[geomez]

Go for the 15mm.
I have the 21mm, 31mm, 43mm, and 77mm ltds. I'd trade my 21mm in a heartbeat for the 15mm. It's a better focal length for the pairing IMO. 21mm is too close to 31mm.

[ABel]

DA15 is a really amazing lens, but it requires some time to learn how to use it.

After I got my DA15, I've tried to make a lot of test photos, but most of them were either boring, or blurry, or badly composed. So I thought it's just not my focal length, and decided to sell it in the local online auction.
Fortunately, no one bought it, so I took it with me into a couple of trips. I made lots of shots with it, and was surprised with the great pictures this lens can take when used appropriately. Now I'm trying to get used to it, and I'm certainly not going to sell it anymore

I do not have DA21, so I cannot compare them.

BTW, could please someone try to make some test shots with both DA21, and DA15 with the same settings, but crop the middle of pictures from DA15 so they correspond to 21mm?

[LensBeginner]

I've had the 15mm on for days at a time when travelling. It's great for architecture or getting monuments and family in the frame at the same time. It's also good for street scenes where the subject matter is the street itself rather than individuals. You can get more interesting compositions than you might otherwise get with a narrower view.

I'm salivating after the 15mm since a long time, so I'm partial...

However as robthebloke predicts you're eventually going to end up with both. The either/or proposition is self delusion.

[darek]

I've got 21mm and It's great lense, but I'm looking for something wider. I think You should buy 15mm, if You've got something near 21 (31-35mm maybe?)

[Rick in PA]

I am in much the same predicament do I go DA15 or 21mm and I am in the market right now however I am holding off until next Friday to see what specials may come up.
At the moment the only lens to get me down to the wider end is my 18-55mm kit lens.
The lens will be used mostly for landscape shooting and my initial thoughts were in the direction of the DA15 but reading he comments which I have been very interesting is leaving me more than a little confused as both are excellent lenses however I perceive that there is leaning towards the 21mm.
Maybe at the end of the day the discount, if any, will play a role.
This LBA thing and not having an unlimited budget makes it’s a tough call.

[pesao]

I have the 21, it's a good all around lens.


If I'had just a zoom, like 18-135, I'd take the 21, because it improves a lot the image quality of a kit zoom lens, expeciali at wider focals, like under 24mm. I have the da 16-50* and at 21mm, f3.5, I have to say that there is not such a difference between it and the limited. But I can use the limited as a substitute of the 16-50 when I want to stay light and compact, tanks' to its "all-pourpouse" focal lenght. Two steps back, three steps forward, and it's like a standard zoom.


But if I had the 31 limited like you, I'll take the 15, because of it's a much more improvement of your visual angle, and you can use the 31limite as an "all around" lens to substitute the 18-135 with the very best "general photos" image quality from pentax (assuming that there are better image quality lens but only for specific use... for exaple the 77limited). Between 31 and 21 milliemeters there are less radical change of prospective than between 21 and 15. 31 and 21 are norma-wide, 15 is a "WIDE". So, I think the better completament of your tools is the 15 in pair with 31mm (and 77). If, like me, you had to choose just one good prime for generical use, the 21 is the one (and it has a very very fast AF too, on k5 it runs, k3 it flyes!!!).


Onestly, the 21 is not such a "woow!" lens as the other limited you have... 77 43 and 31 have a so "unique" and "spectacular" image rendition that the 21miss. It is just a good prime. And, for it's focal lenght, non such a "champion" because of even if it's not fast (3.5 real t-stops) it's not so sharp in the corners form wide open (but neither the 15mm is, I heard), I have to say that the most "prefered" feature engineering this lens should have been the compact size... and optical parameters seem a bit sacrified for it. Even if the angle of view is almost the same, the 21 is not the "apsc 31 limited", of course. It's more a "Street photography" tool, where compactness and weight are the most important features, and the.


PS: for archytectural shots, I think the 21limited has a bad distorption to be a 21mm for apsc, and I have to say it's a kind of "moustache" difficult to correct.

[kh1234567890]

I'm now looking for a wider lens again and the DA 15 Limited seems like the right choice but from what I'm reading and seeing here the DA 21 Limited also seems like a good choice. I see a survey here that seems to make the 21 a more popular choice.

I'd like to shoot more landscapes and architecture and the DA 15 seems to have that ability...but then so does the DA 21 but just not as much. The thing that concerns me is the distortion and blurriness around the edges which I understand isn't as noticeable with the DA 21.

One last question. Are the build qualities of the 21 and 15 the same to just add that factor to make it tough to decide?

I would recommend the DA21 in the first place. It is much more versatile and you end up with lots more 'keepers'. With the DA15 you have to be more careful with your composition and, since it is not all that wonderful wide open, you might need to stop it down to sharpen up the corners.

