Pentax SMC DA* Series 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL IF SDM Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)If you've read my previous reviews, you know that I'm a retail camera salesperson. I get to use a wide variety of equipment, but I'm a bit picky on what I buy myself. I own this lens.
I couldn't be more pleased with this lens for my K10D. The images are crisp at all focal lengths and apertures. The focusing is both fast and smooth. (Note: it will require updating to firmware version 1.3 for the K10D to autofocus properly.) Build quality is top-notch, and the weather-proofing is nice, although I doubt I'll test that often.
Pentax has also equiped this lens with the older drive system, so that it can be used on older digital cameras, but the noise level goes up, and the AF performance, while decent, goes down.
This is an amazingly good deal compared to either the Canon or Nikon lenses in the same range. The Nikon has about the same build quality, but costs considerably more. The Canon has the IS system built into the lens (not necessary with Pentax); therefore, it costs about the same as the Nikon. A very good lens, it still doesn't have the build quality "feel" of the Pentax nor Nikon. Additionally, the 16mm makes the Pentax a bit wider, a big advantage for my type of shooting.
Simply put, without this lens, I'd be shooting Nikon.

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Designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras, the Pentax DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 wide-angle zoom lens is a terrific choice for landscapes, portraiture, and just about any other application. The lens features a tightly sealed, weather-resistant and dust-resistant construction to enhance durability in rainy or dusty conditions. The lens's three aspherical elements and two special optical glass elements, meanwhile, help compensate for chromatic and spherical aberration, producing images with superior contrast, clarity, and edge-to-edge sharpness. And thanks to the lens's Pentax-original Quick-Shift Focus System, you can easily and instantly switch from autofocus to manual focus.
Specifications
Focal length: 16-50mm
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Minimum aperture: f/22
Lens construction: 15 elements in 12 groups
Angle of view: 83 to 31.5 degrees (when used with Pentax digital SLR camera body)
Number of diaphragm blades: 9
Metering system: TTL open-aperture metering
Minimum focusing distance: 0.3 meters
Maximum magnification: 0.21x
Filter size: 77mm
Corresponding AF mounts: Pentax KAF2
Dimensions: 3.3 inches in diameter and 3.9 inches long
Weight: 19.9 ounces (without hood)
Warranty: 1 year

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Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 Ultra Compact Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After using the old Pentax-M 40mm pancake for a while, I decided to get this DA Limited version. 40mm on a Pentax dSLR is a great focal length for portraits and for regular walk-around use. The 1.5x multiplier of Pentax dSLRs makes the focal length work out to the equivalent of 60mm on a 35mm film camera.
The f/2.8 aperture is nice and fast, especially if you're coming from the kit lenses. It's fast enough to take pictures indoors (shake reduction doesn't hurt either) and creates a pretty narrow depth of field for portraits.
The super compact size makes my K100D feel very light and easy to carry around. It's perfect for outings where you'll end up taking pictures of people and close objects.
The autofocusing is super fast and I haven't seen it hunt around like my DA 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses.
Pros:
- Very fast autofocus. Doesn't seem to hunt around like the kit lenses.
- f/2.8 makes it pretty fast and very usable, especially with shake reduction. The sharpness is decent at f/2.8.
- Super compact and light. It makes my K100D a lot easier to carry around all day.
- Great focal length for portraits.
- "Limited" means that it's all metal in construction, which definitely helps this diminutive lens feel nice and solid.
- Works great on some film bodies! See below.
Cons:
- The lens is so small that there's nothing to hold on to. I often find myself gripping the focus ring while the lens is trying to autofocus.
- I've seen a good amount of purple fringing with this lens wide open. Stopping down a bit quickly clears it up though.
Overall, this is a great lens for traveling. The cons that I listed can easily be fixed with some practice and good technique.
Edit 11/27/07: One interesting thing to note is that this lens works on film bodies without vignetting. However, keep in mind that this is a DA lens so there is no aperture ring! Cameras like the ZX/MZ-5n, ZX-10, etc. don't have a dial to control the aperture so this lens is really only useful in full auto or Tv modes. This lens works perfectly on the *ist film, ZX-L/MZ-6, MZ/ZX-7, PZ-1(P) or any other Pentax film body that has a dial for aperture control.

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Pentax SMC DA* Series 50-135mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Pentax and Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)After anxiously awaiting the new DA* series of lenses, I bought it the day it was released. I had to photograph the Ujena Bikini Jam in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and KNEW that I needed the benefits of a tightly sealed, weather proof lens because of the intense humidity. When I first mounted the lens to the body of my K10D (after updating the firmware of course) I was surprised at how incredibly quiet the motor is. I've never had this experience with any lens I've owned. I'm so used to the slight "whir" sound that lenses produced, it was hard for me at first to tell if it was working! The lens focuses quickly and accurately. The lens is nicely finished with nice rubber ribbing on the barrel. It accepts 67mm thread size filters. There may be a temptation to get a standard type Skylight filter. Spend the extra money for the Super Multicoated type. After all, if you spend nearly $1,000 for a lens, why would you skimp on a lower priced filter? The manual focusing mechanism turns freely after you reach the end of the focal length on either side. This is done so that you do not damage the focusing mechanism. For manual focus option, instead of setting your camera body to manual focus, the lens has a switch that allows you to switch between manual focus and auto focus without having to have your body set on manual focus. This is convenient. If the lens is hunting you can easily click over the switch with your thumb without having to remove the camera from your eye. There is no longer an aperture ring on the new digital series lenses. This is logical since all the f-stop settings are now done on the camera body. The stunning sharpness and contrast of this lens is amazing. Distortion is practically non existant and flare is tightly controlled. Make sure you have the lens hood attached to help make sure flare is not an issue. This lens makes the lower priced lenses seem inferior by comparison. This lens is made for professionals and it shows. If you are currently looking for a professional quality Pentax zoom lens, and need the high speed of a 2.8 lens for portrait or glamour photography, this is the one to get. This is an outstanding lens from Pentax. Rush out and get it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax SMC DA* Series 50-135mm f/2.8 ED IF SDM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Pentax and Digital SLR Cameras

Designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras, the Pentax DA series 50-135mm telephoto zoom lens makes it easy to capture close-in sports shots or intimate wildlife photography. The lens is distinguished by its aspherical elements, special optical-glass elements, and original glass coatings, which help produce a high contrast, unmatched clarity, and edge-to-edge sharpness. The lens also boasts a tightly sealed weather- and dust-resistant housing that stands up to rainy or dusty conditions. And users will love the new SDM system, which produces smoother, quieter autofocusing using a built-in supersonic motor. Other details include a Pentax-original Quick-Shift Focus System that switches instantly to manual-focus operation, a Pentax SP coating that protects the exposed lens elements, and a focal length equivalent to 76.5-207mm in the 35mm format.

Lens mount: Pentax KAF2
Lens construction: 18 elements in 14 groups
Angle of view: 31.5 to 11.9 degrees (when used with Pentax digital SLR camera body)
Aperture control: Automatic
Minimum aperture: F22
Metering system: TTL open-aperture metering
Minimum focusing distance: 1 meter
Filter size: 67mm
Maximum magnification: 0.17x
Dimensions: 3 inches in diameter and 5.4 inches long
Weight: 24.2 ounces (without hood)

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Pentax 16-45mm f/4.0 SMC PDA ED AL Zoom Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I was one of those holdouts that carried lots of prime lenses, disdaining zooms as "a compromise". No doubt, I missed some fine lenses because of this.
The lens that sold me on zooms is this lens, the 16-45 f/4 Pentax. The lack of distortion, the contrast, the fine color control, all finally convinced me that a zoom can perform some of the functions of a prime.
I've been using this lens for a while. In my studio, the 50mm primes have become the main portrait lenses with the digital cameras. But now, I'm not afraid to use a zoom lens on a job. A big step for me!
It extends quite far when zooming, a fact I don't like, and for those who care, the on-camera flash is blocked by the lens hood (I use studio strobe, so it's of no import to me). As a modern lens, it has a polycarbonate barrel (they don't seem to be inclined to make zooms in the Lmited series. Too bad).
If I could use it on the film cameras, I probably would. No aperture ring means it's definitely meant for the current cameras.
Despite all that, I highly recommend this lens. It's a great "walk around" lens, going from very wide to moderate telephoto (remember, it's for the APS-C sensors). Image quality is astounding to an old grouch who loves primes, and even for a lens in general it's right up there.
If you're faced with the choice of the kit lens or this lens, take the 16-45. If you are serious about your craft, or you make a living at it, it's well worth the price!

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Fujifilm FinePix XP30 14 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Fujinon 5x Optical Zoom Lens and GPS Geo-Tagging Function (Green) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I did have high hopes for this camera, even though it is priced so low. The reviews that could find were pretty good. First the good: It is a solidly built, attractive camea that fits well in the hand. The image stablization seems very good. After going through several cameras destroyed by damage I was looking for something I could take cycling, hiking, etc and have it survive modest drops, rain and sand. It might be that this camera will handle the elements well, but I was so unhappy with the quality of the pictures and the camera's performance that I wil be returning it today.
The first big negative is that it takes 4-5 seconds to start up. Given that the most recent coolpix cameras are basically instant on their startup I really don't see an excuse for this. Second, the auto focus is extremly slow, often 2+ seconds. And finally the shutter lag after depressing the button is 2 seconds. This means from the time I take the camera out of my cycling jersy until I can take a picture is 9 seconds. That is a long, long time.
Secondly, this camera is pretty much the worst I have seen in low light conditions. And I use "low light" loosely since basically anything other than full sunlight is a problem. Anything inside, even with full lighting, will be blurred. The other thing is that inside pictures make very "orange" looking pictures unless the flash is used.
The description of the camera tauts its ability to take "sports" pictures and to "hold" focus on moving objects. I just can't agree with this at all. I tried a whole variety of pictures of moving objects including running children, cyclists and slow moving cars and it just blurs. I wish I could upload some pictures taken with the camera to show what I am talking about.
While I didn't have high expectations of their "continuous" shooting mode, it is basically worthless at a picture every 4-5 seconds even with a class 10 memory card. Looks like I am going to have to investigate more expensive options.
The movie capture ability was actually pretty decent although I do see a lot of artifacts in the encoding when I play it back. But the capture is very smooth.

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The FinePix XP30 offers compelling specs and a feature set that will ensure outdoor loving photographers oradventure sportsenthusiasts are wellcateredfor.In addition to GPS and its ruggedbuildquality,thecameraalsofeatures timeswidezoomwithopticalimagestabilizationtoshotsharpimagequalityinanycondition.WithaFinePixXP30 in their rucksack outdoor photographerswillbeabletaketheir pictures to new heights.

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