They say that it’s the tyres that make the off roader, which a lot of the time is quite true. The same can be said for photography, as the difference a good quality fast aperture lens can make to your photos should not be underestimated.

The Pentax DA * 16-50mm F2.8 ED/AL (IF), to give it its full name, is a wide angle zoom lens that’s designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras and is aimed at the higher end of the lens market.

As soon as I removed it from the box I was quite surprised by both its compact size and weight, but attached to my Pentax K3-II it felt very balanced and easy to carry around for long periods of time.

During the time I had the lens, I experienced just 1 sunny day, the rest were grim, even in France for the launch of the new Kia Sportage! This I suppose helped test the WR (Weather Resistance) seals that protect the internals from rain and dust, which it passed.

Amongst the electronic witchcraft going on inside the 16-50mm is Pentax’s Quick-Shift Focus System for instant switching to manual-focus operation. There’s also a new SDM system that’s been incorporated for smoother, quieter autofocusing operation using a built-in supersonic motor. This was very noticeable as it was really quick to focus on fast approaching cars, and I haven’t yet used a more silent and smooth operating lens.

After the couple of weeks I was really enjoying this lens, but due to other commitments I hadn’t used it as much as I wanted, which was a shame. The question is though, do I put my money where my mouth is and buy one? I want to, but I’m waiting to try out the new 24-70mm f/2.8, but that’s significantly more expensive.

Website: www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk

Price: RRP £1049.99

Some images I've taken with the lens: