Pentax HD PENTAX DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR Lens

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Impressive lens
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 ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Too fragile lens
I bought this lens along with a Pentax K70 from B&H (best photo equipment store by far!) and I liked very much the zoom IQ - far superior to my Pentax 18-135 that has a lot of CA, despite the fact that my cameras (Pentax K5 ii and K70) are configured to correct CA. Even using Photoshop to correct CA I still can see it in some photos. However, the build quality of the 16-85 zoom is definitely not in Pentax usual standard. Too much plastic. I let i... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Positive differences with the Sigma 17-70 2.8-4.5
I have been a happy user of the Sigma 17-70 for many years. However I was always annoyed about the unsharp edges at 17 mm. So ignoring the saying 'the better is the enemy of the good' I purchased the Pentax. My findings in comparison to the Sigma of a K-5: - edge to edge sharpness at 16 mm is a great new experience. The Sigma was hardly useable at 17 mm / 2.8 so that part of the spec difference was already solved. - much smoother, quieter and fas... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Sharp Sharp Sharp
Very sharp and the color is great. It's very quiet to focus and fast. The focus ring it's nice because you can focus at any time without switching to manual the bad thing about the focus ring is that it does not have any scale or infinity symbol. so if you want to manual focus lets say to Infinity, you don't know if this is a type of lens you go all the way to the stop and leave it or back it off alittel bit? The Zoom ring was very tight and it h... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Will buy this lenses again if I lost it
I have the lenses for over a year now, auto focus system is still work instantly when I press the button, lenses is very quiet. Work well in indoor too. It gave me fine picture detail when I shoot the Stanley Cup with myself and coach Sullivan. D.C. Motor has been very reliable. The only adjustment is the focus ring is very tiny; therefore I have to trust the AF system a lot more than the older FA lenses if you shoot some low attitude object in l... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Pentax quality, decent walk-around lens for outdoors.
Before this, I used Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens with my K-3 as a walk-around, for pretty much everything. I bought this Pentax lens based on good reviews and its WR feature. I think it's perfect combo with K-3 for traveling and walk-around outside (so I don't have to worry about the weather conditions). I've used a couple of times so far, outdoors and indoors. Here is what I feel about it: high quality build, feels well balanced with K-3, sharp ope... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Solid lens but not the powerhouse I expected
I have used this lens heavily since I received it. It is the most expensive lens I have ever owned and had high expectations based on that fact and on other reviews. To be honest, i haven't found the lens as sharp as advertised unless in ideal conditions, barrel distortion can be noticeable, and I wish it had another stop of aperture. In addition, it is the only 72mm lens I own and thus requires all new filters and adapters. It does not come with... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Disappointed.
In have been using Pentax lenses since the 1970's including large format and have always been impressed by the quality and performance with the exception of some kit lens. I purchased the DA 16-85mm lens to replace my DA 18-135mm lens which my wife now has. Compared to the 18-135mm lens which was very sharp and a good all round performer, I found the 16-85mm lens very disappointing, the image quality was awful, poor contrast and very soft focus a... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Some QC issues, but if you get a good one, well worth it!
I bought this lens as an everyday carry. For that, it's great. I appreciate the extra 2mm on the wide endespecially for landscape or architecture, and the extra zoom compared to the kit lens. The image quality is phenomenal compared to what I'm used to (which isn't much). Unfortunately, there seem to be some QC problems with the lens. The first one I got didn't autofocus correctly, so I sent it back, but not before taking 1300 photos in manual fo... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
HD Pentax DA 16-85
The reason for the purchase of this lens was to find something better than my Pentax 18-135 and sigma 18-250.This lens (16-85)in the overlapping range is a much better lens in every aspect.This includes sharpness,contrast and color.Comparing this lens to a sigma 18-35 that I have,the sigma is sharper but not by much plus in my opion the color is better in the pentax.it shares a trait with my sigma 8-16 that when pictures taken with the sun in the... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
One of the best all purpose lenses for Pentax cameras!
This is the best lens I have ever bought for my Pentax K-X SLR camera for a variety of shooting conditions. The images are very sharp and are a lot better than my old Tamron f2.8 17-50 mm lens in the corners. The auto focus is very quick and almost silent. Since it's weather resistant, this is a great lens for landscape/storm photography with a perfect range of 16-85 mm which is nice for the wide shots and enough zoom for when it is needed. It se... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very sharp zoom. Fast focusing.
The 1st lens was faulty. The zoom ring jammed and parts fell out from the interior of the lens. I was so disappointed. I contacted B&H and was given a prepaid UPS label. I order a 2nd lens and it is working fine. The focusing is fast and the photos are sharp. A little PF at the edge of 16mm but it is not a deal breaker. However I did notice a small bug in the firmware(?). I don't know if it is the lens' fault or my K-5IIs'. Sometimes it will fail... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Superb Lens
This is a follow up to my earlier review of the 16-85mm lens on 12/24/15 which was exchanged by B&H due to very poor image quality. The replacement lens I received a few days ago is as different as chalk and cheese to the one I returned. The construction and finish of the lens is excellent with a really smooth and firm zoom action with zero barrel creep. The image is sharp with good contrast and color rendering is very accurate at virtually all a... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A great match for the K3 II
I bought this lens when I purchased my K3 II. I was looking for a sharp clear lens that was able to go fairly wide and still have a respectable zoom. The picture quality has been remarkable. When matched with the K3 II's in-camera correction capability it is so crystal clear and sharp that I never bother with trying to sharpen photos in post processing anymore. For landscapes the wide angle of the 16mm (similar to 24 mm on a full frame camera) is... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Versatile and good image quality.
