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SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF] Review RSS Feed

SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]

Sharpness 
 8.4
Aberrations 
 6.9
Bokeh 
 7.2
Autofocus 
 8.9
Handling 
 9.2
Value 
 9.1
Reviews Views Date of last review
101 305,434 Wed February 14, 2024
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
99% of reviewers $410.93 8.93
SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]

SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]
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SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]
supersize
SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]
supersize

Description:

The Pentax 10-17mm fisheye lens provides a 180-degree diagonal Field of View (FoV) on Pentax APS-C format DSLRs.  At 17mm, the FOV is reduced to 100 degrees.  The image is not rectilinear. The fisheye effect is more dramatic at the wider end of the zoom range.

In 2019 this lens was replaced by an HD coated version, but it can still be found new as of February 2020.

 


SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED[IF]
© www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Image Format
APS-C
Lens Mount
Pentax K
Aperture Ring
No
Diaphragm
Automatic, 6 blades
Optics
10 elements, 8 groups
Mount Variant
KAF
Check camera compatibility
Max. Aperture
F3.5-4.5
Min. Aperture
F22-32
Focusing
AF (screwdrive)
Quick-shift
Yes
Min. Focus
14 cm
Max. Magnification
0.39x
Filter Size
No filter thread
Internal Focus
Yes
Field of View (Diag. / Horiz.)

APS-C: 180 to 100 ° / 145 to 82 (calculated) °
Hood
Built-in
Case
S80-80
Lens Cap
Dedicated metal push-on
Coating
SMC,SP
Weather Sealing
No
Other Features
Fisheye
Diam x Length
68 x 71.5 mm (2.7 x 2.8 in.)
Weight
320 g (11.3 oz.)
Production Years
2006 to 2019
Pricing
$449 USD current price
$575 USD at launch
Engraved Name
smc PENTAX-DA FISH-EYE 1:3.5-4.5 10- 17mm ED[IF]
Product Code
21580
Reviews
User reviews
In-depth review
Unofficial Full-Frame Compatibility Tests by Pentax Forums
★☆☆ Usable with reservations at select F-stop/focal length combinations
Show details
Notes
One ED element.

Features:
Screwdrive AutofocusQuick ShiftInternal FocusingBuilt-in HoodAutomatic ApertureAPS-C Digital OnlyDiscontinued
Purchase: Buy the SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]
In-Depth Review: Read our SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF] in-depth review!
Sample Photos: View Sample Photos
Price History:



Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF] Buy the SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]
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Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 16-30 of 101
Veteran Member

Registered: October, 2014
Location: Washington
Posts: 2,176
Review Date: September 16, 2016 Recommended | Price: $285.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Wide angle, you can get an image when nothing else will.
Cons: Not really sharp until f11. Chromatic aberrations.
Sharpness: 6    Aberrations: 4    Autofocus: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 6    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K3   

I bought this lens as a demo from a reputable store. The price was right, $285.

I should have tested it before I went on vacation. I have a habit of shooting at f5.6 and it was a mistake. My copy does not get sharp on the edges until f11. Oh well, lesson learned, shoot at f11 and the results will be fine.

Check out my test on Flickr. Download the images so you can check them at 100%.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/24877856@N00/albums/72157673965333695
   
New Member

Registered: January, 2014
Posts: 2
Review Date: September 12, 2016 Not Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 4 

 
Pros: fun of using a fisheye
Cons: chromatic aberrations
Sharpness: 6    Aberrations: 3    Bokeh: 4    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 8    Value: 4    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K5 ii   

fun to use as fisheye, average sharpness,
a lot of chromatic aberrations,especially when making HDRs
   
Pentaxian

Registered: January, 2011
Location: Skåne, Sweden
Posts: 482

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: August 5, 2016 Recommended | Price: $220.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Relatively compact, sharp, fun!
Cons: CA, no filters
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 6    Bokeh: 6    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 9    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K-3 II, K-01   

This review is for a good condition DA10-17 bought second-hand in Sweden, serial nr in the 5856xxx-range.

PROS
  • Fun to use
  • Relatiively compact for a fish-eye zoom (not to many of those around anyway)
  • Usefull both uncorrected (fish-eye) and corrected (rectilinerar)
  • Sharpness
  • Close-focus capabilities
  • Flare resistant

CONS
  • Aberrations in backlight, also a bit difficult to correct fully
  • No filter thread (common for this type of lenses)

I USE IT FOR
  • Travel
  • Indoors
  • Creative fun

I mostly use prime lenses and in particularly I shoot portraits with the FA 43 & 77 Limiteds. I have the DA15 as well, which has been my go to wide angle since I bought it maybe five years ago. I'm very happy with the DA15, but it is just borderline to ultra-wide and the last year or so I realized that I wanted to try out the creative side of a fish-eye as well. When it came up for a good price second hand in Sweden I went for it! Firstly, filling the frame with a 10mm fish-eye is a challenge. I noted this already with the DA15, and it is even more so with the DA10-17. This is of course no fault of the lens, but as a portrait shooter it is a (fun) challenge!

