[Ash]

I've done several weddings with the 16-50 and the results with it are excellent.
Occasionally I have missed a shot owing to focus hunting, but otherwise its IQ is top notch. You can still do the wedding in MF as has been suggested - that way, with some honed skills, you won't miss any shots.

But seriously, that's a good idea. Shoot the wedding then send it in.

[twitch]

The reliability of the 16-50 is a joke, it can never be used without a backup, not even for an amateur. I can afford a 16-50 but there's no way in hell I'm buying one, Sigma or Tamron will get my money for a wide to normal zoom.

[pop4]

My DA* 16 - 50 SDM motor died a few days ago. This timing SUCKS.........

Here's a suggestion. Buy the Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM and make that your fast wide angle lens and use it for the shoots. Send the DA* off to Pentax for warranty repairs, and then when you get the lens back, sell it. You should be able to recoup a large percentage of the cost (if not break even or make a profit) of changing from the DA* to the Sigma, and you'll end up with IMHO, the better lens.

When I asked the Pentax guy if they had any rush service, or if I had any other options other than spending money on a new lens or a rental, the customer service rep said

"Well you don't have to spend any money, you could just cancel the shooting engagements. We'll fix the lens for you and get it back to you when we're done"

I'm not surprised that you feel the need to vent. But at least you should feel a little bit better after you've let that all out, right? Have a

Don't toy with junk, get the EF-S 17-55/2.8 if it's a money tool, I am serious.

Why stop there? I mean, if it's a money tool, why toy with APS-C instead of getting a full frame body and a 24-70/2.8?

....but zooms? Pentax is just weak.

That's a big blanket statement, but I tend to agree with you on that one.

[Ash]

That's a big blanket statement, but I tend to agree with you on that one

Perhaps with the DA* series, but the DAs are great (10-17, 12-24, 16-45, 55-300 in particular) and there are FA* and F* zooms that are excellent as well.

[wlachan]

Why stop there? I mean, if it's a money tool, why toy with APS-C instead of getting a full frame body and a 24-70/2.8?

FF is great but I think not everyone is ready for the bulk, weight and cost, especially for the whole kit. Also, the EF24-70/2.8 is not particular great on both optically and built quality.

Perhaps with the DA* series, but the DAs are great (10-17, 12-24, 16-45, 55-300 in particular) and there are FA* and F* zooms that are excellent as well.

I like the DA10-17 & 12-24 too but a little high on CA. The 16-45 is simply poor on built quality which impact the optical alignment. Sadly the better made F/FA* are not longer available.

[pop4]

FF is great but I think not everyone is ready for the bulk, weight and cost, especially for the whole kit. Also, the EF24-70/2.8 is not particular great on both optically and built quality.

Now you're starting to add constraints to your statement of "Don't toy with junk, get the EF-S 17-55/2.8 if it's a money tool, I am serious" which you didn't have before. Maybe the OP isn't ready for the weight and cost of a non-Pentax body and lens, whether it means switching entire systems or just adding a EOS body and the EF-S17-55/2.8....

And yeah, the EF 24-70/2.8L isn't regarded as a particularly great performer, although I kinda meant the D3s + Nikkor 24-70/2.8G when I said FF + 24-70/2.8
In the old days, some photographers also used medium format cameras for wedding photography, so taking it further, if it's a money making tool...

Perhaps with the DA* series, but the DAs are great (10-17, 12-24, 16-45, 55-300 in particular) and there are FA* and F* zooms that are excellent as well.

My personal experience is:
- I've currently got the 10-17 and it's actually a really good lens, except for a bit more fringing than I would like, and it's not HSM (though if Pentax did put it's SDM in it, I'd probably wouldn't be touching that lens with a 100 foot pole).
- I've never had the 12-24, but chose the Sigma 10-20/4-5.6 over it when deciding to buy a UWA zoom, and it wasn't in the contention either when I decided to upgrade to the Sigma 10-20mm/3.5
- had the 16-45 and it was a sharp lens, but I'll chose the Sigma 17-50/2.8 that I currently have over the 16-45 anyday
- had the 55-300 and it was a good lens, and in my research, better than the equivalent Sigma/Tamron offerings. But I got rid of it because it was too slow

Actually, while writing the above, it's dawned on me that Pentax aren't actually that weak in their zooms, but only on a consumer lens level. I mean, even the original DA 18-55/3.5-5.6 was touted as being one of the best kit lenses available at that time, and the 55-300 did and still does kick ass.

But, what Pentax really lacks are good zooms in that prosumer/pro category, the ~17-50/2.8 lenses, and the ~70-200/2.8 lenses. Sure, they did try with the DA* 16-50/2.8 and DA*50-135/2.8, but with the SDM debacle that doesn't actually officially exist....
Keep in mind though, that Canon has had USM technology since ~1987 and Nikkor their SWM since ~1996 so those two have a lot more experience with their silent motors. Pentax has only had SDM since 2007, and it seems that they are learning and improving, since this new DC focusing system doesn't seem to have as much reported failures as SDM...

[Ubuntu_user]

it costs 1.1 k already, and "w/o hood".

Yeah. Canon charges a premium, that's for sure!

[neurocyclist]

Maybe the OP isn't ready for the weight and cost of a non-Pentax body and lens

The cost issue is a concern for sure, but, not as big as handling. I said earlier that I got to shoot with a D3s, and it does take some amazing pictures! However, I used it for a total of 1 hour. I could never imagine holding that thing up for 7-8 hours and feeling comfortable enough to take great pictures. Now the 5dII is a different story in terms of weight and size, however, the layout and handling are still sub par compared to pentax IMO. For me, image quality is a moot point if I don't even get the shot off. Whether that's due to weight, or poor control layout, the end result is a missed shot.