I have had this lens for some months now, and Im very happy with it. This is my on the go lens, and is attached to my camera most of the time. The image quality is good, versatile zoom range and it is weather protected. All important things for general photographing. I have som problems with AF. Some times the lens won't focus. I then have to zoom out, refocus and zoom back to focus again. It normally happens around 25mm. This is an excellent tou... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
WOW Great Lens
I have the DA* 16-50mm but the pictures I get with this lens are superior, I don't know why, they just are. The focus is almost instantaneous and silent. Focus lock is accurate. Bokeh is excellent. Sharpness is excellent. Saturation is excellent. My pictures POP. It is a little smaller and lighter than the 16-50mm and I don't really miss the extra aperture of the 16-50mm because the K-3 I use it on is a very good low light performer. I also have ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Sharp as a tack
This replaces my stolen Pentax FA 24-90mm as my all-around walk about lens. In dim light the AF can be non-existent (and therefore the 4 stars), but otherwise quick and silent. Build quality is top notch, but the best is the sharpness and color. It handles easily on my K5iiS. I took a recent trip and was able to shoot both fast action and landscapes, bright sun architecture, sublime sunsets, multiple image pano stitches and all were excellent. Th... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great specs, but did not compare well...
I was very excited to get this lens. It promised great replacement for my old trusted 4/16-45, expanding telephoto end and offering weather protection to match my K-3. While testing it side by side with my old lens shooting landscapes, I discovered that sharpness at 16mm, where I use it most, was visibly worse, especially at wider f-stops. I thought I got a bad copy, so I returned it and ordered a replacement. Unfortunately, it had exact same iss... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very Sharp Lens
I bought this lens based on the good reviews to replace my Pentax 18-135 on my Pentax K-5. It was immediately obvious that this lens was sharper than my 18-135. The focus was right on for everything I did--fast and accurate. The lens is only slightly larger than the 18-135 when not extended, but it is longer when extended (not discrete-it looks big extended). It is not a fast lens, but a f/2.8 would be heavier and more expensive. I tried using it for astrophotography, but without the distance indication on the focusing ring, it is hard to confirm focus. This lens now lives on my K-5.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent lens
I agonized over the purchase of a zoom lens since I have a number of very good primes (Pentax Limited series) and thought I wanted a faster lens. A lot of recent city hikes and an upcoming walking tour convinced me it was time to lighten the load, and the recent sale on this lens pushed me over the top. I couldn't be happier. The lens focuses quickly, accurately and quietly. Pictures are very sharp and minimum focus distance lets me take quasi-macros. Not stressing about the camera and lens when it starts to rain is a huge bonus. I should have bought this lens long ago.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Replaces the 17-70mm Sigma I bought with my Pentax k-10
The Sigma was fine for the K-10, but was not up to the capabilities of the K-3. This lens on both the K-3 and the K-5 IIs is worth the investment. It will now be my 'walk-around' lens, especially when coupled with the Pentax 1.4 extender. 'Lot's of possibilities! I've only had it a week and have not used it that much, but first impressions are very positive. The focus is quick and not nearly as noisy as the Sigma. It has the 'heft' that tells me it's a quality product worthy of the Pentax name. I can update this review when I've spent more time with this lens.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Phenomenal Walkaround Lens!
I love this lens, and I keep it pined to my K3 probably 90% of the time. It goes hiking, skiing, to parties, etc. My first copy had a QC issue so I sent it back, but my current copy is great and is sharp at just about all focal lengths and apertures. The autofocus is nice and quiet, very accurate on my K5 and K5ii, and it's acceptably fast for a Pentax lens. For someone like me who is outdoors a lot, this is the perfect lens to pair with your weather-sealed Pentax body for daily photography. You can't go wrong with this one.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great lens - for certain purposes
I haven't put this lens completely through its paces yet, but I can already see that the image quality is better than my 18-135 WR (which is a good lens, too). I focus on animal portraiture, and I expect to use this lens outdoors, when there's a decent amount of light and I'm interested in making an environmental portrait. The extra 2mm at the wide end will be useful for certain scenes. The shorter zoom range (only going to 85 instead of 135) is a compromise I have to accept for the better image quality.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
outstadning normalrange zoom
Based on reviews I purchased this lens to get improved IQ and it has exceeded expectation. Central sharpness is outstanding, far better than anticipated for a zoom of such range. The WA is extremely convenient for landscape and moderately large or cramped interiors. The zoom range is handy although everyone wants more at the long end. This is easily one of the best zoom lenses I've owned. Used this lens on a recent trip to Iceland and it performed flawlessly.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video