Pentax fish eye zoom 10-17mm ?

peos99 · 08-20-2013, 05:11 AM

I´ve been offered an used Pentax fish eye zoom 10-17mm for a pretty good price. ´
What do you guys think about this lens, is it any good or should i look elsewhere?

Takumar55 · 08-20-2013, 05:19 AM

I've been looking at this lens myself. It gets very good reviews here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-10-17mm-F4-Fisheye-Zoom-Lens.html

I think the question is whether you would make use of the wide end of the lens, where you get the full fish eye effect. At 17mm, it sounds like it's "almost" a normal. And it's not very fast. I think it would be a fun and useful lens, myself.

Docrwm · 08-20-2013, 05:31 AM

If I didn't have an 8mm FE I'd seriously consider the 10-17.

**TER-OR** · 08-20-2013, 05:47 AM

It's a lot of fun, particularly if you have pets or kids. It's good indoors, too. I used it exclusively on a trip to the Shedd Aquarium and got some great shots.

Plus, it keeps its value. If you find you don't like it, you can resell it for essentially no loss.

Na Horuk · 08-20-2013, 05:48 AM

A lot of people love it, have seen some amazing photos taken with it in the sample photo gallery. But I dont know what the deal is, what your budget is, and whether you will find use for it. But its definitely a very interesting lens and a lot of people recommend it

RonHendriks1966 · 08-20-2013, 05:57 AM

I had one the past months and it is a great lens wich you can have lots off fun.

hcc · 08-20-2013, 06:14 AM

Looking at your profile, your smallest focal length is 17 mm. The DA10-17mm will nicely add to your line-up and complement it.

As mentioned above, the DA10-17 mm gives you both fisheye and wide angle options.

I have personally both DA15mm and DA10-17mm. Two very different lenses. I prefer the IQ of the DA15mm, but the convenience/flexibility of the DA10-17mm has not equal.

Hope that the comment may help.

bigted · 08-20-2013, 06:19 AM

I have that particular lens and I really like it a lot. I have used it a couple of times for the Single in Challenge where I post a shot daily this was the set for June: SI June 2013 - a set on Flickr. I still have a lot to earn but I did get some neat ones in this time. This one was my first Single in challenge so be gentle with me: bigted's Album: Single in November 2012 - PentaxForums.com. Hopefully this gives you some ideas on what you can do with it. It is a very versatile lens and my favourite for doing the Single in Challenge.

bigted

**blackcloudbrew** · 08-20-2013, 06:26 AM

That was the first lens I bought about a month after I bought my first DSLR (K10d) in 2008. It did more to convince me than any other lens since that cameras can give us a different and creative view of the world. Personally, I think it should be in everyone's kit. It does take some getting used to though, but that's part of the fun.

lesmore49 · 08-20-2013, 06:42 AM

I have one. It's a wonderful lens. I us it mostly at 17mm where the fisheye effect is least noticeable.. It adds 'punch' to photos that no other lens can.

You have to play the angles to get what you want...but when you get it right the photographs are exceptional.

I don't know why anyone would get a prime fisheye lens when this wonderful zoom can give you so many options in fisheye...to near...near...but not quite....ultra wide angle is available.

It is very well constructed and very sharp....but I think you need to be an experienced photographer to get the most out of this exceptional lens.

Clavius · 08-20-2013, 06:52 AM

I own it, and it's a versatile and fun lens. Versatile in a sense that it's not so fishy at the 17 end, and very fishy at the 10. With smart composition, you can hide the fact that it's a fisheye at 17.

Another nice feature is it's close focussing distance. Be carefull when using the viewfinder, it's easy to get too close to your subject and bump the delicate front element.

Barry Pearson · 08-20-2013, 07:29 AM

Originally posted by peos99

I´ve been offered an used Pentax fish eye zoom 10-17mm for a pretty good price. ´
What do you guys think about this lens, is it any good or should i look elsewhere?

