Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

jaieger · 10-11-2010, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by mattb123

Like an irresistible siren song...

Meanwhile, the kit lens holds me captive with its softness, length, plastic, bland colours...

DougLee · 10-11-2010, 05:43 PM - **1 Like**

I got away from home/family for a few hours today and could wander and take photos at my own pace

. I walked along a stream for out an hour with the DA15 on my camera and then on the way back with the DFA 100. I had such a great time I think I'll take a day off work next week and do it again!

deadwolfbones · 10-11-2010, 05:55 PM

Great stuff!

bikecoboss · 10-11-2010, 06:24 PM

washcoll2004 · 10-11-2010, 09:41 PM

Hey all, really awesome pics posted today! Love those autumn colors :-)

My 15mm should arrive tomorrow (yay.)

DougLee: Do you have your photos from the DFA 100 posted somewhere? I'd love to see how those look as well (another great lens.)

Frank B · 10-12-2010, 12:08 AM

I guess I really should post a couple of shots in this thread, since it is one of the main reasons I got the DA15 Ltd. From the Mission San Juan Capistrano, in Southern California, yesterday. Taken with the K7, as jpgs, minor shadow lightening in iPhoto on both.

It really is a nice lens.

DougLee · 10-12-2010, 06:41 AM

Originally posted by washcoll2004

Hey all, really awesome pics posted today! Love those autumn colors :-)

My 15mm should arrive tomorrow (yay.)

DougLee: Do you have your photos from the DFA 100 posted somewhere? I'd love to see how those look as well (another great lens.)

Hi Washcoll. You can look on my flikr page. This link should take you to all my shots tagged as DFA100WR:

Flickr: Doug McMinimy's stuff tagged with dfa100wr

If this doesn't work let me know. The DFA 100 is my latest lens, and I don't have a great deal of experience with it yet but I LOVE it! It's built like a limited and the IQ is like a limited. It fits right in with all my other wonderful Pentax primes.

Cheers, Doug

DougLee · 10-12-2010, 06:47 AM

One more from this weekend!

Cheers, Doug

AlphaMilo · 10-12-2010, 01:30 PM

I really enjoy all the great pictures everyone's been posting to this thread. I've had a great time with this lens as well. Here's a few of my favorite pics I have taken since my mind was controlled...

I'm really happy with the 15mm Limited...

violini · 10-12-2010, 10:01 PM

Would someone please explain the star burst effect when one points the camera at the light source.

deadwolfbones · 10-12-2010, 10:14 PM

Originally posted by violini

Would someone please explain the star burst effect when one points the camera at the light source.

It's due to the number of aperture blades and the arrangement of the optical elements, as I understand it.

steve1307 · 10-13-2010, 03:25 AM

Originally posted by deadwolfbones

It's due to the number of aperture blades and the arrangement of the optical elements, as I understand it.

Yes, you need a small sized "aperture hole" to get the diffraction of the light on the edges of the hole at the the intersection of the blades. At the corners the light spreads inwards to the centre of the lens and also outwards to the outer edge of the lens element.

The star point pattern you get depends on the number of aperture blades.
At each "corner" of the blade intersection, the ray or streak goes in both directions across the lens element.

The DA15 has 7 blades so with the rays going both ways you get a 14-pointed star.

With a lens with 8 apeture blades (an even number) you only get 8 pointed stars this is because the the rays/streaks going in opposite directions from each "corner" will line up with the ones on the oppostie side of the aperture corners. This give the appearance of only 8 streaks instead of 16.

A DA16-50 has a very small apeture opening especially at 16mm when stopped down and it has 9 aperture blades.
This lens can do really nice 18-point stars.

The great thing about the DA15 is its resistance to flaring so you can get the lovely star patterns without all of the distracting flare reflections on the picture.

Note: the star effect works better with wide angle lense because it has a smaller apeture hole (for the incoming light) than a telephoto lens at the same f-number. You probably couldnt get this effect with a DA300 at f22 but you can nicely with a DA15 at f16.

If you have a long zoom lens handy take the caps off and look through the front element at the widest angle setting. The apeture blades are efectively stopped down with the lens off the camera and the apeture is quite small but if you zoom the lens longer the appearance of the apeture is much larger so is less likely to produces this diffaction effect.

I hope that make sense, it sounded a little confusing when re-reading, and i was the one that wrote it

TOUGEFC · 10-13-2010, 04:11 AM

Also it you dont have to stop down to f16, ive found you can acheive great starburst's at f8 and f11 too-

f8

f8

the swede · 10-14-2010, 11:18 AM

Zwaah · 10-14-2010, 11:51 AM

Some amazing photos in this thread! Pushed me to the right direction when choosing between the 15 and 21. Although in the end I think I would have chosen the 15 anyway, because I was constantly finding myself using the kit lens at 18 mm and backing off. The 15 mm seems about right. However, it does make me want to shoot towards the sun all the time. I think it is controlling my mind or something.

Anyway, that is a good way to transform common tourist shots into something a bit more unique.

10-11-2010, 05:43 PM - 1 Like	#932
DougLee Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bar Harbor, Maine Posts: 110	I got away from home/family for a few hours today and could wander and take photos at my own pace. I walked along a stream for out an hour with the DA15 on my camera and then on the way back with the DFA 100. I had such a great time I think I'll take a day off work next week and do it again!

