Full Frame Coverage of DA Lenses: Comprehensive Test
Which DA lenses cover the full 24x36 mm frame?
In response to the many requests regarding which DA lenses cover the 24x36 mm full frame format ("FF") we have tested almost all DA lenses with a Pentax K-1 under similar circumstances. We are happy to finally be able to present the full results.
A few DA lenses officially support full frame as stated by Ricoh/Pentax. Those lenses are:
- DA* 200mm F2.8
- DA* 300mm F4
- DA 560mm F5.6
For all the other lenses which we have tested the FF coverage presented in the table below is based on our subjective evaluation of a very large number of test images taken at various apertures, focus settings, and zoom settings, as appropriate. It is highly personal how much vignetting, how much drop in resolution, or how much optical distortion is acceptable, so your mileage may vary. We welcome feedback on our evaluation, but please include photo evidence with any such feedback.
The main flaws generally found with the FF coverage are:
- black corners, i.e. the lens doesn't cover the FF frame at all
- heavy vignetting, i.e. the lens covers the FF frame but the vignetting is too heavy to give an acceptable result even when corrected in post processing
- soft corners, i.e. blurry and/or swirly patterns
Evaluation Criteria
We have evaluated the performance at select F-stop/focal length combinations per the following scale:
- A: Full coverage
- B: Full coverage, but with slightly soft corners
- C: With reservations. Heavy vignetting and/or soft corners
- D: With reservations. Very soft corners and vignetting
- F: Fail, no coverage (black corners)
We used these F-stops: WO (wide open), F5.6, and F11. We also used three focus setting at each focal length and aperture: near, moderate, and far. The evaluation is thus condensed into a single rating that accounts for all focus settings.
As an example of our evaluation method we got the following FF coverage for the smc Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF] zoom lens:
|
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
24 |
| WO |
F |
F |
C |
A |
A |
| F5.6 |
F |
F |
A |
A |
A |
| F11 |
F |
F |
A |
A |
A |
Based on our findings with these tables we rated the lenses from zero to three stars according to these criteria:
 |
Full coverage at all tested F-stops and all focal lengths |
 |
Full coverage at some F-stop and focal length combinations |
 |
The lens can be used with reservations at select F-stop/focal length combinations. The main flaw is typically heavy vignetting and corner softness may also be present |
 |
No coverage at all |
The DA 12-24mm zoom lens thus gets two stars according to our evaluation criteria.
Again we must to stress that these findings are largely subjective and you may want to do your own tests before deciding to use a DA lens on a full frame camera; in some cases, additional usable image area may be extracted between the FF and APS-C frames.
Results
The lenses are presented in order of increasing minimum focal length. There is no difference between SMC and HD versions of a given lens and likewise no difference between WR and non-WR variants of a lens.
Conclusion
Not unsurprisingly, there aren't any DA lenses with perfect full-frame compatibility, with the exception of those offiically designated as such (the 200mm, 300mm, and 560mm), and, as it turns out, also the DA* 60-250mm F4. Our in-depth test of the DA* 60-250mm can be found here. Henceforth, we will be referring to the 60-250mm as "unofficially fully full-frame compatible" throughout PF articles and resources.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of DA lenses which can be quite useful on full-frame, such as the 12-24mm F4 or 55mm F1.4, for instance. We hope the tables are helpful in guiding your lens choices for both FF and APS-C shooting.
All of the above data is now also available in the specification tables throughout our lens databases.
If you would like to contribute test photos for a lens which we have not yet tested, please contact us.
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