[johnc]

So I figured it was about time that we had a lens club for the HD Pentax - DFA 1:2.8 15-30mm ED SDM WR. Post your pics here!

Can't wait to see what everyone will manage to come up with using this lens.

To kick us off, here are some golden & blue hour shots from Salford Quays in Manchester, UK. All single exposures, K-1, LR processing, except for the third, which used a three-shot LR HDR process.

[Adam]

Great idea and great shots! I've gone ahead and moved your thread to the lens club section.

[HopelessTogger]

K-1, D-FA 2.8/15-30 @ 22mm, f/11, 1/500s, iso 200 . . .


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28138506690/in/photostream/lightbox/

[Rondec]

I just got my copy a week ago. My family went and stayed in a cabin near Salt Fork Lake in Ohio and I snagged a few images from that trip with the 15-30 at that point...











Just overall initial thoughts on the lens: biggest thing right off is that it is really big as big as the 24-70 f2.8, it has really nice colors and is pretty flare resistant -- biggest problem is if you have the sun off to the side, I guess the front element is bulbous enough that stray light can get in and make for some flare.

Anyway, I like it and it has somewhat assuaged my desire for a DA 15 limited substitute for my K-1, although not entirely. The difference in size between those two lenses is pretty phenomenal.

---

Last edited by Rondec; 07-31-2016 at 11:18 AM.

[johnc]

Great start! Thanks to HopelessTogger, Rondec and Adam. Love that shot with the thistles, you have a knack for perfectly restrained processing, Rondec.

I'd echo your views on the lens. I did not use it so much yet, I bought it as a FF replacement for the 8-16. Of course there are differences - faster, bigger, heavier, not quite as wide. The advantages are that is is significantly sharper, the flare resistance is better, exposure is more consistent, and the distortions are far more easily correctable for architecture shots. The great colour rendition, WR and exposure consistency are all I would expect from a modern, pricy Pentax lens (noting the pedigree of this item being a modified third party design). And while it is easy to deal with in post, I am amazed to see how little CA there is.

One negative is the size and weight. I don't personally have an issue with weight but the diameter of these larger lenses means I really need a larger camera bag (or to get more disciplined about taking fewer lenses out!).

An interesting proposition with this lens is to leave the 24-70 at home and combine it with a couple of longer primes. Say 43/77. I'd see the range between 24-30mm (missing in other 14-24 UWA's) as making this an option.

Hopefully I'll have some more to share in the coming days.

John

[HopelessTogger]

It's a smokin' hot wide, John.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28233078961/in/dateposted/

---------- Post added 07-24-16 at 07:57 AM ----------


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28207773002/in/dateposted/

[Rondec]

Sunrise Salt Fork Lake.



Cabin.



The cabin shot I was really impressed with how straight the lines stay, despite the fact that this is shot at 15mm. My experience with a lens like the DA *16-50 on APS-C is that at the widest focal lengths, lines really start to get curved and this lens doesn't do that much at all, making it a nice lens for architecture.

---

Last edited by Rondec; 07-31-2016 at 11:18 AM.

[Rondec]

Salt Fork Lake.



Sunset.



(both with DFA 15-30)

[Rondec]

This is an example of the flare I see with this lens at 30mm (normally I would clone it out, but just for the sake of interest)...



After Sunset.



---------- Post added 08-01-16 at 10:17 AM ----------

These are photos taken with DFA 100 macro, but comparison photos for this lens compared to some other lenses...

[mikeSF]

I have one here and it is a beautifully built lens, but before I engage any new glass, I always do a comprehensive round of tests with extreme pixel peeping to understand the strengths and limitations. I also was able to side by side compare the range of the DFA15-30 with the DA21, FA31, Sigma 10-20(at 20mm and 15mm), Sigma 8-16 (at 15mm), and the FA*28-70 (at 30mm). Range of apertures, LV zoom focused manually, good tripod w/Mirror up, no pixel shifting, etc...

Though I find the DFA15-30 to be a well performing, acceptable lens and pretty much the only wide option for a FF user, when used on APS-C (K-3II), I found the lens to be consistently less sharp than every other lens I tested. In summary, the DFA15-30 was even with the others only at 15mm stopped down to f/8, but pretty much every other focal length and at most other apertures it just does not have the sharpness of my other gear. I did not expect it to beat the FA31, DA15, DA21, but at least thought it would be in the ballpark, but it clearly is not. At 21mm, I expected the faster DFA15-30 to beat the DA21 wide open(f/3.5), but it lacked the latter's sharpness and micro contrast.

FWIW, this battery of tests has given me renewed respect for my FA31, which performed "superior" in every test throughout the aperture and focus distance range. Also, I was impressed with the long end of the Sigma 8-16, which I have always avoided, favoring the DA15 instead. Alas, the Sigma at 16 was sharp.

