Review on Pentax 16-45mm f/4.0 SMC PDA ED AL Zoom Lens: Compatible with Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras by Laura Walters

In the Pentax range, the DA* 16-50 is one of the most desirable lenses - it's weatherproof and has a quirky, almost silent inner workings focus motor. It also costs twice as much as this lens, and this cool motor often fails. This 16-45 lens is well built despite being mostly plastic - it's good quality and fairly durable. Of course it's NOT weatherproof so don't take it with you in a downpour, but it has served me well outdoors and is quite durable. The pictures are excellent, HA is small, there is color and clarity. For me, that extra 2mm at the wide-angle end is quite different from the starting point of the classic 18mm wide-angle kit lens, although I would have liked 50mm at the telephoto end. All in all a great lens for the money. If you can afford DA* - by all means buy it - for those of us on a budget it's a great alternative.