Hi Guys,
As promised, here's a sample of what my copy of the 35 ltd macro produces with a comparison: (fyi, it's my old broken K5, which I haven't been able to throw away yet...)
Pentax SMC DA 35mm macro ltd:
Pentax SMC DA 18-135:
Both lenses mounted on the same body. (K5IIs) Both used with hood, both at F5.6, same lighting, etc...
Originally posted by BigMackCam Wilfried - I just took a quick test shot with the DA35 f/2.8 - camera pointing in direction of sun (though the sun is high at the moment), with a UV filter on the lens and hood retracted (so, really, not a great scenario). I noticed no "hotspots" or any problem with sharpness (though your expectations may be higher than mine!). My DA35 is the HD version...
First shot below is the whole resized image; the second is a 1:1 crop from the centre...
EDIT: The images look sharper when viewed natively on my PC - the uploaded versions suffer from softness introduced by file compression.
Many thanks for doing that for me. Looking at your pictures, I'm beginning to think there's something seriously wrong with my copy. I've started browsing through my pictures, and 5 years ago, the pictures from my copy were as crisp and clean as yours. So somehow, through the years, it has degraded somehow.
Originally posted by UncleVanya Sharpness is over rated.
I'm going to have to disagree with you. Or at least say that lack of sharpness is an issue.