Pentax Star 16-50 & 50-135 Lenses

I finally received my Pentax 16-50 & 50-135 Star Lenses last week and am very pleased with there performance. The 16-50 although not flagrantly sharper than my 16-45 lens, is very sharp and the benefit of a constant f2.8 aperture is a plus. The 50-135 however is brutally sharp. It is too bad that I rarely shoot long therefore will not use as frequently as my shorter focal lengths.

Ben

I could always provide a good home for a neglected 50-135

Thanks for the "mini review" Ben
Matt

I cannot tell you how many offers I have had to provide shelter for this poor neglected Baby...Thanks for the kind gesture.

Ben

I do wish people would stop talking about the 16-50! I am still waiting for mine. Not fair!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim

'Tis better to travel hopefully than to arrive.

G

Like Kim C, I too am waiting for my 16-50mm to arrive.

Does anyone know what the hold up is? Is it purely a demand/supply issue or is there some other reason?

Regards

Amer Khalil

and I am waiting for all your 16-50's to arrive so the bottom will drop out of the price on the 16-45......

well I can hope can't I?

Are there any reviews of the 16-50 yet, I can't seem to find any?!

I got a 50-135mm a week ago.
I tested it in low light condition at 2.8 and in daylight at other apertures:
back focus, autofocus is not accurate even on SEL mode, totally soft at 2.8.
myspace.com/lunacalor the first 5 are taken at 2.8 all focal length with 50-135mm and autofocus.
The others are taken at 1.4 and 2.8 with a 50mm and a 100mm

I am considering returning it frankly!

Strange - Ben finds it brutally sharp :

I have the 16-50, bought recently from CameraWorld...

One of the early batch... I was expecting problems and I have only used it on my *ist D so far....I've yet to clear my SD cards from my holiday

Cracking lens Sorry all

http://www.myspace.com/lunacalor

well the second pic speaks for itself: if you can find a place where it is NOT blurred, let me know!!!
I used it at 2.8 in low light with AF.
The first 5 are taken with the Star the others with either a 100mm at 2.8 or a 50mm at 1.4 both manual non A lenses: see the difference?

SO no I don't find it sharp at ALL and other users have reported the same problems of lowsy AF and back focussing.

SO it's either the body, which focus fine with other lenses or the lens....

Looks like camera shake to me

The sharpest point is her skin (compare to her hand which is definitely OOF, and so also to the back of her head). Yet, that sharpest point is blurred. I can see there is detail in the skin though.

What was the tech specs on the image? (ie shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO)

Matt

Indeed it does, and what it appears to be telling me is that someone was trying to handhold at too low a shutter speed...

If you want to test the sharpness of the lens then you'll need to pick better lighting conditions for those because all that appears to be testing is your handholding technique.

well all of the other pics have been taken between 1/15 and 1/30 handheld
so I am assuming that if this was possible with an smc 100mm or 50mm at 2.8 it should also be possible with a Star lens...
Anyway as I am mostly doing concert shots I chose a lens at 2.8.
Now if the lens cannot do the job it is aimed at then I 'll just get rid of it.
Plain simple!!
But I'll keep on trying!