I got familiar with this lens during a 10 day trip in Scotland, where I only previously had been playing around with it around the house. It is a bit of dual-purpose, since at 10mm you get the full fish-eye effect, but you can both correct it in post (and loose a whole lot of frame) or zoom towards 17 to minimize the fish-eye effect and end up with a regular wide angle. This is very handy during travel, and it is great for landscapes, indoor and close-up fun. It is not a large lens, similar to the kit lens in size, weight and handling. It does not extend much when zooming and has internal focusing. No filter thread, as is the norm for this type of lens.

Image quality is generally good. Sharp enough wide open, corners a bit soft but that's probably not where you place your subject anyway Being such a wide lens it is hard to say if it is field curvature, distortion effects, lack of sharpness.. it hasn't bothered me anyway. What can be a bit of pain is CA, which is plentiful in backlit scenarios. Usually it is a sharp purple or green border, a few pixels wide, but on the DA10-17 it is a more gradual smear.. and that is a bit more challenging to correct. It is not a deal-breaker for me, as dramatic wide angles has plenty of going on usually and that is what catches the eye.

For the price I paid I could hardly complain about anything. The build quality is lacking a bit compared to Limiteds or DA* lenses, but nothing else is expected really. It is a good lens for fun, travel, indoors that for the price has great value. It is probably the person behind the camera that is the limiting factor for creating that impressive fish-eye/wide angle shot, can't blame the DA10-17 for that

Pentax K-3 II, SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]. 10mm, 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 100.


Pentax K-3 II, SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]. 17mm, 1/40 sec at f/4.5, ISO 400.


Pentax K-3 II, SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]. 10mm, 1/1000 sec at f/8.0, ISO 100.


My pictures on flickr with this lens
   
Site Supporter

Registered: December, 2011
Location: North Rhine-Westphalia
Posts: 1,425

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: July 12, 2016 Recommended | Price: $365.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Desired fisheye effect, beautiful colours, decent microcontrast, flare resistance, flexibility of zoom, wideangle macro at long end, allows for SR, trust-inspiring build quality, SP coating, compact for what it offers, fun to use, affordable.
Cons: Purple fringing monster (easily healed or at least mitigated in post), unimpressive starbursts due to 6-bladed aperture, corner-sharpness wide open (no surprise, though).
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 8    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K-3   

Glad I didn't get hung up on MTF charts or reports of atrocious purple fringing. Granted, this lens is no resolution demon, and it sure is something of a PF monster, but most of it cleans up nicely in post, to the point where it's almost a non-issue. Due to the generous microcontrast and lively colours, the RAWs edit well and the resulting images have an appealing pop to them.

I have no reservations about shooting into the bright sun, given the excellent flare control, although the sunbursts remind me of, well, my old 18-55mm kit lens.

In my book, the zoom capability is more than a mere gimmick, as it makes me more confident to actually rely on the fisheye when going on a day trip, without fretting about the need to change lenses. The longer FLs may be no full substitute for conventional wide-angle, but I find myself getting more relaxed about distortion than I used to be anyway. And I'm looking forward to exploring wider "environmental" macros at the long end of the zoom range, an added bonus that is rarely accentuated in the magazine reviews.

Did I mention how much fun can be had with this lens, and without breaking the bank? Hope it shows in some of the images I've shot with this engaging little piece of glass:

https://needacreate.smugmug.com/London-2016/i-4z2WTdM


Enjoy!
   
Senior Member

Registered: February, 2007
Location: Hasselt , Belgium
Posts: 224

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: March 28, 2016 Recommended | Price: $407.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Good Build , Light , fishEye + Wide , Sharp , Price
Cons: none
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 8    Bokeh: 8    Autofocus: 8    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: k3   

Very affordable lens with good AF and sharp results.
Practical because of size and weight.
You sort of get 2 lenses in one , if you want special and creatif effects then fisheye at 10mm is real fun , once you open up to 12-13mm you just get classic wide-angle results.

All taken with this lens :


https://philippeluyckx.smugmug.com/Salvador-Dali-Expo-Liege/
   
amateur dirt farmer

Registered: December, 2014
Location: probably out in a field somewhere...
Posts: 41,257

4 users found this helpful
Review Date: December 31, 2015 Recommended | Price: $237.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: color rendition, quick AF, solidly-built
Cons: none
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 10    Bokeh: 7    Autofocus: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K-50, K-3   

I used this lens for the Single in November Challenge and what I have found is nothing short of amazing..

