[joeyc]

Lots of great info here - thank you all. I really can't decide at this point. Part of me wants the DA15 for its compact size and near zero distortion. The other side wants the ability to be in the 10-13mm range. Decisions...

[benjikan]

I was considering the Sigma 10-20mm, figuring that I may have to zoom to 12-13mm to help minimize distortion. Unfortunately 47th St sold me the Sigma without having it in stock and they can't tell me when they will have it. Gives me a chance to reconsider. Since the 15mm has nearly no distortion, i may only be giving up 2-3mm on the wide end. I will also use this lens for landscape shots. I don't want to spend for the 12-24, especially considering the mixed reviews.

Any thoughts?

I would strongly suggest you purchase the Pentax 12-24 in stead of the Pentax 15. I have often shot in tight conditions and having the zoom has saved me more times than I can count. There is a huge difference between 12 & 15 mm.

[jfsavage]

I would second benjikan - huge jump from 12 to 15. There is also a huge leap from 12 to 10 fisheye!

[Canada_Rockies]

I realize that correction can be done, I just prefer to not have to. I own a 9-18mm Zuiko lens (18-36mm), and it is very well corrected. It seems as if the 15mm is the same, but has soft corners until one stops down considerably - which for interior shots (on a tripod) is no problem. I will have to look at more examples of both the 15mm and 12-24mm. One big plus for the 15 is the size. I tend to like to work with as little as possible.

Jumping in a bit late here, but my vote is for the DA 12-24 PLUS DxO Optics Pro Standard. The distortion disappears as you import the images. More expensive, perhaps, but if you want to get distortion free interior shots and have 12mm available, this is about as good as it gets. PM me if you want me to take some images for you and process them to demonstrate the abilities of the combination.

[joeyc]

I would strongly suggest you purchase the Pentax 12-24 in stead of the Pentax 15. I have often shot in tight conditions and having the zoom has saved me more times than I can count. There is a huge difference between 12 & 15 mm.

I would second benjikan - huge jump from 12 to 15. There is also a huge leap from 12 to 10 fisheye!

Thanks. It seems that many are trying to steer me in that direction. I wish there was an easy way to try both out before buying. I am not aware of any Philly area dealers stocking much in the way of Pentax lenses.

[jfsavage]

It's important to note that the fisheye zoom and fisheye hemi will not produce a distortion free image - in fact the image is very distorted, but not in the typical fisheye style. I find the effect works remarkably well, but I would not suggest using the fisheye instead of a rectalinear lens, but as well as. Image Trends - Fisheye-Hemi Plug-In - Corrects Fisheye Lens Distortion and retains Image Content Details

[joeyc]

Thanks for the suggestions/info. While most suggest the Pentax 12-24, I wanted to wait and see how the new 10-20 f3.5 turns out as I am not sold on the Pentax. In the interim, I grabbed the Pentax 14mm F2.8 from Calumet (new) at a price less than the current Sigma. Even if I decide the 14 isn't wide enough or I find it too big, I can't see myself getting burned on it considering the price I paid. The examples and reviews look great to me.

[Confused]

Hi joeyc

Good luck and enjoy your new Pentax 14mm F2.8. Just a few words of general advice when composing interior real estate photos. I've taken the liberty of "adjusting" one of ivoire's images (his original is the bottom one) to underline the point, but I personally find it preferable to keep the plane of the sensor perfectly vertical when composing interior architectural photographs. Simply adjust the perspective of the image by either raising or lowering the height of the tripod as required, because it avoids the undesirable effect of "converging verticals", not to mention an awful lot of unnecessary work afterwards at the post-processing stage.
You might also be interested to learn about a remarkably clever piece of free software entitled ShiftN

ShiftN

designed by Marcus Hebel, which I discovered some while back. Click on the link below to discover more about it.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/583358-post48.html

PTLens is also free and does a great job of removing unwanted lens pincushion/barrel distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration and perspective:

PTLens

Best regards
Richard

[Pentaxor]

joeyc, I have the same dilemma that you had before. I was having a difficult time choosing between 14mm and 12-24. the 14 is excellent when it comes to having no noticeable distortion, but I'm somehow crippled by it's sole range. I'll surely miss the versatility of extra 12mm fl (which is very useful) and by which the 14mm doesn't have. besides, the distortion wouldn't show on the 12-24 as the fl gets longer at around 14-18. and besides, barrel distortion can be corrected by software as some people also pointed out, that's why I dont worry that much about it.

[joeyc]

Richard,

Thanks for the detailed response! While I am not new to real estate/interior photography, I am always up for tips/suggestions. I understand completely what you mean with keeping an eye on the verticals. I will be sure to check out shift - it sounds pretty interesting.

Choosing the 14mm was a tough choice for me, but like almost everything else in life, price played a factor. While I was used to the 35mm equiv of 18mm on Olympus, it wasn't uncommon for me to zoom slightly giving me 20-22mm effective. Obviously the 14mm falls in there while being a very well corrected lens.

Hi joeyc

Good luck and enjoy your new Pentax 14mm F2.8. Just a few words of general advice when composing interior real estate photos. I've taken the liberty of "adjusting" one of ivoire's images to underline the point, but I personally find it preferable to keep the plane of the sensor perfectly vertical when composing interior architectural photographs. Simply adjust the perspective of the image by either raising or lowering the height of the tripod as required, because it avoids the undesirable effect of "converging verticals", not to mention an awful lot of unnecessary work afterwards at the post-processing stage.
You might also be interested to learn about a remarkably clever piece of free software entitled ShiftN

ShiftN

designed by Marcus Hebel, which I discovered some while back. Click on the link below to discover more about it.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/583358-post48.html

PTLens is also free and does a great job of removing unwanted lens pincushion/barrel distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberration and perspective:

PTLens

Best regards
Richard

[Sailor]

I have a DA 15, which I really enjoy and I love the "look" it produces. However, size is a major - and I mean major - issue with me. Were it not for that, I'd go for a DA 12-24.

Jer