| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2011 Location: Southern Finland Posts: 681
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 13, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Versatile, sharp, reliable | | Cons: | size of hood | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5, K-3
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After two years of frequent usage (K-5, K-3) I am very happy with this lens. Sharpness is generally very good at all focal lengths. I also like the colors and contrast it produces (raw shooting mainly). The range 16 - 85 mm is very versatile making this a brilliant walk-around lens and travel lens. Being a zoom lens, of course, it is not very fast, but in low-light situations I do not hesitate to use it wide open. That is not the case with any other lens with somewhat similar specs.
DC autofocus has very seldom let me down, and in those dark low-contrast situations, I wonder if any autofocus mechanism would be 100 % reliable.
Size of the hood is the only negative aspect for me, yet not critical. (You get used to it.) Well, maybe the 72 mm filter size is another, but just because I used to have lenses with 67 mm filters earlier.
I bought my copy of this lens new, and would not say it was cheap. But it has been worth the money.
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2015 Location: California Posts: 35
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 5, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $447.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, beautiful color | | Cons: | Heavy | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-50
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I bought this as a travel lens, though it is heavier than I would prefer. The picture quality is amazing. It is as good or better than my 21mm prime and much better than my 35mm 2.4 prime. The focal range is a lot more versatile. I still use my 21mm when I want to carry something lighter. But for the weight, I would sell the 21mm and just use the 16-85.To show the color and clarity, I'm attaching a JPEGs that is straight out-of camera, at 16mm, with no processing.
As for the lens being "slow", I am attaching a second, straight-out-of camera unprocessed JPEG taken inside a relatively dark museum (Ufizzi) with no flash, at ISO 1600 on a K-50.  | | | | | Forum Member Registered: June, 2016 Location: Gislev Posts: 87
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 22, 2018 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ, Ergonomics | | Cons: | Big, Double Cam Construction | |
An underrated Pentax Gem.
Up front: If you are looking for a lens this type for your Pentax Camera, GET IT! It will not let you down!
Pro: These days I don't bother hauling my Nikon D810 and its 24mm F1.4 around for anything at all. Why? Because this zoom on the K-3 II delivers photos on par with the pro Nikon full frame.
So I do recommend this lens highly!
To quote a review:
"It is an impressive lens which is easily as good if not better than similar offerings from Canon or Nikon. It is capable of producing surprisingly crisp and sharp images especially at medium aperture settings and the fairly low CAs contribute to the high quality perception.
...
The build quality is also on a high level with tight tolerances - that's despite the duo cam design (two inner lens tubes). Thanks to high quality plastics and nicely rubberized and smooth control rings, it's a joy to handle the lens out there. Some users may complain about the comparatively long size of the lens. While true you should keep in mind that there's surely a correlation to the high image quality here - big is simply often beautiful really. ..."
Weather and Dust-protection is a great thing to have, too. The autofocus is good and silent - but not blazingly fast.
I miss a focus scale, though.
It's a type of lens, I probably wouldn't buy, if it hadn't been part of the K-3 II-kit: I'm a prime lens-photographer.
And although the duo cam design works perfectly and with absolutely no wobble, it does make me uncomfortable ...
But then, there's the quality of the lens: Every time I look at the photos I make with it, i'm astonished at just how good and wonderful, they are - they are damned good. And I have to tell myself that I'm fortunate to have this lens and be a Pentax-user.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2015 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,677
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 27, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | WR, Focal Range, Silent AF, HD coating | | Cons: | Awful lens hood... Pricey for what it is... Variable Aperature... | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 6
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3ii
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I was looking for a walk around lens for an upcoming trip to Europe.
I'll update this review with photos once I get a chance to upload something worthy of showing the Pentax Community...
So far through initial testing and trials; here are my impressions:
I own the DA 15, HD-DA 35, HD-DA 70, DFA 100 WR, 1.4xTC, DA* 300
The DA 16-85 obviously doesn't compare to the limited primes, the DFA 100 WR or the DA* 300, but it's a beast in it's own way...
The test shots I took were impressive, and even at 16mm wide open it competed in sharpness to the DA15mm cropped to a similar field of view.
The variable aperture drops off quickly from F3.5 and makes me feel a bit cheated.
I would have loved to see an F4 constant for the price range this lens is sitting...
If you've shot the HD-DA 55-300, this lens feels very similar in build quality.
Those two lenses together would built a nice kit.
The lens hood is just awful in my opinion... It's bulky when reversed, which is fine, but it feels like it's going to break every time I put the hood on...
