[icywindow]

It exists, is expensive, and I have a copy - but I am a little disappointed by the IQ, which seems "softer" somehow, than other wides that I have, notably softer than the Pentax 10-17 at "roughly 14mm".

Maybe I need to take it out and use it until I learn where its sweet spots are.


HD

I find its sweet spot was actually in the close focus range. At MFD, it produced rather sharp images for me at f 5.6, even handheld. I have since decided WA photography is not for me at present, but I wonder sometimes how well it would perform on a small extension tube.

[Na Horuk]

The Samyang (same as Vivitar, Walimex, Rokinon, ProOptic, etc. Its sold under many names) 14mm 2.8 is not a fisheye, but it is very very wide. It also doesn't have lens contacts or AF. There is also a Pentax DA 14mm f2.8, which does have these things.
But I would suggest you look into something like the Pentax DA 21mm. I recently got the 14mm Samyang and I find it very wide, almost uncomfortably so. Its not easy to use. If you want to take a photo of a person or something you need to be really really close and it has some distortion. There are also some nice wide angle zooms, like the 12-24mm. Check out the lens review database on these forums.

[jimr-pdx]

Not a great shot technically, but here's the sky coverage with a Sigma 15mm fisheye, hand-held at f/3.2; Sirius to Capella with room to spare

[mcjm78]

I have a Sigma 14mm 2.8 lens which is discontinued. It is a big lens as it covers full frame. You might be able to find some in the second hand market.

[interested_observer]

Wow thanks for the replies. The Rokinon/samyang is looking good. I have a K30 so manual focus is not a concern, plus it will be used on a tripod. Im looking to take some night shots, which is why id like the F2.8. I had considered the Sigma 10-20mm but at F3.5 i dont think its fast enough for star shots and the like?

Just call me very confused. You are looking for a very fast, very wide angle lens, to shoot with at night. Got it! However, manual focus is not a problem and you will be using it up on a tripod. So, why do you really need a fast wide angle lens? Shutter speed does not appear to be a problem. Select the lowest ISO - 100 for good quality (or adjust the ISO to get to the desired shutter speed), and extend the shutter speed to what ever is necessary, and capture the image.

If you are going to do astro - just stack images.

[Adam]

Wow thanks for the replies. The Rokinon/samyang is looking good. I have a K30 so manual focus is not a concern, plus it will be used on a tripod. Im looking to take some night shots, which is why id like the F2.8. I had considered the Sigma 10-20mm but at F3.5 i dont think its fast enough for star shots and the like?

I'd still go for the 15mm limited, which is sharper than the 14mm's even though it's a stop slower. If you're shooting on a tripod there's no need for an extra stop, though it does come in handy for indoor/event shooting.

[curlednoodles]

Just call me very confused. You are looking for a very fast, very wide angle lens, to shoot with at night. Got it! However, manual focus is not a problem and you will be using it up on a tripod. So, why do you really need a fast wide angle lens? Shutter speed does not appear to be a problem. Select the lowest ISO - 100 for good quality (or adjust the ISO to get to the desired shutter speed), and extend the shutter speed to what ever is necessary, and capture the image.

If you are going to do astro - just stack images.

Hello, yes its a little confusing I know. I want to try my hand at some star shots, such as star trails but especially milky way shots. Thus i need a fast lens and F2.8 seems to be the sweet spot for this, or at least the most readily available/affordable lens for this purpose. I will use a high ISO such as 3200 or 6400 for the milky way. Shutter speed will be between 15 and 30 seconds before trails start to appear, depending on the focal length of the lens, hence why i want the widest lens available in my budget.

Ill have to look into stacking images. Thanks for the reply.

@ Adam, The 15mm Limited is very much on my 'want' list, but at F4 i dont think it will suit my needs.

[Just1MoreDave]

Sigma 20mm f1.8?

[interested_observer]

Hello, yes its a little confusing I know. I want to try my hand at some star shots, such as star trails but especially milky way shots. Thus i need a fast lens and F2.8 seems to be the sweet spot for this, or at least the most readily available/affordable lens for this purpose. I will use a high ISO such as 3200 or 6400 for the milky way. Shutter speed will be between 15 and 30 seconds before trails start to appear, depending on the focal length of the lens, hence why i want the widest lens available in my budget.

Ill have to look into stacking images. Thanks for the reply.

I ran across a post about 2 weeks ago, and I thought that it was here, where someone has an extremely nice astro shot. The thread was title something along the line of astro shots with just a camera & lens. I thought sure that I had bookmarked it, but now I can't find it. Well anyway, they used a 135/2.5 and took 60 - 1.2 second shots at ISO 6400. He then used a stacking program.

He shot just the sky without any landscape elements so as to not blur the landscape elements with the stacking process. I have been meaning to try this approach with a much wider lens. I see no reason for it to not work just as well. I was thinking along the lines of the 8-16, which is a bit slow - however by stacking an additional set of short shots, you should be able to compensate for the slower lens.

[Dr_who]

Hello, yes its a little confusing I know. I want to try my hand at some star shots, such as star trails but especially milky way shots. Thus i need a fast lens and F2.8 seems to be the sweet spot for this, or at least the most readily available/affordable lens for this purpose. I will use a high ISO such as 3200 or 6400 for the milky way. Shutter speed will be between 15 and 30 seconds before trails start to appear, depending on the focal length of the lens, hence why i want the widest lens available in my budget.

Ill have to look into stacking images. Thanks for the reply.

@ Adam, The 15mm Limited is very much on my 'want' list, but at F4 i dont think it will suit my needs.

Even if you get a 2.8 lens you may want to stop it down to 3.5 or 4.5 any how to reduce coma distortion.