Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

Adam · 07-03-2010, 12:11 PM - **1 Like**

My review of the SMC Pentax-DA 15mm F4 Limited lens is now online- check it out at the bottom of the review page here: Pentax Lens Review Database - SMC Pentax-DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited Lens Reviews

Thanks go to B&H for loaning this lens to us for testing!

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)

PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

Alex00 · 07-07-2010, 04:26 PM

Come on Adam, is this how you review lenses. Where are the distortion, Vignetting , CA, IQ, charts. You don't need to borrow a lens to say what you said in the review.

noahpurdy · 07-07-2010, 11:31 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Alex00

Come on Adam, is this how you review lenses. Where are the distortion, Vignetting , CA, IQ, charts. You don't need to borrow a lens to say what you said in the review.

I'd rather read a real-world-use review of a lens than stare at charts all day. In the end the charts don't matter. If that's your thing chances are you probably spend more time talking about your gear than taking pictures anyways.

yeatzee · 07-08-2010, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by noahpurdy

I'd rather read a real-world-use review of a lens than stare at charts all day. In the end the charts don't matter. If that's your thing chances are you probably spend more time talking about your gear than taking pictures anyways.

+1! Really world often results in something different than what is read in formal tests/reviews. I've been surprised more than once because of this, and therefore prefer hearing peoples thoughts on stuff who actually use the item on a day by day basis.

Thanks Adam! 10 out of 10 eh?

**samski_1** · 07-08-2010, 02:44 AM

Originally posted by noahpurdy

I'd rather read a real-world-use review of a lens than stare at charts all day. In the end the charts don't matter. If that's your thing chances are you probably spend more time talking about your gear than taking pictures anyways.

I totally agree. I'm interested in the end product rather than the tech figures of the components that make it up. From a personal point of view I would like to have seen some more
comparisons with the 12-24mm but that's just me.

Great review Adam.

eljaco · 07-08-2010, 03:26 AM

Got one last week, I have barely used it, but the few shots I have done totally convinced me, and blew any doubts I had about this lens. Now I'm wondering whether I'll still use my 21...

Thx for the review!

For comparisons -> link

Nimrad · 07-08-2010, 04:15 AM

Originally posted by eljaco

For comparisons -> link

Is that your site? :O

If so, you should start writing in English. That was an AWEsome review!

Adam · 07-08-2010, 04:26 AM

Haha, I had all of that lined up- but it only ended up confirming what the normal usage showed. There was a small glitch that threw off some of my comparison charts, so I decided to just trash all the sample shots. Next time, I'll be sure to have pretty charts

kevinschoenmakers · 07-08-2010, 06:00 AM

The DA 15 is a prime (haha) example of why resolution charts are not be-all and end-all. It just renders so nicely, corner sharpness is really not that relevant.

**sinus007** · 07-08-2010, 07:32 AM

Adam,
Thank you very much for the review.
As for the charts, etc. - go to photozone.

farfisa · 07-08-2010, 08:12 AM

I agree that sometimes there's too much emphasis on charts, but not even one photo? Should be a requirement for an official review on a photo forum!

I know there are plenty of images around, even one or two threads down, but when you review something like this, maybe pretend you were the first one to get it and nobody has seen anything yet.

Jewelltrail · 07-08-2010, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Adam: 15mm Limited Reviewed! (Officially)

Most of us agree on the importance of Owner's reviews. I read as many as I can find when making a lens purchase. I do not think Alex00 was challenging this point. He simply notes that Adam's thread title uses the word "official" to label the type of review he was posting. However, it is actually an Owner's Review, just like all the others in our database. The only thing different in Adam's review is that he thanks B & H Photo for loaning the lens to him.

Quote:

Alex00 Come on Adam, is this how you review lenses. Where are the distortion, Vignetting , CA, IQ, charts. You don't need to borrow a lens to say what you said in the review.

Nowhere does Alex00 say charts and figures are more important than real world shooting. Nowhere does he say he would rather read charts than real world reviews. Nowhere does he say the 15 Limited renders in congruence with the resolution charts.

What he asks (rightly so if you ask me given the Thread's title) is where are the facts, figures, numbers & charts which accompany an Official Review?

Adam, with alll ude respect, I appreciate and thank you for the review you have done for us.

But I do think, in this thread, you have been given the weight/clout of other's opinions as pure consequence of your position here at the forum.

Marc Sabatella · 07-08-2010, 11:44 AM

BTW, for those concerned about reports of softness in corners:

Getting a corner in focus at ultra wide and large aperture angle is tough, and not very common in real world shooting. So it's tough to judge corner sharpness fairly. But every once in a while the stars line up and something in a corner ends up being in focus. Here's a 100% crop (10MP K200D) of the extreme upper right corner from a shot at f/5.6, which Photozone found to be only "good" (just like f/4). Supposedly it only becomes "excellent" at f/8. This is what "good" actually means in practice:

"Good" enough for me.

Alex00 · 07-08-2010, 11:57 AM

I don't know what everyone is agreeing about. When i heard the word official review i was expecting allot. I honestly thought the review was very poor and couple of lines long. It's nothing that we didn't hear from other users before. It didn't inform me on distortions, IQ, CA... These are the things i look for when buying a lens. Although we can refer to photozone, slqgear and dpreview for detailed reviews, i thought pentaxforums will be another source to refer to for confirmations.. No offense 2 anyone.

You had the chance to borrow the lens, i think the least you could have done was take couple of pictures at different apertures to show the capability of the lens. Picture is worth a millions words.

panoguy · 07-08-2010, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by Nimrad

Originally posted by eljaco

For comparisons -> link

Is that your site? :O

If so, you should start writing in English. That was an AWEsome review!

That's Lazarus Caspi's site, and he absolutely rocks both in terms of testing and writing (if you can read the original French, he's hilarious!). I don't think eljaco is Lazare...

That link also points out the kind of "full-on" review I was expecting from Adam, but then again it is a rare person (or team of persons) that can put together something as comprehensive as that. Even photozone and dpreview rely on charts and analytic software ratings more than the actual images on monuniverspentax.com.

But yeah, like others, I kind of expected more from an "official review" but then it's Adam's site, so I guess anything he writes is "official." The tough part is what to do when you come upon an absolute dog of a product from the camera brand your site is dedicated to? I guess we won't see an X90 review any time soon...

07-03-2010, 12:11 PM - 1 Like	#1
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,609	15mm Limited Reviewed! (Officially) My review of the SMC Pentax-DA 15mm F4 Limited lens is now online- check it out at the bottom of the review page here: Pentax Lens Review Database - SMC Pentax-DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited Lens Reviews Thanks go to B&H for loaning this lens to us for testing! Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

07-08-2010, 04:26 AM	#8
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,609 Original Poster	Haha, I had all of that lined up- but it only ended up confirming what the normal usage showed. There was a small glitch that threw off some of my comparison charts, so I decided to just trash all the sample shots. Next time, I'll be sure to have pretty charts Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

07-08-2010, 11:57 AM	#14
Alex00 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 294	I don't know what everyone is agreeing about. When i heard the word official review i was expecting allot. I honestly thought the review was very poor and couple of lines long. It's nothing that we didn't hear from other users before. It didn't inform me on distortions, IQ, CA... These are the things i look for when buying a lens. Although we can refer to photozone, slqgear and dpreview for detailed reviews, i thought pentaxforums will be another source to refer to for confirmations.. No offense 2 anyone. You had the chance to borrow the lens, i think the least you could have done was take couple of pictures at different apertures to show the capability of the lens. Picture is worth a millions words. Last edited by Alex00; 07-09-2010 at 01:33 AM.

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07-07-2010, 04:26 PM	#2
Alex00 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 294	Come on Adam, is this how you review lenses. Where are the distortion, Vignetting , CA, IQ, charts. You don't need to borrow a lens to say what you said in the review.

07-07-2010, 11:31 PM - 1 Like	#3
noahpurdy Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 479	Originally posted by Alex00 Come on Adam, is this how you review lenses. Where are the distortion, Vignetting , CA, IQ, charts. You don't need to borrow a lens to say what you said in the review. I'd rather read a real-world-use review of a lens than stare at charts all day. In the end the charts don't matter. If that's your thing chances are you probably spend more time talking about your gear than taking pictures anyways.

07-08-2010, 12:13 AM	#4
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675	Originally posted by noahpurdy I'd rather read a real-world-use review of a lens than stare at charts all day. In the end the charts don't matter. If that's your thing chances are you probably spend more time talking about your gear than taking pictures anyways. +1! Really world often results in something different than what is read in formal tests/reviews. I've been surprised more than once because of this, and therefore prefer hearing peoples thoughts on stuff who actually use the item on a day by day basis. Thanks Adam! 10 out of 10 eh?

