Pentax smc DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL WR

The SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 AL, to give it its full name, is Pentax’s take on the ubiquitous ‘kit lens’ concept, designed to offer a functional lens to sell with their SLR bodies at the lowest possible price. And while most of the other manufacturers have taken the opportunity to explore how to build a lens as simply as possible, and using as much plastic as they can get away with, Pentax have taken a different approach.

Find out what 4 readers thought of the Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL SMC DA WR in our review.

A lightweight standard zoom kit lens for Pentax DSLR cameras.The smc Pentax-DA L 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6AL lens supplied for us to review with the K-m camera body was not quite the same as the lens that is sold as a stand-alone item and shown on Pentax's website. There was no green band on the review lens and no focus markings in front of the focusing ring and, although the dimensions of the review lens matched those of the lens listed on the Pentax website, it appeared to be less refined.

Read our detailed analysis of the Pentax smc DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR Standard Zoom lens, find out its pros and cons, and how it compares with the other lenses.