I'll go along with others above: I'm glad I bought this lens. I thought it was just for fun, but it can be used with serious intent too.

I tend to use it at the 10mm end. Without care in composition, it can look gimmicky. But if I choose a line in the scene that I want to end up straight, and have this line go through the centre of the lens when shooting, it will appear straight in the final result. I have seen some high-impact landscapes like this - get (for example) the surface of a lake straight, and things near the corners (clouds, etc) can appear very dramatic. Lightroom can reduce the amount of distortion by a controlled amount - perhaps other software can too.

I have to be careful not to get my feet or my shadow in the photo! And it gets tempting to keep moving forward - don't try this near the edge of a cliff.

peos99 · 08-20-2013, 07:41 AM

Ok, I didn´t realize that the fish effect was over the whole range, thought it was just at around 10mm.

Hmmm I will buy it if i get a good deal. the price here in sweden for a new lens is about 780 dollars and that is too much for me just to play with.

jcdoss · 08-20-2013, 07:42 AM

I agree with lesmore49 almost completely. It's a nice multi-purpose (or maybe just bi-purpose) lens, with fisheye on one end, and ultra-wide on the other. It's fun to play around with, and since I'm only in this for fun, it suits me perfectly. It's fun to use on my K30, but I also took it to an aquarium recently with my NEX-6. The following was taken at 10mm in pretty bad lighting conditions.

GibbyTheMole · 08-20-2013, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by Clavius

I own it, and it's a versatile and fun lens. Versatile in a sense that it's not so fishy at the 17 end, and very fishy at the 10. With smart composition, you can hide the fact that it's a fisheye at 17.

Yep... I agree it's versatile and it's one of my favorite lenses. If it's a good deal and you think you'd use it, go for it!

(I paid $50 for mine on CL, but that's not the norm.)

08-20-2013, 05:11 AM	#1
peos99 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 53	Pentax fish eye zoom 10-17mm ? I´ve been offered an used Pentax fish eye zoom 10-17mm for a pretty good price. ´ What do you guys think about this lens, is it any good or should i look elsewhere?

08-20-2013, 05:19 AM	#2
Takumar55 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 120	I've been looking at this lens myself. It gets very good reviews here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-10-17mm-F4-Fisheye-Zoom-Lens.html I think the question is whether you would make use of the wide end of the lens, where you get the full fish eye effect. At 17mm, it sounds like it's "almost" a normal. And it's not very fast. I think it would be a fun and useful lens, myself. Last edited by Takumar55; 08-20-2013 at 05:29 AM.

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08-20-2013, 05:31 AM	#3
Docrwm Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,285	If I didn't have an 8mm FE I'd seriously consider the 10-17.

08-20-2013, 05:47 AM	#4
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	It's a lot of fun, particularly if you have pets or kids. It's good indoors, too. I used it exclusively on a trip to the Shedd Aquarium and got some great shots. Plus, it keeps its value. If you find you don't like it, you can resell it for essentially no loss.

08-20-2013, 05:48 AM	#5
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	A lot of people love it, have seen some amazing photos taken with it in the sample photo gallery. But I dont know what the deal is, what your budget is, and whether you will find use for it. But its definitely a very interesting lens and a lot of people recommend it

08-20-2013, 05:57 AM	#6
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	I had one the past months and it is a great lens wich you can have lots off fun.

08-20-2013, 06:14 AM	#7
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	Looking at your profile, your smallest focal length is 17 mm. The DA10-17mm will nicely add to your line-up and complement it. As mentioned above, the DA10-17 mm gives you both fisheye and wide angle options. I have personally both DA15mm and DA10-17mm. Two very different lenses. I prefer the IQ of the DA15mm, but the convenience/flexibility of the DA10-17mm has not equal. Hope that the comment may help.

