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View Poll Results: Is this DA*16-50mm good or bad?
Keep it -- it's good. 2388.46%
Return it or send it in for repair. 311.54%
Voters: 26. You may not vote on this poll

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12-04-2007, 11:43 AM   #91
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I'm thinking that perhaps it's been backfocusing that's been the problem for the 'not superb' images I've been getting with the DA* 16-50, as it seems to match the description that you folks have posted here.

In my test that brought me to post this, I was trying to test the autofocus to see if it could be accurate. Strangely enough, I found myself zooming to 50mm, focusing, and then going back to 16mm to take the shot (as someone mentioned doing previously). The only problem is when I'm trying to take a shot at 50mm, and it back focuses... what then? Strangely enough, I used this technique (focus at 55mm, shoot at 18mm) on my DA 18-55 kit lens while travelling and managed to get great shots with this. I just got used to it and didn't think it was a real problem...?

I think I will go and try another copy elsewhere and see if I can get better results than my previous two tries.

12-04-2007, 12:12 PM   #92
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QuoteOriginally posted by hll Quote
guys my question about 16-50 will be a little off topic, but for me it makes sense...
do you think its IQ is so better than 16-45, so it deserves twice the money...???
i don't forget the larger aperture or waterproof feature, but it is app. 800 dolar and should be much better (i am talking about IQ) than 16-45 which is app. 400 dolar...
thanx
halil
Yes I do think it's worth the cost difference and any fast zooms are going to cost more. I've never used the 16-45 but from what I've seen and heard that lens does a great job as well. But when you add up all the feature differences, Weather seals, SDM, Longer range and faster speed. it is worth it. Look at the difference between an FA*80-200 vs an F70-210. One was $1299 new and the other was $299 new. There are IQ differences between them of course but the speed difference along will cost you a lot more. This is also true of the other brands and lens suppliers.
12-04-2007, 12:18 PM   #93
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QuoteOriginally posted by dugrant153 Quote

I think I will go and try another copy elsewhere and see if I can get better results than my previous two tries.
dugrant153,
Download this page and attach it to a hard surface or clipboard. If you have enough light you can do a hand held test (+1/250) as long at you follow the directions. The chart is at the bottom of the page.
http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf
12-06-2007, 04:34 PM   #94
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So I ordered the 16-50 & the 50-135 on Monday, I got a chance to do some shooting today. My first impressions of the 50-135 are mostly positive, fairly sharp wide open nice size & weight, well balanced on the K10D with battery grip.
The 16-50 however is a disappointment and I am returning it tomorrow. It is extremely soft wide open both at 16 & 50. Again the size, weight & feel of the lens is great but optically it's not worth the money. I guess I will exchange it for another one & hope that I got a bad copy. I was expecting it to be on par with my Canon L glass but it's not even close. These are my first Pentax zooms, I love their prime lenses & was expecting more from the zooms.

12-06-2007, 05:33 PM   #95
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Had I read the reviews in this forum prior to my purchasing my 16-50mm $800.00 lens, I would not have bought it....
I really hope pentax is paying attention to us... We do not mind spending the money, so long as we get what we pay for...
12-07-2007, 06:53 AM   #96
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Well, did you get what you paid for? Are YOU happy with the lens? I'm considering swapping my Tamron 28-75mm with the 16-50mm (to pair with the 50-135mm which is great!)

You got the 50-135mm and complained about the pictures you were getting even though they were clearly operator error. Are you understanding exposure better?

So what's your verdict on the 16-50mm?

QuoteOriginally posted by jgredline Quote
Had I read the reviews in this forum prior to my purchasing my 16-50mm $800.00 lens, I would not have bought it....
I really hope pentax is paying attention to us... We do not mind spending the money, so long as we get what we pay for...
12-07-2007, 08:07 AM   #97
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QuoteOriginally posted by egordon99 Quote
Well, did you get what you paid for? Are YOU happy with the lens? I'm considering swapping my Tamron 28-75mm with the 16-50mm (to pair with the 50-135mm which is great!)

