[bigbaz]

Hi

I want to try wide angle photography and before I commit to an expensive lens my feelings are to buy an older perhaps manual focus lens to see if its for me.

So I'm looking for recommendations that don't cost the earth but are optically sound

I shoot with the K70 and the KP so any lens would need to be compatible.

Thanks in advance

Barry

[pepperberry farm]

some budget parameters would be helpful...

I have wide angle lens for sale, but please PM me if interested...

[baro-nite]

Since you have crop-sensor bodies, the Venn diagram for your criteria points to a crop-sensor lens. Meaning, optically sound wide angle lenses tend to be expensive, so one designed for the smaller sensor will likely be a better value for you. There's a DA 15 Limited in the forum marketplace you might want to check out.

[Bertrand3000]

Pentax DA 10-17 if you want to try fisheye (very wide angle of view, fisheye effect can be used for artistic purpose).

Sigma 10-20 F3.5 if you prefer quality wide angle without much distortion.

[ehrwien]

And in almost the same range as the Sigma 10-20/3.5 are the more affordable Sigma 10-20/4-5.6 and Tamron 10-24/3.5-4.5, but they also offer a bit worse image quality than the Sigma 10-20/3.5

I think you should be able to get a Tamron 10-24 or Sigma 10-20/4-5.6 for about 150-200 ($/€) if you keep a patient eye on the used market in your area.

[D1N0]

A used DA 16-45mm F4

[ZeljkoS]

I often use 10-17 fisheye and then defish using different software (currently Hugin panorama). Fisheye can be a lot of fun, and 10-17 delivers.

[ramseybuckeye]

Since you have crop-sensor bodies, the Venn diagram for your criteria points to a crop-sensor lens. Meaning, optically sound wide angle lenses tend to be expensive, so one designed for the smaller sensor will likely be a better value for you. There's a DA 15 Limited in the forum marketplace you might want to check out.

Pentax DA 10-17 if you want to try fisheye (very wide angle of view, fisheye effect can be used for artistic purpose).

Sigma 10-20 F3.5 if you prefer quality wide angle without much distortion.

And in almost the same range as the Sigma 10-20/3.5 are the more affordable Sigma 10-20/4-5.6 and Tamron 10-24/3.5-4.5, but they also offer a bit worse image quality than the Sigma 10-20/3.5

I think you should be able to get a Tamron 10-24 or Sigma 10-20/4-5.6 for about 150-200 ($/€) if you keep a patient eye on the used market in your area.

Lots of good advice. I have the DA 15 and it’s one of my favorites. I have had the Tamron 10-24, good lens but prone to flare at times. I have no experience with the Sigmas or Pentax ultra wide zooms. As far as manual focus goes; it will be hard to find anything under 28 that is low cost, without just getting real lucky. A few third party Manual focus lenses have come out in the last few years, but I don’t have any idea what the used market holds as far as price and availability. Do you know what types of photos you wish to take with the lens. I use the 15 for tight spaces, buildings, occasional landscapes. The 15 has very good rendering of colors which makes it more useful than some other lenses I could use. Good luck in whatever you choose.

Irix manual focus in 11mm and 15mm fixed focal lengths, the "firefly" version is cheaper with a plastic housing but not weather-resistant as is the "blackstone". I've seen used ones for sale on this site from other members. Terrific optics, really sharp rectilinear images.

[aslyfox]

since I use crop sensors

I got the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM

this " in depth " review is worth reading:

Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 vs F4.0-5.6
Introduction
Have you ever wished for a do-over on a project? Sometimes you finish up a project and realize that maybe you should have done something a little different. Well, this one of those situations. After completing the comparative review of the Pentax 12-24mm, Sigma 12-24mm, and the Tamron 10-24mm, a lot of forum members said that we should have selected the Sigma 10-20mm, instead of the Sigma 12-24mm. Well you can’t rewrite history, but you can to listen to your forum members. We listened! . . .

Read more at: Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 vs F4.0-5.6 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

and I like it a lot

if you can find one in your budget range it is worth consideration

[kernos]

Ahem, the OP is looking for cheap and he didn't define wide angle so we should probably hear more from him. So for cheap we're not talking 15mm. The DA 21mm at $257 may not be cheap, so I'm suggesting that something 20-24mm producing a 30-36mm view angle might be the way to start. I'm defining cheap as under $150. So I'd look at the Third Party Lens reviews and see what's available on Ebay. Looks like there are a number of them in Pentax mount for sale now. Another much cheaper and optically less wonderful approach is to add a wide angle auxiliary lens to the widest lens you currently have. Good luck.
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[twilhelm]

Ahem, the OP is looking for cheap and he didn't define wide angle so we should probably hear more from him. So for cheap we're not talking 15mm. The DA 21mm at $257 may not be cheap, so I'm suggesting that something 20-24mm producing a 30-36mm view angle might be the way to start. I'm defining cheap as under $150. So I'd look at the Third Party Lens reviews and see what's available on Ebay. Looks like there are a number of them in Pentax mount for sale now. Another much cheaper and optically less wonderful approach is to add a wide angle auxiliary lens to the widest lens you currently have. Good luck.
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This was my thoughts also. How wide does the OP want? I just picked up a DA 21, but it cost over $200. On the other hand, a few months ago I was doing some searching of on-line camera stores and found a K 24 for under $100 in great condition. 28mm lenses from Pentax can be had for a good price, and the mini wide from Sigma can be found for under $50.

Good luck in the quest!

[Biff]

Not knowing the $ parameters I'll recommend a used Pentax DA 12-24, as I think it's a great value.

[Just1MoreDave]

First, figure out how wide you want to go. Way back in the early days (2006) the Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 was a popular choice and just about as wide a rectilinear lens as you could get for APS-C. I looked at a lot of photos at 10mm and decided that 10mm was too wide for me. Composing a good 10mm shot is not easy and rectilinear extreme wide angles have their own distortion to get that wide. Details in the viewfinder are small so manual focus is harder. For me, 15-16mm rectilinear is about the limit, any wider and I like fisheye. I'm not saying that's right or true for everyone, just suggesting that you discover your own limits before buying, by looking at samples.

Second, be careful buying cheap film era lenses wider than 24mm. Look at lots of samples and reviews before buying. Good designs exist but they aren't usually cheap. Also keep the focus thing in mind; manual focus is harder with tiny details, though not impossible.

That neatly narrows down my choice to the DA 16-45, which isn't too wide, is APS-C, AF, and cheap. But that's just me.

[kh1234567890]

That neatly narrows down my choice to the DA 16-45, which isn't too wide, is APS-C, AF, and cheap. But that's just me

That is what I would also recommend, especially since bigbaz already appears to have a DA18-55 WR. There is quite a difference between 18 and 16 mm on APS-C.

Flickriver: Photoset 'SMC Pentax DA 16-45mm f4 ED AL Set' by kh1234567890