[Robot camera]

Looking at the three images you have linked, there seems to be very slight softness at the right, but I notice that the images are all shot on the diagonal, with the RHS closer to the camera. Could it just be a case of this area being slightly out of focus ? I notice too that the images were all taken in January over three years ago, on a dull overcast wintry day, when the aperture used might limit depth of field as well. Test Images of a flat, well-lit subject (such as a sunny brick wall), with the camera on a tripod placed 'square-on' to the wall might give us more to work with, if that could be arranged.

You beat me to it, Peter !
T

Not the best examples, but the last time I used the lens apart from some brick wall tests. At 12mm and f/4, the hyperfocal distance is about 6 feet; assuming I focused at 12 feet for those shots, everything from 4 feet to infinity should be in focus.

Here are the brick wall tests, with captions. These were shot at about 4 feet, and even at 24mm there's more than enough depth of field to cover any alignment errors, which will be slight.

I'll put the captions here, too. Note how the problem moves around:

_IMG4923A
12mm f/4
Unsharp on right, more so on top right corner. Slightly unsharp along top edge.

_IMG4925A
12mm f/5.6
Unsharp on right, more so on top right corner. Slightly unsharp in top left corner.

_IMG4926A
12mm f/4
Unsharp on left hand side, especially the corners. Slightly unsharp both right hand extreme corners.

_IMG4927A
18mm f/5.6
All corners unsharp. Top right corner is worst, followed by bottom right.

_IMG4928A
18mm f/5.6
Left hand corners unsharp. Bottom right corner very slightly unsharp.

_IMG4929A
24mm f/5.6
Bottom corners unsharp, top right hand corner more unsharp.

_IMG4930A
24mm f/5.6
Bottom corners unsharp, top right hand corner more unsharp. (Matches previous shot)

[RICHARD L.]

12 mm @ f/8 on tripod

[Robot camera]

Here's an update. It's not good news.

I got my lens (and K3 body) back yesterday. John Pye Technical could not find anything wrong with the lens, which together with the camera they've had for over six months. I did the brick wall test again, this time with my K3iii. The lens fault is still there, and it's obvious. It's also obvious that the problem has nothing to do with the camera.

There were a couple of minor faults with the camera that I thought I'd get fixed while they had it. The card door had a bit broken off, and the off/on & preview switch was very stiff. Pye quoted me £311 for repair, then a couple of days later told me that Ricoh say the parts are no longer available and they were returning my kit. To be fair, the off/on switch isn't as bad as it was, but they've lost my lens cap.

I am monumentally unimpressed.

[pschlute]

I am monumentally unimpressed.

I do not blame you. Six months to not find the issue is appalling.