Jon M wrote:
<I'm tempted to get a SMC Pentax-M 24-35 or 24-50. Or even an aftermarket 19ish-
35ish.
>From the opinions and ratings I've gathered, these are probably the best of the
third-party manual-focus zooms that begin at 17 to 24 and end at 35 to 50:
20-35 Tokina AT-X f/3.5 to 4.5 (manual or autofocus versions)
21-35 Sigma f/3.5 to 4.2 (may be more like a 22 to 33mm)
Soligor 24-45mm f/3.5 to 4.5;
24-48 Vivitar Series One f/3.8
The 17- and 19-to-anythings of that era were not in the same class, nor was
Vivitar's later 24-48/3.5, nor Tamron's SP 24-48 f/3.5 to 3.8.
Some would include in the "A" list the 24-40 Tokina AT-X f/2.8 (a reworked
version of the Tokina-made Sun 24-40/3.5 macro, which was also sold as the Hoya
25-42mm f/3.5. But I've read mixed reviews of the 24-40/2.8, and I question how
its designed managed to deliver an f/2.8 maximum aperture while maintaining the
Sun's 72mm filter size. (then again, Pentax squeezed a 50/1.2 behind a 52mm
filter ring.)
I've read mixed reviews of the Tamron 20-40 f/2.7 to 3.5, an autofocus lens.
Its range is certainly attractive, as 40mm approaches the 43.5mm "true normal"
focal length.
Presumably the wide-end zooms of the autofocus era have surpassed these older
designs. Sigma recently introduced not only a 24-60/2.8 but a second-generation
24-70/2.8. Certainly Pentax's own 24-35/3.5M remains a highly credible
performer, if you find that rather modest zoom range sufficient. And many are
happy with Pentax's 20-35/4 FA, though it is more of a consumer-grade lens than
a pro lens.
Paul Stregevsky
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