08-20-2013, 06:19 AM	#8
bigted Moderator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Jessica Lake, Whiteshell Provincial Park, or Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,593	I have that particular lens and I really like it a lot. I have used it a couple of times for the Single in Challenge where I post a shot daily this was the set for June: SI June 2013 - a set on Flickr. I still have a lot to earn but I did get some neat ones in this time. This one was my first Single in challenge so be gentle with me: bigted's Album: Single in November 2012 - PentaxForums.com. Hopefully this gives you some ideas on what you can do with it. It is a very versatile lens and my favourite for doing the Single in Challenge. bigted

08-20-2013, 06:26 AM	#9
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	That was the first lens I bought about a month after I bought my first DSLR (K10d) in 2008. It did more to convince me than any other lens since that cameras can give us a different and creative view of the world. Personally, I think it should be in everyone's kit. It does take some getting used to though, but that's part of the fun.

08-20-2013, 06:42 AM	#10
lesmore49 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Western Canada Posts: 12,342	I have one. It's a wonderful lens. I us it mostly at 17mm where the fisheye effect is least noticeable.. It adds 'punch' to photos that no other lens can. You have to play the angles to get what you want...but when you get it right the photographs are exceptional. I don't know why anyone would get a prime fisheye lens when this wonderful zoom can give you so many options in fisheye...to near...near...but not quite....ultra wide angle is available. It is very well constructed and very sharp....but I think you need to be an experienced photographer to get the most out of this exceptional lens.

08-20-2013, 06:52 AM	#11
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	I own it, and it's a versatile and fun lens. Versatile in a sense that it's not so fishy at the 17 end, and very fishy at the 10. With smart composition, you can hide the fact that it's a fisheye at 17. Another nice feature is it's close focussing distance. Be carefull when using the viewfinder, it's easy to get too close to your subject and bump the delicate front element.

08-20-2013, 07:29 AM	#12
Barry Pearson Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Stockport Posts: 964	Originally posted by peos99 I´ve been offered an used Pentax fish eye zoom 10-17mm for a pretty good price. ´ What do you guys think about this lens, is it any good or should i look elsewhere? I'll go along with others above: I'm glad I bought this lens. I thought it was just for fun, but it can be used with serious intent too. I tend to use it at the 10mm end. Without care in composition, it can look gimmicky. But if I choose a line in the scene that I want to end up straight, and have this line go through the centre of the lens when shooting, it will appear straight in the final result. I have seen some high-impact landscapes like this - get (for example) the surface of a lake straight, and things near the corners (clouds, etc) can appear very dramatic. Lightroom can reduce the amount of distortion by a controlled amount - perhaps other software can too. I have to be careful not to get my feet or my shadow in the photo! And it gets tempting to keep moving forward - don't try this near the edge of a cliff.

08-20-2013, 07:41 AM	#13
peos99 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 53 Original Poster	Ok, I didn´t realize that the fish effect was over the whole range, thought it was just at around 10mm. Hmmm I will buy it if i get a good deal. the price here in sweden for a new lens is about 780 dollars and that is too much for me just to play with.

08-20-2013, 07:42 AM	#14
jcdoss Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,768	I agree with lesmore49 almost completely. It's a nice multi-purpose (or maybe just bi-purpose) lens, with fisheye on one end, and ultra-wide on the other. It's fun to play around with, and since I'm only in this for fun, it suits me perfectly. It's fun to use on my K30, but I also took it to an aquarium recently with my NEX-6. The following was taken at 10mm in pretty bad lighting conditions.

08-20-2013, 08:03 AM	#15
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	Originally posted by Clavius I own it, and it's a versatile and fun lens. Versatile in a sense that it's not so fishy at the 17 end, and very fishy at the 10. With smart composition, you can hide the fact that it's a fisheye at 17. Yep... I agree it's versatile and it's one of my favorite lenses. If it's a good deal and you think you'd use it, go for it! (I paid $50 for mine on CL, but that's not the norm.)