[UncleVanya]

oh,I know....utter garbage, what pentax lens engineers were thinking when they designed the DA15 is beyond me, it's small, takes even thick framed 49mm polarisers without vignetting, it is practically immune to flare, has a built in lens hood. All this in a well constructed metal lens barrel, unfortunately a lensbaby has sharper corners.

Observe:


Pentax K-7 - Pentax SMCP-DA 15mm f/4 ASPH Limited - f/8 1/60th ISO 100 - un-cropped, light sharpening applied, this is on the K-7 after all, I had to counter the AA filter.

and here is a 100% corner crop:




I mean, doesn't that just UPSET you? For an 800 dollar lens, a plastic holga lens has more resolution than this! Those corners are complete and utter mush! completely useless garbage!



In all seriousness, the DA15 is probably the sharpest of them all. Though if you want THE sharpest APS-C format lens @ 15mm the Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 is the ticket, resolution across the frame at 12~14mm focal length range is superb, distortion can be distinctly noticeable at settings wider than 11mm, but is essentially undetectable at 16mm. The only problem with the Sigma 8-16mm is: you can't use common filters on it, and it is a big, heavy lens with a very exposed front element, and it flares pretty badly too.

You make me laugh when you get riled up. I too enjoy my DA 15.

---------- Post added 12-11-15 at 09:16 AM ----------

An unpopular choice I like is the DA 17-70. The 17 end is stellar and the 70 end is also mighty fine. I got my dad one.

The 12-24 later stole his heart however.

[northcoastgreg]

The DA 15 would definitely be the sharpest in the center and over much of the image area. It would also be the one with the most contrast and flare control. It wouldn't be the sharpest one in the corners and along the edges. The DA 16-85, the DA 12-24, and even the aforementioned DA 17-70, are all sharper along the edges. If you absolutely must have tack sharp corners, maybe the DA 15 isn't the best tool for the job. However, if instead pixel peeping on the corners, you just look at the complete image, I'll think you'll find that the DA 15 consistently provides the best image quality overall. Corners don't always matter nearly as much, even in wide angle lenses, as some people seem to think.

[Madaboutpix]

The DA 15 would definitely be the sharpest in the center and over much of the image area. It would also be the one with the most contrast and flare control. It wouldn't be the sharpest one in the corners and along the edges. The DA 16-85, the DA 12-24, and even the aforementioned DA 17-70, are all sharper along the edges. If you absolutely must have tack sharp corners, maybe the DA 15 isn't the best tool for the job. However, if instead pixel peeping on the corners, you just look at the complete image, I'll think you'll find that the DA 15 consistently provides the best image quality overall. Corners don't always matter nearly as much, even in wide angle lenses, as some people seem to think.

While I haven't had a chance to try the zooms, that aptly sums up my own experience with the DA15. Used on its own terms (and provided you get a good copy, but that holds for the zooms too) that lens is a clear winner in my book.

[clackers]

Hmm... I can see it in many of the shots on that thread - except those cropped or downsized. Can't see any of your shots there.

Yeah, there is one, post 7587 below.


What others on that page would you be worried about?


https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/122-lens-clubs/86234-15mm-limited-control...ml#post2986773

[digital029art]

If you don't mind MF, consider the Sammy 16mm 2.0 (sold under various names). For PK it comes in an 'A' flavor, making it convenient to use.
I find mine to be really sharp already wide open. It's my favorite lens to use with the K-01 in low light and at night especially.

This is a stitch of two frames, shot wide open. It renders beautifully on the K-01:




More at: Temporary space and Faith in Numbers!
-F

[Des]

Look at the Pentax 12-24. After reading the Photozone.de review I bought this lens and have loved it, probably one of my favorite lenses. I use the 15 when I want to travel small and light and the 12-24 for when I want flexibility in the zoom range. The comparison review in Pentax Forums rates it high on sharpness as well.

