors
- Shooting Outdoors
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
This lens is a high quality glass. Far superior then the kit lens that comes with most DSLR's. The weight balances out the weight of the K-5.
This lens is a must with the K-5 DSLR
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Home
- Landscape Photography
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Bought this to go with my Pentax Kr body. I wanted an all-around lens so I wouldn't be changing lenses alot. Nice wide angle at the short distance and a pretty good zoom on the far end. Had a great Tokina on my old ME Super that was pretty big and heavy and this seems to match the quality and zoom of the Tokina in a much smaller and light weight size. Photo quality seems good but haven't had it on but only a couple weeks.
Auto focus is FAST. If it doesn't seem quite right you can manually adjust. The Tokina was a manual focus so now having the auto is a whole new world for me!
Bought a clear filter for the front for protection.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Fast
- Lightweight
- Quiet
- Water Resistant
Cons
- No Manual Aperture Ring
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Landscape Photography
- Portraits
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Fantastic/functional focal length range.
I don't need to change my lens as much as I used to.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
- Not Functional
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Smooth and fast focusing, good performance with K-5, and impressed by the WR. But there is little bit tight for zooming.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Reliable
- Weather resistant
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Landscape Photography
- Portraits
- Studio
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I needed to replace my walk around lens with something something with a little more zoom, this fit well in to my collection. Very sharp, fast AF, solid construction, and takes great photos. The weathers sealing is a great bonus. It rained last weekend and I did not worry since I had this lens on my K-5!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Landscape Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
This is probably going to become my "walk-around" lens. Although I haven't had the chance to use it as much as I would like to this point, my conclusions thus far are extremely positive. While some complain about the weight and size (and distortion at the ends of its range), I have no complaints. I bought it knowing full-well what others had said it reviews. It is a telephoto zoom with a nice range, after all. I recommend it, if you need a quality lens in this range - really can't beat the price, all in all.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Landscape Photography
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
This is my first pentax len, I can not tell this is the best len but you can easiliy to take many sharp and hight quality photos with this len, the range 18-135mm is very useful,fast foucing, lightweight, good for travel.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
- A little slow
- Some CA wide open
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Great foacl range
- Landscape Photography
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Perfect walk about lens for the K5. This lens can do a lot without need to swap out lenses. Great in the rain.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Good focus range
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I bought this for the trip to Japan and the 18mm - 135mm range was perfect. We walked around a lot so I didn't want to have to change lenses. It produced good quality photos. It's not a great lens inside temples, and for that I pulled out a prime lens.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I need one good walk-about zoom lens for those times when there is not time to change lenses or you do very varied shooting under different conditions, and this lens meets those needs. The zoom range is good enough - not as good as the Tamron 18-250 I gave my son, and which is no longer available, alas... but good enough. It is not as sharp or as fast as my Pentax 40 mm pancake, but it is sharp enough and I have not seen vignetting or border softness yet despite other more negative reviews. I wish it was wider - but you can't have everything. Will get a wide-angle separately.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
...when you want to travel light.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Home
- Landscape Photography
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I bought this lens to replace a Pentax-FA 28-80mm that I had used for many years as my main middle-of-the-range zoom for travel and general shots. This new lens is even better than the old one, having a larger range, of course, and also I am finding that it is sharper than the older one. I also like that the lens hood can stay on the lens when I am not using it, and I can quickly and easily flip it on. I had never used the hood for my older lens because it needed separate storage and I just never had room in my bag for it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Wide range
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Portraits
- Traveling
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Realising that super-zooms are a compromise, this lens manages to minimise the compromise. It is a sturdy, well made lens which is quiet and quick to operate. It may battle to focus in low light and the image may not be tack sharp to the edge (as compared to primes, stars and limiteds), but it delivers excellent photos. It is compact, weather resistant, well built and has the Pentax "colour". With its large range and smallish size, you are more likely to catch the picture than complain "I've got the wrong lens on"
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Fast focusing
- Lightweight
- Reliable
- Small
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Traveling
- Walk-around
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Very pleased with this lens, had it for a few weeks and have taken several hundred pics in a variety of situations. It's small, of a good build quality, and has the fastest focusing of any of the Pentax lenses I've tested (a dozen or so). Much quicker on focusing than the da* 16-50 or the 50-135, which I use frequently. Bought it as a weather-sealed walk around for my K5, doing good. Not a replacement for the da*'s in low light, as it quickly goes to F5.6, but fantastic for what it does well at this cost.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I bought the DA18-135 WR as a general-purpose walk-about lens to replace my DA 18-55 kit and compliment my DA 55-300telephoto zoom and haven't been disappointed. I am no longer swopping lenses for that little extra reach you need with a general purpose lens.
As important - the B&H shopping experience was something really special, I have NEVER been in a store with such a buzz. That in itself was an amazing experience!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Weather resistant
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
Some poor reviews of this lens, but I took a chance and I'm very pleased. The answer is to put the lens on a K-5, enter the lens correction menu, select correct pincushion and barrel distortion, select correct lateral chromatic aberration and the camera will do the rest. Takes a bit longer to write/process the shot, but it works very well. The lens is very well made.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
This is great glass, an awesome build quality lens, fully weather-sealed, and fast-focusing. Images taken with this lens come out outstanding on my Pentax K-5 that I purchased with it. Of the 2 lenses I purchased (18-135mm and 55-300 DA) this one is the gem of the duo and the one I'd highly recommend.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Macro Photography
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
I use this lens as a multipurpose lens for most pictures. I have a 70 x 300 for wildlife.
Well made and works well with K-5.
As with any zoom lens, it has some weight to it.
Pictures are excellent.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Portraits
Comments about Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens:
sharp when wide open. Although this lens has purple edge, my K7 body is easy to fix it. With B+W CPL filter, I can get very good contrast image.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Displaying reviews 1-20
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What's in the Box
- Front and Rear Lens Caps
- Lens Hood
- 1-Year Limited Warranty
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