DA* 16-50mm Serial Number Database.

**Buddha Jones** · 03-07-2008, 03:02 PM

OK, so I guess this is a long time coming, in an attempt to keep the histeria to a minimal, lets start keeping track of the good and bad serial numbers so we can try and see if there is a trend base on some facts rather than speculation.

Please help out, if you have a DA* 16-50mm please post your SN# here and wether it is a good or a bad copy and if it's a bad copy where you got it from. This will help to keep count of bad vs. good and perhaps build a corrolation with the serial numbers as well.

Thanks.

**Buddha Jones** · 03-07-2008, 03:04 PM

Ill start out.

Mine is a good one, and my serial number is 9011133. I got mine used from a forum member.

*bigben91682* · 03-07-2008, 03:30 PM

From this post:

New DA* 16-50mm...survey says....STINKER

SN 9018018

Well so it seems that the QC issue still hasn't been resolved yet in later model.

9018018 from Amazon was NO GOOD

*Canada_Rockies* · 03-07-2008, 03:33 PM

Serial number 9013067 is a good one.

cafinator · 03-07-2008, 05:42 PM

Serial 9021117 is good

Dice · 03-07-2008, 08:24 PM

First bad one was SN 9017292 purchased from B&H and I just got the second one today at 1pm and after an afternoon of shooting and evening of testing 9018380 it is a stinker as well. It severely front focuses as you move from 50 to 16mm. Also from B&H. It is going back next week. I'm leaning towards asking for a refund at this point and not waiting another 2 weeks.

CapitaineAbitibi · 03-08-2008, 02:55 AM

9015921 is pure "doo doo" SDM doesn't work anymore, got it in Canada from my hometown store.

*aaalegre* · 03-08-2008, 03:04 AM

How do you know if its good or bad? I have one from b&h

alib99 · 03-08-2008, 03:37 AM

Originally Posted by aaalegre

How do you know if its good or bad? I have one from b&h

If you do not know if it is bad then I guess it is a good copy

aegisphan · 03-08-2008, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by aaalegre

How do you know if its good or bad? I have one from b&h

It either has back or front focus, coupling with the very noticeable softness at wide open.

desame.one · 03-08-2008, 12:06 PM

Serial Number: 9013254
Of all the bad images related to the DA* 16-50 that I have seen on this forum, I think I had the worst copy of the lens. At all focal lengths and apertures, my images were blurry (double images) with the exception of the center area being very clean and sharp.

Replacement was due for delivery yesterday, but my wife didn't hear UPS ringing our doorbell. I'll report back after Monday with the replacement's serial number and test results.

PePe · 03-09-2008, 11:05 AM

S/N 9012269 is a good copy. Purchased from a Pentax retailer in Helsinki in October.

*Tyama* · 03-09-2008, 09:23 PM

Serial number 9017115 is good as far as I can tell

*AlanR* · 03-09-2008, 09:49 PM

9019612 good, no problems, and I am beginning to wonder if there isn't some mass hysteria going on about this lens.

ryan s · 03-10-2008, 09:22 AM

It's just a good idea to keep track in case a certain retailer is hustling the same lens as it's returned for faults. Also we might see a correlation in resellers having lots of bad copies.

I was hoping to see some relationship of bad SN's to good SN's...none so far. Still holding off till summer to decide if I really want one.