Author: | | New Member Registered: February, 2009 Location: Rome (Italy) Posts: 16 | Review Date: June 9, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 6 |
Pros: | Lightweight, solid construction | Cons: | Huge purple fringing and CA | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 1
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 6
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5 II
| | I bought this lens to complete my Pentax lenses collection, in the 10-20mm range.
I like very much fish-eye creative effect, I see with this lens you have a multi-purpose wide angle lens, because at 17mm the fish-eye distortion is very low and at 10mm you can get a nice fish-eye effect.
I was disappointed by its big purple fringing, especially compared with some third parts alternatives like the Samyang 8mm fish-eye manual focus lens.
When shooting outdoors it's very difficult to get rid of purple fringing, even if stopped down. The same problem is indoors if you have spotlight in your frame.
All in all, I can recommend this lens only if low priced, otherwise I suggest a third part fish-eye lens and, in the 10-20mm range, I suggest a linear wide angle.
| | | | | Marketplace Reseller Registered: March, 2010 Location: Queensland Posts: 104 | Review Date: June 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Artistic | Cons: | Sharpness | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| | Bought this lens a few years ago, having seen how unique photographs people had aquired using this lens. I use it often, offers a good change while I am shooting. Surprisingly this lens works well with portraits/group photos. Worth getting if you like to be artistic with your photography.
| | | | Closed Account Registered: March, 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 415 | Review Date: May 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | easy to handle, flexible, good general build, price... | Cons: | Lens flare, chromatic aberration | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 4
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K5 and K5IIs
| | I wrote a review some time ago and I have to correct it now.
I agree with all posting in general that this a great fisheye for the price - a great piece to have if you know how to use it efficiently and are familiar with limitations.
To tone down those impressions I have to conclude that one has to watch for major lens flare problems with this lens - at least in special situations such as shooting facing a light source. I have been doing a few 360° panoramas of interior of churches and have noticed bad reflections off ceiling lamps and chandeliers showing blotches of cyan/turquoise reflections around lamps. I have noticed other situations where those reflections occur, not in front of a light source. Those panos are the result of 5 bracketed shots at 2EV spread merged in photomatix and stitched in PTGui pro. Most of the original DNG frames show those flare problems - except at faster shutter speeds (the 2 underexposed brackets in the set of 5) which I have solved by using the PS paint brush in "color" mode, sampling on an adjacent colour, painting off the flare, and finishing off with some "burning".
The technique I describe to remove them is excellent and was shown to me by a good friend.
See my panos made with this lens here:http://www.360cities.net/profile/nadonou | | | | Banned Registered: March, 2013 Posts: 360 3 users found this helpful | Review Date: February 27, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
Pros: | Sharpness, colors, contrast | Cons: | cannot protect front element | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K-5
| | Maybe I am a little bit subjective but I think that this is a brilliant lens.
After just a month of using this lens I've sold my DA12-24mm which I've been used for 2 years.
Why?
Because I wasn't used DA12-24mm for architecture and because DA10-17mm is better in almost everything except image distortion.
Let me explain:
1. DA10-17 is very sharp wide open at f/3.5, DA12-24 is acceptable sharp wide open f/4
2. DA10-17 has much better colors then DA12-24 which has a little bit muted colors when light is not perfect
3. DA10-17 has better contrast then DA12-24
4. DA10-17 has better autofocus in low light then DA12-24 (less hunting)
5. DA10-17 virtually has no flare which could be a problem with DA12-24 even with it's huge hood
6. DA10-17 is much smaller and lighter then DA12-24.
7. DA12-24 is not so great at 24mm end so it's loosing some advanteges over DA10-17.
CA on DA10-17 is similar to DA12-24
There are only 2 disadvantages of DA10-17 in compare to DA12-24:
1. Usage of filters is impossible and front element could not be protected except with lens cap.
2. Huge disortions. DA10-17 is definitely not for architectural photography like DA12-24. But DA10-17 is much more fun because of distortions. Distortions could be minimized during shooting (and removed later in Lightroom) if you know how to use this lens: proper point of view, no tilting, no important objects close to edges in foreground...
