  In this paper we use deep CFHT and SUBARU $uBVRIz$ archival images of the
Abell 383 cluster (z=0.187) to estimate its mass by weak lensing. To this end,
we first use simulated images to check the accuracy provided by our KSB
pipeline. Such simulations include both the STEP 1 and 2 simulations, and more
realistic simulations of the distortion of galaxy shapes by a cluster with a
Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile. From such simulations we estimate the effect
of noise on shear measurement and derive the correction terms. The R-band image
is used to derive the mass by fitting the observed tangential shear profile
with a NFW mass profile. Photometric redshifts are computed from the uBVRIz
catalogs. Different methods for the foreground/background galaxy selection are
implemented, namely selection by magnitude, color and photometric redshifts,
and results are compared. In particular, we developed a semi-automatic
algorithm to select the foreground galaxies in the color-color diagram, based
on observed colors. Using color selection or photometric redshifts improves the
correction of dilution from foreground galaxies: this leads to higher signals
in the inner parts of the cluster. We obtain a cluster mass that is ~ 20%
higher than previous estimates, and is more consistent the mass expected from
X--ray data. The R-band luminosity function of the cluster is finally computed.
