Pentax 645Z: First Full-Size Sample Photos

Full-size JPG and RAW landscape photo downloads

By PF Staff in Hands-On Tests on Jul 4, 2014

We received a Pentax 645Z for review today, courtesy of B&H Photo, who sent out the first shipment of the cameras yesterday.  Over the course of the coming weeks, we plan to take it around the country to capture some breathtaking landscape photos while evaluating the camera for our in-depth review.

In the mean time, here is a collection of sample photos from today's shoot with the 645Z.  Each sample is accompanied by a full-size RAW and developed JPG download.

Samyang 10mm F2.8 Ultra-Wide Lens First Impressions

The widest non-fisheye prime lens available for Pentax

By PF Staff in Hands-On Tests on May 28, 2014

Back in April, the Samyang 10mm F2.8 ED AS NCS CS ultra-wide lens finally made its debut in the Pentax mount, and we're currently in the process of testing it for an upcoming in-depth review. 

Thus far, our impressions of this lens have been very positive.  With a field of view of roughly 100 degrees horizontally and 109.5 degrees diagonally, the 10mm is the widest rectilinear (non-fisheye) prime currently available for Pentax DSLR cameras.  This makes it particularly-effective for specialty applications such as photographing real estate, car interiors, or panoramas.  In the hands of skilled users, it can also be used for cool close-ups and other artistic imagery.

At the wide end of the focal length spectrum, every millimeter makes a big difference when it comes to field of view.  The photo below illustrates how much more the 10mm can see than a 12mm lens, let alone the 18mm focal length that's become standard for kit lenses.  The difference between 10mm and 12mm is just over 10 degrees!

10mm field of view vs. other wide-angle focal lengths.

Samyang produces this lens in a variety of other mounts, including Canon EOS, Canon M, Nikon F, Sony A, Sony E, Fujifilm X, Samsung NX, and Micro Four-Thirds.  Depending on the market, you may also find it re-badged under other brand names, such as Rokinon, Bower, or Vivitar.  In the US, the lens retails for $529, making it one of Samyang's most expensive lenses.  Still, this 10mm is cheaper than most competing ultra-wide primes with autofocus.  Also, contrary to popular belief, this is not a fully-manual lens: it supports exposure automation (i.e. the 4 basic shooting modes) while only requiring the user to focus manually.  In Pentax terms, this means that the lens has an "A" setting on its aperture ring, just like Pentax A-series lenses. Read on for some of our preliminary findings about its performance.

Pentax-DA Rear Converter 1.4x: First Impressions

A hands-on look at the new teleconverter

By PF Staff in Hands-On Tests on Mar 12, 2014

Click image to enlarge

We received our copy of the new 1.4x teleconverter for test today. Its official name is a somewhat longish HD Pentax-DA 1.4x AW AF Rear Converter. As the name indicates the converter is designed for DA lenses, aka the APS-C format, it magnifies the image by 1.4x, it is weather resistant, and it supports auto focus. What the name doesn't reveal is that it supports screw drive as well as SDM/DC autofocus.

Our first impression is that the build quality is excellent, the quality rivals that of a Pentax DA* lens. If the image quality is up to snuff this converter will earn a spot in our camera bag.

A thorough test is forthcoming of image quality as well as autofocus performance. Our immediate impression when used with a D FA 100mm lens on a Pentax K-3 is that screw drive autofocus is sure footed and as fast as using the lens without the converter.

What we were curious about was if the converter modifies the lens data so that the camera knows what it is dealing with. It does. Third party converters like the otherwise highly regarded Tamron-F 1.4X Pz-AF MC4 do not.

We mounted our smc Pentax-DA*60-250mm F4 lens, set it at 80mm and fully open (F4). Our Pentax K-50 reported the lens as 112mm F5.6, which is correct: Focal length multiplied by 1.4x and one stop of light loss:

Similarly our D FA 100mm F2.8 lens showed a focal length of 140mm and F4 when set to wide open. While the conversion of the F-stop is a nice to have, the conversion of the focal length is a must have for shake reduction to work correctly.

HD 55-300 WR First Impressions & Samples

A brief look at the new weather-resistant telezoom

By Heie in Hands-On Tests on Dec 23, 2013

We've had our copy of the new HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED WR for a bit now with our in-depth review in the works. Unfortunately, the publication of the review had to be postponed until after the New Year. Already bursting at the seams at 15 total pages and over 100 embedded photos of in-depth analysis and comparisons, we promise the wait will be worth it. In the meantime, we wanted to share with you a very brief run-down of our first impressions as well as the sample photos already taken with the new HD 55-300 coupled with a K-3.  Let us also take a moment to compare the new "HD" lens to its predecessor, the SMC Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED.

What Didn't Change

• Size
• Autofocus
• General Image Quality
• Bokeh

The size is exactly the same as that of the old lens, which is a good thing! The 55-300mm is quite the compact zoom for what it can do, and we happy that it's part of the Pentax lens line-up. What we aren't so happy with, is the screw-driven autofocus. We'll touch on it more in-depth in the review and how it compares to the premium DA* 60-250's much quieter SDM, but suffice it to say, there is no difference in AF between the SMC and HD variants. Some may have been worried the addition of weather sealing would have slowed it down. Nope - not at all. And lastly, the bokeh has stayed the same, and in the review we will compare not only the SMC vs HD bokeh (just prove this), but also the HD vs DA* 60-250's bokeh to see what the difference is between the two.

Continue on after the break to see what changed, a quick comparison of the DA* 60-250 F4, and also a gallery of sample photos already taken with the HD 55-300 WR on a Pentax K-3.

Pentax HD Limiteds: First Impressions Review

The new HD Pentax-DA 15mm, 21mm, 35mm, 40mm, and 70mm

By PF Staff in Hands-On Tests on Nov 27, 2013

All five of the recently-launched Pentax-DA HD Limited Primes (pictured above) have been in our hands for a number of weeks now, and in addition to using them in the field with the Pentax K-3, we've completed our preliminary tests of these new lenses side-by-side with their SMC Limited predecessors.

If you're unfamiliar with the HD Limiteds, they're simply updated versions of Pentax's lineup of ultra-compact prime lenses.  Specifically, the new HD 15mm, 21mm, 35mm, 40mm, and 70mm lenses have been treated with improved coatings that reduce ghosting, rounded aperture blades that deliver smoother bokeh, and a refreshed cosmetic design.  Our in-depth review of all five lenses, which we plan on bringing to you early next week, will elaborate on these differences.

The new HD versions of the Pentax's Limited lenses are available at a price premium over their older siblings.  In the US, the jump in price ranges from $50 to $150 per lens: nothing too major in itself, but when this is stacked on top of high MAP prices, getting the best of the best can become quite costly. 

Read on for our first impressions of the HD Limiteds.