HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6

Focusing

The HD Pentax-DA 16-85mm zoom features silent autofocus via an in-lens DC motor.  The AF operation is very quiet and the DC motor is not prone to failure.  Users upgrading from a lens with screwdrive autofocus will appreciate the 16-85mm's silent operation.

The lens focuses internally and its focusing ring does not move during AF.  It does not support the traditional screwdrive AF system.

We can confirm that autofocus was plenty fast when using the viewfinder with the two cameras we used for this test, the Pentax K-50 and the K-3.  Autofocus is accurate and in combination with the K-3 it tracked moving objects well in viewfinder mode.  We consider the AF speed to be sufficient for typical shooting scenarios.  The speed is similar to that of the DA 18-135mm, though our subjective impression is that the latter is faster by a hair.  But the 16-85mm is unquestionably faster-focusing than Pentax SDM lenses such as the DA* 50-135mm or 60-250mm.

In live view, focusing is slower but potentially more accurate.  Our copy of the lens did not suffer from AF calibration issues while shooting through the viewfinder.

The lens features Quick-shift which allows for fine-tuning focus as set by the autofocus mechanism without having to switch the camera to manual focus. Just turn the focusing ring to achieve the desired result. During our testing we did not have to resort to this feature.

For manual focus the focus throw is on the short side and the ring moves without much resistance. We would have preferred that the focusing ring was a bit more stiff so as to prevent you from accidentally changing the focus setting.  The design of this lens leads to a lack of a distance scale, since the focusing ring does not rotate during AF.  There is still a mechanical linkage between the lens and the focusing ring when focusing manually, however.


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