Maybe I'm just spoiled by the limited lenses retractable hoods, the DFA metal hood and the plastic but sturdy hood on the DA* 300...
All in all I'm happy enough with the lens to leave my DA35 and DA70 at home for the trip.
It will be nice to have a WR lens covering that 16-85mm focal range.
For what it's worth - I used to own the 18-135mm and I really did not like that lens.
I returned it and the second copy didn't do it for me either - soft in corners, IQ fell off drastically over 70mm on both copies.
The 16-85mm is much much better than the 18-135, in my opinion.
There are members here that would argue the cost difference doesn't make it worth the 'upgrade' and I may or may not agree depending on how much you pay for either one.
The 18-135 I got for $300 and the 16-85 for $400.
To me, the extra $100 is well worth it.
Would I pay retail for the 16-85 new?
Definitely not.
Would I buy it again for $400 used?
Probably, yes.
It's essentially a kit lens on steroids.
If they made it constant F4 with a more substantial lens hood and a sold it with a case (why would they leave this out?), they could have brought in a few more Pentaxians on this one in my honest opinion...
I'm still excited to have this for the trip.
I might just keep it around for the convenience of 16mm wide and WR with a focal range through normal and short telephoto.
I've just found over the years I prefer to shoot with primes when I have the luxury of keeping the "lab" (this is what my wife calls my collection of photography gear) in the car.
There is definitely something to be said for the versatility of this lens.
I'll give it an 8/10 overall
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2014 Location: Colorado Posts: 497
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 3, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $460.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | A do-everything-well lens | | Cons: | A bit slow | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-5iis
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I used this lens on K-5iis for a short while before I purchased K-1. The most impressive aspect of this lens is that sharpness levels are high, uniform from center to corner, and the high performance persists for the entire range of zoom. Very low chromatic aberration. The range of this zoom (24-130 ish in 35mm sense) met 90% of my shooting needs. Unless you need ultra-wide or ultra-telephoto, add a 135 prime and you are set! WR and DC are just icings on this already very fine cake.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: December, 2016 Location: Silverstone Posts: 331
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 8, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Colour rendition, sharpness | | Cons: | Weight, slow speed | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-S2
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I bought this lens as a direct upgrade of my 18-55 II kit lens. There have been some very good deals lately, especially here in the UK, and I managed to find an "open box" copy.
I was looking for weather resistance, silent focusing, better IQ and a wider range. The 16-85 delivered all of those.
My copy is not as sharp at 16mm as it is by 21mm, then it is really sharp through to 70mm or so, before losing a bit of IQ. The long end has better contrast than the short end. The colour rendition is particularly good.
I was not looking for a substantial increase in overall weight. Compared to the 18-55 II, the 16-85 is quite a chunk.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2015 Posts: 10
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 22, 2015 | Not Recommended | Price: $650.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Versatile range, good balance on a k3, color contrast, WR | | Cons: | Soft wide open, almost unusable above 50mm | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: k3
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UPDATE 04/04/2016
Up to this Saturday this lens autofocus was almost flawless. I bought a K3 II as a gift to my partner and when we were going around to check the camera I gave her mine 16-85. Surprise surprise... DC motor is not focusing correctly!!! I need to press the AF button approximately 5 times for it to lock focus if it locks at all. Very disappointing.. I wasn't extremely happy with some small things on this lens (not very relevant) but this is not acceptable.. I have to send it in I suppose.
UPDATE 02/03/2016
After my trip to Australia and testing this lens in all possible scenarios from extremely humid and rainy environments to blowing sand, one thing is for sure, this lens is weather sealed! Honestly I was surprised because with the zooming in and out with sand I was thinking... ok... one way trip for this lens.. but no! It came out in one piece. Perfect weather sealing!
Image quality wise I found it sharp from 20 to 45/50mm almost from wide open and from corner to corner, very good indeed! It is perfectly usable from 16mm, don't get me wrong, its very very good! However when you go above 50mm I just can't stand the pictures I took with it at those focal lengths! Maybe I am just being picky.. it's possible! But as I stated before I wasn't expecting this from a premium priced lens, 35mm of its range is very bad in comparison to the rest! For the price I am not sure if the DA*16-50 wouldn't be a better option, but unfortunately i've never had the opportunity to use that lens so.. anyway from 16-50with this lens its perfect!
I was afraid I would miss the faster aperture when I bought this lens... and indeed.. many times I found myself exchanging lens to my 35mm f2.8 if I was walking around at night. But that you know to begin with  .
