Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Closed Thread
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
10-14-2021, 12:24 AM   #31
Pentaxian




Join Date: Feb 2015
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 12,178
QuoteOriginally posted by BarneyL Quote
Not gonna lie, 1500 EUR for a lens that's soft focus wide open, I can already imagine the hate on DPR...
It's a limited lens, mostly no understood by the mainstream users. I once showed my DA limited trio to a Canon user, he said having no interest for that kind of lenses. Nikon/Canon (and Sony, and others) customers and reviewers are used to large, heavy, near perfect optics. 1500 Euros is expensive if compared to alternatives (thinking of the sub 700-800 Euro alternatives), but acceptable for a long term "investment". Depends how many years if the long term.. If only to be owned for one or two years before getting into mirrorless, than 1500 Eur is expensive. If used over 10 years, that's 150 Eur / year, not expensive.

10-14-2021, 12:30 AM - 1 Like   #32
Pentaxian




Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Romania
Posts: 15,132
QuoteOriginally posted by BarneyL Quote
Not gonna lie, 1500 EUR for a lens that's soft focus wide open, I can already imagine the hate on DPR...
Is it soft focus? Or just soft bokeh?
10-14-2021, 12:37 AM - 1 Like   #33
Pentaxian




Join Date: May 2015
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,305
QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
Is it soft focus? Or just soft bokeh?
I have a feeling it will take some time before that is figured out In all likelihood the Pentaxian debates will rage for ever.

Regardless this seems like an even more complex lens to get to grips with than previous limiteds. Mainstream reviewers will struggle with their use-the-lens-for-two-days-and-write-the-review methodology.
10-14-2021, 12:37 AM - 2 Likes   #34
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: May 2019
Photos: Albums
Posts: 5,976
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by BarneyL Quote
Not gonna lie, 1500 EUR for a lens that's soft focus wide open, I can already imagine the hate on DPR...
I don't know, to me it seems well above the sharpness I'd find acceptable at f/2.4... at least in the center. The people at DPR might not get it, but I do. I think I have never seen a lens of this width with a better OOF rendering (and if someone has please point me to it, I wanna ).

I'm a bit miffed by the price, after it showed ~1200€ in the leak. I'm blaming Beholder3 for it, since he said it was "too cheap"

---------- Post added 10-14-21 at 12:38 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by house Quote
I have a feeling it will take some time before that is figured out In all likelihood the Pentaxian debates will rage for ever.

Regardless this seems like an even more complex lens to get to grips with than previous limiteds. Mainstream reviewers will struggle with their use-the-lens-for-two-days-and-write-the-review methodology.
Nah, they won't struggle. They'll swiftly write "soft, lol" and be done with it .

10-14-2021, 12:43 AM - 1 Like   #35
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
jersey's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: 3City agglomeration
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,027
QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
Is it soft focus? Or just soft bokeh?
Soft focus at 2.4, it was one of design points to show accurate but "dreamy" look - like sea foam near shell or something like this . It is demonstrated in one of images in the lens story with engineers. Closeup on flower and wide open it had nice soft focus for more artistic approach to photography, on f4 it was very sharp. It was even stated that wide open some of aberrations were left uncorrected for such look. I think this lens is perfectly imperfect

Still I think DPR and in general reviewers will miss it and laugh hard at "such bad lens at such price".
10-14-2021, 01:01 AM   #36
Veteran Member
Cynog Ap Brychan's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Gloucester
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,199
It is more expensive than I had hoped, but I don't baulk at paying a lot more for Leica lenses. Though this might not be quite as good optically as a Leica, it won't be far short, and the build quality of Limited lenses is in the same ballpark as Zeiss or Leica as far as I can tell. If the quality is there, it will be reflected in the price, and Pentax does not enjoy the same economies of scale of Canon, Sony and Nikon, or even Leica for that matter.
10-14-2021, 01:20 AM - 1 Like   #37
Pentaxian




Join Date: May 2015
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,305
QuoteOriginally posted by jersey Quote
Soft focus at 2.4, it was one of design points to show accurate but "dreamy" look - like sea foam near shell or something like this
Most of the full size samples are at f2.4 and I wouldn't call them soft... in fact I would call them very sharp


click here for full size https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/lens/k/wide/hdpentax-dfa-21/img/ex-pic02.jpg



click here for full size https://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/products/lens/k/wide/hdpentax-dfa-21/img/ex-pic06.jpg

They could have treated us with at least one stopped down at infinity shot of a landscape or cityscape. It's understandable that the bokeh is the thing as it does look amazing for a UWA but give us one typical uwa image.

There's this one from yaotomi but I'm not even sure it's a dfa21 photo and it's scaled down.
https://www.yaotomi.co.jp/blog/used/FBTOFLlUUAgM4rC.jpg


Last edited by house; 10-14-2021 at 01:49 AM.
10-14-2021, 01:25 AM   #38
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Nov 2015
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,186
QuoteOriginally posted by Kunzite Quote
Is it soft focus? Or just soft bokeh?
My understanding from reading the initial material is that they emphasized edge-to-edge sharpness at smaller apertures and longer distances.

