Hi Jean,
Well Jean I don't have all the reviews and rankings of all the Pentax lenses as compared to the others but I have read some where that the 18-55 kit did compare well to the others. A little searching by you may find it but I would not fret about if it is as good just know it is not bad and for the price it is not bad and will serve you well till you can do better if you decide to go Pentax DSLR. The Pentax kit 18-55 comes in two versions, the original and version ll which is what I have, here is a review of it....
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1172/cat/all
here is the review of some others from this site...
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php?cat=all&stype=1&si=Pentax
from the Pentax Forums, they have an extensive database of most Pentax compatible lenses......
http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/
Some time spent reading thru some of reviews may give you the answer you seek but know versions l and ll are not bad lenses for kit lenses and compare well with the others kits but could be debated and nitpicked like anything else in life IMO. For me the kit lens is a no-brainer for a starter lens for the budget Pentaxian to get shooting with considering the price. Hope this helps you in your quest...
As for my PP workflow, LOL, I might get embarrassed by sharing as I am a minimalist in that regard.Please note I am not a pro photog but just a avid enthusiast. I don't sell my images (I guess I would if someone offered,LOL) but it is mostly just for me and friends and the occasional post here and there, ect. But I will share my workflow as it is now. Coming from being a P+S JPEG shooter and my wife shoots JPEG I have found Picasa to be my choice for viewing and allowing the quick adjustments for these. I have become comfortable with Picasa over the years as it keeps track of all my photo folders and makes quick reviews of all my images and the wife's as well, it's down and dirty quick for this. It also will convert my RAW images as well for review to cull the ones I want to delete quickly before I do any real PP work.
Like you I have LR 2.7 and I have CS3 (you have CS4). I seldom use CS3 as I have never got comfortable with Photoshop to tell you the truth so LR is my workhorse for my RAW images. I don't go crazy with the images just suttle stuff like cropping, exposure, WB if needed. Some sharpening and noise removal if needed. To be honest I could use some guidance in using both CS3 and LR. I have found that if you work to get the best shot possible to begin with that you will spend less time working on it later with better results. PP is needed for most shots, sure, but even shooting RAW you only have so much room to work with, yes it is much more room than JPEG but it is not unlimited room for adjustment. Definitely many more here have the experience with PP and their advice may be much better than mine. Being I have found that much of PP is a time killer for me I have kept it to a minimum unless I have a image that deserves the extra attention. When I have a image that needs more ( well here is the real embarrassment) I have a friend that is good with photoshop and I let him have at it! He makes it look sooo easy, LOL!
Larry
Larry, thank you for your input. I'm curious if you can tell me the relative rankings of the Pentax kit lenses that would equal the Canon and Nikon kit lenses? Also, I guess with the popularity of the DSLRs, combined with the fact that they are backward compatible with the Pentax lenses, that the lens prices have skyrocketed! I'll take the kit lens suggestions you offer after all!
Beyond the JPEG capture suggestions you offered, what is your preferred PP workflow? I have CS4 and Lightroom 2.7.
Jean