Some sample pictures below (they don't mean much with the extreme compression they have here but anyway):
https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtl1/t31.0-8/12716027_102069799...55546434_o.jpg
https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/t31.0-8/12593469_102068745...61390597_o.jpg
PREVIOUS REVIEW:
Positive points:
Overall I have to say it is a good lens. It might be a bit soft wide-open but when stopped down its very sharp across the frame and beyond any kit lens. Meaning that if you are looking for an upgrade from your kit lens (18-55 WR) this can be an option. I won't talk about the 18-135 because I never shot with one.Its a super lens to take to take with you on vacations due to its versatile zoom range, weather resistant (still to be tested), and for landscape is awesome with its 16mm and sharpness stopped down, with extremely good color contrast.
Some examples here:
EXIF: 21mm, f8, 1/80, ISO100
https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/11223863_102062936...90977124_o.jpg
EXIF: 21mm, f11, 13sec, ISO100
https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/12109967_102062814...77452927_o.jpg
Downside:
I don't understand why any of my pentax lenses have no stop on the focus ring, it keeps going after the limit... why? is that good for any reason? When I bought it I thought that wide open this would be ok and I could even shot some casual portraits with it but it doesn't seem to be the case, forget it. This stems both from the fact that the lens is soft wide open and even softer if wide-open at 85mm. Anyway, the worst of it all is the price, I was expecting that the negative points I pointing out here wouldn't exist. Almost 700 euros... its not cheap or reasonably priced, its expensive.
I haven't shot that much wide-open, so it might be just my fault so far (I hope so). Nevertheless, not from experience but from what I've read in the forum, if you have the money go for the 16-50 DA*. I could have done it and I didn't.. I don't know why until today.
Conclusion:
I have this lens for a very short time therefore, as I always do, I will update my review as I did with my 300mm DA* (amazing lens, BUY IT)! I will put this DA 16-85 to test on my next trip to Australia this summer (south hemisphere summer), after which I will come back with more and definitive news.
To this moment in time, and for the price, I can't recommend this lens.
Have fun and happy shooting
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2013 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 1,146
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 9, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $585.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Solid build, great AF, quiet, usable range | | Cons: | Inconsistent performance, about a stop slow, expensive | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
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I became jealous of my cousin's 16-85mm zoom on her Nikon, and the reviews for this lens made me decide to take the plunge and invest. I have used this lens heavily since I received it, almost to exclusion of others despite my simultaneous purchase of a 55-300 WR lens at the same time. It is the most expensive lens I have ever owned and had high expectations based on that fact and on other reviews.
The bad:- I haven't found the lens as sharp as advertised unless in ideal conditions.
- Barrel distortion can be noticeable
- I wish it had another stop of aperture. Low light is not this lens' friend.
- It is the only 72mm filter size lens I own and thus requires all new filters and adapters.
- It does not come with a case like other high end Pentax lenses, which is disappointing.
- The quick shift is easy to hit by accident, throwing off several shots for me -- the quick shot being forward like on the 55-300 is a better arrangement, IMO.
The good:- The lens has good performance overall, just not as outstanding as I expected based on rating and reviews.
- It has the least trouble with focus hunting of any Pentax autofocus I have used
- It is notably quiet and fast while focusing.
- The range of the lens is usable in real world conditions
- Image quality is generally quite good when conditions are right.
- Weather resistance survived immersion in a waterfall while attached to a K-5 body and kept shooting just fine.
- Light for its size and complexity.
I would recommend this lens for sure, but it is not the superstar I expected.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,897
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 27, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Decent range, sharp wide open, great colours & exposure, weather resistant, decent build quality | | Cons: | Too slow, very expensive for a slow zoom, occasional focus glitches | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 7
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3
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I wanted a weather resistant lens better than the 18-55mm kit for a long time and there were four options: (1) the SMC DA* 16-50mm, (2) the DA 18-135mm, (3) the DA 20-40mm limited or (4) the DA 16-85mm. The first was a definite 'no' due to the SDM motor failure, cost and reputed poor IQ, and the limited, though it appeals to me a lot, is also expensive and very rare on the used market, so it came down to the two slower options. From reading reviews it seems that the 16-85mm is optically superior to the 18-135mm so if you value IQ over range (I do) then the 16-85mm is the better bet, though it's more expensive.
I bought a very lightly used copy for €350 because a new copy was out of the question - far too expensive.
It was great to finally have a Pentax-branded lens with an in-lens focus motor, having bought a Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 not long before which was my first lens for Pentax with a focus motor and spoiled me somewhat as almost all my AF lenses are screwdrive. Handling is great and the lens is solid enough without being heavy.
