Pentax HD DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR - Review 2022

The Pentax HD DA 16-85mm f/three.5-5.half dozen ED DC WR ($649.95) is 1 of several all-weather zoom lenses bachelor for the visitor's APS-C SLR organisation. Information technology'south a solid pick for shooters who want a longer range than a basic 18-55mm kit lens, with wider coverage and better prototype quality than you get with the SMC DA 18-135mm f/three.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR. It doesn't offer a meaning comeback in light gathering, however, which is why nosotros give preference to a third-party option, the $500 Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro HSM, fifty-fifty though it omits protection from grit and moisture.

Blueprint

The 16-85mm is a squat lens, just one that extends when zoomed beyond its widest setting. It measures iii.7 by iii.1 inches (Hard disk drive) at its shortest, and extends to about 6 inches when gear up to the 85mm position. It weighs nearly 1.i pounds, supports 72mm front filters, and ships with a reversible lens hood and front and rear lens caps.

Pentax HD DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR : Sample Image

Yous tin only go information technology black, unlike the smaller, similarly sealed HD DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 ED Limited DC WR zoom, which is available in black or silver. The 16-85mm is polycarbonate, rather than metal, with the only color coming from a ruby-red accent ring behind the front element.

There'southward a very narrow transmission focus ring toward the base, covered in a textured cease so you lot can identify and turn information technology with ease. The lens offers total-time manual focus override, even when the camera is fix to autofocus. The zoom ring is finished in a similar texture, and occupies almost the entirety of the barrel. It has set marks at xvi, 24, 35, fifty, and 85mm.

Y'all tin can mount the lens to a full-frame camera; Pentax has one in its current lineup, the Thou-ane. But expect a serious dark vignette around your frame, as the lens is only designed to embrace the smaller, APS-C sensor that Pentax uses in virtually of its cameras. Its field of view matches that of a 24-128mm full-frame zoom.

You won't find whatsoever toggles or switches on the barrel. In that location'south no born stabilization—Pentax puts that characteristic in photographic camera bodies rather than lenses. There's also no focus limiter, which isn't a big deal. The 16-85mm focuses every bit close as thirteen.viii inches, which gives information technology a decent 1:iii.8 magnification ratio at its closest focus distance and 85mm setting. There'southward no need to separate close focus and distant focus ranges with this lens.

Epitome Quality

I tested the 16-85mm with the 24MP Pentax KP. At 16mm f/3.5 the lens scores i,981 lines per picture height on Imatest's standard center-weighted sharpness test. This is better than the 1,800 lines we desire to see at a minimum; information technology's a skilful score, but not an excellent one. The centre area of the frame is splendid, nonetheless, at 2,381 lines, just you lose resolution as you move abroad from it. The mid parts are okay, at i,879 lines, merely edges are noticeably soft, showing only 1,461 lines.

Narrowing the aperture improves prototype quality. The lens scores ii,339 lines on average at f/five.six, with performance that is as good or amend than the average through about of the frame, and edges that are a crisp 2,014 lines. You lot'll get the best 16mm results at f/8—the average score is an fantabulous ii,448 lines and performance is relatively fifty-fifty from center to border. Narrowing the f-finish further reduces clarity; the lens shows 2,350 lines at f/11, 2,160 lines at f/16, and a mere 1,806 line at f/22.

The maximum aperture has already narrowed to f/four.5 at the 35mm position. Resolution is strong through nearly of the frame, showing about 2,152 lines on average, but edges are soft at 1,522 lines. Stopping down to f/5.6 nets better results at the edges (1,956 lines) and overall (2,368 lines). Again, at f/8 you get splendid, fifty-fifty operation from border to border, 2,438 lines on average, and you lot don't lose much by stopping down to f/eleven (2,374 lines). You can get decent results at f/xvi (ii,202 lines), merely the lens loses something at f/22 (1,921 lines).

At 85mm f/five.half dozen the lens has lost a scrap of resolution, showing 1,963 lines. The center is very precipitous (2,345 lines), with mid parts that hit the boilerplate and very soft edge operation (one,231 lines). You get better overall resolution at f/8 (2,197 lines), with even performance through most of the frame, merely edges that are yet a bit soft (one,673 lines). The best edge-to-edge quality is accomplished at f/11 (2,274 lines), and f/16 is quite usable (ii,145 lines). Skip f/22 (1,846 lines), unless you need to terminate down that far for depth of field or a long exposure image.

There'south some visible distortion, although if yous shoot in JPG format yous can set your camera to remove it automatically. You get about 3.3 percent barrel distortion at 16mm, curving straight lines outward. At 35mm lines are properly straight, but you get most 1.1 pct pincushion distortion, which curves lines toward the center, at 85mm. If you lot capture Raw images and procedure them in Lightroom CC, you can remove baloney using the congenital-in lens profile.

There's as well a noticeable vignette, but only at the widest angles. When shooting at 16mm f/3.v, the corners lag behind the center past 2.8 f-stops (-2.8EV). The deficit is cutting to -1.6EV at f/5.6, and is nevertheless noticeable at f/8 (-1.2EV). At narrower settings it'southward slighter, about -one.1EV. Yous can compensate for the vignette using in-photographic camera correction, or remove it using Lightroom with the same lens contour that corrects distortion. At longer focal lengths the vignette isn't credible.

Conclusions

The Pentax HD DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED DC WR delivers decent image quality and covers a good amount of range. At its widest it captures more than of a scene than standard kit lenses, and its sealed design means you can apply it in rough weather along with most Pentax SLRs. Information technology'southward not without its flaws, though—its $650 cost is loftier for an f/3.5-5.6 design, and border performance lags backside competitors. If yous tin sacrifice protection from weather, and a little flake of range, the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro HSM is a better overall performer, and available for less.