To me that suggests that in addition to making the bokeh look good for those close-ups, they probably have played some games with the field curvature -- it is probably very different at infinity than at close distances.

I think that's a pretty desirable trade. Not many people will likely use this lens for macro copy work

-Eric
10-14-2021, 02:00 AM   #39
Pentaxian




Join Date: May 2015
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,305
Distortion seems well controlled but we don't know how much of it is due to in camera corrections
10-14-2021, 02:20 AM   #40
Pentaxian
D1N0's Avatar

Join Date: May 2012
Location: ---
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,802
Not really a limited lens in anyway but my budget. I will stick with the Pentax-m 20mm F4 and it's cute moustache distortion.
10-14-2021, 02:29 AM   #41
Pentaxian
Andrea K's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Rome, Italy
Posts: 822
QuoteOriginally posted by jersey Quote
Soft focus at 2.4, it was one of design points to show accurate but "dreamy" look - like sea foam near shell or something like this . It is demonstrated in one of images in the lens story with engineers. Closeup on flower and wide open it had nice soft focus for more artistic approach to photography, on f4 it was very sharp. It was even stated that wide open some of aberrations were left uncorrected for such look. I think this lens is perfectly imperfect

Still I think DPR and in general reviewers will miss it and laugh hard at "such bad lens at such price".
The soft-focus effect there is only at max aperture and min focus distance.

Last edited by Andrea K; 10-14-2021 at 02:52 AM.
10-14-2021, 02:29 AM   #42
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Gladys, Virginia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 27,606
QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
This looks INCREDIBLE!

The bokeh in those sample images is to die for.
It looks like a very nice lens -- definitely better out of focus rendering than my DA 15 limited on APS-C. I do wonder why there aren't many landscape/astro photography photos. Seems like the sort of thing this lens should (hopefully) be good at.
10-14-2021, 02:31 AM - 3 Likes   #43
Kiwi Pentaxian
Loyal Site Supporter
NZ_Ross's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Timaru
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 4,222
QuoteOriginally posted by TwoUptons Quote
My understanding from reading the initial material is that they emphasized edge-to-edge sharpness at smaller apertures and longer distances.

To me that suggests that in addition to making the bokeh look good for those close-ups, they probably have played some games with the field curvature -- it is probably very different at infinity than at close distances.

I think that's a pretty desirable trade. Not many people will likely use this lens for macro copy work

-Eric
I have a Zeiss ZK 28mm f2 that also has those characteristics by design. It makes it a very interesting lens - f2-f4 used for soft, dreamy effects and f5.6 and above very sharp. It is field of curvature that is used for the effects and transitions in the Zeiss.

The Zeiss 28/2 is known as a 'Hollywood' lens and is very highly rated by some very experienced and exacting reviewers. It is an excellent lens.

If the Pentax D FA 21/2.4 Limited lens has these characteristics it will be very highly sought after by people who know what you can produce with such lenses. Such characteristics basically gives you two lenses in one.

If the internet's favourite 'pop' reviewers don't understand or appreciate such a lens it is more a statement of their skills, technical understanding and preconceived bias, than the ability of the lens to perform.

I am looking forward to the well informed reviews of this new Limited lens, and then if everything is good, purchasing the lens.

Ross
10-14-2021, 02:34 AM   #44
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
ehrwien's Avatar

Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 2,772
QuoteOriginally posted by JPT Quote
That was a nice read.

Did anyone else notice this yet:
QuoteQuote:
Features
A lens cap that instantly activates the camera when removed.
Is that supposed to be taken literally or is that some error in the translation and it's meant more metaphorically?
10-14-2021, 02:36 AM   #45
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
jersey's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: 3City agglomeration
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 2,027
QuoteOriginally posted by Andrea K Quote
The soft-focus effect is only at max aperture and min focus distance.
Yes, but it is still there. It is there by design but as guys before me said reviewers will see it as a flaw.
Closed Thread

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
aps-c, bodies, cameras, combination, compatability, dfa 21 f/2.4, dfa*, eyes, fa50/1.4, ff, hd pentax-d fa, lens, lenses, light, line, macro, noise, oct, pentax, pentax news, pentax rumors, people, post, premium, price, shutter, struggle, users
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Thematic 21 in 21 - pictures thread Tsuken Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories 69 12-30-2021 07:38 PM
Thematic 21 in 21 Tsuken Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories 42 06-28-2021 03:26 AM
DA 21 or HD DA 21 What's the right price? brightseal Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 16 08-13-2019 05:58 AM
DA 21 LE vs CARL ZEISS DISTAGON T* 21/2.8 ZF yipchunyu Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 4 10-06-2009 06:51 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:21 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top