Originally posted by GaryH Oh, yeah for a moment I forgot about that one.
The only problem is that this is not really an
official statement, just a quick word from a local technician during a tradeshow. If I had a faulty DA* and demanded a free repair/replacement based on that statement, I'm not sure my request would be honored.
I have a friend with a faulty 16-50, so I would be interested to know other people's experience with trying to get a free repair/replacement from Pentax.
FWIW, he once lent me the lens for a few days (when it still worked) and I really liked it. Great color and contrast and pretty sharp. I remember thinking it was a little better than my trusty old 16-45 (which I LOVE).
If the OP lives in a place with a good Pentax rep and can get long-term warranty (and swallow the high price), I guess it could be a good purchase. Personally, where I live, the Pentax rep is a JOKE (virtually non-existent, they are also the Canon reps and don't care about Pentax), and I bought all my stuff from B&H overseas, so I still wouldn't take a chance with a DA*.
I am also toying with the idea of getting the Sigma 17-50 (or 17-70C. Funny, they are the same price here), or even the DA20-40Ltd if my LBA illness becomes worse again (I managed to stay clean for quite a long time now!).