16-50 DA*

I'm thinking of getting this lens but can anyone tell me if the image quality issues have been sorted out yet or will I have to get the lens first and see if it is a bad copy?

Rob

Mine is fine - one of the first in the UK

Just buy it (from SRS) and if it is faulty, take / send it back.

I do not know if they are 100% perfect now or if some 'iffy' ones still slip through the net.

The way people agonise over buying this lens, I am amazed that anyone ever buys a car

Rob,

I had the same concerns as yourself, but I realised I could dither forever so I took the plunge and ordered one (plus a few other bits and pieces:wink just go for it

The one we bought in December didn't go wrong til the day before a wedding in August, the replacement is doing just fine, perhaps even slightly better quality wise!

Everything gets faults, we've had 2x Metz flashguns go faulty as an example, but the most important thing probably is a good relationship with your supplier. Every minor / major thing I've thrown at Chris @ SRS has been dealt with instantly with no questions asked. Not to mention that he has more Pentax stock than anyone else, which saved my bacon in an emergency I can tell ya!

You're not that far away from Watford, so I would suggest a drive down there one day and try before you buy, that should help put your mind at rest!

Now that's a seperate problem all on its own!

Well I treated myself and bought one last Friday and it arrived the next day from SRS

I used it on Sunday at a family party and the images were in the main very impressive and I was very plesed with the results. However I have just sent it back because at various settings the focus is all over the place, for example I focused on a group of people sitting at a dining table and they are all out of focus but the area behind them is very sharp which is not what I wanted!

I was going to live with it but for what I paid for the lens and the fact that this lens has history with quality issues I thought the newer versions would have these problems sorted out by now so I'm now waiting for the next one to see if that is any better, hopefully it will be

Rob

Can I suggest that you put the picture through PhotoMe, this will show you where the focus point was (from the EXIF data). If it was between two heads and on the area behind, you might find that your lens was actually doing its job!

Oh dear. Poor SRS.

Clearly you are one of those people who need a camera with face detection - in other words, a camera designed to do the thinking for the "photographer".

You have aimed at a gap within the group, so the camera has focussed on what it was aimed at - the wall behind.

Next time you think you have a problem, ask a question here first. It will save you embarrassment, and help keep SRS's costs down. And that helps the rest of us.

G

I always try before I buy..

Honestly,
read the manual before listening to stupid rumors, always.