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ross · 12-12-2011, 02:13 AM

I bought a second hand Pentax 16-45mm lens and today it arrived and I'm pretty impressed with the image quality not sure if the focal length is long enough though.
But there's two things I'm a bit concerned about, first is there seems a fair bit of play with the focus ring it's quiet wobbly and if you shake the lens you can here it rattle a little but it doesn't seem the effect the image quality.
Sometimes at 16mm the Auto focus wouldn't lock onto the subject, I over come this buy zooming in a little until focus locked then i had to zoom back out.
Is this typical of this lens.

elho_cid · 12-12-2011, 02:19 AM

Some play is usual with AF lenses. I believe the DA16-45 should be above average built quality. Is it worse than your other AF zooms?

Regarding the focus problems, yes that might be quite frequent. I bet you have trouble focusing on distant subjects, right? This kind of front focus is easily fixable, quote the service for price ant it should not be too much.

ross · 12-12-2011, 03:01 AM

Originally posted by elho_cid

Some play is usual with AF lenses. I believe the DA16-45 should be above average built quality. Is it worse than your other AF zooms?

Regarding the focus problems, yes that might be quite frequent. I bet you have trouble focusing on distant subjects, right? This kind of front focus is easily fixable, quote the service for price ant it should not be too much.

Yes it's more noticeable than my Nikon lens and when you shake the lens you can here it but I'm not too worried as the lens is only a stop gap as I think I will eventually get another Tamaron 17-50mm f 2.8, the first copy I had had bad focussing problems at anything below f5.6 and especially f 2.8.
This focus problem at 16mm on my Pentax lens is on distance sujects as you said, so that is what the call front focussing ?

Clavius · 12-12-2011, 05:06 AM

Originally posted by ross

Is this typical of this lens.

It appears so. My copy does a similar thing: It has trouble focussing to infinity on the 16mm end. When using 16mm to focus on a closeby subjects, there are no problems. I get the feeling the ring just can't reach the infinity position.

I started a topic about it, some time ago. (https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-technical-troubleshooting/164765-...cus-issue.html) Sadly, no solution though.

You're right about the IQ the lens produces too. It's VERY good. Approaching the quality of some primes even.

Last edited by Clavius; 12-12-2011 at 05:23 AM.

elho_cid · 12-12-2011, 07:34 AM

The solution is easy, just get the lens serviced. My colleague, also Da16-45 owner, did this and it didn't take long and the repair was cheap.

Clavius · 12-12-2011, 08:16 AM

Originally posted by elho_cid

The solution is easy, just get the lens serviced. My colleague, also Da16-45 owner, did this and it didn't take long and the repair was cheap.

My closest Pentax dealer quoted €125,- (around $170,-) to get it repaired... For a lens that costed my €75,- second hand. That does not compute. Hence my thread requesting DIY options.

elho_cid · 12-12-2011, 08:40 AM

OK then... It was much cheaper here, below 50 euros for sure.

rockmaster1964 · 12-12-2011, 10:00 AM

My 16-45mm has the focusing issue with my k10, but not my k7.

12-12-2011, 02:13 AM	#1
ross Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: hobart Posts: 40	Pentax 16-45mm lens help. I bought a second hand Pentax 16-45mm lens and today it arrived and I'm pretty impressed with the image quality not sure if the focal length is long enough though. But there's two things I'm a bit concerned about, first is there seems a fair bit of play with the focus ring it's quiet wobbly and if you shake the lens you can here it rattle a little but it doesn't seem the effect the image quality. Sometimes at 16mm the Auto focus wouldn't lock onto the subject, I over come this buy zooming in a little until focus locked then i had to zoom back out. Is this typical of this lens.

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12-12-2011, 02:19 AM	#2
elho_cid Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Prague Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,199	Some play is usual with AF lenses. I believe the DA16-45 should be above average built quality. Is it worse than your other AF zooms? Regarding the focus problems, yes that might be quite frequent. I bet you have trouble focusing on distant subjects, right? This kind of front focus is easily fixable, quote the service for price ant it should not be too much.

12-12-2011, 03:01 AM	#3
ross Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: hobart Posts: 40 Original Poster	Originally posted by elho_cid Some play is usual with AF lenses. I believe the DA16-45 should be above average built quality. Is it worse than your other AF zooms? Regarding the focus problems, yes that might be quite frequent. I bet you have trouble focusing on distant subjects, right? This kind of front focus is easily fixable, quote the service for price ant it should not be too much. Yes it's more noticeable than my Nikon lens and when you shake the lens you can here it but I'm not too worried as the lens is only a stop gap as I think I will eventually get another Tamaron 17-50mm f 2.8, the first copy I had had bad focussing problems at anything below f5.6 and especially f 2.8. This focus problem at 16mm on my Pentax lens is on distance sujects as you said, so that is what the call front focussing ?

12-12-2011, 05:06 AM	#4
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Originally posted by ross Is this typical of this lens. It appears so. My copy does a similar thing: It has trouble focussing to infinity on the 16mm end. When using 16mm to focus on a closeby subjects, there are no problems. I get the feeling the ring just can't reach the infinity position. I started a topic about it, some time ago. (https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-technical-troubleshooting/164765-...cus-issue.html) Sadly, no solution though. You're right about the IQ the lens produces too. It's VERY good. Approaching the quality of some primes even. Last edited by Clavius; 12-12-2011 at 05:23 AM.

12-12-2011, 07:34 AM	#5
elho_cid Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Prague Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,199	The solution is easy, just get the lens serviced. My colleague, also Da16-45 owner, did this and it didn't take long and the repair was cheap.

12-12-2011, 08:16 AM	#6
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Originally posted by elho_cid The solution is easy, just get the lens serviced. My colleague, also Da16-45 owner, did this and it didn't take long and the repair was cheap. My closest Pentax dealer quoted €125,- (around $170,-) to get it repaired... For a lens that costed my €75,- second hand. That does not compute. Hence my thread requesting DIY options.

12-12-2011, 08:40 AM	#7
elho_cid Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Prague Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,199	OK then... It was much cheaper here, below 50 euros for sure.

12-12-2011, 10:00 AM	#8
rockmaster1964 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Frisco Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 382	My 16-45mm has the focusing issue with my k10, but not my k7.

Pentax 16-45mm lens help.

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