Used Pentax SMCP-DA 16mm - 45mm F/4 ED-AL Autofocus Zoom Lens for Digital SLRs.

2012-08-05T21:00:00

Having switched to Pentax from Konica-Minolta-Sony, I have been very content with this lens. It is fairly light, as compare to other lens of nearly the same quality, and fast auto focus. The lens is also quiet when compared to the sigma and Minolta lens I had. The zeiss lens r way more quieter and almost threefold more expensive. I'm happy that the 67mm filters r common and not as expensive as the Sony were. So far I have been please shooting in day light and may need to plan more effective shoots in low light/night since its a f/4. Not bad as my first taste of the Pentax family.

EKD

2011-11-13T19:00:00

I purchased this lens as a replacement for a kit lens. The sharpness and close focusing capability are quite good for the price and for a zoom. I was especially pleased with the close focusing capability even though it is not a true macro lens.

MARK B.

2011-03-16T21:00:00

This was my first Pentax lens, I bought it and a K100D to take photos of a raft trip some friends and I took on the Grand Canyon. It was the only lens to survive the dust and abuse. That trip destroyed two lens, and two of my cameras. It is not water or dust resistant but it made it.I now use it with a K20D and a K5. I have purchaced Star lenses and still use this lens for its sharpness and color rendition. When choosing a star or limited lens this lens has made it possible for me to choose different lengths as I have no qualms about using it on a pro shoot. It just performs way above its price point. I would rate it better than a four stat but five means perfect on this scale and nothing is, yet.

Sifu

2009-01-20T19:00:00

This is a very good lens for the amature, produces very nice results. It is light weight and a fast focus, no searching. The focal range for a 1.5 digital camera results in a wide angle, not a extreme wide.

DWIGHT H.

2008-12-28T19:00:00

this is a great walk around lens,constant output.i just wish it had a 50mm on the top in for portraits but it leaves room for cropping.great contrast and color.i hope to purchase the fa da 100mm 2.8 macro lens be for spring.buy this lens the price is worth it and alot better than a kit lens.

nikonmanak

2008-08-05T21:00:00

I sold all of my Nikon gear (D200, some pretty good lenses) and switched to Pentax. The 16-45mm hooked to a K20D makes a phenominal combination for landscape photography. Sharpness, good color and low noise are the result, along with more sales. I can't be negative about Nikon - it's very nice equipment. But if you want to talk about lens quality and backward compatibility and cost, think PENTAX

Bob

2008-05-07T21:00:00

hard to beat for this price.

Mexgolf

2008-02-11T19:00:00

This lens is not quite a "5" but is certainly better than a "4". It's not perfect, so I did not give it a "5". However, it is very sharp, very useful and easy to use. The one potential drawback is its chromatic aberration on occasion, but I found that to be generally correctable in PhotoShop or Lightroom. Sharpness and contrast are excellent, particularly in view of its very wide 16mm capability. I would have really liked a somewhat longer top end, say 55-60mm, but I am willing to give up the extra reach for the fine optical quality. I did not find the f4 constant maximum aperature to be an issue because of the K10D's decent ISO 800 sensitivity and its inherent shake reduction. I did not find the actually quite decent 18-55mm kit lens to be sharp enough for my taste, so I replaced it with the Pentax 16-45 and was very pleased. [...]

Joseph K.

2008-01-14T19:00:00

On my first outing with this lens I was blown away with the image quality & sharpness. Very impressed & I think I got a great deal.

LDM

2007-10-09T21:00:00

great lens. good build quality. pretty light. it extends the lens from tele to wide.only cons found: at it's wide end (fully extended) it renders the onboard flash unusable. you cannot use it (the flash) between 16-22mm (give or take).sigma 18-50 f/2.8 from [...]is a good alternative

cvlad

2007-09-25T21:00:00

I love this lens, especially at the wide end up close. Highly recommended if you can't afford the new DA* 16-50!

Sinnettc

2007-09-25T21:00:00

LOVE THIS NEW LENS

GARY K.

2007-07-13T21:00:00

I shoot weddings, and perfer this lens to the 18-55mm kit lens 100 times over! It's sharper with better color and contrast, and the f4.0 is a huge improvement over the speed of the other lens. It would be perfect if it were f2.8, but as it is it's still a VERY fine lens. I agree with another reviewer on the site, if you can only afford one of the new DA* zooms, go for the 50-135mm because this is a great lens for your wider coverage! It's a lens that makes you proud to shoot Pentax!!

SCOTT A.

2007-05-13T21:00:00

This is my fourth lens for my Pentax K10D, but it is fast becoming my permanently attached walk-around lens. It has superior sharpness and lack of chromatic aberration. I bought it for landscape photography but I find it is great for close-ups of flowers, etc. as well. Good glass!

Doc

2007-03-02T19:00:00

I like the tough and durable feel of the lens. It is quite sharp; the constant f4.0 is great. I only require a faster constant aperature for my longer zooms.

sharpnegative

2007-02-27T19:00:00

I purchased this lens some time ago, along with the *st D. It's shown to have very little distortion for a zoom, and the AF is actually fast and useful for an AF lens. The feature I like best is the ability to "fine tune" the focus after AF without having to switch to MF. It's fast and accurate. The manual focus operates smoothly for an AF lens, they did a good job on this one. Colors are good, images crisp and clear. The lens extends out a long way when zooming, and the lens hood is awfully big. It tends to get in the way of the on-camera flash, if that means anything to you. Overall, I'll probably keep it when I get the 50-135 instead of replacing it with the 16-50. Using it on the K10D has shown it is clear and sharp even at high resolution.

LAUREN G.

2007-02-11T19:00:00

This is an excellent lens for any of the Pentax Digital cameras and in my case the lens that is most of the time mounted into the camer. At 16mm sure it presents some distortion but which lens at that aperture does not have some distortion. In this case distortion is well controlled by the designers. A great lens for the price,

somafoto

2007-02-11T19:00:00

I use this lens for weddding photography with great results on enlargements up to 24 X 30 prints with the Ist D

Ricky

2007-02-04T19:00:00

Great lens with a moderately large F4.0 aperture throughout its full zoom range. Optically very sharp for a zoom lens. I would be a little happier if it had a little longer focal length on the long side,such as 60 or 70MM, but the Pentax 50-200mm zoom takes care of that. The very wide end of 16mm is really useful for interior shots or anywhere a nice wide angle coverage is desired. Recommend a high quality UV filter for protection, such as a Hoya Pro-1 Digital Multicoated, as the glass is relatively large and near the front of the lens. Overall, this is a really nice lens for the money. [...] a great price!

Art G.

2007-02-04T19:00:00

Great lens, light weight for convenience. Fast AF. However, didn't see much more advantage over the kit lens (18-55mm), unless you go for the extra wide angle. My comment is based on use with DS. K10D may take more advantage of it? Maybe others can share.

LEON S.