Some says that it has a limited usage, but it is limited only with your creativity. Off course DA10-17 is not a lens for bokeh lovers but I recommend this lens to everyone as primary super wide lens.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: September, 2009 Posts: 27 8 users found this helpful | Review Date: February 11, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | colours, contrast, useable from f/3.5 onward | Cons: | not 8 mm, CAs | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 8
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K-5
| | I started fishing with the Samyang 8mm some time ago. After pixel peeping other lenses, I became less satisfied with the Samyang’s IQ wide open as well as in low light. Hence I focused on the Pentax DA 10-17 as an alternative. I hardly found any comparative review between the two, so I find me providing one here.
Here are my findings: - range as a fish-eye: + 1 for Samyang
- variability: +1 for Pentax
- resolution @3.5: +2 for Pentax
- resolution @8: deuce
- contrast and colours: +2 for Pentax
- vignetting: +1 for Pentax
- aberrations: +1 for Samyang
- build quality: +1 for Pentax
- Price-Value: +1 for Samyang
Pentax wins for the better IQ. See a stitched comparing sample from the backyards below. | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Pamulang, Tangerang Posts: 1 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: February 8, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $545.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Quite small, well built, good overall IQ | Cons: | Rotating focus ring, so-so color rendition | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5 IIs
| | Fish eyes lenses are always fun, and I love this one too. Being a "Zoom FE lens" is such a star!. Well there's nothing perfect tho. It's has a very nice built with solid barrel. Optics provide a quite sharp with well CA controlled for medium aperture. Aberration is in good controlled for it's kind, I found it become useful for wide-angle shot with minimum distortion only at 16-17mm. AF speed & accuracy are excellent on my K-5 IIs. With a short focus path, this lens will be a perfect one if they just could use an "internal focus" system, rather than annoying rotating focus ring (I often misplace my grip on that one ). Comparing with other wide SMC lenses, I found color rendition is so-so..Final words.. Still the best Fish-eyes lens in market, yet affordable with superb performance. | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2013 Posts: 13 | Review Date: October 16, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Sharp, sharp, sharp! Versatile | Cons: | Can't attach filter | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: Pentax K-30
| | Sharp and versatile are the words I can paint for this lens. Love the 180 degree fisheye at 10mm and close focusing can create creative images. Around 14-17mm and defishing in PP will give "normal" ultra wide angle shots. Love it!
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 514 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: July 30, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $350.00
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | Fun! Wonderful color rendition & contrast. Quick focus. | Cons: | Not particularly sharp. Not especially wide | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 6
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K200D
| | Terrific little lens if you're into a distorted perspective. Truely great fun to use and takes very colorful & contrasty pictures.
Many have rated the sharpness quite high, but considering the pictures posted and my own experience with the lens, it's not particularly sharp - but I think that may also have something to do with the nature of a fisheye lens. For the close distance you can achieve on your subjects, a traditional lens would show much better defined edges and detail. The contrast and wonderful color make up for it in large measure.
Overall I had a great time with this lens and my daughters were especially enamoured with it, but ultimately I sold my copy to persue a more traditional perspective.
| | | | New Member Registered: July, 2013 Posts: 2 | Review Date: July 23, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Build quality | Cons: | Limited application | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| | Found this lens new for a very good price, and pulled the trigger. As expected, I haven't used it that much yet, but the extremely wide coverage is very useful indoors. With the color adjustment possible with DSLRs, I can take color balanced photos that were nearly impossible with transparency film. Impressive!
The build quality of this lens is nearly equal to that of my 1980's era A series 15mm f3.5, and despite zoom capability, it is smaller and about half the weight. It's considerably less expensive, too. This lens is one of the best values in the Pentax line, hence the large number of positive reviews.