As for build quality - it is pretty much the same. The actual design is a different matter. The DA21 has the unique concave lens hood which is quite effective and keeps the lens size down. It also has the nice (but expensive to replace) slip-on metal lens cap. The screw-on lens cap of the DA15 is an abomination. It sort of goes with the type of shooting with this lens - set it up on a tripod, unscrew the lens cap, dither about ... When on, the lens cap can put a lot of lateral strain on the rather delicate lens barrel and focus mechanism and eventually your DA15 will get decentered. AF is much more reliable on the DA21 - the DA15 tends to AF short.

I have both, but for everyday use I much prefer the DA21.

[LensBeginner]

*snip*
The screw-on lens cap of the DA15 is an abomination. It sort of goes with the type of shooting with this lens - set it up on a tripod, unscrew the lens cap, dither about ... When on, the lens cap can put a lot of lateral strain on the rather delicate lens barrel and focus mechanism and eventually your DA15 will get decentered.
*snip*

Well, not that much of a problem, just buy a 49mm snap-on cap and be done with it.
I'd describe that as a "minor annoyance" if one knows the potential pitfalls of leaving the original cap on, as you do.

[BlakeShellman]

Wow..thanks for all the input! Now I'm even more undecided....

[darek]

Wow..thanks for all the input! Now I'm even more undecided....

OT: So buy a banana. Banan resolves all Your problems. Oh, and a towell. You need towell.


You'll be happy with both lenses.

[bdery]

I'm now looking for a wider lens again and the DA 15 Limited seems like the right choice but from what I'm reading and seeing here the DA 21 Limited also seems like a good choice. I see a survey here that seems to make the 21 a more popular choice.

The 21 is more common, yes, partly because it's often cheaper, and many people don't dig the ultrawide. But both are good.

I'd like to shoot more landscapes and architecture and the DA 15 seems to have that ability...but then so does the DA 21 but just not as much.

I'd say they have different renderings but both do well in that department.

The thing that concerns me is the distortion and blurriness around the edges which I understand isn't as noticeable with the DA 21.

Of course, wider will deliver more distorsion.

Are the build qualities of the 21 and 15 the same to just add that factor to make it tough to decide?

They are similar.

It's really a matter of focal length, see what you really want to use. I went for the 21, but that's just me.

[mikeSF]

obviously, you must find a way to own both, as for wide shooting, these are two distictly useful focal lengths.
Performance of both is somewhat equivalent (sharpness, contrast, flare resistance, sunstars). They are both of negligible size and decently built.
I lead with my 21 and then if i want wider, will switch to the 15. I perhaps use the 15 a little more, but do not discount the utility of my 21.

[Rondec]

I prefer the DA 15. It is a lot easier to crop a 15mm photo to 21mm than to do the reverse. The lens cap thing isn't an issue. I always put away the originals anyway, so I don't lose them and buy plastic squeeze caps.

As others say, it is about what works best for you. I shoot a lot of landscape and am stopped down when I do it. I also was looking for something wider than my 16-50 and more flare resistant, as I am pretty satisfied with the 16-50 in that range.

DA 15 shot.

[filoxophy]

I only have the 21, and I love everything about it. At times I wish I had something wider with me (plus I really dig that built-in petal hood on the 15), but I think I can wait a while to pick up the 15. With the 21, I can just throw it on and go shooting. It's all about your style.

Having the Three Amigos as you do though, I might lean 15. 15/31/77 is a killer 3-lens kit!

[MJSfoto1956]

I was almost ready to splurge on a K-3 and a 18-135 WR lens but I have a really nice K-5 that will last a while longer. I already have 77, 43 and 31 Limited primes. Someone suggested a wide prime...which I almost did a while ago. Shortly after I moved to Cincinnati a few years ago a new camera store opened and they had a great sale on opening day. They had a DA 15 for $500. I decided to think about it. 5 minutes later the only lens they had in stock was sold and if they had to order it the price was $650 so I put that investment on hold.

I'm now looking for a wider lens again and the DA 15 Limited seems like the right choice but from what I'm reading and seeing here the DA 21 Limited also seems like a good choice. I see a survey here that seems to make the 21 a more popular choice.

I'd like to shoot more landscapes and architecture and the DA 15 seems to have that ability...but then so does the DA 21 but just not as much. The thing that concerns me is the distortion and blurriness around the edges which I understand isn't as noticeable with the DA 21.

One last question. Are the build qualities of the 21 and 15 the same to just add that factor to make it tough to decide?

I have both. The DA 21 is the better of the two (IMHO), but of course some shots simply require more angle of view.

M