| Author: | | Closed Account Registered: November, 2008 Location: The edge of nowhere, Alberta, Canada Posts: 467
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 15, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Unique perspectives at wide end | | Cons: | No lens hood cutaway, infinity autofocus not always accurate | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 6
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K20D, K-5
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I had been considering this lens over the Sigma 10-20 mm because of the constant f/4 aperture and reports that it had basically no linear distortion throughout the zoom range, unlike the Sigma. I also read an excellent and convincing thread on this forum (which I now can't find with a search) comparing these two lenses that mentioned how nothing quite compares to Pentax glass on a Pentax camera, and this was the final deciding factor.
I love how, when I take a photo containing the straight lines of a building, for example, the lines appear straight at any focal length. I imagine that a pixel-peeper might notice slight distortion when viewing a crop of such an image, but I haven't noticed any to date and the findings of pixel-peepers (aka "measurebators") are rarely noticeable in real-world situations anyhow. The only distortion is due to the wide angle perspective, and this is what draws people to the unique images made by the excellent image quality of this lens.
When using a polarizing filter, I find that you need to use 14mm and above to avoid vignetting; for reference, I use the regular-thickness Singh Ray warming polarizer. However, to turn the filter ring I need to remove the lens hood each time since there is no cutaway, which is odd since lenses like the DA* 50-135 have one. This is obviously a great inconvenience. And attaching a rubber lens hood to the end of the filter to make turning easier, instead of using the supplied lens hood, bumps the focal length to 18mm before vignetting disappears. So I have resorted to removing the hood, adjusting the filter, then putting the hood back on each time; again, very inconvenient, but this is the best solution I've come up with.
The greatest disappointment is how, when autofocusing on a subject at infinity, I have to manually back off the focus ring just a touch in order to achieve perfect focus on many occasions. I have experimented by autofocusing on a subject, deliberately twisting the ring to get it out of focus, then autofocusing again on the exact same subject (under various lighting conditions, I might add). I have found that the number of times the AF has been bang-on versus out of focus is roughly split, whereas AF using my DA 35mm Limited, for example, is almost always perfect. And it is difficult to determine manual focus accuracy with this lens (unless you have something like a KatzEye) since the subject distance appears far away; you really need to have a sharp eye to notice when the subject pops into focus.
That said, with practice I have reached the point where most of my shots are in perfect focus using the 'manual back-off' technique, but I wish I could trust the AF more with this lens in order to achieve this. Since AF with other DA lenses I have tried on my K20D tends to be way more consistent, I have to blame the lens for this instead of my K20D.
But this complaint aside, I love everything else about this lens and highly recommend it based upon the results when they actually are in focus.
EDIT: I adjusted the AF on this lens in Jan. 2011 with a -8 setting on my new K-5 and now it seems to focus much more precisely than before. However, I'm not sure if this would have also been the case if I had done AF adjustment on my K20D. Also, focusing speed is faster and better in lower light on the K-5, which is no surprise to anyone who has used both cameras.
| | | | | | | | | | Review Date: July 8, 2009 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | brilliant optics, fast AF, quality build | | Cons: | none yet | |
After getting used to using third party standard lenses , I have finally plunged and bought a few quality pieces of glass...and this lens is one of them.
To be honest I was stunned....I cant find any CA at all!!!
Also I took a few shots directly into a bright sun and i am staggered at what this lens did in these shots....you would have sworn that i had a starburst filter!!!!
It had the tinniest bit of glare but HELLOOOO...it was DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN!!!
It is a great picture in its own right!!!
I was floored by this....I ran to my pc to look at it on the 24 inch screen and my Mrs said "wow what a beautiful shot!!"....This was the first hour I had the lens.
AF is quick too...build quality is gorgeous...i wanted to sleep with the bloody thing that night hehehe
I cant recommend this lens high enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: June, 2009 Location: Tumbleweed, Arizona Posts: 5,707
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 4, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, Color & Contrast and its Wide Angle | | Cons: | Ever so Slight Softness at the edges | |
I have wanted this lens for a couple of years to augment my DA 16-45 and DA 10-17 FE, and finally acquired one 8 months ago. It is one of my most used lenses. Compared to the rest - it is by far the largest, especially with the 77mm front lens element. I mainly shoot landscapes and cityscapes. The fixed f4 is a plus, especially for nights and evening images. Flare is very well controlled, especially with shooting into the sun for sunsets. The lens performs best at f5.6 to f8, with a very large depth of field. The colors are true (and I like the Pentax colors very well) and contrast is very good. I have had no problems with CA. The build quality is excellent, even though it is plastic which is noticeable against my all metal DA 10-17 FE. Distortion is really only noticeable at the extreme edge, however with this wide of angle you are left wondering why it is so minimal.
One thing about this lens is its image quality. An evaluation on dpreview http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/pentax_15_4_p15/page3.asp rated this zoom superior to the new DA 15/f4, which is unheard of.
