I thought Iīd never be able to afford / hold the DA* lenses. I joined digital Pentax just before the Unilateral Pricing took place on April 2012. Also, (I am from Argentina and as Pentax is not known or represented it is prohibitively expensive (i.e. DA*50-135 for U$D 2700). But after getting to know the folks on this forum and some small purchases on the marketplace and good price opportunity I felt confident to buy a "hacked" copy from a reputable seller (
icywindow). Hacked, becouse it was reprogramed to work with screwdrive autofocus on the K-5. (I donīt have access to earlier models to do it myself and if SDM broke, nobody would even know how to fix it or, if lucky, acquire the replacements). I believe the hack was done by previous owner,
panoguy.
Enough background for the moment. This is my third DA series lens. The first one was the very respectable DA18-55WR that came with my K-5 and later the DA10-17 joined the fun. I do have some very fine glass from the film era such as A24, F28, M35 and F50 so I have quality and speed covered, but not the versatibility of a zoom lens,
WR and wide angle. After some analysis on lightroom regarding lens and focal lengths use (great tool for this purpose), I noticed that a lot of the shots done on good locations (generally bad weather conditions or difficult to move freely) were taken using the DA18-55WR. Comparing these with the few taken with F28 or F50 showed a subtle but worthy difference...
The DA*16-50 is a polemic lens and so I read, asked and read a little more to understand what the softness, aberration, distortion, etc. problems where all about. Finally, comments from other users and numerous samples at different settings convinced me that it was a good choice for my needs.
The following are some findings I didnīt read about when researching the lens.
Size & weigth: Ok, everybody writes about this regarding this lens, but perhaps this is a different approach: Not long ago, I was able to replace my F80-200 (300grs, sweeet) with the FA80-320 (550grs, similar size and weight as DA16-50). At first I was hesitant about this, but afer trying it I realized the weight and size actually helped with stability and felt better balanced with the body. Funny, I had never mounted a lens heavier than 300grs on my camera.
As expected, this also applies to the DA16-50, though not when picking it up or maneuvering one handed, even if only for a few seconds.
Transporting the lens is another thing. I was thinking about selling the DA18-55WR to recover some of the investment, but now I am thinking of keeping it for the times when portability is more important than ultimate IQ and/or adverse weather conditions are not expected.
Control layout: Excelent. I donīt know if this is relevant to more experienced users (this is my first "pro" level zoom) but I find it really easy and intuitive to set. May sound silly or obvious but I value a good efficient design. "A picture is worth a thousand words" they say...
This sensitive layout allows seamless operation between quick shift, catch in focus and auto focus. Lots of choices with ease and speed to go through them.
Manual focus: I was surpriced to discover how easy it is to manually focus (stock viewfinder screen). Short but well dumped focus throw / ring makes things really pop on the viewfinder once in focus. I made a comparison with the A24/2.8, which has a similar distance scale (although larger focus throw), and the experiment confirmed the finding. Focus ring is big and well dumped. One more thing about focus ring: infinity stop actually corresponds to infinity!
Hood: I wish it had a tighter fit when reversed, like the ones on DA18-55 or DA18-135, as it really adds bulk. Also, it wonīt allow the on board flash or focus assist lamp to work properly. I guess this is the price to pay for the 16mm wide end.
I hope someone finds this helpful. I will update if I find out something of interest as some chances to try out this gem appear.
And after all, all this trouble is for the pictures, right? Hereīs a couple taken with... well, the DA18-55WR of course! What did you espect? Iīve only had the DA*16-50 for a week or so!
The first one was taken at base camp "El Salto" in Mendoza, Argentina at 4000 meters above sea level (masl) during night (everyone was already in their tents and I was setting long exposures out in the cold). The second one was taken at 5000 masl "Cuesta del Portezuelo", while making our way to the summit.
Regards,
Francisco
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UPDATE
I had the chance to take a walk with my new lens and took the opportunity to compare it against my primes.
The "second part":
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/228275-da16-50...ml#post2423291
Last edited by carrrlangas; 06-17-2013 at 09:15 PM.
Reason: Update