You got the 50-135mm and complained about the pictures you were getting even though they were clearly operator error. Are you understanding exposure better?

So what's your verdict on the 16-50mm?
Actually, you will need to point me to the thread where I complained about the 50-135...I have had nothing but praise for that lens...That lens is worth every penny....As far as understanding exposer better, YES..Thanks to the good folks here...

I have the same tamron 28-75 F2.8 and I would not trade it in for the 16-50mm....In fact the Tamron 28-75 F2.8 is my most used lens....

As for my 16-50mm, right now my own personal opinion is that for a person like me who is an amateur hobbiest, I would not have bought this lens...What attracted me to it was the short side...16mm as opposed to 28mm, but right now I can honestly say that I have been using my kit lens 18mm-55mm and it is doing a better job...Why? at least for me because it focuses properly on both ends and I get pretty sharp pics from it...

Here is my opinion on lenses in general...and again this is coming from an amateur hobbiest... When I buy a lens, I put on my camera body and expect it to work and give me good pictures...Should I have to know what exposer is and ISO and shutter priority etc, etc for this to happen?
Example...One of my first lenses was a Tamron 28-80mm lens that I bought new for $80.00... Very soft pictures and very slow...I got what I paid for...
My next lens was a 70-300mm sigma that I bought for $145.00...Great lens, sharp all the way through... I them bought the same 70-300mm sigma APO and what an awesome lens...I paid $210.00..Sharp on both ends...The next lens was the sigma 135-400 apo that I paid 555.00 and was amazed at its sharpness on both ends...I wanted a spare long lens so I bought a Phoienix 100-400mm lens for $210.00 and what a piece of junk...Soft everyplace but at 100-150...I got what I paid for...So I bought a bigma and that was pretty good, but not as sharp as the 135-400, but that is to be expected and I knew it, but for a 50-500mm its pretty darn good....I have also bought a Tamron 28-300 and it is pretty good with an ISO bump...The tamron 18-250 works great all the way through straight out of the box...I also have a sigma 28-300mm zoom that is a paper weight now...Junk (I have exchanged it twice already and same junk) So all in all I have bought 18 lenses this year...

So my verdict on the 16-50mm is Is If have to know how exposer works in order for an 800.00 lens to work, then it should be used as a fishing weight...

12-07-2007, 08:25 AM   #98
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https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/14187-finally-...0-135-a-7.html
12-07-2007, 08:26 AM   #99
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And yes, you really do need to understand how "exposer[sic]" works to make the most out of lenses, more so with the higher end lenses. Maybe slow down your lens purchasing and learn some photography!
12-07-2007, 08:29 AM   #100
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To expand on my last point, example - Someone buys a Bigma, keeps it in auto mode, goes out on a cloudy day and wonders why the pictures are all blurry. I mean, a $1K lens should give me crisp clear pictures, right? I shouldn't have to know that I need to keep the shutter speed as high as possible, both for subject motion (those birds fly fast) and camera shake (@500mm)....And I might need to bump the ISO up to 800 or open up the aperture a bit depending on the lighting conditions. No, I just spend $1K on a lens, it should work without me knowing how to use it
12-07-2007, 08:33 AM   #101
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JGredline do you really own all three camera bodies? K10D, K110d, and K100d Super?
12-07-2007, 08:35 AM   #102
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I believe so, and he also owns a D40 and a D200 (maybe a D80 as well?) I can't imagine buying all that stuff (all those lenses too) and not understanding basic photography. He must have a nice high paying job
12-07-2007, 08:43 AM   #103
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erordon, At the risk of repeating myself. Understanding Exposure by Bryan F. Peterson should be under a lot of Christmas trees this year.
12-07-2007, 08:45 AM   #104
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But it's soooo much more fun to buy another lens!
12-07-2007, 08:47 AM   #105
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As for the Bigma. It exceeded my expectations. I find it very sharp at almost all lengths except the extreme ends, wide open where a little softness creeps in. But what zoom doesn't show that anyway?
Example: User Photo Gallery - Nature
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