I can't compare, because I've only used the DA 12-24. But like Bill I love it. Personally I find the versatility of a zoom particularly handy at the wide end. You can't zoom with your feet when standing on stones in a river.

[Wingincamera]

If you don't mind manual focus, like another poster said the Samyang 14mm f2.8 (a.k.a. Bower and Rokinon) is very good. I have the Bower version of this lens. It is large and can not take a filter, but delivers really sharp pictures. The only thing is to watch for de-centered lens. I had to send the first one back for an exchange.

[Nicolas06]

I'll have to respond to Digitalis and the other DA15 lovers here.

Yes the DA15 is sharp corners to corners closed down. More specifically, there are when you actually focus for them but then the center might get less sharp. This will depend of the actual lens sample you got and this will also depend of the scene you shoot.

I got 2 copies, and both have the issues that when the borders are signficantly more distant than the center then some border is out of focus, visibly soft. For the first sample it was both top border, for the second it was only the right top border. I sent the first sample for repair, it didn't improve one bit. Closing the lens down is not enough and you'll not see it on all scenes. (On my sample it would not show on a flat wall).

If you care about sharpness consistancy corners to corners... Hey just borders to borders. Let's be clear. The DA15 will disapoint you. Not on all shoots it will depend of the scene. But the field curvature is really present and many samples are affected... and Pentax doesn't fix the issue if you ask for a repair. You could get a great sample, that true, but many didn't.

What DA15 actually has is great colors, outstanding contrast, extreme flare resistance, ability to record more dynamic range than any other lens I tried. It is also small and light.

For all of this, I still own and use a DA15, because basically size does matter and I don't want to mess up with a Samyang 16mm and having only primes I'am not that interrested into a huge 8-16 or 16-85 as an alternative. And the DA15 is still better for constrast, flare resistance, it's capability to deal with dynamic range.

That's basically a compromize that has to be made. Beware through that other WA are also prone to sample variation. Digitalis didn't say here but he had to try many samples and go through several repair service to get a good performing sample of his 8-16. Samyangs are usually very sharp but you may have to tune a bit the infinite setting.

If I was to go for the sharpest possible, I would either try the 8-16 or one of the samyangs and I'd be prepared to test the lens extensively and ask for new sample as necessary for me as explained that isn't worth the trouble.

[Na Horuk]

Get Samyang 16mm f2.0. Not awkwardly wide, but still very wide. Really fast aperture for this focal length, sharp, clean photos. Only problem is.. it is MF and the distance scale might be uncalibrated. MF at 16mm is not big problem, especially if you use f5.6-f14 because the DoF is so wide you almost can't miss focus. Big lens. And affordable!

Polarizers.. yeah, don't use them with lenses wider than.. 20mm? Well, you can, but it can make the sky unevenly dark across the frame. And one some lenses it can cause vignetting. But hey, your call

[UncleVanya]

No love for the DA14 here?

[normhead]

I'm not feeling hyperbolic today, and i couldn't match Digi-boy even if i did, so, I'll just say Sigma 8-16. And then phone a Pentax DA 10-17 for a good time.

Even then, someday I'll get a 15 ltd.

[ChatMechant]

No love for the DA14 here?

I actually prefer the DA14 over the 15 for all but physical size, and I'm a sucker for built-in hoods. I dunno, call me crazy.

[normhead]

I actually prefer the DA14 over the 15 for all but physical size, and I'm a sucker for built-in hoods. I dunno, call me crazy.

You're the first person I've heard say that, please, elaborate....

[BrianR]

No love for the DA14 here?

Yep. I mostly use mine for wide-angle close-ups though so I can't speak to its use in panoramas (as the OP is interested in). Up close it's pretty fun and I find my copy to be very sharp, sharper than my da10-17mm, which also sees close-up duty. The price for a new da14mm is generally fairly insane, it's much more reasonable used or when it's on sale.

[UncleVanya]

The close up use of the DA 14 is even better at that from what I have read. The portability of the DA 15 is fantastic.