Sometimes it's hard to justify buying a relatively expensive lens that has limited application, but without it, you can't capture that perspective, either. Worth it, if you can afford it.
| | | | Moderator Man With A Camera Registered: June, 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Posts: 28,028 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: June 18, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Fast, well built, versatile. | Cons: | The CA can be bothersome. | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 10
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K10D, *istDL
| | I really like the results from ultra wide angle lenses, and this lens does not disappoint. It has given me many great images, but the CA resulting from not watching the lighting can be annoying.
I picked this lens up as my second digital lens shortly after buying my first digital camera, the *istDL.
It would be nice if there were a way to put filters on this lens. I submitted a couple shots for the PEG and several judges commented that I needed to use a polarizer. I guess they didn't view the exif data and notice the lens type. Either that or they have no clue what using a fisheye lens is all about.
| | | | Junior Member Registered: August, 2011 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 33 | Review Date: June 17, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $529.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Fun perspective; good build quality | Cons: | CA; limited function | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 3
Bokeh: 5
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5
| | It truly is a fun lens. My creativity has been flowing freely since I got the lens a couple weeks ago. It's fun to purposely distort images and grab super wide angle shots of a bowling alley or kids party. I'm looking forward to shooting some sports up close and other action shots. Not the best for people shots as they usually end up pretty distorted unless you keep them center frame.
While it may be a specialized lens that won't see a ton of use, the unique perspective and novelty will add a distinctiveness to your collection. It's very well built, but as other have said, keep that front element safe! The Vultures by wilshirepix, on Flickr
| | | | Pentaxian Registered: February, 2010 Location: Blunsdon,Wiltshire, UK Posts: 1,500 | | | | Pentaxian Registered: July, 2012 Posts: 928 | Review Date: April 22, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $520.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | Very good quality images. Develops your imagination at both ends of the focal range | Cons: | Concerns about scratching the glass | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K20D
| | It's no secret that this is almost a "buy one get one free lens", and I agree with other reviewers: you get the fisheye lens at 10mm but you also get a quality wide angle lens at 17mm.
Fisheye effects can be done on software these days, so you may decide a wide angle prime is better for you.
However, software is only as good as the image it works on, and for me the 10mm end of this lens captures a lot of image that other lenses miss. Especially in scenes where all the action is spread out, and a fisheye photo looks better than stitching. Or conversely, in narrowly confined streets and other built up areas/indoors.
The image quality is very good and the colors are vibrant particularly towards the 17mm end, where the fisheye distortion is less...but still noticeable. It continues to amaze me that you can point the lens nearly straight at the sun and it still delivers. The short focus distance is also excellent for fisheye macro-style images, and the resolution is very good, especially if you use a tripod.
The big downsides to me are: (1) it exhibits quite lot of purple fringing, not just wide open and not just on very sunny days, and (2) my lens seems to struggle with high contrast clouds, and the borders between (say) trees and the sky: not just PF but blown out areas. Combined, these downsides are a shame, as the fisheye should be at its best taking photos of landscapes etc. on bright/sunny days. Hence, I'm rating it an 8.
This lens often comes with us on trips and holidays, while most primes get left behind. For some situations it's not used at all, but sometimes (e.g. in towns and cities outdoors and indoors) it's the only lens we use, including family snapshots. The results are often admired by others, and photography is a results business after all!!
The Leaning Tower of London at 10mm: | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 702 | Review Date: April 17, 2013 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Good optical quality | Cons: | Difficult to use | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5
| | A fun lens to use, but also difficult. Sharpness and built quality is good. Nearest focus distance is extremely short and very useful. There are quite a lot CA from this lens, but I suppose that is expected from a wide angle lens. | | | | Moderator Site Supporter Registered: February, 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Posts: 11,254 | Review Date: January 19, 2013 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Great fun, versatile, compact | Cons: | I'm not sure the hood does much | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K-5 IIs
| | This is one of Pentax's most idiosyncratic and interesting lenses. It is basically two lenses: at 10mm it is a true fish-eye, while at 17mm it is an almost rectilinear ultra-wide.
Sharp enough, remarkably small for what it offers, and great fun. It deserves to be in every Pentaxian's bag.
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