HD PENTAX-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR

**boriscleto** · 09-15-2014, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by aurele

If it's priced around the same as the current 18-55 non WR, then what's to whine about ?

It won't be. DC is going to cost...

DennisH · 09-15-2014, 10:25 AM

Originally posted by aurele

Hell ! Many people bash this lens even though nobody have seen it, tried it, or got any clue on the price !

Welcome to Pentax Forums.

**Aristophanes** · 09-15-2014, 10:27 AM

Wide is much harder to pull of compactly. And Pentax is the compact lens company what with IBIS.

Good specs for an affordable lens with 24mm eq. FOV and very functional tele. Super fast Sigmas are huge tanks. Who cares?

Zygonyx · 09-15-2014, 10:28 AM

Yes, i think you should look at what the other labels are doing...
Sony still scratch their head to present some decent lenses, with a very poor and recent 16-80mm ;
Fuji is starting a lens game the same way Pentax did it more than 10 years ago, only starting WR lenses ;
Canon for example does roughly the same with a new gliding 24-105mm for APS-C ...
So who will really cry for an affordable, versatile and compact (which i presume) HD WR and DC 16-85mm zoom ?

Clavius · 09-15-2014, 10:33 AM - **1 Like**

How many slow zooms can they produce?

starbase218 · 09-15-2014, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by aurele

Hell ! Many people bash this lens even though nobody have seen it, tried it, or got any clue on the price !

Maybe it's to replace the 18-55 which would be great ! It have DC (for how long have we been whining about the lack of this DC motor into entry level lens ? ), it have WR (obviously to be paired with a WR body - K50/K3), ED glass (no more fringing ?).

If it's priced around the same as the current 18-55 non WR, then what's to whine about ?

I understand many where hoping a 16-85 f2.8 or f4 (inc. me for example), but isn't that a small step in the right direction ?

I expect it to be priced around 550-600 euros, e.g. similar to the Canon and Nikon offerings. Compared to those, it doesn't have VR, but it does have WR. And the V and W letters are so close together in the alphabet that the cost of those features should be nearly identical as well.

Actually, the longer I think about it, the more this lens makes sense to me. The 18-55 is your standard kit lens to get started. Sigma has a 17-70 offering that is faster than Pentax's, so they are having a hard time competing there with the DA 17-70 (even though that is a very good piece of glass imho). Then there is the 18-135, which is light, compact and good for what it is, but doesn't really shine in the long end as an allround lens. A 16-85 distinguishes itself from the Sigma by being longer and wider and having WR. Yeah it's not a fast lens, but OTOH the 15/16-85s from the competition aren't any faster.

fsge · 09-15-2014, 10:36 AM

Originally posted by Paul the Sunman

This was always going to be the least exciting of the new K-mount lenses currently flagged on the road map. Bring on the new ultra-wide zoom!!

Could have been a DA* f2.8 or f4 (at least that was the case two years ago judging from roadmap...)
This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55
Two other zooms will be:

DA 12-28 (from Tokina)
and 120-400

starbase218 · 09-15-2014, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by fsge

Could have been a DA* f2.8 or f4 (at least that was the case two years ago judging from roadmap...)
This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55
Two other zooms will be:

DA 12-28 (from Tokina)
and 120-400

The roadmap said it would be a * lens. Not all * lenses are f/2.8, and frankly, I don't think expecting a 16-85 to be f/2.8 throughout the zoom range is realistic. Even f/4 might be pushing it.

At that time, however, people were speculating it would be a 24-70/2.8..... to fuel their FF speculations.

IchabodCrane · 09-15-2014, 10:51 AM

Originally posted by fsge

Could have been a DA* f2.8 or f4 (at least that was the case two years ago judging from roadmap...)
This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55
Two other zooms will be:

DA 12-28 (from Tokina)
and 120-400

I doubt this will replace the standard 18-55 zoom lens. Instead, it quite likely replaces the 17-70 which is not a compelling lens since the release of the 18-135. The 17-70 is too short compared to the 18-135 with only getting 1 mm on the other end. Yes, some say the 17-70 has better IQ than the 18-135 but most admit the IQ difference is marginal.

**boriscleto** · 09-15-2014, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by fsge

This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55

It will not be replacing the 18-55. The 18-55 is a sub-$200 lens. The 16-85 will be at least $400.

**RGlasel** · 09-15-2014, 10:57 AM

I started with the DA L 18-55 kit lens, and 2/3 of my photos with it were at 18mm or 55mm. Now that I have the DA 18-135 WR DC lens, 1/4 of my photos are at 18mm (same as before) but less than 1/5 are at 135mm. I also use my A 70-210 much less than I used to. If Pentax has designed the new 16-85 lens to be at * level quality and price, I'm sure it would have a faster aperture, and probably wouldn't be called a "standard" zoom. There is a pretty good chance this new lens will be one of the best "kit" lenses for APS-C cameras on the market, regardless of brand name. I doubt if I will ever buy it, I'm seriously looking at the DA 15 Limited to get wider, but if I was starting out with a DSLR again, I would gladly pay $200 extra to get this new lens instead of a DA 18-55.