First, the elephant in the room: it is a fish-eye lens; those aren't distortions in the lens' ability.... that's how it is supposed to look... the nice thing about the DA 10-17mm, however, is that by 14mm, the FE effect is lessening and by 17mm, it is pretty much gone... the FE effect will also depend upon how you use the lens and how you learn to control it...

That being said, the DA 10-17mm is simply amazing - great color rendition, quick autofocus, great build quality... with it being such a close-focus lens, do not expect great bokeh from it; it's possible, just not readily so.

Although not a macro lens, it's close-focusing ability is great! Many interesting angles and shots taken with this lens at very close distances....

My Flickr album for this lens: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepperberryfarm/sets/72157659032799212



My final thought: this one is a no-brainer; if you can find one at a reasonable price, buy it...
   
Site Supporter

Registered: September, 2010
Location: MD
Posts: 1,029

3 users found this helpful
Review Date: December 28, 2015 Recommended | Price: $270.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Small size for UWA, zoom flexibility, FE to near rectilinear, solid build
Cons: Purple CA (especially at 10mm end and in corners); lens susceptible to scratching?
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 7    Autofocus: 10    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K-30   

I love Pentax lenses like this. A small, well-built lens that offers great quality and a whole range of perspectives and fun.
I have tried the Rokinon 8mm Fisheye and the Sigma 10-20 f4.5-5.6 lenses. Both are fine lenses, but they are rather large. The DA 10-17 FE almost replaces both of them and in a much smaller package. Yes, the Rokinon 8mm FE offers a different (stereoscopic) kind of fisheye, and the Sigma is a rectilinear UWA, but if I want to travel light, this DA 10-17 is the lens I'll bring.
It's a bit soft wide open at 10mm and at f16 or higher. At 17mm, it's pretty good up through f16. Best results are f5.6-8 across the zoom range. (Note: at 10mm and f8, hyperfocal is 2'; at 17mm and f8 it's 6' >> i.e., it's easy to get a lot of everything in focus.)
The only real issue is the significant purple fringing, especially at the 10mm end and the closer it is to wide open. It's mostly fixable in post.
The fun thing about it is such a huge range of perspective depending on whether you are at 10mm or 17mm and whether you are shooting level or angled. I've attached two straight on pics at 10mm and 17mm to show the difference.
From 14-17mm it can almost function as a rectilinear lens by correcting (or applying the lens profile in LR) the perspective.
All in all, a fun and versatile lens.
10mm at f5.6; slight straightening but no other lens correction. Some exposure adjustments applied. (the curved lines are floor and ceiling lines)


17mm at f5.6; some straightening but no other lens corrections; crop is about 2/3 size of original; some exposure adjustments applied
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: November, 2014
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,977

2 users found this helpful
Review Date: November 14, 2015 Recommended | Price: $300.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Size, build, sharpness, color rendition, zoom
Cons: Chromatic aberrations, protruding front element, can not use filters
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 7    Autofocus: 7    Handling: 9    Value: 9    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K10D, K50, K-01, K3   

I have not written many lens reviews but I feel this lens deserves one. This was the first DA lens I ever owned purchased used back in 2008. This was also the last lens I ever purchased from a brick and mortar store. The two stores here will not carry any Pentax merchandise. Now on to the review.

This is a special lens and most likely not something you will use every day. Mine sat idle for a very long time till I rediscovered it. Lately I have been using it for cityscapes and night shots. The sharpness of this lens has really amazed me. In night shots I have found the star bursts to be really nice. The fisheye effect diminishes after around 14mm. The angle of the lens to the subject dramatically enhances the fisheye effect as well. If you would like you can defish your shots to some extent in post processing. Chromatic aberrations can a problem in high contrast situations. Stopping the lens down helps alot, of course this makes it slower. Most purple fringing can be fixed in post but this still the major downfall of this lens. Most of my shots with lens are between f8-f11.

The size of the lens makes it easy to carry in your bag anytime. The lens is surprisingly heavy for the small size, but there is a lot of glass packed into this little guy. The lens barely extends or retracts while zooming or focusing. I find manual focus to be quite easy especially using focus peaking. The extremely close focusing ability of this lens makes for some very dramatic shots.

