WTB DA* 16-50mm

It isn't quite the same lens. Weather sealing, SMC coating and of course Pentax construction around the basic lens cell.

John thanks for youe comment.

I would expect a £600+ DA* lens to score more than 9 points in the pentaxforum.com database reviewd by pentax users. But the DA* 16-50 scorced 8.64 which is not bad but we are paying alit more for the same thing, we can argue the pentax has weather seal but I had both my weather seal pentax body and lens failed in the rain. I wouldn;t shoot in heavey rain no more.

P.S. Pentax did fix the DA* 50-135 for me after the weather seal failed but it was still within warrenty period, no idea if they would do the same after warrenty expires. My K10D which failed in the rain recovers itself after 3 days under my hair dryer.

If I have not mistaken, I remember the DA*16-50 was about £450 brand new when it first came out in the market. Which I think is a much more reasonable price compare to third party lenses. I really don;t understand why pentax incrased the price for everything around 2 years ago while pentax need to gain more market shares.

Pentax marketing sometimes drive me crazy. But I still Love Pentax for no reason.. lol

I have been using my DA* 16mm to 50mm for well over a year now and love it, I really don't notice any issues with this lens that people raise, so either I have a very good copy or i just have learned how to use it! The DA*50-135 really is a gem of a lens, worth every penny and i would never part with it. I am considering buying the 15mm limited for landscape work mainly due to its size and weight when i am walking in remote and wild areas, i just wish it were weather sealed like the DA* 16mm to 50mm and I would buy one tomorrow.

In terms of lens tests and overall figures, I can't argue with their findings, but for me if the image look good and right in real terms I am happy.

Gareth

The prices of all marques increased, but the timing varied from make to make as the new batches of stock arrived. The prices of all lenses have now stabilised again and they are looking rather good value in some cases.

It constantly changes, so if we bought into a system on the grounds of price now then by the time we were ready to replace or extend our collection things could be quite different anyway.

Quite so.

G

I would like to get the 15mm as well. But IQ if most important for me. I don;t knwo if I should get the DA14mm or the 15mm ltd. Currently I am using the sigma 10-20 4-5.6 for wide.

So is the 50-135 a Tokina lens as well??

Interesting point John.

Will the price for the 645D come down any soon you reckon?

Can't say what the exact relationship was, but it looks as though Pentax and Tokina did co-operate on a number of lenses, as did Tamron and Pentax. Who did what exactly remains a mystery, but some lenses appeared in the guise of both makes.

The 16-50mm and 50-135mm seem to be mirrored by Tokina. The 18-250mm seems to be mirrored by Tamron. The difference was that Tamron offered a Pentax fit version of their own lens whereas Tokina do not.

+1 and the Tamron 17-50 has quite pronounced field curvature IIRC which I can't abide, I had the 17-35 and disliked it with a passion. The 28-75 on the other hand was an absolute gem.

John

Personally I doubt it. The price is already very good and it's selling. The price may come down in the future if a 645D II appears on the horizon.

Just a quick point about Pentax lenses! I personally love the DA* lenses, due to my lifestyle I am often in very wet and cold conditions in the UK, Europe and the USA and none of the lenses I have used in these conditions have let me down. When my images have not been great, it has often been down to my errors rather than the lenses and as my photographic knowledge and skills continue to develop I think Pentax lenses offer and provide very good value for money, but then I just love Pentax gear as it feels right for me and does what I want it to do.

The Tokina 50-135mm is costing around £380 brand new for both nikon and canon mount. I bought myself one on ebay when calumet was selling its ex-demo for £490. Yes still expensive but I really wanted it that time. No way I will get it for more than £600.

I read somewhere on a japanese forum saying that tokina signed a deal with pentax that tokina would not offer their own branded lenes to Pentax users in return pentax supply them with the SMC coating for the tonkina lenses.