Compared to the 18-55mm WR kit lens, the 16-85mm is much better in terms of IQ - sharpness, contrast, colour - and this was mainly what I'd been looking for in this lens, to get better results in adverse conditions. The additional range at both end is also very welcome and useful. I really, really wish I'd bought this a year earlier as I'd had several trips where WR was essential and I had to rely just on the kit lens.
The lens is sharp across most of the frame wide open, with some softness at the borders especially at the wide end, but nothing too bad. Stop down and this is reduced to being virtually unnoticeable. Colour, contrast, flare resistance are all great and exposure seems much more accurate than with many other lenses. To sum-up: the image quality is superb in all aspects.
As the lens is slow it's not ideal for isolating a subject and blurring background and/or foreground, but it can be done in the right conditions.
On the negative side the only major problem I've had with the lens is an inability to focus sometimes. This happens primarily at the wide end (surprisingly, as this is where it lets in most light) - the image seems to jerk in the viewfinder and when it finally indicates a focus lock it's often mis-focsed, sometimes so much so that it's visible in the viewfinder of my K-3. This even happens in very good light and the only solution is to use live-view focusing. It's an annoying tendency which spoiled some earlier photos until I got into the habit of performing a quick focus check on the rear screen after each shot. At the long end this rarely happens, though the lens may struggle to focus as there's less light getting in at f/5.6 (but this is normal).
The image movement in the viewfinder when it's trying to focus is not limited to my copy - several users have found the same behaviour in their copies and have discussed it in the forums.
As a minor complaint, the lens loses sharpness when focusing very close.
The only other negative aspect is the price. This lens, especially when bought new, is far too expensive for a slow zoom, even if it is sharp wide open and WR. I can't help but feel that it should cost at least €100 less (new) or the aperture should be something more respectable such as 3.5-4.5.
Due to these negative aspects of the lens, which are considerable, I can't give the lens better than 8/10 overall, though if I were to judge it purely on the image quality without taking into account the negative aspects, it'd be a 9 or 9.5/10. Even though I prefer primes generally, and have used some very good ones, this lens became my favourite landscape lens as IQ was at least as high as the primes and the flexibility of a zoom and having WR made it a great choice.
The lens makes a very good walk-around for use in good light, especially when conditions may be adverse, but it's no substitute for a 17-50mm f/2.8 or an f/2.8 or faster prime, for giving flexibility in varied light conditions and the ability to isolate a subject.
Some sample pics:
Asturias by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
This one's a stitched panorama:
Panorama 6a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Waves by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Llanes by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Bilbao by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Bilbao by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
IMG_6880a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
IMG_7522a by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Night lights by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Copenhagen by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Lone yellow jacket by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2016 Location: North west Tasmania. Posts: 609
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 8, 2023 | Not Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Zoom range, sharpness, WR | | Cons: | Worst auto focus of any of my Pentax lenses. Constantly hunts regardless of focus points activated. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 2
Handling: 8
Value: 4
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: KP and K70
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I was keen to add this lens to my collection, as the zoom range appealed to me.
Very disappointed with the auto focus. It is only just average at the 85mm end, but hopeless at the wide angle end. It regularly refuses to lock onto anything no matter what focus points are selected.
The only way of getting a shot at the wide angle end is to manual focus. I had thought that it would be spending a lot of time on either my K70 or KP, but its auto focus is so frustrating, I now rarely use it.
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2015 Location: Otis Orchards, WA, USA Posts: 9
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 8, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Feels sturdy, well built, smooth tight zoom movement, improvement over the kit lens 18-135 | | Cons: | Non so far | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-3
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I really liked my kit lens (18-135), but decided to get this lens for better sharpness along with a wider range. The 5.6 and higher aperture seems to be the sharpest range. This will be my walk around lens while my limited 35mm will be my go to lens for better quality, and closeup photos. These are some of my first shots, hand held, just around my house.
 | | | | | Forum Member Registered: October, 2018 Posts: 60
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 23, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Weather sealed, wide angle, quiet and quick autofocus | | Cons: | Build quality, issues at the wide end | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 7
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K70 KP
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My copy of this lens is a frustrating one. It is capable of producing fantastic images, with excellent sharpness and colours. Couple this with the weather sealing and the lovely smooth zoom action it is a very versatile and often used lens. On the other hand it can let me down badly, with missed autofocus from 16mm to around 24mm a common occurrence and the left hand side of images can be unacceptably blurry at these focal lengths. Zoomed beyond 35mm the lens is flawless. I guess my copy is decentered, and it has been 'fixed' under warranty, but the problem persists.
