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Hi everybody,

I would like to open up a thread dedicated to one topic:

DA lens on Full Frame: a sticky test shots thread.

This thread shall be dedicated to test shots of a DA lens mounted to a full frame body (e.g., a film camera body). By test shot, I mean shots dedicated to evaluate the performance. Shots of ordinary subjects aren't suitable to this task, normally, and should not be posted. So, these are the rules:

• K mount lens dedicated to the APS-C form factor is used.
• Image is taken full frame 36mm x 24mm.
• Lens hood was removed.
• And ideally, no filter is mounted.
• The aperture used is specified (note that film cameras don't record EXIF...).
• Sample image shows the entire field of view.
• Sample image(s) show(s) corner, border and center performance at 10MP-100% (multiple crops, or single not-resized image).
• The subject is such that resolution and vignetting at the borders can be compared to the center.

The idea behind this thread is obvious: To compile enough data to assess the spectrum of available lenses for a forthcoming full frame DSLR in K mount.

#################################################

Table of results as obtained in this thread (updated regularly):

SMC Pentax-DA primes...

• DA 14mm F2.8: - (clawhammer)
• DA 15mm F4.0: - (Zav)
• DA 21mm F3.2 Limited: - (Boris Liberman)
• DA 35mm F2.4 AL: +++ (aurele ;like FA35/2.0 and no vignetting) (frank)
• DA 35mm F2.8 Limited Macro: 0 (ryno), + (@ 1.15 crop)
• DA 40mm F2.8 Limited: +
• DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM: +++ (aurele)
• DA 70mm F2.4 Limited: +
• D FA Macro 100mm F2.8 WR: +++ (officially specified FF by Pentax)
• DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM: +++? (common belief, but is it true?)
• DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM: ++ (officially rated "designed for FF" by Pentax patent US7715116)

SMC Pentax-DA zooms...

• DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]: FE, see #59, #61, #94. 10mm: heavy vignette / 14mm: almost no vignette / 17mm ++ (Reps, froeschle, Gooshin)
• DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]: - (below 16mm, xitek.com), o (at 18mm, architorture), + (at 20mm, architorture), ++ (at 24mm, architorture)
• DA 16-45mm F4: - (below 21mm, Nesster)
• DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM: - (xitek.com)
• DA 17-70mm F4 AL [IF] SDM: - (KjetilH)
• DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL: - (at 18mm, Spongefingers; below 23mm, xitek.com)
• DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL II: missing
• DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 ED AL [IF]: - (xitek.com)
• DA 50-200mm ED: -
• DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM: - (elho_cid)
• DA* 60-250mm F4 ED [IF] SDM: ++ (officially rated "designed for FF" by Pentax patent US7489452) probably good on full frame but evaluation still missing; the rating is +++ with a baffle modification, + without)
• DA 55-300mm F4-5.8 ED: 0 (+, ++ at tele end, viking79)

Sigma K mount DC...

• Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC: -
• Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 DC: - (below 14mm, Gooshin)
• ...

Tamron K mount Di-II...

• ...

Overall rating scale:
+++: no significant difference between APS-C and FF corners
++: difference but usable at full aperture with a small loss in corner IQ only
+: usable staring at f/4~f/5.6, with no or a small loss in corner IQ only
o: usable at f/11 or with big loss in corner IQ only
-: not usable

[pres589]

There's a JJC knock-off of the Pentax 55-300 hood for $5 on one of the big online retail sites. If I was cutting up a hood I'd go there instead of the factory *55 hood.

[Scorpio71GR]

You can buy a third party hood for the DA 55-300 for around $10. I found the petal style hood worked very well especially since the front of the DA*55 does not rotate.

Here is a DA 55-300 hood for $13 and it is not from China.
PH-RBG 58mm Lens Hood Black for Pentax SMCP-DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED 700724037053 | eBay

Here is a petal style hood for $10 that would not need any modification.
amazon.com: 58MM Lens Hood Set (Tulip Flower + Collapsible Rubber Lens Hood): Camera & Photo?tag=pentaxforums-20&

[MarkJerling]

I have stickied your thread. I do note that a number of the links in the table are dead.

[falconeye]

Thanks for sticking the thread.
Note that I no longer regularly visit this forum so won't keep links alive if somebody moved the pages around ...

P.S.
This thread now lives for 10 years and never went havoc, or died. Probably never happened anywhere else in the internet

[Wlad]

Hello, dear colleagues! I apologize if I take your time. Now I want to pick up a telephoto lens for my new Pentax K 1 2, and look at the Pentax HD DA 55-300mm F / 4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR PE. Please, clarify my doubts about this lens. I read that it vignette to 100 mm. And how next? Are there a frame distortions from 100 to 300 mm? And generally speaking: Can you recommend this lens to my camera?
Thanks!

