| Author: | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Location: Quebec City, Quebec Posts: 6,653
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 12, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Excellent sharpness and contrast @ f/8, silent focusing, holds well in hand. | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K3, K3 III
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After using my little DA 18-135 mm ED for a full year, I saw an offer from an Ontario store I couldn't pass for a brand-new HD DA 16-85 mm ED. I had read numerous positive reviews about this lens and I decided to give it a try. This will be my 2021-22 "WINTER PROJECT".
Up to now I had just a few opportunities to test it. I took pictures inside my kitchen and close-ups of freezing rain falling on my patio door. Then 2 days later, I photographed the view of my backyard on a sunny day. Excellent uniform corner-to-corner sharpness. More pictures will be coming later.
A new photo session at the Batiscan River below : EXCELLENT RENDERING and STUNNING SHARPNESS over the whole focal range .
I visited the Old Town of Quebec City today. Here are some of the results :
Up to now, results have been more than satisfying. I will combine this WA zoom with my HD DA 55-300 mm ED lens to complete my "light travel kit".
OPTIMUM APERTURE RANGE : between f/6.3 and f/16. .
I tried to find Color Fringing by shooting branches against a bright background @ 16 mm FL and f/8
. . None is apparent.
.
.
I compared the HD DA 16-85 mm ED to the DFA* 70-200 mm f/2.8 at 85 mm FL on a K3
Upper picture is the DFA* 70-200 mm, lower one the HD DA 16-85 mm
RESULT : it's a TIE ! .
Monochrome rendering of Sainte Anne de Beaupré Basilica. . . From now on, I started using my new K3 III :
.
.
.
I now use a more performing combo : the HD DA 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 + DA* 60-250 mm f/4
January 2023 along the Saint Lawrence @ 20 mm FL + K3 III below :
February 2023 along the Saint Lawrence @ 60 mm FL + K3 III below :
September 2023 in a vegetable kiosk @ 22 mm FL + K3 III below :
October 2023 with the K3 III . .
For my needs, this is the most "perfect" lens I ever used along with a K3 III.
| | | | | | | 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: October, 2017 Location: Sale, Cheshire Posts: 249 | | Review Date: September 1, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, contrast, build quality (including WR), | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-3
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A superb lens that is as sharp as a good prime lens throughout it's zoom range (when shooting in RAW and sharpening appropriately), with excellent contrast. The lens is extremely competent, well built, and versatile, from wide angle views to landscapes, portraits and an excellent close-up lens at 85mm. At 16mm a little CA can be seen in extreme contrast conditions (removed with software), but otherwise CA is very well controlled.
The review of this lens (particularly the outstanding MTF resolution graphs) on the 'Ephotozine' website illustrates how good this lens is.
The AF is quick and very accurate and consistent, performing well into almost darkness with the K-3.
This is now my everyday lens which consistently gives excellent results, with consistent performance across the lens.
This is my 1st choice lens for camera club competition entries.
Due to its excellent performance, versatility, and weather resistance I would be loath to part with this lens.
| | | | | 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.  | | | | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2018 Posts: 12
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 28, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Vallue For Money | | Cons: | Very few | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3ii
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Excellent lens for the money. Really sharp, the go-to walk around lens in so many circumstances. If you wanted to take all my lenses away apart from one, this would probably be the one I'd choose, as it's so versatile. Really light for the range and quality and handles really well. The AF is swift and silent. Difficult to find a negative, especially at the price!
 | | | | | 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.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: May, 2016 Posts: 3,726
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 4, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | range, sharpness, close focus | | Cons: | large hood, front element wider than body | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: k-3ii
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I got this lens as an alternative to primes, it's more convenient when traveling. It fits that purpose well, the focal range is very handy. Paired with another lens, it allows for a flexible two lens kit:
- with a prime depending on the situation (normal, portrait or macro)
- with the 55-300 to cover a wide range
- with the da 15 if I need even wider angle and less flare
Across the range it's sharp. At 85mm it's better to stop down to f8. At 16mm it has some chromatic aberration and distortion is visible, but darktable comes with effective lens correction presets.. Flare control is good, especially considering the number of elements. Compared to the da limiteds, it's probably as sharp, but the rendering and color are not as special.