07-08-2010, 02:44 AM	#5
samski_1 Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tasmania Photos: Albums Posts: 349	Originally posted by noahpurdy I'd rather read a real-world-use review of a lens than stare at charts all day. In the end the charts don't matter. If that's your thing chances are you probably spend more time talking about your gear than taking pictures anyways. I totally agree. I'm interested in the end product rather than the tech figures of the components that make it up. From a personal point of view I would like to have seen some more comparisons with the 12-24mm but that's just me. Great review Adam.

07-08-2010, 03:26 AM	#6
eljaco Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Courbevoie Posts: 72	Got one last week, I have barely used it, but the few shots I have done totally convinced me, and blew any doubts I had about this lens. Now I'm wondering whether I'll still use my 21... Thx for the review! For comparisons -> link

07-08-2010, 04:15 AM	#7
Nimrad Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Stavanger, Norway Posts: 150	Originally posted by eljaco For comparisons -> link Is that your site? :O If so, you should start writing in English. That was an AWEsome review!

07-08-2010, 06:00 AM	#9
kevinschoenmakers Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Shanghai Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,509	The DA 15 is a prime (haha) example of why resolution charts are not be-all and end-all. It just renders so nicely, corner sharpness is really not that relevant.

07-08-2010, 07:32 AM	#10
sinus007 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 292	Adam, Thank you very much for the review. As for the charts, etc. - go to photozone.

07-08-2010, 08:12 AM	#11
farfisa Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,274	I agree that sometimes there's too much emphasis on charts, but not even one photo? Should be a requirement for an official review on a photo forum! I know there are plenty of images around, even one or two threads down, but when you review something like this, maybe pretend you were the first one to get it and nobody has seen anything yet.

07-08-2010, 09:59 AM	#12
Jewelltrail Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Rhode Island Photos: Albums Posts: 4,180	Quote: Adam: 15mm Limited Reviewed! (Officially) Most of us agree on the importance of Owner's reviews. I read as many as I can find when making a lens purchase. I do not think Alex00 was challenging this point. He simply notes that Adam's thread title uses the word "official" to label the type of review he was posting. However, it is actually an Owner's Review, just like all the others in our database. The only thing different in Adam's review is that he thanks B & H Photo for loaning the lens to him. Quote: Alex00 Come on Adam, is this how you review lenses. Where are the distortion, Vignetting , CA, IQ, charts. You don't need to borrow a lens to say what you said in the review. Nowhere does Alex00 say charts and figures are more important than real world shooting. Nowhere does he say he would rather read charts than real world reviews. Nowhere does he say the 15 Limited renders in congruence with the resolution charts. What he asks (rightly so if you ask me given the Thread's title) is where are the facts, figures, numbers & charts which accompany an Official Review? Adam, with alll ude respect, I appreciate and thank you for the review you have done for us. But I do think, in this thread, you have been given the weight/clout of other's opinions as pure consequence of your position here at the forum.

07-08-2010, 11:44 AM	#13
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	BTW, for those concerned about reports of softness in corners: Getting a corner in focus at ultra wide and large aperture angle is tough, and not very common in real world shooting. So it's tough to judge corner sharpness fairly. But every once in a while the stars line up and something in a corner ends up being in focus. Here's a 100% crop (10MP K200D) of the extreme upper right corner from a shot at f/5.6, which Photozone found to be only "good" (just like f/4). Supposedly it only becomes "excellent" at f/8. This is what "good" actually means in practice: "Good" enough for me.

07-08-2010, 12:16 PM	#15
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Originally posted by Nimrad Originally posted by eljaco For comparisons -> link Is that your site? :O If so, you should start writing in English. That was an AWEsome review! That's Lazarus Caspi's site, and he absolutely rocks both in terms of testing and writing (if you can read the original French, he's hilarious!). I don't think eljaco is Lazare... That link also points out the kind of "full-on" review I was expecting from Adam, but then again it is a rare person (or team of persons) that can put together something as comprehensive as that. Even photozone and dpreview rely on charts and analytic software ratings more than the actual images on monuniverspentax.com. But yeah, like others, I kind of expected more from an "official review" but then it's Adam's site, so I guess anything he writes is "official." The tough part is what to do when you come upon an absolute dog of a product from the camera brand your site is dedicated to? I guess we won't see an X90 review any time soon...