Two lenses, both a very useful range, and obviously the one with the widest focal length range won't be as sharp. Will it? To find out, i did an impromptu rough test, both lenses being mounted on a Pentax K-3 II and the camera in turn on a solid Manfrotto 055 tripod. The test target shows lots of fine detail, so the trick is to study the corners and the actual readability of the smallest writing. Testing was at ISO 100, apertures were wide open at f/3.5 and stopped down to f/16. The two second self timer also locks up the mirror before the exposure, so all vibration is avoided.
Let's have a look at the images:
Pentax 18-135mm at f/3.5
Pentax 18-270mm at f/3.5
Pentax 18-135mm at f/16
Pentax 18-270mm at f/16
And the conclusion is that both lenses are nice and sharp, but the longer zoom has the edge. Only one focal length was chosen, around 30mm, but it does show that the superzooms can compete. The only real disadvantage is the very limited maximum aperture, especially at the long end, which might typically be f/6.3. This can cause camera shake problems.
And this is the sort of thing I get up to when a bit of spare time comes along.........
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