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New lens reviews on DPR

iceblinker
Posted 29/01/2008 - 17:22 Link
www.dpreview.com/news/0801/08012913dpreviewlensreviews.asp

Included so far: Pentax 18-55mm and 16-45mm.

Depressingly, their views and results are radically different from Photozone's.
~Pete
hefty1
Posted 29/01/2008 - 18:33 Link
I read the 2 Pentax reviews and the 2 Canon reviews and thought that the Pentax pair fared rather well in comparison to their Canon counterparts. Neither is a "perfect" lens but then we knew that anyway...

DPR is just reinforcing what most people on these boards have been saying for some while; that the DA 18-55 and 16-45 are well made lenses with a good level of features and performance for the prices being asked. They do have their limitations but if they didn't then nobody would buy the DA*16-50.

It's nice to see Pentax being included in the first review batch anyway, it probably would have made more sense (where DPR readers are concerned) to have had Canon and Nikon up to bat first. I thought the whole exercise was quite positive from a Pentaxian point of view!
Joining the Q
iceblinker
Posted 29/01/2008 - 19:00 Link
On the 16-45, DPR say:

"Decidedly indifferent at 16mm, where it needs to be stopped down to F11 for best results, the lens improves markedly at longer focal lengths, and is at its best around 28mm. Image quality improves significantly on stopping down , with F8 and F11 the sweet spot"

This is very different indeed from Photozone's findings. Either there is terrible sample variation or one (or both) of the reviewers is very wrong.

* http://tinyurl.com/2yuz2m
"At 16mm the center performance is superb straight from the max. aperture. The borders are good to very good"
[sweet spot: F5.6]
~Pete
hefty1
Posted 29/01/2008 - 19:16 Link
Sample variations can - and do - happen. When they crop up they're most likely to be noticeable at the extremes so I'd say that's probably the case here. Still a fairly positive review when taken overall though, and I think anyone reading them side-by-side to the Canon ones would come to the conclusion that Pentax make better lenses, that can't be bad for the brand!
Joining the Q
iceblinker
Posted 29/01/2008 - 19:51 Link
I agree they're generally positive reviews and good for the brand.

For those who have already decided on Pentax, though, it must be confusing for people choosing which particular model of lens to buy - when one detailed and authoritive-looking review badly clashes with another.

DPR does not put up a strong case for favouring the 16-45 over the 18-55, whereas Photozone does.
~Pete

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