Bokeh is rather busy in close-up photos if branches or grass are in the background, otherwise bokeh is smoother (but not exceptional). I'm not rating how blurry the background can get but how I perceive its quality, it's not a large aperture lens.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: July, 2016 Location: Roskilde, Denmark Posts: 2,632 | | Review Date: July 8, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $611.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, fast, silent | | Cons: | weight | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-S2
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This has become my new everyday lens. Of course the weight is a con when walking around, but I like the zoom-facility. This lens replaced my 18-50 DA-L lens, which came with my camera, - and what a jump in quality :-)
| | | | | New Member Registered: January, 2012 Location: Budapest Posts: 13 | | Review Date: July 4, 2017 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | super sharp everywhere | | Cons: | red ring; not parfocal, no distance scale | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
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Why not green? 
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 11,590
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 14, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $540.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Solid IQ, Easy to handle | | Cons: | Within specs, none. | |
Within specs, this is really an excellent lens, delivering superior IQ. It's not fast so it won't deliver shallow DOF shots--but you knew that right?
It was my most used lens on my recent trip to Cancun, giving way to other, specialized, lenses when I needed telephoto, fast or UWA. It's definitely going to be my main knock-about lens for the foreseeable future.
FWIW while it's hard to squeeze bokeh out of this lens given the aperture limitation but when you are able to get enough separation between the subject & background, the oof areas are quite nice--maybe not exquisitely buttery, but certainly calm.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,847
8 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 4, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $447.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Even sharpness, good control of aberrations | | Cons: | Wide hood | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K3
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I was impressed by this lens when it made its first (unexpected) appearance in late 2014, and am even more impressed now having used my own copy over the last week to photograph fireworks, flowers, people, and architecture. The sharpness approaches a very good prime, and is remarkably even across the frame.The bokeh is smooth and very attractive. Aberrations are well controlled, with only minor CA near the edges. The barrel distortion at 16mm is almost gone by 21mm, and is easily corrected. Autofocus is fast, accurate, and unobtrusive. In summary, there is nothing not to like in this lens, though of course one could always wish for more speed.
The common comparator of the DA 16-85 is the DA 18-135. They look very similar and are built to similar high standards. However, the 16-85 is clearly superior optically. The 18-135 is noticeably soft at the edges and prone to CA there; the 16-85 is pin-sharp, and CA is both less common and less pronounced. Now, I LOVE the 18-135; it's a terrific travel lens, but in most respects it is bettered by the 16-85. Perhaps the only area where the older lens wins (depending on your taste) is its more vibrant colour rendition. On a sunny blue-sky day, the 18-135 seems to have its own built-in polarizing filter; the 16-85 too, but less so. The 16-85 is slightly bigger and slightly heavier than the 18-135, but nothing too noticeable. It is not a big lens when you compare it with what you see on Canons or Nikons.
Of course, the biggest difference between the two lenses is the (defining) focal length range. Anyone looking to purchase one or other of these lenses should primarily be concerned with whether they need or prefer the extra 50mm at the long end of the 18-135, or the extra 2mm at the short end of the 16-85, and then secondarily with the optical quality. Balancing off 2mm with 50mm seems an uneven contest, but that 2mm really does translate to a substantially wider field of view. My perspective is that if I were limited to one WR zoom while travelling, I would take the 18-135. However, if I had the 55-300 or equivalent with me too, I'd take the 16-85 instead, even if I also had the DA 15 Ltd with me as well (I never go anywhere without the DA15).
Whereas my copy of the DA 18-135 is just on the verge of zoom creep, the 16-85 is by comparison very stiff. There is no danger of creep with this lens.
I also like the new-style lens cap on the DA 16-85. It's big and easy to handle. The only very minor complaint is that the hood is very wide when attached to the lens in reverse for storage in a bag, making the fit a little awkward at times.
All round, I really can't see any reason not to give this lens full marks, relative to price.
