Originally posted by royden CR, Paul and others with a 16-45. That lens rocks(pun intended) I love my copy. It was a gift and I will never get rid of it so I'm tied to Pentax forever.
I don't say "forever" but Pentax is good for me, and the 16-45 is a big part of it. It's sharp from wide open, and sharp basically like primes for the entire range. The rendering that it brings isn't as "natural" or "accurate" to the actual scene, but it has (in my humble opinion) a Zeiss-like enhancement of colors and contrast. Add to that a minimal focusing distance that is much shorter than advertised - it's sharp from there to infinity. And I use flashes so I could care less that the zoom barrel comes out for wide angle.
I've often considered selling another guitar to buy a "better" lens like the DA* 16-50 (which can be had for just over 300 when converted to screw drive) but it flares badly and isn't really sharp at f/2.8 - and does not render more nicely than the 16-45 stopped down. Or the Sigma 17-50 2.8 which these days can be had or 200 dollars, and is by all accounts a great zoom, but doesn't give that Zeiss-like character, either. To me it's one of Pentax's true gems.
Here's a couple more.
Puerto Rico Lighthouse at the Fort
The cruise ships leave St Maarten in the evening, the ginormous Harmony of the Seas is right ahead of us