[Wheatfield]

Again, as someone who has a DA15 - and yes it is a very nice lens, but it can only compete with the Sigma 10-20 at 15mm. 10-14mm is a wash, and so is 16-20mm. Moreover when I look at the substance / images of what people and myself are doing with these two lenses, I fail to understand the hysteria of the DA15.

Some of us fail to understand why anyone would want to use a porcine plastic fantastic zoom lens and cannot figure out why anyone would buy a Pentax camera body and then put third party glass on it (with a few notable exceptions, nothing by Stigma being one of them)

[paperbag846]

I would say for the most flexibility the 21mm would be the one to pick. I really like the look of a 15mm, but after a while you begin to realize that there is quite a bit of distortion that comes with that FOV and that a 21mm lens would have been more appropriate. How often do you plan on shooting massive buildings, landscapes, and large interiors?

The drama of 14/15mm is unmistakable, but overall, 20-something mm is much more flexible.

[Marc Sabatella]

I'd say that's subjective. I virtually *never* shoot my 18-55 at 21mm - I'm either pegged at 18mm and wishing I could go wider still, or I'm up around 28mm. 21mmis sort of a no-man's land for me. Whereas while I was skeptical at first, I am finding the DA15 far more useful than I ever would have imagined.

[paperbag846]

I'd say that's subjective. I virtually *never* shoot my 18-55 at 21mm - I'm either pegged at 18mm and wishing I could go wider still, or I'm up around 28mm. 21mmis sort of a no-man's land for me. Whereas while I was skeptical at first, I am finding the DA15 far more useful than I ever would have imagined.

Do you find the perspective of the 15mm more natural than the 18mm?

I actually shoot the kit between 20 - 35 most often... for me the 18mm looks too much like an "effect" with the distortion, but that is a very subjective claim.

[JHD]

Some of us fail to understand why anyone would want to use a porcine plastic fantastic zoom lens and cannot figure out why anyone would buy a Pentax camera body and then put third party glass on it (with a few notable exceptions, nothing by Stigma being one of them)

Show me a 10mm Pentax lens. I like options. 3rd party options like Sigma and Tamron breath much needed life into the tightly confined limitations of Pentax brand... And you are quite right, the 10-20mm is plastic and it is very fantastic!

[philbaum]

There's a good deal of emotion wrapped up in our photography, even extending to the tools, e.g. lenses, we use. Even though it might be an interesting discussion to find out why we like this lens or that, its irrelevant if anyone else likes that lens or not. Use what you like.

I gave my "first" lens, a Tamron 18-250, away to a favorite nephew, 2 weeks ago. And i have to admit missing it a small bit. Its not that i don't have other lenses to replace it with, but i was paid $175 just last week for the 5th framed copy of an image from that lens. I agree its a monstrous piece of zooming plastic and metal, but i got used to it and had a lot of fun with it.

Like someone else reported, i bought the DA-21 some time ago, set it aside, and have been having more fun with it lately for street like shooting. Is the DA-21 more or less worthy than a DA-15? - bottom line, it doesn't matter, i like it!

[Marc Sabatella]

Do you find the perspective of the 15mm more natural than the 18mm?

I do, actually. Well, of course, lenses don't have difference perspectives in the literal sense - perspective is actually a function of your shooting position and your shooting position only. But what I do find more natural is the FOV, which almost exactly matches what the FOV where I can recognize objects. The FOV of human vision is far wider still, but the extreme periphery is mostly good only for detecting motion of changes in light, not object recognition. So if I look at a scene and note the leftmost and rightmost objects I I can really identify as objects (and don't cheat by darting my eyes back and forth), the DA15 nails that almost perfectly. Whereas with the DA18-55 at 18mm, I always have the sense that I've cut off things from either side. And the DA21 makes me feel almost claustrophobic. Whereas, on the other side, when I've borrowed the DA14, I'm always surprised that something I didn't even notice has snuck into the picture.

By the time I get to about 28mm, I find that does a good job of matching not everything I can perceive, but everything I am "aware" of in some sense that also feels very natural to me. There's another sweet spot for me around 40mm, and another around 100mm, where the FOV of these lenses match my concept of what I can "focus" on and what I can really "concentrate" on.

[dadipentak]

That's an interesting way of thinking about FOV, Marc.

[dadipentak]

3rd party options like Sigma and Tamron breath much needed life into the tightly confined limitations of Pentax brand.

I agree and I think some K-mount competition helps to keep Pentax on its toes but Wheatfields is an Orthodox Pentaxian and 3rd party lenses aren't kosher.

[Wheatfield]

Show me a 10mm Pentax lens. I like options. 3rd party options like Sigma and Tamron breath much needed life into the tightly confined limitations of Pentax brand... And you are quite right, the 10-20mm is plastic and it is very fantastic!

I think you miss my point. For me, the only reason to shoot Pentax bodies is to be able to access Pentax glass without kludging things with adapters. Were I shooting third party glass, there are a wealth of camera options that are superior to Pentax.

[Wheatfield]

I agree and I think some K-mount competition helps to keep Pentax on its toes but Wheatfields is an Orthodox Pentaxian and 3rd party lenses aren't kosher.

HAR!!!!
And so true.

[atiratha]

I have both 21 and 14 and love them both, though the 14 is a lens I got only recently, I must say I was very very surprised. The lens is SHAAAARP, has a well controled distortion and alows a veeery close focus which provides you with some funky close-ups. Definitely DA 14, I must say.

[kari]

I think you miss my point. For me, the only reason to shoot Pentax bodies is to be able to access Pentax glass without kludging things with adapters. Were I shooting third party glass, there are a wealth of camera options that are superior to Pentax.

So why not do both? You can have Pentax glass and 3rd party if that's a better option.

And for the same price, Pentax bodies are generally ahead of the competition.

[bdery]

Some people can't help but bring Kool-Aid to a wine tasting party.

That's nice... and relevant...

Were I shooting third party glass, there are a wealth of camera options that are superior to Pentax.

I disagree. Pentax bodies have, for me, the best ergonmics, best features (WR, SR, top LCD), best controls layout, best colours rendering, best value.

Some people prefer to shoot exclusively with Pentax glass. The same is true with other brands. That's fine. For my part, I prefer to shoot with the glass that will deliver the image I plan on capturing, whatever the name on the lens. The current lens being discussed, the Sigma 17-70, is universally acclaimed as one of the best options in this range. So what if it's not a Pentax?

Limiting oneself to one brand (be it for lenses, cars, whatever) is like using only thre fingers on each hand. It works, but you could do better.

My two cents.

[Wheatfield]

That's nice... and relevant...

It is, considering what was being asked in the OP

I disagree. Pentax bodies have, for me, the best ergonmics, best features (WR, SR, top LCD), best controls layout, best colours rendering, best value.

Some people prefer to shoot exclusively with Pentax glass. The same is true with other brands. That's fine. For my part, I prefer to shoot with the glass that will deliver the image I plan on capturing, whatever the name on the lens. The current lens being discussed, the Sigma 17-70, is universally acclaimed as one of the best options in this range. So what if it's not a Pentax?

Limiting oneself to one brand (be it for lenses, cars, whatever) is like using only thre fingers on each hand. It works, but you could do better.

My two cents.

Fortunately, two cents doesn't buy anything worthwhile these days.
The lenses being discussed were the Pentax DA14, 15 and 21mm. the 3rd party junk is a threadjack.
And disagree with my statement all you like, but tell me which Pentax body is up to what the Nikon D3 is capable of, or the Canon EOS 1D?
Or even a 7D or D300s for that matter.
Capable is about what the camera can do, not about whether or not you like how cheap you can get it for.