[falconeye]

Hi everybody,

I would like to open up a thread dedicated to one topic:

DA lens on Full Frame: a sticky test shots thread.

This thread shall be dedicated to test shots of a DA lens mounted to a full frame body (e.g., a film camera body). By test shot, I mean shots dedicated to evaluate the performance. Shots of ordinary subjects aren't suitable to this task, normally, and should not be posted. So, these are the rules:

• K mount lens dedicated to the APS-C form factor is used.
• Image is taken full frame 36mm x 24mm.
• Lens hood was removed.
• And ideally, no filter is mounted.
• The aperture used is specified (note that film cameras don't record EXIF...).
• Sample image shows the entire field of view.
• Sample image(s) show(s) corner, border and center performance at 10MP-100% (multiple crops, or single not-resized image).
• The subject is such that resolution and vignetting at the borders can be compared to the center.

The idea behind this thread is obvious: To compile enough data to assess the spectrum of available lenses for a forthcoming full frame DSLR in K mount.

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Table of results as obtained in this thread (updated regularly):

SMC Pentax-DA primes...

• DA 14mm F2.8: - (clawhammer)
• DA 15mm F4.0: - (Zav)
• DA 21mm F3.2 Limited: - (Boris Liberman)
• DA 35mm F2.4 AL: +++ (aurele ;like FA35/2.0 and no vignetting) (frank)
• DA 35mm F2.8 Limited Macro: 0 (ryno), + (@ 1.15 crop)
• DA 40mm F2.8 Limited: +
• DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM: missing (no vignetting at f/8)
• DA 70mm F2.4 Limited: +
• D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR: +++ (officially specified FF by Pentax)
• DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM: +++? (common belief, but is it true?)
• DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM: ++ (officially rated "designed for FF" by Pentax patent US7715116)

SMC Pentax-DA zooms...

• DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]: FE, see #59, #61, #94. 10mm: heavy vignette / 14mm: almost no vignette / 17mm ++ (Reps, froeschle, Gooshin)
• DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]: - (below 16mm, xitek.com), o (at 18mm, architorture), + (at 20mm, architorture), ++ (at 24mm, architorture)
• DA 16-45mm F4: - (below 21mm, Nesster)
• DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM: - (xitek.com)
• DA 17-70mm F4 AL [IF] SDM: - (KjetilH)
• DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL: - (at 18mm, Spongefingers; below 23mm, xitek.com)
• DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL II: missing
• DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]: - (xitek.com)
• DA 50-200mm ED: -
• DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM: - (elho_cid)
• DA* 60-250mm F4 ED [IF] SDM: ++ (officially rated "designed for FF" by Pentax patent US7489452) probably good on full frame but evaluation still missing; ++ is a temorary rating)
• DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED: + / ++ (+, ++ at tele end, viking79)

Sigma K mount DC...

• Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC: -
• Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 DC: - (below 14mm, Gooshin)
• ...

Tamron K mount Di-II...

• ...

Overall rating scale:
+++: no significant difference between APS-C and FF corners
++: difference but usable at full aperture with a small loss in corner IQ only
+: usable staring at f/4~f/5.6, with no or a small loss in corner IQ only
o: usable at f/11 or with big loss in corner IQ only
-: not usable

[falconeye]

Let me make a start:

Those are my results with the Pentax DA 40mm Ltd.

Note that the white surface wasn't exactly evenly illuminated. But even enough to judge vignetting.

The aperture was wide open (I only have a P3N which doesn't allow aperture to be set. So I used very few light (1s shutter speed) to be sure it is wide open.

[falconeye]

Another one:

Those are my results with the Pentax DA 70mm Ltd.

The aperture was wide open.



I have ordinary shots as well and I will post a few examples in another thread.

[falconeye]

A trial with a super zoom...

Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS, fully open, at 200mm:



Obviously, not usable. Even at 200mm


If you are puzzled about the gray surface on the right side ... Well, the film roll was empty. Analog provides for incomplete images

[falconeye]

A trial with a tele zoom

This is my last one for today. The Pentax Kit tele zoom.

(1) Fully open at 50mm:



(2) Fully open at 200mm:




As you can see, not usable at any focal length.


Side note: It is always important to remove the lens hood as it is designed for APS-C and may cause vignetting all by itself...

[falconeye]

Any other entries?

Please, go out and fire off a roll of film with your APS-C lenses. Will be fun and not that expensive...

Use a wall of brick or anything with a pattern so one can evaluate the shot. Even grass or a floor may do. Record aperture, focal length and remove the lens hood.

I am particularly keen in seeing tests from the DA*300 and DA35 Macro.

[falconeye]

Here are the results from Boris Liberman:

Boris Liberman sample shots

I recommend to consult his page to know how DA 40 and DA 70 perform when stopped down.

Pentaxlife.com posts the following summary image:

[Source: DA Limited on Film | PentaxLife -- Photographer: Boris Liberman]

The DA 21mm obviously isn't FF capable.

[Nesster]

I'll be happy to use the 16-45 even with the vignetting below 21mm, and the DA70 at any aperture with a digital full frame. Hell, I bought the 16-45 before I had a digital body. Both have done nicely with film

[falconeye]

I'll be happy to use the 16-45 even with the vignetting below 21mm [...]. Hell, I bought the 16-45 before I had a digital body. Both have done nicely with film

This thread is meant to provide test shots. I value your opinion. So, can you provide scanned samples from your film era of the 16-45 at 21mm and above?

[Nesster]

This thread is meant to provide test shots. I value your opinion. So, can you provide scanned samples from your film era of the 16-45 at 21mm and above?

That would mean I'd have to make some that meet the criteria... because I've just simply used them, with enough sky shots and so on to see. I'll work on it, because I'm sure I'll be bored at some point soon

This is a good and informative thread - I'm very curious about all the newer Pentax lenses.

[clawhammer]

I give you the vignetting winner of the thread- the DA 14!

[frank]

I give you the vignetting winner of the thread- the DA 14!

Nice "fisheye" shots

[clawhammer]

it kinda does give that effect, doesn't it? I'm not sure what the angle of view is there.

[Wheatfield]

Hi everybody,

I would like to open up a thread dedicated to one topic:

DA lens on Full Frame: a sticky test shots thread.

This thread shall be dedicated to test shots of a DA lens mounted to a full frame body (e.g., a film camera body). By test shot, I mean shots dedicated to evaluate the performance. Shots of ordinary subjects aren't suitable to this task, normally, and should not be posted. So, these are the rules:

• K mount lens dedicated to the APS-C form factor is used.
• Image is taken full frame 36mm x 24mm.
• Lens hood was removed.
• The aperture used is specified (note that film cameras don't record EXIF...).
• Sample image shows the entire field of view.
• Sample image(s) show(s) corner, border and center performance at 10MP-100% (multiple crops, or single not-resized image).
• The subject is such that resolution and vignetting at the borders can be compared to the center.

The idea behind this thread is obvious: To compile enough data to assess the spectrum of available lenses for a forthcoming full frame DSLR in K mount.

It would be a good idea to have your tests shot both wide open and stopped down to perhaps f/11, as image circles can get bigger as the aperture gets smaller. Some lenses that vignette slightly wide open may be somewhat usable stopped down a bit.

[GaryM]

Even on the DA70, those corners look really poor. I would have to conclude that the DA Limiteds are NOT going to be very good on a full-frame DSLR. And that's enough for me to take a pass on any FF Pentax for the foreseable future.