[2351HD]

I have been looking at the new 21mm as an option for landscape work. Does anybody else find it odd that Pentax released a full frame 21mm lens that can’t be used with any filter kits such as 100x100mm grads?

The inclusion of a fixed metal lens hood just seems like madness for such a lens. Considering that the only other wide angle lens for FF is the 15-30 which also has a built in fixed hood, it looks like a massive oversight.

I get it that they made it fit with the other limited lenses, but at least it could have had a form fitting screw thread lens hood like the Leica 21mm lens does. It would have looked just as good but have the added functionality.

Any thoughts?

[UncleVanya]

I have been looking at the new 21mm as an option for landscape work. Does anybody else find it odd that Pentax released a full frame 21mm lens that can’t be used with any filter kits such as 100x100mm grads?

It uses standard 67mm filters. This isn’t a lot different from the FA 31 which uses 58mm threaded filters. A screw in hood that could be removed like the FA 77 or DA 70 would have been reasonable as well but there may be reasons why it wasn’t selected as the option they went with.

67mm filters are certainly cheaper than 100x100 but the 100x100 is more universal so I can understand wanting to leverage this.

[Paul the Sunman]

I did see them somewhere, I can't remember where, claiming the inbuilt hood as an advantage, as it reduces the number of actions required before shooting to simply taking off the cap, which I for one appreciate. However, I see your point, though it is not relevant to me. You can't please everyone.

It is interesting that the newly refreshed DA 10-17 fisheye now has a removable hood, whereas the original (which I have) has a built-in. This has nothing to do with filters though, it's to produce a more circular image on FF. Differing perceived requirements lead to differing design decisions.

[biz-engineer]

I have been looking at the new 21mm as an option for landscape work. Does anybody else find it odd that Pentax released a full frame 21mm lens that can’t be used with any filter kits such as 100x100mm grads?

The fixed hood on the 21 ltd is to match the look / style / design philosophy of the limited with the metal cap. And maybe also intentional to avoid having customers flood the market with used 15-30 and potentially kill a lot of UWA sales. I guess the idea is to sell a 15-30 and a 21ltd to the same people, sell vertically (to same customers) instead of horizontally (to different customers). The same idea of the DFA24-70 vs 28-105, a lot of people end-up have both lenses where a 24-105 f4 would have sold only once to cover both the wide and tele ends.

[2351HD]

I did see them somewhere, I can't remember where, claiming the inbuilt hood as an advantage, as it reduces the number of actions required before shooting to simply taking off the cap, which I for one appreciate.

I appreciate that also, however with an external thread on the body of the lens, a fully integrated but removable lens hood could have been achieved and allow for the lens cap just in the same way that Leica and Zeiss do it.

Just seems like a waste is all.

---------- Post added 01-01-22 at 10:04 AM ----------

67mm filters are certainly cheaper than 100x100 but the 100x100 is more universal so I can understand wanting to leverage this.

That may be the case, but cost is not an issue when you already own them, which would likely be the case for a lot of landscape shooters.

Considering Pentax sits high in the tree of landscape oriented camera systems, this looks like an oversight. Pentax owners will invest in the lens regardless however, due to the cache and lure of the limited series and fulfilling the set of limited primes.

I am considering buying one and literally cutting the hood off with a Dremel or similar just to get what I want.

[Kobayashi.K]

Exactly what I thought, if I badly needed this lens I would Dremel the hood off immediately.

This design prevents any flexibility for attaching something to the thread, even a simple step up ring is not possible. Also, when you screw in a filter and it got stuck you can't get it out with a wrench tool.

[UncleVanya]

I appreciate that also, however with an external thread on the body of the lens, a fully integrated but removable lens hood could have been achieved and allow for the lens cap just in the same way that Leica and Zeiss do it.

Just seems like a waste is all.

---------- Post added 01-01-22 at 10:04 AM ----------



That may be the case, but cost is not an issue when you already own them, which would likely be the case for a lot of landscape shooters.

