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08-01-2008, 07:29 PM - 1 Like   #16
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DA 10-17mm - One thing I never see mentioned about this lens is how bright and how sharp it is. I think it may be the sharpest lens in my kit.










Last edited by maxwell1295; 08-02-2008 at 10:03 AM.
08-01-2008, 07:32 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by deudeu Quote
Here are some with my recently acquired sigma 15mm fisheye.


So far, the sigma has produced 0 CA or PF! I am very pleased with this lens!
Nice shots! From what I can see from your pics, your Sigma does a way better job than my MC Zenitar 16/2.8.

I just took delivery of the Zenitar about 1 1/2 weeks ago and have been feeling ambivalent about its performance. I have yet to take any pictures that I would really consider posting on this forum. My main issues appear to be related to attaining accurate focus. Once the subject is in focus, the performance is not bad. Sharpness is a little better than the 18-55mm kit though contrast seems a bit low. I guess for the price, there is little reason to complain!

On the subject of PF, the Zenitar has a definite tendency (though not as bad as some of the DA 10-17 pics on this thread). I have yet to figure out what conditions yield the worst fringing. I know that back-lit branches/leaves are the classic case with bright, smooth, curved surfaces being another. What puzzles me is that in some shots even brightly backlit limbs are clean. Ditto for chrome tubing in direct sun in others. Oh well...best to just shoot and enjoy the lens for what it offers!

Steve

P.S. I will post something from the Zenitar when I get some more practice with the lens. The county fair is this next week. That should provide plenty of subjects for the fishy view!

Last edited by stevebrot; 08-01-2008 at 08:26 PM.
08-01-2008, 07:40 PM   #18
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Greats shots Max, I really like the basketball court.
08-01-2008, 07:42 PM   #19
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@ Frank, I really like the picture of the little girl, thats just too cute

@ Daacon that shot of the surf washing in is so clear, thats quite an impressive capture - I kept looking at and kinda felt like I was right there, made me dizzy, heh.

08-01-2008, 07:49 PM   #20
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@Deudeu - glad to see you're happy with the purchase! Here are a couple of shots from the same lens before it found you







I had no complaints with the lens. AF was decent, CA, fringing etc were well controlled and it was sharp. Could focus decently close as well.
08-01-2008, 08:46 PM   #21
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08-01-2008, 10:05 PM   #22
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I thought I was pretty much done w/LBA (ultra-fast wide angle being the only thing I thought I still wanted)... nor did I think I wanted a FE ... then I saw this thread!

08-01-2008, 10:57 PM   #23
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08-02-2008, 05:02 AM   #24
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How about handfeeding and shooting birds with a Zen 16mm






Toronto 2006 Kite Festival

These are not optical illusion as they are huge .







Huge file warning of the same image


IMGP9408 e.jpg photo - Daniel TONG photos at pbase.com



Daniel

Last edited by danielchtong; 08-02-2008 at 05:31 AM.
08-02-2008, 06:25 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote

*snip*

I just took delivery of the Zenitar about 1 1/2 weeks ago and have been feeling ambivalent about its performance. I have yet to take any pictures that I would really consider posting on this forum. My main issues appear to be related to attaining accurate focus. Once the subject is in focus, the performance is not bad. Sharpness is a little better than the 18-55mm kit though contrast seems a bit low. I guess for the price, there is little reason to complain!
Steve, I find this puzzling because the DOF on my Zenitar is so wide that I find it harder to get something out of focus than to have it in focus. And I agree that PF on the "Z" is terrible, but as you say, it's an inexpensive lens. The one thing I have found that kinda bothers me is that it is VERY soft at 2.8, I find that anything below 3.5 is unusable, and 3.5 itself is problematic. The "sweet spot" of mine is about f5.6 to about f8.0 tho it is certainly sharp enough out to f16. I've rarely used it stopped any further down than f16. If you are still having problems focusing, even at f5.6 and higher, I'd say you have gotten a bad copy, and may want to return it

NaCl(even the Russians can make a mistake now and then)H2O
08-02-2008, 06:54 AM - 1 Like   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by NaClH2O Quote
Steve, I find this puzzling because the DOF on my Zenitar is so wide that I find it harder to get something out of focus than to have it in focus. And I agree that PF on the "Z" is terrible, but as you say, it's an inexpensive lens. The one thing I have found that kinda bothers me is that it is VERY soft at 2.8, I find that anything below 3.5 is unusable, and 3.5 itself is problematic. The "sweet spot" of mine is about f5.6 to about f8.0 tho it is certainly sharp enough out to f16. I've rarely used it stopped any further down than f16. If you are still having problems focusing, even at f5.6 and higher, I'd say you have gotten a bad copy, and may want to return it