This lens is excellent for landscape photography, and manually focused with a tripod fixes many of my issues with the 16-85. You get a strange shifting/jumping of the image when zoomed in on live view, not a big deal and you get used to it. Please don't be put off by my review as I am sure that my copy is the issue. Just check it out at all zoom ranges, particularly the wide end!
| | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2014 Posts: 6
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 29, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | autofocus, sharpness, overall IQ, WR | | Cons: | aperture starts at 3,5 (but is it really disadvantage?), price | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3 II
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This lense did not attract my attention with its specification, especially the aperture span between 3,5 and 5,6 seems to be very mediocre compared to other producers like Sigma. But while Sigma or Tamron provide usually softer images, and they need to stop down two or three steps to get sharpness even in the center, this pentax lense gets sharp enough in the center even on lowest aperture possible! Sharpness is really surprising, and can be easily compared to some prime lenses. So is the aperture value starting at F3,5 a reall disadvantage??? I dont think so!
First of all, my piece (could be different with others) is very strong in autofocus even in lower light conditions. Smooth, silent, fast enough, perfect grab for the first time, no hesitations nor small corrections. Very nice feel of it indeed! It feels like the lense is pumped-up for it!
If you stop down to F5 or F8 you get the maximum of this lense in over all image quality, sharpness, and reducing vignette and chromatic aberations. Also the best results are when you zoom to 21 mm or higher, and you dont go to full 85 mm length.
If i compared the sharpness to some "arty" prime lenses, in what cathegory this zoom pentax lense cannot compete with them is definitely a rather boring and standard bokeh. But hey, with lenses you cannot have all in it. Average bokeh is a trade-off for overall perfect performance in terms of sharpness and focal length span.
New piece coming for 650 dollars seems too expensive for me. But i guess you pay more for weather resistance.
Perfect lense which surprised me really a lot. I can recommend getting it, but try what you are buying, some pieces may be weaker than mine.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: March, 2016 Location: British Columbia Posts: 41
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 8, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, wide, little if any vignette | | Cons: | None for the price point. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 3
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-50
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Worth it over the cheaper 18-135. I wanted another ‘walk around’ lens having two bodies and one 18-135 lens already. Used (barely used by the look of it), this lens was on par with the cost of an 18-135 new. The 16-85 is noticeably sharper across the frame and vignettes much less which makes it nicer for stitching panoramas. I was actually shocked at the fact the difference was noticeable even through my trifocals! Not that the 18-135 is a bad lens, but I do see enough difference it makes me smile when editing. The wider end is also surprisingly useful. I pair the 16-85 with a 55-300 when I’m shooting landscapes and could not be happier with the cost to performance ratio in this pairing. Even at full price, I don’t think the 16-85 is unjustified over its slightly longer reaching sibling. The 18-135 is still my go-to for urban exploring or general use when you don’t know what you might come across.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: June, 2015 Location: Százhalombatta, Hungary Posts: 37
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 13, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $692.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Build quality, colors, sharpness at wide end, fast and quiet focusing | | Cons: | Less useful near 85mm, variations in quality | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
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I personally found this lens to be a little bit overrated. Not that it's bad or anything, but I feel it just gets more credit than it reserves. It deserves a very solid 8/10 I think. Even 8,5 perhaps. But no more than that! Perhaps I got a weaker copy, god only knows. But mine isn't so super sharp as others' seem, even after a thorough calibration. For example my copy is noticeably weaker on the right side of the picture and on the 85mm end is pretty soft. However, at the 16mm end I find it quite satisfying in the sharpness department. The DC motor autofocus is near-silent and is super fast when using the viewfinder. The quick-shift focusing ring doesn't have a hard-stop as screwdrive lenses do. The build quality is excellent as are the aesthetic parts of it. The colors are typical pentax: excellent contrast, superb flare control. The HD coating does an excellent job indeed. Compare it to the KIT lenses and it shines, just don't compare it to primes, or you'll be let down. But then again: this lens is neither professional, nor a prime. This is a versatile zoom with it's strengths and weaknesses. Excellent for a general walk around lens, for traveling, to always keep on your camera. And if you need proper bokeh, you can always just swap to a prime. Due to the rounded aperture blades, you can forget nice starbursts when stopped down at night, but in return you get a smoother bokeh.
Pier (made using a CPL filter!) by Zsigmond Szabó, on Flickr
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