[Groucho]

Thanks guys. I sent Buydig an email to see if there's any way I could still pick it up for yesterday's price - I kind of doubt it, but it can't hurt to ask. I've got until the end of the month before the rebate expires, so I think I'll will be picking it up one way or the other. The only question is if I'll end up selling the Zenitar... which I'm kind of hesistant to do because it's so much fun, but who knows.

Here's a few shots I recently took with it... again, fun, but I do wish I could get the full fisheye effect on my DSLR.







It does get the full effect on my K1000, of course. Pardon the quality, these are just flatbed scans of the prints, until I get around to picking up a proper negative scanner.





By the way, I figured out a fairly quick and easy way to add focal length to the exif data for lenses like the Zenitar (though I forgot to do it for the car photos above) using free software, if anyone's curious. It works well for any prime lens that doesn't report the focal length to the camera. (It's obviously not useful for zooms as you don't know which focal length you actually shot at!)

[Alvin]

I have a very similar photo to your Epcot shot but it was not shot too well because I just stepped out of the ride and failed to adjust the ISO. Hope that will give you another feel for the 10-17 FE though. 10mm, ISO 1600, 1/3200, f10.

Just reviewed this thread and noticed you replied to me about WDW. LOL - that was back in January, eh? I was over there in May! How was your stay? If you want to see more of my WDW shots find me on Facebook (Alvin Villanueva). I posted a bunch of snapshots there for my friends.

BTW - did I welcome you to the forums?

[hinckc]

I got this lens partially at the recommendation of a friend, because I do shots of me and some friends rollerblading, skateboarding and snowboarding...

Funny thing is, it's definately one of my favorite lenses for so many other things.... I haven't even actually used it for skate shots yet!

I have seen fringing, but I don't see it as a big deal, with post process options available. I'm more impressed with the perspectives it can give me to post process.

The building on the top left of the frame had the CA manually removed, and the building on the top right of the frame was left alone as it came out of the camera.

[J.Scott]

Does anyone have a picture taken with the PENTAX DA 10-17MM 3.5-4 ED FISHEYE on a *ist DS?

by your command ....

[attack11]

keep that zenitar! it's a great prime.

[Groucho]

I would probably tend to keep the Zenitar, just because it's such a neat lens, and it's fun to have one that I got straight from Russia.

Alvin, thanks for the welcome. WDW was great as always, it was our first trip as Disney Vacation Club members so that was fun, too. We're going to visit Disneyland in September while we're out that way, so it'll be fun having the 10-17mm by then. It was either upgrade my DL to a K10D or pick up a couple new lenses before the trip - all the Benjikan talk of the upcoming cameras is making me wait to see what's announced later, so lenses it is! Already got a Tamron 28-75mm F2.8, getting the 10-17mm, and maybe keeping my eyes open for an interesting M42 lens if one crosses my path. Feel free to poke your head in over that the Disboards photography area if you are a Disney park fan, it's a really friendly and fun place and there are a few of us flying the Pentax flag there.

Back to the 10-17mm, I got a reply last night (surprisingly enough) from Buydig, they said that they don't know when the price will go back to $409 but they hope it will soon. I guess I'll keep an eye on it for now... otherwise I'll probably just have to pay the $429 from them or Beach. The CA is a bummer (especially since I'm going to sell my old Vivitar 400mm M42 lens because of its CA) and I've never had much luck fixing it in software even with Lightroom's tools, but it sounds like it's pretty much par for the course for a lens like that.