| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 728
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 8, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $683.95
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, constant aperture | | Cons: | Expensive | | New or Used: New
| |
I hesitantly picked up this lens on discount from Amazon (considering it's MSRP of $899.95) through a Goldbox deal, but since owning it have never looked back or regretted the decision. Initially, I figured I would only be using it for landscapes or photos of cars, but there are a lot of creative things you can do with angles and depth of field. Images appear sharp wide open and throughout the focal range. Being a zoom, I also find having the 12-24mm range adds some versatility when compared against primes like the 14mm or 15mm.
If I could improve the lens, I would wish for some type of weather sealing so I can attach it to the K-7/K-5 on bad weather days. Aside from that, I wish it wasn't so darn expensive in comparison to other lenses. I guess my true wish is for a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 in a K-mount, but since that's not happening, this will do for now 
Some examples with the DA 12-24mm on my K-x:
(Non working link removed) | | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: South Coast NSW, Australia Posts: 33
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 5, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very sharp, build quality, useful range | | Cons: | Not weather sealed | | New or Used: New
| |
This is my most used and favourite lens on my K10D.
It's extremely sharp with great colour rendition. I use it mainly for seascapes and landscapes at the wider end.
It's no 'walk around' lens, but having the ability to zoom to 24mm when you need it is definitely useful.
It has a fairly large hood which I don’t mind, and taking 77mm filters you’ll need a more costly larger format filter system. For example the Cokin P-series multi filter holders will vignette when the lens is at it’s widest (12-14mm).
Focusing is fast and precise, with occasional hunting in low light but in general is very good on my K10D.
With NDs stacked in front of the lens there is too little light for the autofocus system to function correctly, so the quick shift focusing system is very useful and works well.
It has a really nice solid feel when rotating the zoom barrel much better than the kit lens for example.
When you hit the ends of the zoom range you hear a reassuring solid sounding "thunk" - the build quality is very nice.
The lens is a nice size and weight - light enough to be carry-able and but still has a quality weight about it.
What’s also nice is that it doesn’t grow in size a lot like some other lenses when rotating the zoom ring.
The lens starts extended, slightly reduces in length (about 6mm) at about 16mm and then extends back out at 24mm.
Focusing is internal, the front element won’t move in/out or rotate which is nice (and crucial if you want to use filters such as ND grads).
The only downsides I can think of are it's not weather sealed and there's some CA which is to be expected from awa glass, but unlike the kit lens I haven't seen weird coloured aberrations in the center of the frame, only extreme edges, and it's usually purple fringing which is easier to fix I think.
If you enjoy wide angle, this lens is a must, it's excellent.
For lack of weather sealing I'd give it 9, but this is more than made up for (imo) in terms of build and image quality, so I'll give it 10.
(Non working link removed)
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: October, 2007 Location: Portland, Maine Posts: 130
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Wonderful clarity, sharpness and saturation. . . | | Cons: | Possibility of having to have it calibrated to your particular camera before use. | |
This ultrawide is my top favorite lens and is nearly always on my Pentax K20D. I do a lot of architectural work, which it is absolutely wonderful for. One of the first major shoots I did it with was a beautiful auditorium in Portland, Maine called Merrill Auditorium. If I had used my 18-55mm lens, I would have had to do a much larger panorama of up to 20 shots to get in the same view I achieved in 3 shots with with the 12-24mm. Plus, it was tack sharp, low-noise, and without distortion.
I also use this lens for landscapes and landscape panoramas, which it is perfect for. Once again, it takes far fewer shots to make the panoramas I want to make, which makes it easier for my computer to stitch them together.
Finally, I have even used this lens for a Senior Portrait shoot--I took pictures of a young man and his fiddle in a VERY tight alleyway with bright light behind him, and the lens helped us to achieve the look we both were interested in, which was of the alley kind of unfolding behind him as leading lines--he was thrilled.
The only drawback I would add is this: when I got the lens, NOTHING was sharp and even all of the adjustments one can do within the K20D to self-calibrate the lens to your camera weren't enough. I sent it to Pentax Colorado, however, and they calibrated it perfectly and ever since it came back, it has been the sharpest lens in my kit!  | | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: Boca Raton, FL Posts: 3 | | Review Date: November 18, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $498.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Spectacular performance | | Cons: | none really | |
Oh how I wanted this lens, but I couldn't find it for under $700. eBay had a 20% rebate on the eBillMe program, and I found a like-new used one that I only had to overbid a little on to save $100 on the final cost.