My results do not seem to agree with some of the best reviews I have read about this lens and my immediate conclusion is that until some wide FF primes are released, a photographer wanting ultimate performance should hold off on this zoom, but just in case, I have a replacement copy coming so I can get another data point.

[HopelessTogger]

I have one here and it is a beautifully built lens, but before I engage any new glass, I always do a comprehensive round of tests with extreme pixel peeping to understand the strengths and limitations. I also was able to side by side compare the range of the DFA15-30 with the DA21, FA31, Sigma 10-20(at 20mm and 15mm), Sigma 8-16 (at 15mm), and the FA*28-70 (at 30mm). Range of apertures, LV zoom focused manually, good tripod w/Mirror up, no pixel shifting, etc...

Though I find the DFA15-30 to be a well performing, acceptable lens and pretty much the only wide option for a FF user, when used on APS-C (K-3II), I found the lens to be consistently less sharp than every other lens I tested. In summary, the DFA15-30 was even with the others only at 15mm stopped down to f/8, but pretty much every other focal length and at most other apertures it just does not have the sharpness of my other gear. I did not expect it to beat the FA31, DA15, DA21, but at least thought it would be in the ballpark, but it clearly is not. At 21mm, I expected the faster DFA15-30 to beat the DA21 wide open(f/3.5), but it lacked the latter's sharpness and micro contrast.

FWIW, this battery of tests has given me renewed respect for my FA31, which performed "superior" in every test throughout the aperture and focus distance range. Also, I was impressed with the long end of the Sigma 8-16, which I have always avoided, favoring the DA15 instead. Alas, the Sigma at 16 was sharp.

My results do not seem to agree with some of the best reviews I have read about this lens and my immediate conclusion is that until some wide FF primes are released, a photographer wanting ultimate performance should hold off on this zoom, but just in case, I have a replacement copy coming so I can get another data point.

Mike,

Could be your copy.

This is K-1 handheld, 15mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/320s . . .


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28444935400/in/dateposted/

Extreme crop on pulley . . .


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28111561294/in/dateposted/

[mikeSF]

Mike,

Could be your copy.

This is K-1 handheld, 15mm, f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/320s . . .


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28444935400/in/dateposted/

Extreme crop on pulley . . .


https://www.flickr.com/photos/56053365@N07/28111561294/in/dateposted/

I will find out Friday when the next copy arrives.
Your 100% crop example looks about the same as what i am getting, via this resolution, it is just that the other lenses are all sharper. I will check back in. thanks!

[HopelessTogger]

I will find out Friday when the next copy arrives.
Your 100% crop example looks about the same as what i am getting, via this resolution, it is just that the other lenses are all sharper. I will check back in. thanks!

Compared to the Tamron versions for Nikon and Canon, the present price of the Pentax version is brutal.

[mikeSF]

Compared to the Tamron versions for Nikon and Canon, the present price of the Pentax version is brutal.

maybe they had to squeeze a few pixies...or not.

[mikeSF]

I have one here and it is a beautifully built lens, but before I engage any new glass, I always do a comprehensive round of tests with extreme pixel peeping to understand the strengths and limitations. I also was able to side by side compare the range of the DFA15-30 with the DA21, FA31, Sigma 10-20(at 20mm and 15mm), Sigma 8-16 (at 15mm), and the FA*28-70 (at 30mm). Range of apertures, LV zoom focused manually, good tripod w/Mirror up, no pixel shifting, etc...

Though I find the DFA15-30 to be a well performing, acceptable lens and pretty much the only wide option for a FF user, when used on APS-C (K-3II), I found the lens to be consistently less sharp than every other lens I tested. In summary, the DFA15-30 was even with the others only at 15mm stopped down to f/8, but pretty much every other focal length and at most other apertures it just does not have the sharpness of my other gear. I did not expect it to beat the FA31, DA15, DA21, but at least thought it would be in the ballpark, but it clearly is not. At 21mm, I expected the faster DFA15-30 to beat the DA21 wide open(f/3.5), but it lacked the latter's sharpness and micro contrast.

FWIW, this battery of tests has given me renewed respect for my FA31, which performed "superior" in every test throughout the aperture and focus distance range. Also, I was impressed with the long end of the Sigma 8-16, which I have always avoided, favoring the DA15 instead. Alas, the Sigma at 16 was sharp.

My results do not seem to agree with some of the best reviews I have read about this lens and my immediate conclusion is that until some wide FF primes are released, a photographer wanting ultimate performance should hold off on this zoom, but just in case, I have a replacement copy coming so I can get another data point.

ok, the second copy was just delivered - i still have the first copy. I immediately shot 2 pics with each and did a quick compare and I can already tell the new copy is noticeably better than the first. It will take some time to setup for the multi-lens comparison, but I plan to do that tomorrow. Looks promising!!

BTW, the bad copy is ser.# 9481078 AVOID