Weather resistant, compact, sporting the new DC motor and all in a very compact package, this new Pentax lens is very appealing. Braving the English rain, we shall see if its performance lives up to its potential.

The Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR lens ($529.95 direct) is a weather sealed zoom lens that is compatible with Pentax D-SLRs and the K-01 ($899.95, 4 stars) compact interchangeable lens camera.

The Pentax lens features an internal "direct current" (DC) motor for focusing which is reasonably fast combined with low noise emissions. The focus accuracy of our test sample was very good. "Quick Shift" - manual focusing in single-shot AF - is supported.

"I'll start and say right off the top, if you're looking for a great pro quality lens, this isn't it. Think of this as more an extended range kit lens. Don't get me wrong, I have seen some astounding images taken with this lens, but it's not up there with the pro quality lenses.

John Riley reviews the SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC, a weather resistant, compact lens.

Superb handling; Weather resistance; Silent DC motor; Close focusing; Quick Shift manual focus; Visually appealing images

High distortion levels; High CA levels; Low fine resolution at longer focal lengths; High price

Weather-resistant finish for use in all manner of conditions

Fuss-free operation

Distortion at extreme focal lengths

Pentax's 18-135mm zoom has a weather-resistant (WR) design – a claim to fame that only stands up if the optics are any good. Fortunately the optical performance is sound and there are also several other features that make this lens worthy of a second look… Despite its compact size there is a full...

Fuss-free operation

Distortion at extreme focal lengths

With the widest zoom range of any current Pentax lens (7.5X), the new 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 ($500, street) is the closest it has today to an all-in-one zoom. A 27–202.5mm full-frame equivalent, this is also one of the few lenses in its class with a weather-resistant (WR) O-ring on the lensmount.

The new Pentax 18-135mm lens is a very welcome addition to the Pentax lens lineup, and seems like a natural companion to the K-5 and K-30. It boasts impressive AF performance as well as above-average image quality, and offers a flexible multi-purpose zoom range, which when combined with its...

Great every day and all occasion lens. I use it almost exclusively with my Pentax K-5II.