Now, having said that.... a missed shot is way better than a missed event due to a failed lens! I sure hope Pentax get their s**t together, because I really enjoy using their products. The IQ coming out of the K-5 and the DA* combination has impressed more than a few Canon folks I know and shoot with on a regular basis.

[yusuf]

SDM - Surely Dying Machine.

It's junk and pentax don't want to work on it - however beautiful the glass it is, I wont spend my money on SDM. Pentax should have given you replacement right away since it's just a two month old lens and this problem is well known.

[MPrince]

SDM - Surely Dying Machine.

It's junk and pentax don't want to work on it

Do you have evidence to support this statement that would stand up in court? If not, your statement is libelous.

You might want to edit your post to read "IMO it's junk, and I don't think pentax wants to work on it."

Just some friendly advice.

[pcarfan]

The cost issue is a concern for sure, but, not as big as handling. I said earlier that I got to shoot with a D3s, and it does take some amazing pictures! However, I used it for a total of 1 hour. I could never imagine holding that thing up for 7-8 hours and feeling comfortable enough to take great pictures. Now the 5dII is a different story in terms of weight and size, however, the layout and handling are still sub par compared to pentax IMO. For me, image quality is a moot point if I don't even get the shot off. Whether that's due to weight, or poor control layout, the end result is a missed shot.

Now, having said that.... a missed shot is way better than a missed event due to a failed lens! I sure hope Pentax get their s**t together, because I really enjoy using their products. The IQ coming out of the K-5 and the DA* combination has impressed more than a few Canon folks I know and shoot with on a regular basis.

Does anyone who hire you ask for the gear you are using?...I am asking because this pro who I met brought in a hasselblad and a D3s and he was using the D3s the most. He said as soon as the clients hear the name hasselblad they just sign up...he does excellent work too. I wonder how many would be swayed by the name Pentax ?

[George Lama]

Sigh... OK, so I'm going to go to the hardware store, purchase $40,000 on top-of-the-line power tools, and call myself a master carpenter. After all, I have all the toys so I must be good, right?

As to the OP - had the Pentax rep told me this, I would have very politely told him that the next time his work computer goes bad, he should just go home and sit there unpaid while a replacement computer is prepped for him.

This brings to light the importance of backup equipment or readily available rental equipment. You can't just rely on one of anything when doing any kind of work.

[Class A]

I decided to upgrade to the Sigma 10-20mm/3.5

Why do you consider the change an "upgrade"? One typically doesn't need the constant f/3.5, right?

I went for the 10-20/3.5 straight away because I thought if offers the better trade-offs. Just wondering what made you "upgrade" from the 10-20/4-5.6.

[pop4]

Why do you consider the change an "upgrade"? One typically doesn't need the constant f/3.5, right?

I went for the 10-20/3.5 straight away because I thought if offers the better trade-offs. Just wondering what made you "upgrade" from the 10-20/4-5.6.

The always felt that my copy of the 10-20/4-5.6 wasn't the sharpest, especially compared to samples from other copies of the lens that I had seen, and while the lens was serviced, it was said to be "within spec," so I lived with that for a while. And, at the time, the 10-20/3.5 version of the lens wasn't released yet.

So when I decided I couldn't live with the almost-but-not-good-enough IQ from the 10-20/4-5.6, I looked at the options available to me, i.e. the DA 12-24/4, Tamron 10-24/3.5-4.5 and 11-18/4.5-5.6 and the Sigma 10-20/4-5.6 and 10-20/3.5. At the same time, I was also getting sick of my screw driven lenses* and was in the process of changing my lens lineup to HSM (like I've mentioned above, I would not touch SDM), so went for the only silent focus option. The main upgrade to me was the AF from screw-driven to HSM, and while my new lens was also an upgrade optically, that was almost a given, considering the not-so-great performance of my older lens.

*screw driven isn't that bad in terms of speed and noise when you've got nothing to compare it to and for a while, I was quite content with my screw driven lenses; I like to think of the saying, "ignorance is bliss".
But, as I shot more, and had more exposure to other systems, other photographers, the chance to use their equipment, shooting in different situations, etc etc, when everyone else around you has their USM/SWM/HSM or whatever, and I had my screw-driven AF, comparatively, the difference in AF noise and speed was clear. Going from screw drive to HSM is an upgrade that's important to me.
And I did have high hopes for SDM, and was following all the rumors about the DA* 16-50/2.8 and DA* 50-135/2.8 before they were released. When they were released, their price seemed to be a bit on the high side, but compared to the competition, it actually wasn't too bad (I guess I was just used to the comparatively lower price of Pentax lenses in general) so I was prepared to cough up the $$$. But yeah, when reviews started coming in, reports of decentred lenses, and then reports of SDM issues, etc, well, Pentax wasn't going to get my money.

I've got the Sigma 17-50/2.8 (instead of the DA* 16-50/2.8), Sigma 70-200/2.8 (instead of the DA* 55-135/2.8 or DA* 60-250/4) and Sigma 50/1.4 (instead of the DA* 55/1.4) and can honestly say SDM played a critical part in all those decisions to not to go with Pentax.

[sqjaw]

about the following statement: The lens is approximately 2 months old, and therefore B&H won't take it back so I can get a replacement. Have you contacted B&H to see what they do or say ,or did just take it for granted they would not help you out: it should simple for to replace the lens and ship yours to Pentax and have it come back as refurbished lens: May be talking thru my hat : it does hurt to ask: if all else fails rent one :