Sweet, awesome lens.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Posts: 9,830
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 10, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great WA effects, excellent lens quality | | Cons: | Not small or cheap. | |
This may be destined to be my favorite zoom, possibly edging out the DA 17-70. With this zoom in the bag, plus the 40 and 70mm DA Ltd pancakes, I have a very high quality setup for 90%+ of my needs that keeps my shoulder happy.
You really can't ask for much better image sharpness in a zoom, and the size is much larger than my WA pancake primes, but with much more range. 12mm is so addictive, that I sometimes think this lens is becoming a 12mm prime.
My only nit to pick is that it is large compared to my primes, though most of the size is in the front element and the weight is not noticeable. I find the hood, like so many hoods on WA zoom, to be seldom used, and the lens can fade a bit in certain light angles without it.
All in all, this is a super lens that belongs in every bag.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2008 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 428
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 11, 2010 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Build, Contrast, sharpness edge to edge, | | Cons: | a little CA/PF at 12, wish it went to 10mm | |
My only complaint about this lens is that I wish it was a bit wider. Very useful wide prime. With this quality of this lens, I dont think the primes make much sense except for a faster aperature (the 2.8).
Usefulness: 9 - I use the wide end quite a bit, wish it was wider (to 10mm). A bit big.
Build: 10 - tight and well made. only thing that would make it better is weather sealing.
Sharpness: 9.5 - From edge to center very good.
Contrast: 10- Very nice
Distortion: 10 - Not much give its a 12 -24. For its class it is rated a 10.
CA: 9 - Only at 12-14mm do you have some in high contrast.
| | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2009 Posts: 16 | | Review Date: June 22, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $812.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | low distortion, fixed aperture, good build quality | | Cons: | not WR | |
A good lens, well built and with low distorsion. Very useful for my architectural and enviroment shots. I don' t give it a 9 beacuse it' s not Weather Sealed and it' s "only" a DA wich i can' t mount on a FF film camera.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Posts: 23,920
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 14, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $575.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp at f/4, excellent colours, great contrast | | Cons: | Good but not great build quality | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
| |
This is one underrated UWA lens.
Exemplary results at 12-16mm with excellent control of distortion.
Most of my best wide angle shots were produced using this lens at the wide end.
I have not found another lens in its focal range that compares more favourably to the DA 12-24.
It's one of my best zooms and is the go-to lens for landscapes.
It's only issues to me are that it's a little clunky in the camera bag and should have been considered a DA* zoom (even without SDM), made weather sealed and given stronger build quality to match its optical quality.
 | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: December, 2007 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,249
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 8, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $650.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | sharp from wide open, build quality, flare performance | | Cons: | CA sometimes, only 8 blades, price relative to Tokina, not close focus | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 6
| |
A very good wide-angle zoom. Performance is excellent straight from f/4 @12mm. I had the Sigma 10-20mm to compare to it. Both are excellent lenses but the Sigma needs a bit of stopping to get the best of it.
Build quality is really excellent, the focusing and zoom rings are very smooth, a pleasure to use. I only wish this lens was WR.
CA is not really problematic but it needs to be corrected in-camera or in software like Lightroom sometimes. The Sigma 10-20mm is better in this regard.
There are also some minor quibbles:
- it could focus closer, at least like the Sigma 10-20mm
- it could have 9 blades like the Tokina variant
- it's much more expensive than the Tokina version (maybe due to Pentax coating?)
Shots taken with the DA 12-24mm | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2009 Location: Bucharest Posts: 482
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 23, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very good IQ, constant aperture, low distortion | | Cons: | size, some CA, no WR | |
I rated this lens a 10 because of the very good price performance ratio.
The build is a nice mix of metal and plastic, feel s sturdy but not too heavy.
It delivers very even resolution numbers across the frame even at extreme focals, good colours and contrast.
Excellent for interiors and landscapes, tried it also on FF and starts to vignette at around 17-18mm so it could be used as a WA for a film camera if one does not go below 17mm.
Also a plus as being original Pentax one has all the K7 specific adjustments (distortion, CA, microfocus).
The best wide angle from Pentax, with very low distortion and excellent, even IQ.
I would like it to be weather sealed because it is a landscape/architectural lens.
Positive fact compared with other extreme wide angles - it can take filters.
Anyway, in my books due to the excellent performance and the good price it earns a 10.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2010 Location: The Black Hills Posts: 1,108 | | Review Date: February 16, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $699.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, low distorsion, great wide view, well built, CA has been minor so far | | Cons: | Adjusting a polorizer with lens hood on. | |
I did a lot of research before buying this lens. My favorite lenses for 35mm film were the 24 and the 28. I also had fun with a 21mm. This lens take in all of those distances with the kind of quality I would have expected from fixed lenses. I love what I have seen from the 15mm ltd and 21 ltd, but for me right now this lens made far more sense. I will probably get a 15 ltd some day as some of the posts I have seen look great. (I have a 40 and 70), but I do love to shoot WA. Here are a couple of my first shoots with this lens. The first is 12mm@F7.1 next 24mm@F11
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 6,513
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 29, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | 12mm, very sharp, contrasty, colors | | Cons: | horrible CA and PF, barrel distortion at 12mm | |
this lens is incredibly sharp at f4. the images, especially in dark areas are clean and free of dreaded noise signals,because of better exposure reading (though some might argue this due to camera metering and exposure setting. I had compared this against the 18-55 WR kitlens which was no match for it at set focal lengths 18-24mm. the great thing about this is it's already excellent IQ at 12mm. the Sigma's 10-20 and Tamrons 10-24 at 10mm are not that good and would require some post-processing help. 12mm is ok for both those lenses while the Pentax 12-24 is consistent from 12-20 at f4 and excellent at f8 opening in the 24mm range. colors is better than the Sigma and Tamron which are cooler and muddy. sharpness for both are sharp though at the middle range but not as contrasty.
the only downside of the 12-24 is it's evident CA against brightly lit area against dark portions. probably due to it's high contrast. it's quite a lot of work to go around and fix the CA and PF during post-processing. it also has barrel distortion at 12mm but can easily corrected on they K-7 or during post-processing.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 394
7 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 18, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $950.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Lack of distortion, focus speed, colors, flare | | Cons: | $$$, hood size, tiny amount of PF | |
Hi All,
I am doing a little LENS review of the DA12-24 as well
What i will do is compare it to the two other lenses I have near this focal length, the DA*16-50 and the DA18-55.
Firstly, the lens slots in nicely between the DA*16-50 and the DA18-55 in quality of finish. It is weighty - close the the DA*, has a solid feel to it and it beautifully finished, with blend of metal and plastic parts and rubber grips.
The front lens element does not rotate and therefore is easy to use with a Circular Polarizing filter.
The hood is quite large and almost overbearing compared to the lens itself, but totally worthwhile with such a wide angle lens, helping to stop unwanted flare.
USING THE LENS
The most dramatic thing about this lens is the lack of visual image distortion, even at 12mm it is almost undetectable, while going from 13-24mm IS perfect without any distortion whatsoever.
At 12mm F4 the image is sharp and marginally sharper at F8 tapering off at F13-F22.
I dont find 24mm as sharp until F8 but elsewhere in the range up to 22mm is as good as 12mm.
Comparing images from the DA*16-50 and DA12-24 finds very little difference at 16mm and 12mm. They both have about the same Resolution and sharpness and little purple fringing where there are strong colour contrasts (white and blacks).
The DA* shows some barrel distortion where as the DA12-24 shows virtually none.
Colours on both lenses are superb, flare is really well controlled and it is impossible to say which image is from what lens.
The DA seems to lock focus extremely quick and accurately perhaps fractionally faster than the DA* and about the same as the DA18-55.
Conclusion :th3: :th3: :th3: :th3: 4.5/5
Lets face it, you buy this lens for the wider side of its design, from 12mm+ and mostly for landscapes, interior/exterior real estate and street work.
F4 may not sound like much but it locks focus fast and depth of field around this focal length is DEEP no matter how close you are.
Image quality is 2nd to none and matches the DA*. In fact it is the perfect compliment for the DA*, extending the range to 12mm and loosing nothing at all in quality and resolution.