"Unfortunately it (the DA 15) doesn't come out so well against the excellent Tokina AT-X PRO SD 12-24mm F4 (IF) DX, which we'd expect to perform near-identically to Pentax's own smc DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL (IF) - in this case the zoom is sharper, and has lower falloff and equally low distortion, although it does show more chromatic aberration." This is a wide lens, to the extent on a couple of occasions - too wide, that I had to revert to the 16-45.
With the front lens element so large and exposed, I searched for and found an ultra thin circular polarizing filter (Nikon) for additional protection. The filter had to be ultra thin so as to not add any vignetting to the lens.
I would easily recommend this lens with out any reservations. There are very few lenses this wide that can match it, let alone exceed it.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 69
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 15, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $789.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Good range, same aperture on all focal length's, sharp. | | Cons: | Lens hood size,CA in high contrast sceenes,distortion at 12-14mm | | New or Used: New
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The DA 12-24mm is a wonderful super-wide angle zoom lens.
Sharp wide open and excellent color and contrast.
(Non working link removed)
(Non working link removed)
Regards,
Hartmut from Germany
| | | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: August, 2008 Location: No(r)way Posts: 179
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 16, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Good range, same aperture on all focal length's, sharp, low distortion | | Cons: | Non, CA in high contrast sceenes. | |
Great wideangel lens. Usefull range, I like that it goes up to 24mm.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 431
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 5, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $590.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Low distortion, Color Contrast, Wide | | Cons: | A bit of CA under high contrast situtations, but overall not a big deal | |
The DA 12-24mm is a wonderful super-wide angle zoom lens. Sharp wide open and excellent color contrast. On a clear sunny day, photos looks like a CPL was used. If you are a landscape shooter, this is the perfect lens. Personally, I still need to get use to the focal length - I thought I would enjoy the wide angle a lot more. My mind may change with a bit more usage.
Build quality is good and the lens is decently sized with an extremely large hood. Overall, it's a wonderful zoom lens but it's hard for me to give it a higher score since my previous two lens purchases were the DA*50-135 and DA*300. Sometimes I miss having the extra reach and may have to change to the DA*16-50 
In either case, the lens is a great performer and if you're comfortable with the focal length it provides, it's an excellent lens to add to your collection.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2007 Location: Finland Posts: 214
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 1, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | The speed and the range | | Cons: | Lens hood size | |
This lens was one of my main reasons to switch to Pentax from the Minolta-KM-Sony-line a year ago. The other one was the 14mm/f2.8. Neither one has any good counterparts in the Minolta mount, and going with C or N was always a last resort for me anyway.
Apart from all the optical and mechanical quality of this lens –I agree with the other reviewers – the range and speed means it's very useful in photojournalism which is part of my work. Combined with a lens with a range of 28-105 (or something close to it) you have a two-lens set that gives you all the important pictures you need for a story: the where, the who and the how picture.
Keeping it to one body, two lenses and a flash I can fit in the sometimes indispensable laptop in the same bag.
I happen to have the Sigma 10-20 and a Sony A700 too. It seems that combination doesn't give the same IQ, and certainly not the speed (f-stops). Plus, 12-24 really is more useful than 10-20.
With extreme wide-angles many AF-cameras miss a close subject, focusing at the background instead. The K20D or K10D + this lens are no worse than the A700 with the Sigma 10-20 in this respect.
My only wish would be to have the focusing work with a USM instead of the drive shaft.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2008 Location: Vancouver Posts: 87
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 18, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $675.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Great Wide-angle to Near Normal range, Very fast AF, sharp and little distortion for a wide angle lens | | Cons: | Really nothing | |
This lens is worth all the money that it demands. I thought it was really expensive at first and wasn't sure if it was worth the investment, but this has turned out to be my most used lens.
It has a good range. 12-24mm. Wide enough to capture everything you want, and long enough to make do with situations where you want a normal view. I considered this and the Sigma 10-20 and I never regretted getting this Pentax. I think the 12-24mm range is more useful than a 10-20mm range.
AF is super fast too. Works fantastic in lowlight too. If you shoot night scenes, street photography, or indoors like me, this is THE lens to buy. I don't think I will ever sell it!
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 3, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $585.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp wide open, fantastic colour and contrast, build quality | | Cons: | Hood creeps into the field of view at 12mm if you are not careful | | New or Used: New
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I own the 77, 21, 50 and 35mm primes but frankly the 12-24 is a more consistent lens than all of them. It's sharp at f/4, sharp in the corners a stop down with outstanding colour and contrast.
I have found CA's to be minimal, my only real complaint is that if the hood is not screwed on fully it intrudes on the image severely at 12mm. The hood is large and this makes the lens hard to carry (it's not a big lens sans hood) but with this FOV you have to use the hood.
