DA*16-50mm : A new lease of life with the K-5


zoom3

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May 18, 2007
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This is one lens which spend most of its time in the dry box. Never quite like the photos it produced with the K10D & K-7. I find them soft and lacking impact. Focusing also relatively slow and not accurate. especially in low light.

Well, all this changed after spending an afternoon shooting the cosplayers at this weekend's Anime Festival.. Quite a few Pentaxians were there too - Frank, Charlie, Brian, Farhan, Richard plus a few others. Charlie & Brian set up a mini studio and they were doing a roaring trade ! You will no doubt see many great photos from them very soon. Brian was also using the DA*16-50 for most of his studio portraits.

Anyway, back to topic. the 16-50mm is a different beast when coupled to the K-5. The pics have suddenly come alive. Nice and sharp now, nice contrast - no doubt due to the high megapixel count and DR. Focusing is fast and accurate. The cam/lens now behave like a point & shoot - literally. With the K-5, all my lenses "suddenly" performs so well. Make it so hard now to decide which lens to take out.

Ok. Here are some photos from yesterday. Many of them are heavily cropped but still retained the excellent sharpness.

Rest of the photos are here:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=796910

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I never found the pics produced by the DA*16-50 lacking in impact with my K20D. But sounds like the new AF speed/accuracy is really something to look forward to with the K-5! :D
 

You and Fengwei are like poison these days. All his messages always have the words "buy K5" in it! :bsmilie:
Curious though on their real world difference. If only we can compare the shots side by side.
Imaging Resource still does not have a K5 sample yet:
http://www.imaging-resource.com

Must control urge to upgrade to k-r....must control...must control..:sweat:
 

I never found the pics produced by the DA*16-50 lacking in impact with my K20D. But sounds like the new AF speed/accuracy is really something to look forward to with the K-5! :D

Probably I have unrealistic expectations, especially comparing to the primes :bsmilie:. But seriously, many a times I thought I have a bad copy. Obviously not. I am happy now :D
 

You and Fengwei are like poison these days. All his messages always have the words "buy K5" in it! :bsmilie:
Curious though on their real world difference. If only we can compare the shots side by side.
Imaging Resource still does not have a K5 sample yet:
http://www.imaging-resource.com

Must control urge to upgrade to k-r....must control...must control..:sweat:

Sorry to do this to you...But it is the truth :D
 

May i know which flash unit for Pentax DSLR is the most compatible? I've heard some stories of 3rd party equivalents not able to sync the flash at higher ISOs? overexposure problem or sth like that. And just wondering why is the 3rd party Metz flash unit so popular?
 

I agree, I have gotten better results with the DA*16-50 with the K-5 as compared to the K-x, mainly due to faster and more accurate autofocus.

It does have some weaknesses, like very noticeable distortion at 16mm (easily corrected in post), some CA and softness wide open, but it rewards you with very good colors and contrast when slightly stopped down. Build quality is very good (except for the fiddly and somewhat fragile hood).
 

May i know which flash unit for Pentax DSLR is the most compatible? I've heard some stories of 3rd party equivalents not able to sync the flash at higher ISOs? overexposure problem or sth like that. And just wondering why is the 3rd party Metz flash unit so popular?

Metz flash is popular because its good :thumbsup:

Higher guide number and better functions than equivalent pentax model.
 

Metz flash is popular because its good :thumbsup:

Higher guide number and better functions than equivalent pentax model.

Will the Metz flash function fully and well akin to how a SB900 to a nikon camera? Does it have any drawbacks? If i can get this settled, i might very well go with a k-5 with a 16-45 lens.
 

The DA*1650 is a good lens, even when it's not mounted on K5 camera. But I agree, K5 is a better camera than any previous Pentax APSC dSLR camera.

I went to the Anime Festival too, it's pretty dark out there. But K5 handles these low light shots very nicely even w/o a flash, and I do feel the skin tones look nicer w/o using a flash:


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Look at a slightly bigger size one:

FWEI1012_b.jpg
 

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K-5 with FA Limited is the real poison I think.
 

Great photos guys. :thumbsup:
Pity I couldn't be there. The K-5 output is really something, especially the resolution and detail.
 

May i know which flash unit for Pentax DSLR is the most compatible? I've heard some stories of 3rd party equivalents not able to sync the flash at higher ISOs? overexposure problem or sth like that. And just wondering why is the 3rd party Metz flash unit so popular?

Metz is good, but does have some drawbacks.
I'm using a Metz48, so the following opinion is for that model.

PTTL used for bounce flash is not as dependable as Pentax AF360.
Interface is not as good. Very slow access due to the menu diving.
Imagine switching to rear curtain sync, or flash zoom in the heat of an event and you have to dbl button press (and probably miss the button press timing).

Honestly, if I have a choice right now, I'd rather go back to a AF360. I got the Metz as it offered a swivel head over the AF360, but in reality, its PTTL was not as reliable in this use mode and I use off camera flash more often anyway. Sold off the AF360...damn...
 

The DA*1650 is a good lens, even when it's not mounted on K5 camera. But I agree, K5 is a better camera than any previous Pentax APSC dSLR camera.

I went to the Anime Festival too, it's pretty dark out there. But K5 handles these low light

FWEI0907_s.jpg



Nice and versatile lens! :thumbsup:
Great o/p from the K5 too.
 

Aiyoh fengwei, your images with the FA 77mm Limited are just too awesome.
Koff, koff, now I definitely NEED a silver FA 77mm...
Just proof positive that when you put on a great lens with the K-5, you'll get magic.
 

do know neh...
i have the 16-50... but i don't know my skill bad or k-x cannot link with it well or anime fest area too dark or i get a bad copy...
i don't really like the output from it... it is a bit soft/out focus...
i don't have issue with dfa100 or i feel that the super takumar with MF sometime better than it...

so you guy are the those setup studio under the escalator??? i am very bad in remember ppl's face... so i didn't notice who is inside and inside is dark...
but i knok into one of the white k-x user...
 

Aiyoh fengwei, your images with the FA 77mm Limited are just too awesome.
Koff, koff, now I definitely NEED a silver FA 77mm...
Just proof positive that when you put on a great lens with the K-5, you'll get magic.

u sure u wanna buy.. $1200 i cannot imagine so ex now...

FA77 on APC-S still not fully met its potential leh...
 

do know neh...
i have the 16-50... but i don't know my skill bad or k-x cannot link with it well or anime fest area too dark or i get a bad copy...
i don't really like the output from it... it is a bit soft/out focus...
i don't have issue with dfa100 or i feel that the super takumar with MF sometime better than it...

so you guy are the those setup studio under the escalator??? i am very bad in remember ppl's face... so i didn't notice who is inside and inside is dark...
but i knok into one of the white k-x user...

Escalator? LOL, I thought it was under the stairs.

Yes, Baracus, Brian & I were underneath the stairs on Sunday. Found that we have this huge backdrop we stumbled by chance. Brian & I initially wanted to set up camp at the corridor under Hall 404, but we were struggling to find traction in our photos. Baracus came along & found a huge muslin cloth covering a part of the stairs.

Go behind, and viola! Our own mini-studio shoot.

I was wondering who it was that offered his daughter to us, only to discover that we have already taken a shot of her in costume earlier on. :bsmilie:

& yeah, it was fun doing the shoot. We were, in someone's words, "like a Venus flytrap, snapping one cosplayer after another." :bsmilie: