[Alnjpn]

Hello any walkers or hikers out there.

I have been using my Ricoh GR for hiking and climbing. It's great but I want to start using my K3 more regularly and am looking for a small, light lens solution. Most of the hiking I do is on mountains so weight is an issue. I have used the sigma 17-50 and 10-20 but both of these are fairly large and weighty. I like to shoot wide forest scenes and of course the mountain views. The focal length on the GR is just about right although wider would be better which is why I am thinking of the DA15. Is this the best option? Thanks.

[Docrwm]

It is in my opinion. The only commonly available lighter lenses are wider like the Plastic Fantastic 35 & 50 and the 40 pancake lenses. The 15 is a terrific lens for landscapes and is both small and light. The SMC version is pretty cheap these days and I have found it to be more than up to the job. The new version is supposed to be better but in reviewing photos out of it I see color shifts that I don't like as much (perhaps its me, or the post processing but it seems to be fairly consistent). YMMV.

[aaacb]

I hike with the hd da 15 with two types of kits (all with a k3ii):
- together with the DA 16-85, as a wider angle option (it's not just the mm, but also the lower distortion if you need to correct, which also means more of the field of view is preserved)
- in some combination with the DA 21, 40, 70, and 55-300. Not necessarily all of them, maybe it's 15+40+70, maybe 15+21+55-300

It's going to be good when you need a super wide lens, but for me it's not general purpose alone, as is the 21 (or gr in your case). For example, when hiking in mountains I find I usually shoot normal and tele focal lengths most often. The harder the hike, the fewer lenses I bring, and they depend on what subjects I expect to find along the way. The 15 is hard to beat for the compact size and image quality: set to f8, correct CA digitally, and it's a real gem (sharp, great color, contrast, never had issues with flare).

[clackers]

Well, with a bigger lens you get better quality, with less distortion, less vignetting, etc, but look at the pictures you get with the compromise anyway:

The 15mm Limited controls my mind - club - PentaxForums.com

Something worthy to note is that the very simple DA15 design means it has an extremely good resistance to flare, something that anyone who shoots in a backlit situation should know.

[Kozlok]

I love the 15, always my favorite. You could also get the 21 or DA 35 cheaply, and have a couple of choices for not much weight.
Another choice would be the little collapsible 18-50. The IQ is OK, not amazing, but it's super light and you'd have a nice zoom range.

Yet another choice is to keep the 17-50 or 10-20, and invest in a better way to carry the camera. I like the Blackrapids ones (there's one that attaches to your pack), but there are other ways to carry conveniently.

[Paul the Sunman]

The DA 16-85 is the one-lens option. But yes, the DA 15 is a lovely lens.

[Braveheart]

My usual hiking lens pairs are smc DA15 on my K-5iis with my DA55-300 in the back pack. Sometimes I will bring the DA12-24 for more flexibility instead of DA15.

[hcc]

+1 for hiking with the DA15mm Ltd. I have the non-HD and it is great on the K-3. I also used it with my older K-7, a backup body. The results are superb at low ISO. All in all the DA15mm Ltd is highly recommended, for landscape, as well as urban shooting.

I posted there a few shots with the Da15mm a few years back:
Primes in Paris - PentaxForums.com

While I use zoom lenses, I tend to prefer primes for the IQ and light weight. The DA15mm is also a nibble: it is very easy to put in and out of the bag a dSLR body with the DA15mm. For hiking, I sometimes carry another prime in my pockets, often the FA77mm Ltd as a short tele. Other Pentaxians talk positively of the DA70mm Ltd also, another pancake lens.

My 5 cents.

[kiwi_jono]

I find the DA-15 (with DA40-xs thrown in pretty much for free weight / size wise) and a K-01 is a great combination when walking or travelling very light.
But yes the DA-15 (I have SMC version), while not perfect (what is?), is a very capable lens for hiking.

[UncleVanya]

I don't hike as much as I once did. The DA 15 (SMC) I have is a good lens for some hiking shots but my preferred lens today if I were to hike a lot with my K-3, and wanted a one lens option I would probably take the DA 20-40. But the DA 15/40/70 combo would likely be what I'd carry the other half of the time.

[calsan]

Yes!!

[Alnjpn]

Thanks everyone for your comments and ideas - and helping me spend some money! It looks like I will be going with the DA15. There are a lot around here second hand at a reasonable price. I will see if I can pick one up this weekend... exciting times!

[mattt]

I am a fan of 21 Ltd for hiking and walking. The front element is much better protected than 15mm.

[mille19]

I use my DA15mm along with the DA20-40m Ltd and K3II when hiking, it's a good lightweight combination. To tell you the truth I tend to use the 20-40mm more than the 15mm...... but it's always there just in case.

[Garthgoyle]

I go snowboarding and hiking with a K-5II, paired with two of either the DA-15 Limited, the plastic 35mm or the 100 macro. Both the 15 & 35 (plastic) are super compact and light.