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05-02-2015, 05:22 PM   #1
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Da 21 ltd

I have just purchased one of these and am really liking a lot so far. I was on the fence a lot about it wondering if i would really use that wide very often so i waited a long time to pull the trigger. I just bought a K-01 and a DA 40 XS so i figured the 21 would compliment this set up nicely. strangely enough though I'm finding i wish i had wider sometimes. I bought this mostly for landscapes and sunsets. Has anyone compared this to the DA 15 for my purposes? I hardly ever travel so using it for architecture is pretty well not on the table, mind you i am going to Greece and Italy next March so i guess i would use it there.

I guess my question would be, for users who have tried both, can you crop the 15 in to the 21 range with good results? I mostly like the 21 angle but the odd time i just wish for more.

05-02-2015, 05:47 PM - 1 Like   #2
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You do need both!

15:



21 from more or less the same spot, but angled a little differently.



DA15


DA21


And the 15 after moving closer to try to get the same framing as the 21. You can see how much more perspective distortion there is.
05-02-2015, 05:57 PM   #3
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You are going to get all the DA15 aficionados telling you that this is the only lens that you'll ever need. Myself, I have both and I find the DA21 a much more versatile and reliable lens. You can easily get the same field of view by stitching two or three DA21 shots. Cropping DA15 shots is actually what many people do - to hide the fuzzy corners

If size and weight are not a problem then you could always get the cheap DA16-45 ...

DA15
DA21
DA16-45

05-02-2015, 05:59 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by kh1234567890 Quote
You are going to get all the DA15 aficionados telling you that this is the only lens that you'll ever need. Myself, I have both and I find the DA21 a much more versatile and reliable lens. You can easily get the same field of view by stitching two or three DA21 shots. Cropping DA15 shots is actually what many people do - to hide the fuzzy corners

If size and weight are not a problem then you could always get the cheap DA16-45 ...

DA15
DA21
DA16-45

Is the 16-45 in the same league as the da LTDs?

---------- Post added 05-02-15 at 07:01 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Kozlok Quote
You do need both!

15:



21 from more or less the same spot, but angled a little differently.



DA15


DA21


And the 15 after moving closer to try to get the same framing as the 21. You can see how much more perspective distortion there is.

I see what you mean. Looks like I better grab a 15 too. I have a funny feeling ill use it on my trip to Greece more than the 21

05-02-2015, 06:16 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by jayman_1975 Quote
Is the 16-45 in the same league as the da LTDs?
Not really, although I do like it. It seems every lens has it's own personality. I have found the 16-45 to be like one of those eager cartoon dogs that just wants to do it all, fails occasionally, but in the end always has a smile. You can't but love it.

The DA21 on the other hand is more like a racehorse, refined and specialized. I just recently got one in Silver to match my K3 and am positively thrilled with it. The failure rate is minuscule and, of course, solely my own fault . Although I could easily tote the DA15 along I tend to leave it home more and more since getting the 21.
05-02-2015, 07:13 PM   #6
hcc
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+1 for the DA15mm Ltd. A very special lens for many reasons. For once the focal length is not covered by your kit lens and other all-around lens. The DA15mm will simply expand your focal length range and i will not be replaceable by any other lens.

In addition, the DA15mm has an outstanding IQ... But that is true with most DA Ltd. (Personally I prefer the IQ of the DA15mm to the DA40mm, but it may be just me.)

Last edited by hcc; 05-02-2015 at 09:42 PM.
05-02-2015, 07:24 PM   #7
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I have both. It's true. You can't have one without the other. The focal lengths may be very close, but they are two very different lenses that compliment each other.

05-02-2015, 09:27 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by jayman_1975 Quote
strangely enough though I'm finding i wish i had wider sometimes. I bought this mostly for landscapes and sunsets. Has anyone compared this to the DA 15 for my purposes? I hardly ever travel so using it for architecture is pretty well not on the table, mind you i am going to Greece and Italy next March so i guess i would use it there.

I guess my question would be, for users who have tried both, can you crop the 15 in to the 21 range with good results? I mostly like the 21 angle but the odd time i just wish for more.
I have both the 15 and the 21, and I find that they're complementary and one can't really substitute for the other. First, I find the 21mm a very versatile lens, both for wide-angle landscapes and for close-up pictures of flowers and rocks; the 15mm is bad at close-ups due to the amount of perspective distortion, unless that's the effect you're going for. But also, the field of view is different enough that visualizing and framing the picture are a very different experience. It's...hard to describe. It feels like a bigger conceptual jump between the 15 and the 21 than between the 21 and the 31.
05-03-2015, 05:58 AM   #9
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I admit it, I bought the DA 21 mm on a whim when I saw a Like New copy at KEH and just wanted to have all of the limiteds. The DA 15 was the first of the limiteds I bought and I had it a few years already when I bought the DA 21. What I find is that the DA 21 has become one of my most used lenses as it is more versatile than the DA15. For your needs, sunsets and landscapes, you may find the DA 15 mm a little too wide. Even the DA21 may be too wide based on how open the space is that you are shooting in, but you have the 40 mm for those situations. Where the DA 15 really has an advantage is architectural photography and street photography. Also when photographing people you are better off with the DA 21. With the 15, I find I have to be practically in my subjects faces to get a good picture. I you can handle getting both I would get both, they complement each other nicely. You can get used which is the way I got both and you can get one now and the other later. Used copies seem to be always available, especially SMC versions and both of these lenses are probably just as good in the SMC version as the HD versions.
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