All I have are old school lenses, but some of them still do the biz. The way you talk about this lens is like I felt (feel) about my Tokina 28-80 ATX (the good one). I used that for 90% of the shots I'd take during my tenure as the off-road racing journalist for Inside Motorcycles over a period of 6 years. That lens performed. I used it on a istD*, a K10D, a K7 and a K3 and it produced several front covers, dual-page spreads and full page images. Of course the AF speed was nothing like today, but we used different techniques back in the day to catch high speed action. It's not my favorite lens, but I always pack it along. It's with me right now on my trip to Florida.

I already had the pre-PLM versions of those two lenses. I do like these lenses and always bring them with me, in case I have to just "get the shot". I have to admit that I like using a lot of vintage glass. Since this is my hobby, I have that luxury.

This is my favorite lens at the moment. Yeah. It's a bit on the heavier side, but man it really is a stack of primes. I carried the K-3II with the battery grip & this lens for 16 hours at Disneyland about a month ago. I managed to lug it around all day & got some very nice shots too.

This is a lens I would love, but my 16-85 is just outstanding. I think I would miss the 85mm end too.

It's starting to become my favourite lens very quickly! The more I shoot with it the more I love it. Works great on all the bodies I've shot it on so far K3, K3iii & K3iii Monochrome. Now I just need to test it on the K5 all be it at f2.8 but it preforms very well wide open so that shouldn't be an issue.

I received the 16-50plm about two months ago and it has not left my camera (K3-3) and fully agree with you. I like it so much I am thinking about selling some of my other lenses that will be gathering dust.

I have the sigma 17-50 f/2.8 HSM DX and it too is my favorite lens, everything was near perfect for everyday shooting until on one of my surf trips my K3 and 17-50 were damaged severely and mysteriously... (Took the wind out of my sails so to speak) eventually I bought a used K3 to replace my damaged K3 body and sent the 17-50 lens into sigma for repair and they fixed the lens for $200 even though they quit making/supporting the K mount system. I'm very grateful they did this and it was quikly repaired I had my lens back 3 weeks after mailing to them. It was my understanding that the sigma 17-50 was the lower budget option(non weather sealed) to the Pentax 16-50 K star WR Plm... I wish I could have bought the Pentax version but my wife at the time set the price ceiling and the sigma was doable and I took a lot of great pictures with the K3 and sigma lens. I own two sigma lenses and the rest are Pentax K/D/Tak/ M42 mounts I've got quite the collection, just this week I added a Tak 55mm f/1.8 and a K 50mm f/1.4 Looking at a Tak 135mm 2.5 for portraits and Ive just received yesterday a K2 film camera that needs to go in and be renewed to service life- I purchased off of fleabay the K2 body and near mint optically 50mm f/1.4 for under $100. (The lens alone is worth that much) so I now have a film camera that will cost $140 to fix ... Who says film photography is dead? Its not, however the playing field has changed so the slr/dslr drivers need to adapt to the competition who are in the race with mirrorless drivers. Exciting future ahead Kobie, thanks for the video, just a little envious but this too shall pass 😉 happy shooting and fresh beats to you in 2024. 🤙

Nice photos ! Hopefully someday I get to give that one a try.

Just got mine back from repair. I had dropped it. What a loss! Good news is its back to making great images as you talked through!

So... Which one IS your favourite!? 😅

Right on 16-50 is the most used lens for me too, legacy one, but still - very versatile range and IQ

Makes a great daily driver, more or less a 24-70 FF equiv. I got mine a few weeks ago, and am still getting used to it. It’ll replace my current walkabout 18-135 eventually I think, the IQ is through the roof but I’ll need to get used to the extra weight

Expensive you say? I got one, second hand, beautifully perfect for $260. and I love it. I had it before I went to full frame K1 Mark II and made the mistake of selling it. Now, that I own the K3 -III Monochrome, I was missing it so much that I decided to have it again. I have used this lens as my "normal lens" for more than a decade and always got magnificent results. I agree with you completely: not my best lens, but one that is my pet lens with an APC Pentax! Thanks for your video.

I am considering selling my legacy DA* 16-50 (most used lens in my collection) and my DA* 50-135 and purchasing the new DA* 16-50 PLM. 😊If they could create a PLM 60-250, I would be very happy...

Dear Kobi, I'll tell you about my lenses (glasses). The whole Pintax*: 11-18 (❤❤!!) ; 16-50 plm (❤❤❤!!!) ; 16-50 sdm (❤!) ; 50-135 (❤!! ) ; 55/1.4 (❤! ) ; 200 (❤! ) ; 300(❤! ) Pentax limited HD : 15 (❤! ) ; 21(❤! ); 35(❤❤!! ) ; 40 (❤! ) ; 70(❤❤!! ); 20-40 (❤❤!! ). Pentax: 100 macro wr (❤❤!!); 28/2.8 soft (❤!) ; 85/2.8 soft (❤!) Pentax Ricoh HD DA Af 1.4x AW (❤❤!!) Zenitar-K 16/2.6 fish-eye made in Russia (❤❤!!) With respect to you and your videos. How does the wife react to the cost of lenses? Why bother? Why worry your wife? Photography is not a wife's business! Sincerely, Anatoly.

Wunderbar !

Yeah, my favorite lens was the 55 to 300 PLM, but it just broke. Snapped right off in 2 pieces. It was not focusing anymore just before then. I gotta year out of it, Warranty is fiwished. Not sure what happened. Very protected of that lens never dropped it never bumped.

Уважаемый Коби! Разрешите расскажу о своих объективах (стёклах). Имею Pentax: 11-18(!!!❤); 16-50 sdm(!❤); 16-50 PLM (❤❤❤❤!!!! 🎉🎉🎉) ; 50-135(❤❤!!); 55/1.4(❤!); 200/2.8(❤❤!!); 300/4(❤!); 100 /2.8 macro wr(❤❤!!); 28/2.8 soft( ❤!!); 85/2.8 soft(❤!!) Limited HD ( all Limited series ❤❤!!): 15; 21; 35; 40; 70; 20-40(❤❤❤!!!).... Pentax Ricoh HD DA Af 1.4x AW (❤❤🎉) Зенитар-К 2.8/16( Zenitar-K) made in Russia. (❤❤!!) FishEye. Это моё скромное мнение. С уважением к Вам и вашей работе. Что касается стоимости объективов и как реагирует жена? Зачем расстраивать жену? Фототехника это не дело жены! С уважением, Анатолий

I have a Pentax 16-50 f2.8 ED AL (IF) SDM lens. Is the one you are talking about a newer version of this?

I am torn between HD Pentax DA* 11-18 mm F2.8 and HD Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW. My usual focal lengths remain 11-21mm and then straight on 300 mm and beyond. I am usually covering landscapes and wildlife on the go. On the Pentax lens database pages, users have rated the former better over the latter, but the in depth reviewers have rated the latter better than the former. Any opinion by you or the members?