[angerdan]

Now I want to pick up a telephoto lens for my new Pentax K 1 2, and look at the Pentax HD DA 55-300mm F / 4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR PE.
I read that it vignette to 100 mm. And how next?
Are there a frame distortions from 100 to 300 mm?
And generally speaking: Can you recommend this lens to my camera?

Vignetting will be even on APS-C above 120mm.
HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE Review - Vignetting | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Distortion is not very high on APS-C.
HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE Review - Distortions | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Wouldn't recommend this lens for the K-1.
Better get an F 70-210mm 3.5-4.5 or wait for the 2019 D FA 70-200mm 4.0 lens on the roadmap.
SMC Pentax-F 70-210mm F4-5.6 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
E____K_Mount_Lens_FF_DL_20180410.pdf

[Wlad]

Vignetting will be even on APS-C above 120mm.
HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE Review - Vignetting | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Distortion is not very high on APS-C.
HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 PLM WR RE Review - Distortions | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Wouldn't recommend this lens for the K-1.
Better get an F 70-210mm 3.5-4.5 or wait for the 2019 D FA 70-200mm 4.0 lens on the roadmap.
SMC Pentax-F 70-210mm F4-5.6 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
E____K_Mount_Lens_FF_DL_20180410.pdf

angerdan, thank you for your reply! Thanks to you, I made the right decision! Regarding the F 70-210mm 3.5-4.5 - I heard good reviews, I will look for it.

[aslyfox]

angerdan, thank you for your reply! Thanks to you, I made the right decision! Regarding the F 70-210mm 3.5-4.5 - I heard good reviews, I will look for it.

Wlad:

you might want to consider the DFA lenses if you want a lens designed to work with either FF or APS-C camera bodies

" About the HD Pentax-D FA Zoom Lens Series
HD Pentax-D FA zoom lenses are optimized for use with Pentax Digital SLRs. They cover the 24x36mm full frame image circle, but can also be used with cameras with an APS-C size sensor. They can be used on such Pentax film cameras that have provision for setting the aperture from the camera body.
Auto-focus (built-in AF motor, no support for screw drive)
Auto-aperture (no aperture ring)
Film & Digital "


Read more at: Pentax D FA Zoom Lenses - Reviews and Specifications - SLR and Interchangeable Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database


here are two telephotos that might be of interest:

HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/hd-pentax-d-fa-70-200mm-f28-ed-dc-aw.html

HD Pentax-D FA* 70-200mm F2.8 ED DC AW Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews



HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/hd-pentax-d-fa-150-450mm-f45-56-ed-dc-aw.html

HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

both highly recommended, big, heavy and expensive [ although on sale currently in the US and on Amazon ] if bought new

[Wlad]

aslyfox, thank you! I look at this type of lens, of course. Now I use HD PENTAX-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR. I will study the material on your links. The only thing that stops when choosing these lenses - their price.

[K David]

How do we add a lens to this list? I gave the 40mm f/2.8 DA XS for the K-01 a go on my K-1, on a whim, expecting a partial image circle. But, the lens covers the whole sensor.

Here are photos at each full stop. At 2.8, there is a significant vignette, but by 4, it's basically gone and completely clear by 5.6. Images are taken from the raw files, converted to jpeg with no adjustments. Capture settings were AV mode and 400 ISO


2.8


4


5.6


8


11


16


22

I was pleasantly surprised by this and completely expect the little XS to be an APS-C only lens. Knowing I can use it on my K-1 gives me a number of good uses for it now.

[clackers]

How do we add a lens to this list? I gave the 40mm f/2.8 DA XS for the K-01 a go on my K-1, on a whim, expecting a partial image circle. But, the lens covers the whole sensor.

Here are photos at each full stop. At 2.8, there is a significant vignette, but by 4, it's basically gone and completely clear by 5.6. Images are taken from the raw files, converted to jpeg with no adjustments. Capture settings were AV mode and 400 ISO


2.8


4


5.6


8


11


16


22

I was pleasantly surprised by this and completely expect the little XS to be an APS-C only lens. Knowing I can use it on my K-1 gives me a number of good uses for it now.

Yeah, you can see the DA40 f2.8 Limited entry. The SX can be understood as a variant. Their ancestor is 1976's M40mm f2.8 pancake, which of course was full frame.

[pres589]

What I think is crazy is how the M 40 2.8 can use the DA 40 Ltd's hood without vignetting on full frame. Or at least very minimal vignetting. It's great! Same goes for the others Pentax 40's. It's what got me to use a step-down ring as part of the front element protection I employ on my M 50 1.7 that I grab when I might go on a hike or run, etc.

[aslyfox]

. . . The SX can be understood as a variant. Their ancestor is 1976's M40mm f2.8 pancake, which of course was full frame.

that reference is probably suppose to be to the XS

the SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 XS is without a doubt the best lens in its class

[clackers]

that reference is probably suppose to be to the XS

the SMC Pentax-DA 40mm F2.8 XS is without a doubt the best lens in its class

Yeah, I own it - works well on my K-1, it's basically a body cap in size.