10-11-2010, 06:24 PM	#934
bikecoboss Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pemberton BC Posts: 238	McDonald Cr, Bridge River BC

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10-11-2010, 03:51 PM	#931
jaieger Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 586	Originally posted by mattb123 Like an irresistible siren song... Meanwhile, the kit lens holds me captive with its softness, length, plastic, bland colours...

10-11-2010, 05:55 PM	#933
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 7,451	Great stuff!

10-11-2010, 09:41 PM	#935
washcoll2004 Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Washington DC Posts: 12	Hey all, really awesome pics posted today! Love those autumn colors :-) My 15mm should arrive tomorrow (yay.) DougLee: Do you have your photos from the DFA 100 posted somewhere? I'd love to see how those look as well (another great lens.)

10-12-2010, 12:08 AM	#936
Frank B Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 149	I guess I really should post a couple of shots in this thread, since it is one of the main reasons I got the DA15 Ltd. From the Mission San Juan Capistrano, in Southern California, yesterday. Taken with the K7, as jpgs, minor shadow lightening in iPhoto on both. It really is a nice lens.

10-12-2010, 06:41 AM	#937
DougLee Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bar Harbor, Maine Posts: 110	Originally posted by washcoll2004 Hey all, really awesome pics posted today! Love those autumn colors :-) My 15mm should arrive tomorrow (yay.) DougLee: Do you have your photos from the DFA 100 posted somewhere? I'd love to see how those look as well (another great lens.) Hi Washcoll. You can look on my flikr page. This link should take you to all my shots tagged as DFA100WR: Flickr: Doug McMinimy's stuff tagged with dfa100wr If this doesn't work let me know. The DFA 100 is my latest lens, and I don't have a great deal of experience with it yet but I LOVE it! It's built like a limited and the IQ is like a limited. It fits right in with all my other wonderful Pentax primes. Cheers, Doug

10-12-2010, 06:47 AM	#938
DougLee Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bar Harbor, Maine Posts: 110	One more from this weekend! Cheers, Doug

10-12-2010, 01:30 PM	#939
AlphaMilo New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lyons, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 11	I really enjoy all the great pictures everyone's been posting to this thread. I've had a great time with this lens as well. Here's a few of my favorite pics I have taken since my mind was controlled... I'm really happy with the 15mm Limited...

10-12-2010, 10:01 PM	#940
violini Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Winnipeg MB Photos: Gallery Posts: 350	Would someone please explain the star burst effect when one points the camera at the light source.

10-12-2010, 10:14 PM	#941
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 7,451	Originally posted by violini Would someone please explain the star burst effect when one points the camera at the light source. It's due to the number of aperture blades and the arrangement of the optical elements, as I understand it.

10-13-2010, 03:25 AM	#942
steve1307 Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sydney Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,130	Originally posted by deadwolfbones It's due to the number of aperture blades and the arrangement of the optical elements, as I understand it. Yes, you need a small sized "aperture hole" to get the diffraction of the light on the edges of the hole at the the intersection of the blades. At the corners the light spreads inwards to the centre of the lens and also outwards to the outer edge of the lens element. The star point pattern you get depends on the number of aperture blades. At each "corner" of the blade intersection, the ray or streak goes in both directions across the lens element. The DA15 has 7 blades so with the rays going both ways you get a 14-pointed star. With a lens with 8 apeture blades (an even number) you only get 8 pointed stars this is because the the rays/streaks going in opposite directions from each "corner" will line up with the ones on the oppostie side of the aperture corners. This give the appearance of only 8 streaks instead of 16. A DA16-50 has a very small apeture opening especially at 16mm when stopped down and it has 9 aperture blades. This lens can do really nice 18-point stars. The great thing about the DA15 is its resistance to flaring so you can get the lovely star patterns without all of the distracting flare reflections on the picture. Note: the star effect works better with wide angle lense because it has a smaller apeture hole (for the incoming light) than a telephoto lens at the same f-number. You probably couldnt get this effect with a DA300 at f22 but you can nicely with a DA15 at f16. If you have a long zoom lens handy take the caps off and look through the front element at the widest angle setting. The apeture blades are efectively stopped down with the lens off the camera and the apeture is quite small but if you zoom the lens longer the appearance of the apeture is much larger so is less likely to produces this diffaction effect. I hope that make sense, it sounded a little confusing when re-reading, and i was the one that wrote it

10-13-2010, 04:11 AM	#943
TOUGEFC Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,561	Also it you dont have to stop down to f16, ive found you can acheive great starburst's at f8 and f11 too- f8 f8

10-14-2010, 11:18 AM	#944
the swede Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2,310

10-14-2010, 11:51 AM	#945
Zwaah New Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Braunschweig, Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 11	Some amazing photos in this thread! Pushed me to the right direction when choosing between the 15 and 21. Although in the end I think I would have chosen the 15 anyway, because I was constantly finding myself using the kit lens at 18 mm and backing off. The 15 mm seems about right. However, it does make me want to shoot towards the sun all the time. I think it is controlling my mind or something. Anyway, that is a good way to transform common tourist shots into something a bit more unique.

The 15mm Limited controls my mind - club

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!