HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm Officially Announced

New premium alternative to the 18-55mm kit lens

By PF Staff in Pentax Announcements on Oct 29, 2014

The HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6 ED DC WR walkaround lens has just officially become the latest addition to the Pentax K-mount lens lineup.  Originally on display at Photokina 2014, this lens offers a wider angle of view and a longer zoom range that the standard kit lens.  It also incorporates the premium HD coating as well as silent DC autofocus, and it has a weather-sealed design.

It will be interesting to see how this lens compares to the 18-55mm and 18-135mm lenses in terms of image quality.  This is something that we plan to investigate in our in-depth review.

The US retail price for the 16-85mm is $746.95 USD, and it is expected to ship in late November.  In the UK, the lens retails for £599 GBP.

Full specifications for this lens are available in our lens database.

Product Photos

US Press Release

Denver, Colorado October 29, 2014

RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION is pleased to announce the launch of the HD PENTAX-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR. Designed for use with PENTAX K-mount digital SLR cameras, this interchangeable zoom lens is the newest addition to the K-mount series and will provide photographers with a new, high-quality lens option for capturing cutting edge imagery in virtually any setting.

Developed in response to requests from enthusiastic photographers, this new versatile lens provides a high zoom ratio of approximately 5.3 times to cover focal lengths from 16mm ultra-wide-angle to 85mm telephoto for lengths equivalent to 24.5mm to 130mm in the 35mm format. This makes it an ideal lens suitable for anything from wide-angle landscape shots to portrait photography.

“With the introduction of the new PENTAX DA 16-85mm lens, we are bringing to market a very versatile lens”, said Jim Malcolm, President of Ricoh Imaging North America.” The16-85mm allows photographers the capability of shooting both wide angle and telephoto quality images, whether capturing an amazing sunset over the mountains, or a group shot of the family at Thanksgiving, the 16-85 is designed to give you versatility in a single lens.”

This new lens features the PENTAX-exclusive HD coating which delivers sharp, clear images reducing the occurrence of flare and ghosting, even under challenging lighting conditions such as backlight. Its weather-resistant construction with 11 seals makes it remarkably dependable, preventing water from getting into the lens interior. This durable design allows photographers to remain confident in its abilities under demanding outdoor conditions including rain and snow. It consists of 16 optical elements in 12 groups and features an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) optical element to effectively compensate for chromatic aberrations, and aspherical optical elements to minimize color bleeding.

With smooth, quiet autofocus operation driven by a built-in DC motor, you’re sure to enjoy serene shooting.

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