The hood will fit on the DA* as well.
Things to look out for when using this lens-
Looking up or down when there are geometrical shapes in the image will create massive amounts of perspective distortion. This is not a lens issue just a something thats happens at these focal lengths that you should be aware of especially when taking real estate photos for example.
CONS-
Purple Fringing. It has some, not as bad as the DA* and not enough to really worry about, but look and you will find if youre into pixel peeping. K7 fixes this, so does PS.
No Bag  come on, give me a bag when i spend this much
COST = $1000 to $1150 Shop around !!!
DA12-24 @12mm (notice just how much more you get for 12mm compared to 16mm and complete lack of barrel distortion! not much PF to see either)
DA*16-50 @ 16mm (note PF in the lights and slight barrel distortion)
DA18-55ii @ 18mm (slight barrel distortion)
Looking up (perspective distortion, trees bowing in towards the middle)
Looking straight out, perfect image quality, some PF, HERE is where you need 12mm
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: July, 2009 Location: London Posts: 42
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 9, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $525.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | focal length, sharpness, color | | Cons: | damn lens hood | |
Absolutely amazed with this lens.
I'm a total amateur mostly shooting my travels to cities around Europe of cathedrals, street shots, plazas, etc. So lots of indoor & outdoor architecture shots that I think do a good job of conveying the experience of actually being there. And think this is why my first ever camera was a K200D and some nice lenses, I wanted to remember and share what it actually felt like visiting all these cool places. This lens's ability to capture the entire scene with quality sharpness & color make it the perfect tool.
Yeah the lens cap is huge and annoying when not on the camera... but it's a necessary evil I guess. No points deducted for that.
Focal Length - Great for fitting whole buildings in a shot if you're crammed into a small street without much room to back up. Love the indoor shots too - especially for floor to ceiling coverage inside a cathedral, capturing a semi normal perspective in the foreground/altar but also seeing the underside of the half-dome ceilings most have.
Sharpness - Outstanding. I shoot lots of big buildings, so even at this focal length I can be quite far away from subject. Everything still dead sharp and you can easily crop plenty of edge. I seriously think that the 12-24 is sharper than my Sigma 30 f1.4 for subjects at medium distance (but I'm still learning how to shoot with the Sigma - close up, low light, indoor pub shots are where the Sigma is deadly for me).
Color - As lots of what I do is outdoors, I'm often in VERY bright conditions (this weekend in Valencia was no exception). Colors are so vivid and I'm always impressed at how deep the mid day blue skies render.
Also does well shooting groups of 3-4, as you can hold the camera in Portrait orientation, get all 4 people head to toe in frame while standing in the same room. Ladies love it cause they can see their fancy shoes in the pictures...haha.
Mugs
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: May, 2009 Location: North Wales UK Posts: 35
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 20, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $886.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Superb Quality of Image, Flare free. | | Cons: | I cannot fault it | |
I have tried smc pentax-m 20mm f4 prime which gives better image quality than my 18-250 zoom at 20mm, but after reading these reviews I knew I must have the 12-24. what has been said about this lens is very true,I don't know what they have done to stop flare but they have done it. I have had this lens now for 3 days and hardly taken it off my K20D. My lens says asembled in Vietnam but I must say it feels just as good as the 18-250 and I paid £450.00 less for it than what my usual store in the UK are asking.
| | |
![SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF] Review RSS Feed](https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/images/rss/rss_feeds14x14.gif)
![SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/data/43/Pentax_12-24_5.jpg)
![SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](javascript:update('https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/data/43/Pentax_12-24_5.jpg');)
![SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](javascript:update('https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/data/43/smc_Pentax-DA_12-24_4_0_EDALIF_optics.jpg');)
![SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](javascript:update('https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/data/43/12-24mm.jpg');)
![Buy the SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](https://www.pentaxforums.com/content/camerapics/pentax-button.gif)
![Read our SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF] in-depth review!](https://www.pentaxforums.com/content/homepage/pflensseal.gif)
![Add Review of SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/images/digitalvb/pentax_red/buttons/addreview.gif)
![Buy the SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]](https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/images/digitalvb/pentax_red/buttons/buylens.png)
