This last month I obtained a used DA* 11-18 f2.8 from Amazon. I’m shouting with it and my DA 12-24 this month to determine if I need to keep only one of these or if I need both!
Flickr folder of comparison shots:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmX4GFwt
First impressions:
The DA* looks physically imposing and is more aesthetically pleasing. It’s heavy, dense and chunky by comparison. However this weight and forth is not very noticeable once it is mounted -assuming good handholding technique is employed. The DA* offers good close focus and the wider aperture allows easier to setup subject isolation. The DA* has a typical HD lens character - flare is well handled and starbursts are difficult to coax from the lens.
By comparison the DA 12-24 seems quite small and light. Previously I’d thought of this lens as bulky - because my alternative choice was the DA 15 Ltd. The DA’s lens hood seems more ungainly than the DA*’s I suspect because the lens body is quite slim up until the front element. Focusing, which has never bothered me before, seems jittery and slow when compared to the DA*.
What I’m surprised by:
Focal length differences seem less important than I anticipated. Using 11mm isn’t that much different than using 12mm, and using 18mm isn’t that much different than using 24mm. In practical terms a very small amount of movement by the photographer often can erase the differences in focal length.
Image quality, as expected, isn’t drastically better on either lens. I’ve only just started the comparison so I can’t accurately say much about this but the images are not easy to differentiate by quality as much as characteristics such as depth of field or flare handling.
I will point out that I am not carefully and methodically setting up identical shots. I am using both as I would. Each is mounted on a different body and sometimes I walk with one body in a direction taking shots and then back duplicating the basic subjects but not always the exact shot. For me this is more useful as it gives me a more organic feel for the lenses as I would use them. For similar reasons I’m not methodically keeping exposure and aperture identical. So this isn’t a straightforward competitive lens review. I’ve do doubt the DA* is the better lens - the question is, do I like one lens more than the other for my shooting style?
More to follow, I’m still working on the logistics and processing initial shots.
IMGP0849_DxO by -vanya_42nd- IMGP0616_DxO by -vanya_42nd-
Last edited by UncleVanya; 11-04-2021 at 03:25 PM.