Originally posted by bdery Correct. In my opinion, the SMC is the most desirable of the two.
With Pentax's understanding and knowledge about special lenses (just look at the three FA Limited, and even the DA Limited in their own way) I don't see how they did not present the starbursts as a feature of the 15 and 21. With the HD version, they crippled these lenses.
It just depends on what you do... I don't do the kind of photography that lends to using starbursts, for example. So for me, the HD versions would be more desirable...(1)
...except that they are more expensive on the used market, so I think I'll likely end up with a used SMC DA 21 sometime next year.(2)
(1) When Ricoh released the HD version of the DA Limiteds they said that some lenses did get small optical tweaks. I believe the DA 21 was one of them, as the tests I've seen seem to show that the lens is slightly less sharp in the center, and sharper in the corners compared to the previous SMC version. I also see that the rendering is a bit different compared to the SMC version and I like it better, but it's not a dramatic difference, both versions can capture great images.
(2) When I had decided I wanted a 30 1.4 lens for my "normal" APS-C FOV, I had gotten used to the idea that with my budget I would only be able to get the old Sigma EX version... and a Sigma Art lens came up for a very low price and I ended up with that instead. So who knows