Conclusion
I have almost sold this lens a few times. I am very glad I did not. This a lens for the creative photographer. There are so many possibilities. It really is a fun lens to use once you get used to it. I had a difficult time rating this lens. I really feel 8.5 was the right rating, but I can not rate 8.5 overall. If not for the aberrations I would rate it a 9, but the aberrations are there and they can not be ignored. Here are some examples.
10mm f8 K3
i
Fredrick Meijer Gardens-2015-1.jpg by Michael, on Flickr
13mm f8 K3

Fredrick Meijer Gardens-2015-2.jpg by Michael, on Flickr
17mm f10 K50 defished

Moon Over The Blue Bridge-2015-1.jpg by Michael, on Flickr
13mm f8 K3

Downtown Grand Rapids At Night-1.jpg by Michael, on Flickr
   
Senior Member

Registered: August, 2013
Location: Prague
Posts: 272
Review Date: September 21, 2015 Recommended | Price: $450.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: fish eye to wide angle aspect. sharp (within fish eye reasoning, amazing colours
Cons: none

Once you learn the way to use this lens, because it is not just an ordinary fish eye (and even that takes some getting used to), this lens can really hum for you. Just love the fish eye at 10-13mm and wide angle from on out. Wonderful.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: July, 2013
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 861
Review Date: June 18, 2015 Recommended | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Build, Sharpness, Colours/Contrast, Lack of Flare
Cons: CA, thats it.
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 6    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K-3II   

I really like this lens, I picked one up cheap second hand that had a little surface wear.

Its really fun, VERY sharp, Excellent Contrast and Excellent Flare control (little to none). Produces nice sun stars too.

Only downside is CA which most if not all the time can be tidied up and has not ruined a photo yet.

At 17mm makes a pretty normal wide angle lens, its also relatively compact.

The AF is very snappy, especially on the K-3II.

Bokeh is hard to get but when you do its not that attractive if I am honest, hence the 6 but thats not what this lens is really designed for.

Boats Fisheye by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Boats Fisheye by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Camden Lock Railway Bridge by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Celica B&W by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

De-Fished:

Vale of the White Horse by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Little to no flare I can see....

Sun Star by Robert Seymour, on Flickr

Excellent Sharpness & Contrast

Conservatory by Robert Seymour, on Flickr
   
Junior Member

Registered: April, 2013
Posts: 33
Review Date: December 11, 2014 Recommended | Price: $400.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: fisheye
Cons: fisheye
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 6    Autofocus: 7    Handling: 9    Value: 9    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K5IIs   

being a fisheye, clearly has problems of fisheye.
But has excellent performance!

You can see my photo here:
http://goo.gl/UdmGdt

   
Junior Member

Registered: December, 2012
Location: Cirebon
Posts: 29

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: December 4, 2014 Recommended | Price: $400.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, Colors rendering, Cheap, Solid, Lightweight
Cons: CA, Flare, Not WR
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 6    Bokeh: 7    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 9    Value: 10    New or Used: New   

Pros:
  • Cheap solution UWA lens for K-mount (defisheyed=result like standard UWA lens with some cropin)
  • Fringing? (Not problem at digital era)
  • Sharp
  • Color rendering

Negative

  • Flare
  • Not WR (Can be fun if play this lens on rainy day )
   
Senior Member

Registered: January, 2014
Posts: 143
Review Date: December 4, 2014 Recommended | Price: $340.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Very sharp in center, Doubles as crop sensor and full frame(film) fisheye lens, build quality, Much more dramatic fisheye distortion for shooting action sports(compared to samyang 8mm which is more panoramic)
Cons: Sharpness doesnt hold excellent on edges of the frame, but still above average
Sharpness: 8    Aberrations: 7    Handling: 10    Value: 10    New or Used: Used    Camera Used: K30   

If you shoot skating/bmx I would recomend switching to canikon asap because of Pentax' slow flash sync but if you are already die hard Pentax then buy this lens! The samyang is a good starter fisheye, it is easier to compose, a little wider, better for video, more pleasing to the eye for architechtures and landscapes. Once you learn you need more "squishing" in the corners for those dramatic skate shots then this is a good pick, though it is really the only option for pentax digital.

Happy shooting
   
New Member

Registered: February, 2013
Posts: 2
Review Date: November 3, 2014 Recommended | Price: $500.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: fun, sharp,weight
Cons: non
Sharpness: 10    Aberrations: 9    Bokeh: 9    Autofocus: 10    Handling: 10    Value: 10    New or Used: New    Camera Used: K30   

   
New Member

Registered: July, 2011
Posts: 8
Review Date: September 7, 2014 Recommended | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: Small, colors, angle
Cons: purple fringing, possibly fish eye effect...?
Sharpness: 9    Aberrations: 7    Bokeh: 7    Autofocus: 9    Handling: 10    Value: 9    New or Used: New    Camera Used: k5   

It is a typical Pentax DA lens: full, rich colors, compact and light. The distortion can be used in a creative way, and almost must, since - especially at 10 mm - the lens cannot be simply used as a wide angle. The 15mm limited does much the same (colors, compact), but without the distortion.
For the fun effect: very good!
Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF] Buy the SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 Fish-Eye ED [IF]



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