Unbeatable bang for the buck! Top pick!

With the introduction of DA*16-50/2.8, this little brother has become available used on EBay at 1/2 its original price. This makes the DA 16-45/4 ever more appealing than the kit DA 18-55 due to the vastly superior optical performance (sharp wide open, better bokeh, nicer color rendition) and a faster F-stop. Side by side comparison with my FA 20/2.8, FA 35/2 and FA 50/1.4 revealed that the DA 16-45 matched or exceeded the resolution of those fixed focal length lenses at various apertures. Combining that kind of sharpness with low distortion, low field curvature, nice contrast and good versatility, Pentax has a real winner here! As a matter of fact, an overwhelming majority of DA 16-45 users give their lens top notch reviews and ratings. I am just one of the many satisfied owners who swear by the overall quality of this lens and the images it delivers.