[bpv_UW]

I love shooting wide landscapes and have had 2 copies of the Da 15 over the past couple years. While it's an amazing lens in many regards, I've found myself disappointed with corner/border performance (I'm a pixel peeper). I've seen many say here that they have found the 15 to be sharp across the frame. I'm now contemplating a move to another system, primarily for better wide angle options, but am torn. Can anyone with a good copy of the 15 convince me to give another one a try? If so, would you mind sharing corner/border crops at 100%?

Greatly appreciate your help!
-Brandon

[kp0c]

What about the 12-24? I thought it was a stellar performance across the board (that is from memory and I could be totally wrong!).

[luftfluss]

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/86234-15mm-limited-controls-my-mind-club.html

[Digitalis]

The sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5-6 is sharp across the frame - much better than the DA15. But there are some drawbacks to using that lens.

[DSims]

Although it's not supposed to be much different, why don't you try a new HD 15 this time? They just went on sale, you can pick black or silver, and you can send it back within 30 days if it doesn't move you.

You should also consider the Q 08 lens if you haven't tried it yet - seriously.



And I echo Digitalis about about the Sigma 8-16 - if you like Sigma rendering, it's a stellar achievement in terms of sharpness.

[lytrytyr]

I love shooting wide landscapes and have had 2 copies of the Da 15 over the past couple years. While it's an amazing lens in many regards, I've found myself disappointed with corner/border performance (I'm a pixel peeper). I've seen many say here that they have found the 15 to be sharp across the frame.

Remember that different users have different standards of sharpness.
At f/11, the DA 15 will give you 35 lp/mm on a K5.

I'm now contemplating a move to another system, primarily for better wide angle options, but am torn. Can anyone with a good copy of the 15 convince me to give another one a try?

I have the DA 15, but appreciate it more for reportage.

For big-print landscape, requiring 40 lp/mm,
there are some Samyang primes in K mount, or the stitching option.
Or if money is no object, get the new Zeiss 15/2.8 in M42 screwmount.

[VoiceOfReason]

I've never used the 15, but I really like my Sigma 8-16.

[Stavri]

And I echo Digitalis about about the Sigma 8-16 - if you like Sigma rendering, it's a stellar achievement in terms of sharpness.

I'll be damned, people Like Sigma's rendering?!

[jimr-pdx]

My DA15 antidote is the SMC 17 fish-eye. Your composition can get around much of the fishiness*, and its field of view is a pinch wider than the 15. Cheap and fun, built-in filters and larger scale at 17mm. Close focus too!

* clearly not on this background though!

[kh1234567890]

I love shooting wide landscapes and have had 2 copies of the Da 15 over the past couple years. While it's an amazing lens in many regards, I've found myself disappointed with corner/border performance (I'm a pixel peeper). I've seen many say here that they have found the 15 to be sharp across the frame. I'm now contemplating a move to another system, primarily for better wide angle options, but am torn. Can anyone with a good copy of the 15 convince me to give another one a try? If so, would you mind sharing corner/border crops at 100%?

It is possible if you stop it right down and slightly misfocus the centre. Otherwise cheat by cropping out the corners or downscaling your photos - many of the people whose mind is affected by this lens do. The lens is essentially cr*p by design.




At f/16. Full size here.

[todd]

Are you peeping just for the sake of peeping, or do you need the border performance for any other reason(s)? If just for peepings sake, then encouraging you to stop peeping so much, or to at least stop letting it slow you down is the best path to persuading you imho. That and considering the trade-offs that Digitalis alluded to... I could be wrong (because I am one of those who has chosen to allow the DA15 to control my mind) but to achieve the border performance at the wide angle of view you desire while maintaining or improving the other levels of performance and quality, you're going to be paying for it with weight, size, and expense. If those factors don't matter to you, then maybe you want to look at the 645Z and a nice WA lens for it. (Download this image and give it a peep!)

[manntax]

Could you please link one or two examples full res prefferably - so we could pixel peep too ?? I'd think that DA 15 is very well regarded and was myself looking into that direction. Would be nice to see some full res images of low corner sharpness for the reference purposes - because what I saw so far (in rescaled version - I admit that ) - was only short of pure awesomeness - please upload something at f8 or f11 max - other than that I think diffraction is crippling any lens on digital crop camera.

[Marktax]

What about the 12-24? I thought it was a stellar performance across the board (that is from memory and I could be totally wrong!).

I would second that. I've always thought the 12-24 is highly exceptional.

[kh1234567890]

At f/5.6, full size here :




And a rough and ready quick infinity test (f/4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16 and 22) as I often do with a new lens, mainly to check for decentering.
Tripod, focus on centre, camera rotated between shots, focus not changed. I seem to have missed one corner

Full size of the composite here.




Some more in my Flickr stream. Sorry about the lack of awesomeness, I've only had this lens for a few weeks ...

[Rondec]

I like the DA 15 limited. It is decently sharp as long as you are stopped down to f8 and focused to infinity. The biggest selling point to me is its resistance to flare, which is unsurpassed in other lenses I have used. The question is if it fits with your shooting style.