UPDATE: After a lot of shots at a sand sculpture exhibition, in brilliant sunshine, I retain my view that this lens is an excellent all-rounder. However, do not expect it to rival the DA15 at its short end. Although sharp enough at 16mm, it lacks the prime's punch there, which is not surprising for a 5.3x zoom. My limited sampling of focal lengths so far suggests the 16-85 is particularly strong from 20-60mm, but really, you have to pixel peep pretty hard to see any flaws beyond that range.
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 7
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 29, 2015 | Not Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | tagliente anche a tutta apertura | | Cons: | nessuno | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: pentax k3
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Ottimo obiettivo, va bene anche per il ritratto, avrei preferito un f4 ma va bene cosi,
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: Sebastopol, California Posts: 2,020
5 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 12, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Covers most-used focal lengths | | Cons: | None | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-3
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I've tried my share of zoom lenses and never found one that met or exceeded my expectations. For that reason I've always had a stable of prime lenses.
But this zoom is a treasure. I wanted a zoom with first rate IQ that I could use for 90% of the shooting I do, and this lens is serving well for that. So my overall 10 rating is meant to bestow high praise on what was achieved for a zoom covering this particular FL. I could've found ways to criticize, but I'm so grateful someone made such a quality, lightweight lens in the 16-85 range I can't bring myself to nitpick (sure, if it were F2.8 that would be great, but then it would also be a lot bigger and heavier, and I most often shoot at F5.6 and F8 anyway, so any lens is a compromise in some manner). For me, this is the best all-purpose lens Pentax offers right now, and the price new seems fairly reasonable as well.
Shot at 48mm, F5.6:
 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2010 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 6,176
16 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 17, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $646.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp, contrasty, vivid color rendition, excellent performance throughout zoom range | | Cons: | 72mm filter ring | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5iis
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The DA 16-85 has quickly established itself as one of the very best APS-C standard zooms for the K-Mount, rivaling even the DA* 16-50 for sharpness and contrast. You give up aperture speed to gain the longer range. For landscape and general travel photography, you cannot do any better.
The lens is tack sharp, corner to corner, throughout much of its range, only losing a little sharpness toward the far edges in the 50mm to 85mm range. Thanks to the HD coatings, lens contrast is remarkably good, especially considering the amount of glass in the lens. Flare control is good as well, although it doesn't quite match what can be attained by the DA limiteds. At 16mm, this lens is sharper toward the edges than my DA 15 (although not as sharp away from the edges); and it's at least as sharp as my HD DA 21. The limiteds render a bit better; but the differences are often quite subtle, and can take a sharp eye to notice. For landscape photographers shooting Pentax APS-C, the DA 16-85 is the ideal lens to build a kit around.
At 16mm:
At 26mm:
At 35mm:
At 85mm:
 | | | | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2008 Location: montreal Posts: 136
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 25, 2015 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, WR, range | | Cons: | location of the focusing ring | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K50
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I bought that lens because of it's range and WR, there wasn't much user opinions or review but I decided to go ahead and buy one. No regret, it's a great lens with very good sharpness even at close range and in the corners. Nice Bokeh as a bonus of the rounded aperture blades, no CA up to now. I like to use it for "intimate view" .... small part of the landscape or close-up shots.
I did some comparison with my Tamron 90mm Macro (model 72E) and at f/5.6 the Tamron have a slight edge on sharpness but at f/8 there is no real advantage and in the field it would be irrelevant (this was for center sharpness since I didn't care about the corners, I want to use it for photographing frogs and corners are not important).
Here is a gallery of photos taken with it, I will load photos as I gain more shooting images from the field, not a place to look at sharpness but more for rendering and Bokeh:
http://smarcoux.zenfolio.com/p1060481141
A really useful lens for my Nature photography quest for sure and also useful for family photo and vacation.
My review on my Blog: http://steevemarcoux2.com/2015/03/20/pentax-da-16-85mm-wr-early-review/ | | |
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16 mm @ f/8
48 mm @ f/8
16 mm @ f/4.5
16 mm @ f/8
31 mm @ f/8
35 mm @ f/8
21 mm @ f/5.6
16 mm @ f/6.3
48 mm @ f/6.3
26 mm @ f/7.1
85 mm @ f/8
85 mm @ f/8
26 mm @ f/11
HD DA 16-85 mm
HD DA 55-300 mm
16 mm @ f/8