NaCl(even the Russians can make a mistake now and then)H2O
Sorry to hear. I am a big fan of the Zen. And here is the whole album of Zen's shots

zenitar Photo Gallery by Daniel TONG at pbase.com

Majority were shot at F5.6 . By F4 , it is quite decent already definitely sharper than the kit lens
Can you check if your infinity is in focus? I know older version may need minor adjustment. That is about it
Did you get direct from Russia - Victor ?
All you would need to know is in here

Zenitar 16 FE- presentation and samples: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review



Daniel
08-02-2008, 07:30 AM   #27
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In a bundle of goods from ebay the other day a 'King Deluxe Video Semi-Fisheye' was included. It is a 'Filter' in that it has a 52mm screw thread to fit on the filter threads of a video camera lens. It comes in two parts - the Fishy part and a Macro part - says series VII Made in Japan on the side. I have yet to try it for real to explore its creativity. It has an odd loose collar on the front which spins and moves forward and backward. i guess for this wide angle that is about as deep a "hood' as it allows without vignetting and it has enough thread in it to be able to screw on a 76mm or so filter.

I tried it first mounted on a K55 f1.8 on a SFX but the effect wasnt so strong on a 55mm. (Please correct me if I just failed to see something) Then on a Spotmatic 28mm F2.8 Tokina and it gave a perfectly round image in the view finder. On the cropped digital sensor of my DL2 it gave the following result - near 180 degree angle of view of the street, taken from balcony, going past my house in a rural country town. The red is not a hue - that is the colour of the dust and dirt. Apart from resizing this image is un retouched.

It seems like it has had a polariser on it but this is just the effect of that thick piece of glass on the front. I am looking forward to playing. In the full size the image is really badly diffused at the edges with some blue and yellow colour shift and blurryness - but maybe that is part of the attraction.
Slightly off topic but while I am writing about adding stuff to the front of lenses, also thrown in the job lot was a Cokin A series filter holder with 52mm filter ring adapter and a funky piece of moulded perspex with heaps of facets and a hole drilled though it. The filter makes this kind of image for when I get tired of fish eyes.

I have since added a Cokin tobacco grad filter to play with some of the sunsets. Wanted a Neutral Density but none available around here and the item was 50% reduced from a real shop.
08-02-2008, 08:38 AM   #28
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Moments of Zen



Is this the purple fringing people keep talking about


A great way to hide flare... take pics of stained glass


zoom zoom zen zen!
08-02-2008, 09:43 AM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by NaClH2O Quote
Steve, I find this puzzling because the DOF on my Zenitar is so wide that I find it harder to get something out of focus than to have it in focus. And I agree that PF on the "Z" is terrible, but as you say, it's an inexpensive lens. The one thing I have found that kinda bothers me is that it is VERY soft at 2.8, I find that anything below 3.5 is unusable, and 3.5 itself is problematic. The "sweet spot" of mine is about f5.6 to about f8.0 tho it is certainly sharp enough out to f16. I've rarely used it stopped any further down than f16. If you are still having problems focusing, even at f5.6 and higher, I'd say you have gotten a bad copy, and may want to return it

NaCl(even the Russians can make a mistake now and then)H2O
QuoteOriginally posted by danielchtong Quote
Sorry to hear. I am a big fan of the Zen. And here is the whole album of Zen's shots

zenitar Photo Gallery by Daniel TONG at pbase.com

Majority were shot at F5.6 . By F4 , it is quite decent already definitely sharper than the kit lens
Can you check if your infinity is in focus? I know older version may need minor adjustment. That is about it
Did you get direct from Russia - Victor ?
All you would need to know is in here

Zenitar 16 FE- presentation and samples: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review



Daniel
Salty and Daniel,
Thanks for the thoughts and links.

I may be just a little discouraged about the full process of acquiring this lens and its current condition. I ordered the lens new through Rugift the first week of April. The first lens was apparently lost in the mail. The second had manufacturing defects that rendered both the aperture and focus controls unusable. I took delivery of the third about 1.5 weeks ago and just yesterday I noticed a strange sound when I focus (sort of like a loose ball-bearing or screw rattling against metal). So I guess I get to send this one back to Russia for a replacement (yes, Russia). I can't blame the vendor for these problems and to their credit, Rugift has been very responsive to the shipping and quality issue.

I am glad though that your experiences have been positive. Perhaps I will have better luck with the next copy.

Steve
08-02-2008, 09:46 AM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by vagrant10 Quote
Is this the purple fringing people keep talking about

A great way to hide flare... take pics of stained glass

zoom zoom zen zen!
Great shots vagrant! It looks like you have good karma with your zen!

Steve
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