BTW, if anyone has problems with the IQ of the 18-135, they need to look for lenses that cost at least twice as much, and they will also have to use another lens to cover part of the 18-135 range. So the total investment to beat it for IQ across the whole range is more like 4 times the cost. And, to get back on topic, that's not the market for the new 16-85 3.5-5.6 "standard" zoom.

**Rondec** · 09-15-2014, 11:27 AM

It does feel a little odd. Quite a bit of overlap with the DA 17-70 and the DA 18-135. I know the 18-135 is weak on the long end, but still, I didn't hear a whole lot of folks clamoring for a 16-85 slow lens.

It is a little soon to judge. If the 16-85 is pretty sharp through its range, I would like it better than the 18-135. Odds are that it won't be, though. Most of these lenses need to be stopped down a stop or two get decent sharpness and distortion can get pretty high as well on the wide and long ends.

jimr-pdx · 09-15-2014, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by JinDesu

Yeah but I'll lose 85-135mm

On both of my copies, the 85-135 went mostly unused. Turning on lens corrections was a must! So many are happy though so most copies are good - for me, the 16-85 is a far more useful range.

Andi Lo · 09-15-2014, 12:13 PM

Now after I thought about it a bit, this lens makes sense. There is most money to be made in the standard zoom range, moreso than any other. The lineup is due to be updated, and this will put pentax on an equal playing field with Canikon, to compete with their 16-85 offerings.

aleonx3 · 09-15-2014, 12:29 PM

Canon has the EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM for years (since 2008)... that people will crave for it; fast forward to now, Pentax has this slightly wider and faster on the short end. Although it is debatable if DC motor is better or worse then USM, if the IQ quality is somewhere close or better than DA 18-135 and it is compact (unlike the Canon version), I think I may consider it.

09-15-2014, 10:27 AM	#63
Aristophanes Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Photos: Albums Posts: 3,948	HD PENTAX-DA 16-85mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR Wide is much harder to pull of compactly. And Pentax is the compact lens company what with IBIS. Good specs for an affordable lens with 24mm eq. FOV and very functional tele. Super fast Sigmas are huge tanks. Who cares? Last edited by Aristophanes; 09-15-2014 at 08:06 PM.

09-15-2014, 10:35 AM	#66
starbase218 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Planet Earth, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy, Universe Posts: 1,119	Originally posted by aurele Hell ! Many people bash this lens even though nobody have seen it, tried it, or got any clue on the price ! Maybe it's to replace the 18-55 which would be great ! It have DC (for how long have we been whining about the lack of this DC motor into entry level lens ? ), it have WR (obviously to be paired with a WR body - K50/K3), ED glass (no more fringing ?). If it's priced around the same as the current 18-55 non WR, then what's to whine about ? I understand many where hoping a 16-85 f2.8 or f4 (inc. me for example), but isn't that a small step in the right direction ? I expect it to be priced around 550-600 euros, e.g. similar to the Canon and Nikon offerings. Compared to those, it doesn't have VR, but it does have WR. And the V and W letters are so close together in the alphabet that the cost of those features should be nearly identical as well. Actually, the longer I think about it, the more this lens makes sense to me. The 18-55 is your standard kit lens to get started. Sigma has a 17-70 offering that is faster than Pentax's, so they are having a hard time competing there with the DA 17-70 (even though that is a very good piece of glass imho). Then there is the 18-135, which is light, compact and good for what it is, but doesn't really shine in the long end as an allround lens. A 16-85 distinguishes itself from the Sigma by being longer and wider and having WR. Yeah it's not a fast lens, but OTOH the 15/16-85s from the competition aren't any faster. Last edited by starbase218; 09-15-2014 at 10:40 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR	sholtzma	Sold Items	2	02-05-2014 01:11 PM
For Sale - Sold: Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR - reduced price	tjwaung	Sold Items	8	12-21-2013 05:56 AM
new smc PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC	KeesdH	Pentax News and Rumors	227	06-22-2011 03:57 AM
PENTAX-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR D	Fl_Gulfer	Pentax News and Rumors	20	11-26-2010 05:13 PM

09-15-2014, 10:20 AM	#61
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,473	Originally posted by aurele If it's priced around the same as the current 18-55 non WR, then what's to whine about ? It won't be. DC is going to cost...

09-15-2014, 10:25 AM	#62
DennisH Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Stratford, CT Photos: Gallery Posts: 730	Originally posted by aurele Hell ! Many people bash this lens even though nobody have seen it, tried it, or got any clue on the price ! Welcome to Pentax Forums.