Considering Pentax sits high in the tree of landscape oriented camera systems, this looks like an oversight. Pentax owners will invest in the lens regardless however, due to the cache and lure of the limited series and fulfilling the set of limited primes.

I am considering buying one and literally cutting the hood off with a Dremel or similar just to get what I want.

Given the extreme cost and the loss of value and warranty that seems frankly ridiculous. Buying a few 67mm filters is a small price to pay. If you do it I suggest putting it up on YouTube as it will likely get a lot of hits and cringeworthy videos are often popular.

[Kobayashi.K]

@2351HD when you have removed the hood send it to Pentax to learn them a lesson.

[biz-engineer]

Maybe it's possible to buy a D-FA 21 and remove the hood with a metal saw, but that's only if you don't mind spending $1500 and having to butcher the lens. Something like that: https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2016/08/surgery-voigtlander-super-wide-heliar-15mm-iii.html

[Digitalis]

I am considering buying one and literally cutting the hood off with a Dremel or similar just to get what I want.

A lens technician I work with removed the lens hood on an FA31 using a lathe, he was also able to 3D print a voigtlander style screw attached lens hood to it. As is usual for his work it turned out really well.

As it is with most things functional modifications are possible but ultimately they will affect value.

[Sandy Hancock]

The DFA 21/2.4 is (in my opinion) optimised more for spontaneous photography than serious landscape work. It excels at environmental portraiture and still lifes, where the background context is important.

Every other Limited ever made has its own dedicated hood. It is part of the design brief for these lenses.

The DFA 15-30/2.8 is the "serious" full frame landscape lens. There is a widely available mounting kit for Lee 150 filters. I bought it, and it works well. I rarely use it though, because I'm lazy

[biz-engineer]

The DFA 21/2.4 is (in my opinion) optimised more for spontaneous photography than serious landscape work.

Yes, it's aimed at hand-held shooting, without tripod. Basically, you have the small lens in the bag , while traveling, walking in streets, buildings. But that means if you do long exposure landscape photography you need to keep the 15-30 with its 150mm filter set, if you can afford.

[BROO]

I have been looking at the new 21mm as an option for landscape work. Does anybody else find it odd that Pentax released a full frame 21mm lens that can’t be used with any filter kits such as 100x100mm grads?

The inclusion of a fixed metal lens hood just seems like madness for such a lens. Considering that the only other wide angle lens for FF is the 15-30 which also has a built in fixed hood, it looks like a massive oversight.

I get it that they made it fit with the other limited lenses, but at least it could have had a form fitting screw thread lens hood like the Leica 21mm lens does. It would have looked just as good but have the added functionality.

Any thoughts?

I think you should wait and see what the upcoming wide aperature D FA* focal length is.
If it is 24mm then you will have a good option.

[2351HD]

As it is with most things functional modifications are possible but ultimately they will affect value.

I have a feeling if you did a good job on the modification, later upon putting it on the buy/sell forum here it would fetch as much as an unmodified, likely more as others would also see value in it.

---------- Post added 01-01-22 at 11:54 AM ----------

But that means if you do long exposure landscape photography you need to keep the 15-30 with its 150mm filter set, if you can afford.

So we are meant to keep two lenses and two filter sets, yeah that sounds like a great idea.

---------- Post added 01-01-22 at 12:00 PM ----------

Every other Limited ever made has its own dedicated hood. It is part of the design brief for these lenses.

That aside, still no reason it could not be done like Leica and be screw off/on and fully integrated.

I might have to look at a Zeiss ZF 21mm and change the mount to Pentax. Still, would be nice to have a small landscape lens that has AF when you need it.

[Sandy Hancock]

So we are meant to keep two lenses and two filter sets, yeah that sounds like a great idea.

The Lee 150 kit will work for everything. Specifically, it also mounts natively on the Ø82 DA*11-18 and DFA24-70.