Pentax smc DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3

Considering the slightly extended focal length of the Pentax smc DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3, it’s still relatively compact.

The extra length means that the Pentax smc DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3  has a film focal length equivalent of 27.5-382.5mm – offering a substantial reach.
There’s a large, grooved zoom ring which in operation produced a fairly fluid movement through the focal range, though not the best on test. The manual focus ring at the front of the lens is quite thin and doesn’t offer the most precise control, plus there was a bit too much free play. The overall look and feel is similar to the Pentax 18-55mm kit lens, so if you have one of those, you’ll know what to expect.
There’s no need for an anti-shake system as the latest Pentax D-SLRs have Shake Reduction built in, but some kind of AF motor to reduce the noise would have been good, as it’s quite loud in operation, with a mixture of buzzes and whirrs. It’s also fairly slow at focusing and often struggled to lock on first time. A generally disappointing performance from this Pentax model.