09-15-2014, 10:28 AM	#64
Zygonyx Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ile de France Posts: 4,032	Yes, i think you should look at what the other labels are doing... Sony still scratch their head to present some decent lenses, with a very poor and recent 16-80mm ; Fuji is starting a lens game the same way Pentax did it more than 10 years ago, only starting WR lenses ; Canon for example does roughly the same with a new gliding 24-105mm for APS-C ... So who will really cry for an affordable, versatile and compact (which i presume) HD WR and DC 16-85mm zoom ?

09-15-2014, 10:33 AM - 1 Like	#65
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	How many slow zooms can they produce?

09-15-2014, 10:36 AM	#67
fsge Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Genf Posts: 1,138	Originally posted by Paul the Sunman This was always going to be the least exciting of the new K-mount lenses currently flagged on the road map. Bring on the new ultra-wide zoom!! Could have been a DA* f2.8 or f4 (at least that was the case two years ago judging from roadmap...) This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55 Two other zooms will be: DA 12-28 (from Tokina) and 120-400

09-15-2014, 10:50 AM	#68
starbase218 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Planet Earth, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy, Universe Posts: 1,119	Originally posted by fsge Could have been a DA* f2.8 or f4 (at least that was the case two years ago judging from roadmap...) This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55 Two other zooms will be: DA 12-28 (from Tokina) and 120-400 The roadmap said it would be a * lens. Not all * lenses are f/2.8, and frankly, I don't think expecting a 16-85 to be f/2.8 throughout the zoom range is realistic. Even f/4 might be pushing it. At that time, however, people were speculating it would be a 24-70/2.8..... to fuel their FF speculations.

09-15-2014, 10:51 AM	#69
IchabodCrane Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,728	Originally posted by fsge Could have been a DA* f2.8 or f4 (at least that was the case two years ago judging from roadmap...) This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55 Two other zooms will be: DA 12-28 (from Tokina) and 120-400 I doubt this will replace the standard 18-55 zoom lens. Instead, it quite likely replaces the 17-70 which is not a compelling lens since the release of the 18-135. The 17-70 is too short compared to the 18-135 with only getting 1 mm on the other end. Yes, some say the 17-70 has better IQ than the 18-135 but most admit the IQ difference is marginal.

09-15-2014, 10:54 AM	#70
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,473	Originally posted by fsge This 16-85 i suppose will be replacing basic 18-55 It will not be replacing the 18-55. The 18-55 is a sub-$200 lens. The 16-85 will be at least $400.

09-15-2014, 10:57 AM	#71
RGlasel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saskatoon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,227	I started with the DA L 18-55 kit lens, and 2/3 of my photos with it were at 18mm or 55mm. Now that I have the DA 18-135 WR DC lens, 1/4 of my photos are at 18mm (same as before) but less than 1/5 are at 135mm. I also use my A 70-210 much less than I used to. If Pentax has designed the new 16-85 lens to be at * level quality and price, I'm sure it would have a faster aperture, and probably wouldn't be called a "standard" zoom. There is a pretty good chance this new lens will be one of the best "kit" lenses for APS-C cameras on the market, regardless of brand name. I doubt if I will ever buy it, I'm seriously looking at the DA 15 Limited to get wider, but if I was starting out with a DSLR again, I would gladly pay $200 extra to get this new lens instead of a DA 18-55. BTW, if anyone has problems with the IQ of the 18-135, they need to look for lenses that cost at least twice as much, and they will also have to use another lens to cover part of the 18-135 range. So the total investment to beat it for IQ across the whole range is more like 4 times the cost. And, to get back on topic, that's not the market for the new 16-85 3.5-5.6 "standard" zoom.

09-15-2014, 11:27 AM	#72
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,650	It does feel a little odd. Quite a bit of overlap with the DA 17-70 and the DA 18-135. I know the 18-135 is weak on the long end, but still, I didn't hear a whole lot of folks clamoring for a 16-85 slow lens. It is a little soon to judge. If the 16-85 is pretty sharp through its range, I would like it better than the 18-135. Odds are that it won't be, though. Most of these lenses need to be stopped down a stop or two get decent sharpness and distortion can get pretty high as well on the wide and long ends.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

09-15-2014, 11:44 AM	#73
jimr-pdx Pentaxian Join Date: May 2010 Location: now 1 hour north of PDX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,897	Originally posted by JinDesu Yeah but I'll lose 85-135mm On both of my copies, the 85-135 went mostly unused. Turning on lens corrections was a must! So many are happy though so most copies are good - for me, the 16-85 is a far more useful range.

09-15-2014, 12:13 PM	#74
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,924	Now after I thought about it a bit, this lens makes sense. There is most money to be made in the standard zoom range, moreso than any other. The lineup is due to be updated, and this will put pentax on an equal playing field with Canikon, to compete with their 16-85 offerings.

09-15-2014, 12:29 PM	#75
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Canon has the EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM for years (since 2008)... that people will crave for it; fast forward to now, Pentax has this slightly wider and faster on the short end. Although it is debatable if DC motor is better or worse then USM, if the IQ quality is somewhere close or better than DA 18-135 and it is compact (unlike the Canon version), I think I may consider it.