[thibs]

The K10D was already pushing the limits of the 16-45mm f/4 - my copy has the wobbly barrel and as a consequence: it has considerable de-centering.

Mmm I should probably upgrade my standard lens but I so much more into my 4x5 Wista right now.
I'll check Sigma's options too. Maybe it's also time to sell my 50-135 and get some money back before it worth nuts.

[MPrince]

I miss the SR switch from the K10d. Better than scrolling through menus.

You don't have to scroll through menus.

Hit the 'Info' button, highlight the 'SR' icon, then hit 'Info' button again.

The next time you want to turn on/off SR, just hit 'Info' button, then turn the rear e-dial, and hit 'Info' button again.

[y0chang]

I think the 17-70mm is staying till the production run is over as a low-mid range priced standard zoom. My guess is that they will drop the price down when the 16-85mm comes out. Pentax philosophy towards dealers is high profits and low inventory. This is why pentax always has fire sales, some people are drawn in when that happens (I did when I payed 250 after 2 rebates for a IstDL) then buy higher end stuff later. I think its harder than people think to redesign a lens from SDM to micromotor. It would cost almost as much as designing a new lens, so that is what Pentax did, design a new lens.

[MPrince]

I want a very fast portrait lens with WR, not another walk around.

Does the DA*55 1.4 not fit that bill?

[LeeRunge]

With or without software corrections applied (on both sides, I'm not really defending Pentax, just making sure the comparison is fair).

It's getting some corrections through the body. photozone.de has a good review of it. In general it's regarded as one of the best "kit" lenses out there, pretty expensive though as mentioned in europe which takes away from that. It's included for much less over here.

16-85 is a great range and if this comes out with high quality optics (with in body correction or not) it'll be really nice in a kit form with the K-3.

[Biro]

I really hope this 16-85 outshines the 17-70 in every aspect except f/4 constant.

And even in that respect the 16-85 might be okay if it stays at f/3.5 for a good bit of its focal range.

[thibs]

It's getting some corrections through the body. photozone.de has a good review of it. In general it's regarded as one of the best "kit" lenses out there, pretty expensive though as mentioned in europe which takes away from that. It's included for much less over here.

16-85 is a great range and if this comes out with high quality optics (with in body correction or not) it'll be really nice in a kit form with the K-3.

Thanks.

[northcoastgreg]

So, when I bought a Nikon to bolt on the back of my newly acquired 2nd hand (from here!) 100-300/4 Sigma, I bought the 16-85 Nikkor. Perfect travel/general purpose lens for me. I don't need a wide aperture for this kind of use

Finally, someone who gets this new Pentax lens. The purpose of this lens is not to replace the DA 16-45 or the DA 17-70, but to compete with the Nikon 16-85 and the Canon 15-85, lenses favored by serious APS-C shooters who can't afford expensive, faster lenses. I have seen 12 by 18 and larger prints from the Nikon 16-85, and it's a very nice lens (although the DA 17-70 is better). If you use it for wide depth-of-field photography and shoot it on a tripod, the low aperture becomes a non-issue.

I don't see this new DA 16-85 as being a replacement for the DA 17-70, and not merely because of the (mostly) slower, variable aperture. The DA 17-70 is really unique among APS-C lenses, as it provided performance falling between high-end and mid-range offerings, something that neither Canon nor Nikon offer in their APS-C lineups. I suspect the DA 16-85 will perform more like other mid-range zooms with comparable range.

[zoolander]

I think Pentax will make there biggest announcements at CP+ 2015. The K-3 came out at CP+ in 2013, and 645Z a few months later. At photokina we just got a couple of things.

Bottom line, Pentax will put out its best gear at the Japanese photography show first, and Photokina in Germany is in second place. In other words, Japan is the center of the photography universe and not Germany, the way I look at it.

[Kunzite]

The K-3 was actually announced in October (in a non-Photokina year).

[JPT]

I think Pentax will make there biggest announcements at CP+ 2015. The K-3 came out at CP+ in 2013, and 645Z a few months later. At photokina we just got a couple of things.

Bottom line, Pentax will put out its best gear at the Japanese photography show first, and Photokina in Germany is in second place. In other words, Japan is the center of the photography universe and not Germany, the way I look at it.

Actually, I've noticed that in the last couple of years a lot of mid to high end cameras were launched just after CP+. I just don't think that trade shows are a major factor in deciding when to launch cameras. Photokina gets a number of important releases mainly because it is a good time to get cameras on shelves before the holiday season. When you think about it, the idea of trade shows to reach normal consumers is kind of silly in the internet age. It makes more sense for distributors.

So that means I'm expecting cool things at any time!

[thibs]

Trade shows are convenient for businesses and for their ability to gather all kind of gears in the same place, easy to touch and compare.
That's it.

[Digitalis]

Japan is the center of the photography universe and not Germany, the way I look at it.

Japan is all about marketing - that's it. Germany is where Leica cameras come from, and is where some of the great lens makers are based (Schneider*, Rodenstock, Carl Zeiss, Leica). Germany is where the specifications for 35mm film were standardized. You may not like it, but without Germany photography wouldn't be where it is today.

*Schott (Schneider) also makes a considerable amount of the glass that is used in high end filters, DSLR lenses,Reflex mirrors, Prisms, Dichroic OLPF, and covering glass for sensor modules.

[Daikokuya]

Japan is all about marketing - that's it.

Not so actually. Carl Zeiss has relegated the production of the coveted Otus 1.4/55 to a Japanese company because they know that no companies other than Japan can clear the high standard that Carl Zeiss requires on the lens production. Fuji and Panasonic have also enjoyed the joint production with European makers, though nobody doubts the superiority of German technology as a predecessor of photo gears.

[zoolander]

The K-3 was actually announced in October (in a non-Photokina year).

Oh yeah, sorry my mistake.