Flare is very well controlled and build quality is first rate with snappy AF and quickshift.
This is what all lenses should be like.
UPDATE MARCH 2012: Had the lens a while now and fringing where trees meet the sky is a real pain and something to be very aware of. The price of the lens has also doubled since i bought it and at that price, Sigma becomes a reality.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2007 Posts: 8,237
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 28, 2008 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharpest at 12mm, wonderful colors | | Cons: | none | |
.
A wonderful zoom - super sharp at 12mm, very sharp throughout the
FL range. Colors and contrast are beautiful.
  | | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 166
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 18, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $780.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | (WIDE ANGLE) = very unique perspective. solid build. smooth zoom/focus. sharp. | | Cons: | flare & ghost. slight purple fringing. | |
One of my favourite lenses. relatively fast @ f4 - in most cases i would just boost iso a little and it would be fast enough in most indoor situations. The lens generates sharp photos from corner to corner, straight from f4. The lens hood is massive! I haven't actually tested out the effectiveness of the lens hood, but flare and ghosting is still a problem, even with the lens hood on. If you decide to use a cir. pl. on this baby, you would have to take the lens hood off. Other than this complaint, the lens itself is spectacular. Sure it's pricy, but compared to the other brands, it is a steal! (don't steal it.)
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: May, 2007 Location: Columbia, SC; USA Posts: 3
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 9, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $725.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Vivid color, amazing linearity, sharp to corners - | | Cons: | delicate alignment - quality control issues | |
Pop Photo (Apr-06) praised this lens as a "Wide Winner" for spectacular performance on bench testing: excellent image sharpness and contrast; imperceptible distortion ["best of breed"]; and barely notable vignetting at the short end. I can add breathtaking color, crisp contrast and ruler-straight linearity to that list. At first glance, a 2X zoom doesn't sound impressive these days - until you realize that this parafocal zoom sweeps an incredible 100 to 60 degree viewing range that's just perfect for cramped interiors, group pictures or landscapes. This zoom is a landmark of superb engineering: combining extra-dispersion glass and aspheric lens elements into flagship "great glass".
But a finely-tuned optical engine performs optimally only if all cylinders fire in unison ... on a test run I noted hideous chromatic aberration of trees and power lines. I packed the lens up for warranty service so as to alert Pentax to quality control slippage. Irreparable misalignment [probably from rough shipping/handling] was acknowledged  ;replacement with a brand-new lens was hassle-free as well as timely .
Should you detect distortion fear not -- Pentax service was knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. To their great credit, exchange was virtually painless, and the new replacement lens at last performs flawlessly. Although the initial unit turned out to be a glass lemon, Pentax made good (try that with a new car!); I have nothing but praise for the fair and decisive warranty follow-through.
Tip: the bulbous cyclops snout of the forward element is close to the surface, just begging for scratches and smudges.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: February, 2007 Location: Atlanta, GA USA Posts: 4
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 20, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $780.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp, versatile wide angle zoom, very low distortion | | Cons: | Bulky (but necessary) hood | |
Wide is good. This lens is excellent! I'm very happy with this lens since I prefer rectilinear for landscapes.
Sharpness 9
Bokeh 9 (but with huge depth of field)
Color 9
Handling 9 (hood is a bit bulky, but absolutely necessary)
Build 8
Distortion 9 (better than Sigma, etc.)
Aberations 8
Value 7 (will probably revise upward the more I use it - big investment!)
I didn't plan on getting the 12-24 right away, but my local shop had one in stock, I played with it a while and took it home. Very glad I did.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: Warsaw Posts: 338
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 30, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Low distortion, very sharp, constant aperture, low flare | | Cons: | big hood | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
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great lens, not small with big hood. But, very sharp from f4, sharp from end of lens till infinity. No bokeh at all Great for architecture and landscapes.
Big quality is very good. If you look for someting wide difficult to beat.
I use it often with slim b&w c-pol and vignetting is seen at 12mm and 13mm.
[added December 2012] after 6 years this lens is still with me. It is very robust lens. Once I dropped it from a height of 1.5 meters onto concrete and nothing had happened to him. He fell on the hood and there is no any sign of it.
More samples are here | | | | | Senior Member Registered: October, 2006 Location: Masachusetts Posts: 243
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 4, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Low distortion, sharp, constant aperture, low flare | | Cons: | Big honking lens hood. | |
This lens is what finally convinced me that zooms can produce images on a par with primes. I've used for interiors (architecture) and scenics.
The amazing thing is that I could use it for interior shots of rooms and it would be possible to forgo using the Lens Correction filter if I didn't want to bother with it. I've NEVER seen a zoom that produces such clear, sharp, distortion-free images. HOW DO THEY DO THAT??
Shot directly into the sun, and there was only one teeny little point of flare. This is in a complex lens with a lot of elements. AMAZING!
It's not cheap, but it's well worth the price.
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