| Author: | | New Member Registered: January, 2012 Posts: 20 | | Review Date: February 14, 2024 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, so versatile in the wide end | | Cons: | Not WR. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5
| |
8.5 rounded to 9, for what it is.
No detailed blurb. Just that I enjoyed using it a lot. For simply getting everything into the photo, it can't be beat.
Had unexpected use in both very crowded and very wide places. One time on holidays in China, I was in a room with 5 X 5 glass display cases on stands, very tight between each and only wide enough for 1 person. Fisheye got it all.
2 days later was at this massive shopping centre which was in a C shape, about 200-300m wide between widest parts of the C shape. Fisheye got it all.
Another time I was in a cigar room. Took some pics of the place, bottles etc. While I was ok with the pics, the 3.5-4.5 aperture showed some limitations (though my lack of skill probably accounted for a lot too).
Thanks for reading 😊
| | | | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2018 Posts: 131 | | Review Date: January 8, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Light, versatile, fun! | | Cons: | CA | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3ii
| |
Easy to carry, goes from fish-eye to super-wide (with distortion). Close focus is really useful. Most importantly to me is it makes photography fun. I shot my brother’s wedding and afterwards I didn’t want to pick up a camera at all. After a week it was this lens that got me out of my rut and into the swing of making and taking photos again. I’m not a fish-eye aficionado and there weren’t many keepers but there were a couple of good ones and it made me think about composition in a fresh light. Very difficult to rate but makes me happy.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2016 Posts: 8 | | Review Date: July 1, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $170.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Sharp , colors, contrast, very close min .focus | | Cons: | distortion, edges, aberration | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 7
Value: 8
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: k5iis
| |
It's a lens that is super fun to use and very sharp at f11. I love to put the sun in my pics, just does grest in transforming the sun into a day statr. Stoping it down makes it a great lens. What I love in the minimum close up distance you can acheive with this lens, it's just perfect fo landscaping. At 17mm there is a lot less distortion, but you always have to put the horizon line in the middle to have it strait, since it'a a fisheye.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2017 Posts: 2 | | Review Date: May 21, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $320.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
| |
f7.1 17.0mm 1/400 iso100
https://flic.kr/p/2ezReSv
f7.1 10.0mm 1/400 iso100
https://flic.kr/p/25ncvZZ
 | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2019 Location: Geelong, Australia Posts: 341 | | Review Date: March 19, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $250.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Size & Weight, less fisheye at 17mm, Artistic value | | Cons: | Inability to put filter on lens | |
I would love a WR version of this lens.
Bought for astrophotography and landscapes, I find myself using it more for street photography than anything else so far (having only owned it for a few weeks).
I intend on using this quite a lot for travel pics in the near future.
Not as sharp as I would like but great for the value for money.
Handles equally well on my K-70 & K-x.
I gave this an 8.5 but rounded it up to 9.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: October, 2018 Location: Quebec City, Quebec Posts: 6,653 | | Review Date: March 9, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $375.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Gives interesting graphic possibilities. Very sharp with great color. | | Cons: | Some chromatic aberrations (not a problem in landscapes) | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 3
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K3
| |
Land's end, Cabrillo Nat'l Monument, CALIFORNIA. | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: August, 2011 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,847 | | Review Date: January 28, 2019 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Compact; great FL range; covers FF over 14-17 mm | | Cons: | CA | | Sharpness: 7
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
Camera Used: K3 and K1
| |
I bought this lens from my son when he shifted to Nikon. Although I mostly shoot FF, it is still useful to me since it covers the FF sensor from 14mm upward. It is also a far more compact UW option than the DFA 15-30 when I don't mind the fishiness.
It is hard to rank this lens for "Aberrations", since one aberration (fishiness) is its raison d'être. Ignoring that, it does produce pronounced colour fringing, but is very easily cleaned up in LR. So it's not a problem. On the other hand, its resistance to flare is astonishing, which is very useful for such a wide angle lens.
Sharpness is reasonable, especially at frame centre, and especially in the context of a fisheye lens. It's not going to compare in that regard with a top-quality recent DFA lens, but it is more than acceptable.
The fisheye perspective is of course a rather niche feature. However, in the right time and place, and with the right artistic intent, it produces some striking images. This rather unique 10-17 fisheye is a very nice for occasional use.
The main reason my son had this lens was for underwater (SCUBA) photography, where he got many great images. So much so that he has now bought the identical Tokina version for his Nikon D850. The Pentax/Tokina 10-17 fisheye is very highly regarded by the underwater photography community.
K1 + DA 10-17 @ 17mm
Crop near centre of previous image
 | | | | | 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
| | | | | 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
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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
 | | | | | 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!
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