| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Wide, Fast, Light, Consistent image quality | | Cons: | Prone to flare | | New or Used: New
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This lens is wide, light to carry and producing sharp images wide open. Unlike other competition brands, there is no so-called quality control issues.
There might be some concern about early copies being soft wide open. This is not the case with mine. There is little distorsion, apparently reportedly 0.3 % only. No CA can be seen from its images either.
Many people might consider this as a landscape lens. I actually use this lens as a candid photography like in supermarkets or crowded places where no one suspects I could be photographing them.
This lens does give me give a lot of flare in full blown sunlight. Despite a nice firm lens hood attached, harsh sunlight really becomes a disadvantage to this lens.
A specialty lens can never be perfect so I still love to recommend this lens to everyone. Use it in dim light or overcast weather. Tell me how many sunny days you get in a year?
My sample images are shown here
My DA 14mm f2.8 shots | | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 593
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 8, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Excellent image quality | | Cons: | Large | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 9
Value: 8
New or Used: New
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This is one of my favourite and most used lenses. Sharp and well corrected for distortions. It has the focus clutch system which is very handy.
Only negative is that it is quite large for a wide angle, but it is extremely well built and has a very large 77mm filter thread so that there is no vignetting when using a screw in filter.
Highly recommended.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2006 Location: Ontario Posts: 744
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 9, 2007 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Colour, sharpness, construction | | Cons: | Vignetting with Cokin P holder, 6 aperture blades | |
Since getting this lens, I've been re-aquainting myself with ultra-wide angle photography.
Metal construction is always a bonus - but hood is plastic.
Manual focusion is stiff. Coming from FA*, FA ltd and M series lenses, I was stunned at just how much resistance there is.
My only real problems with this lens (and they're minor) are the fact that it vignettes with a cokin P series holder. I suspect I'll have to get a second one to trim back to avoid the problem or at least minimize it. The only other nit is the 6 aperture blades. This is only a problems with oof lights but if your image does have them, it can be less appealing than renderings from lenses with 8 or 9 blades.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2007 Location: Toronto/Victoria Posts: 460 | | Review Date: April 21, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $475.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Solid, good manual focusing, sharp | | Cons: | Somewhat large | |
A great wide angle lens. For the purpose of landscapes it's absolutely perfect. Any aperture is fair game, even F/2.8, and it is very well corrected for geometric distortion. I've been using it carefully for shots of people and urban objects; carefully because any tilt will cause perspective distortion.
It focuses very close as well, but gets a bit blurry in the corners at close distances unless stopped down. But at these apertures, the out of focus areas are surprisingly good for a 14mm lens.
The focus ring doesn't rotate in AF mode which is a huge bonus, and for manual focusing, it's the smoothest AF lens I own.
It is a tad bigger than the kit lens in most aspects, yet it feels much more substantial with the build quality. The feel of cold metal is reassuring. The 77mm filters are a bit unwieldly, but since it translates to low vignetting, I'm ok with that.
It's the only lens I use with any frequency that doesn't work on my film SLR, but there is no 35mm lens which comes close.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: EU/Slovenia Posts: 774
14 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 13, 2007 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Mnimal distortion, f2.8, focusing ring, metal construction | | Cons: | Bigger than I expected, CA at f2.8 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 9
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I bought this lens primary for cave photography where it really shines. Bright aperture and focusing ring with above average friction and sufficient travel make manual focusing in low light easier. It has no noticeable barrel distortion or vignetting. As for lens flare I'd say it's quite low. It's just that wide angle lenses catch sun beams more often because they are wider. Chromatic aberration is noticeable at f2.8 but well controlled at f4 and onward.
I would agree with previous posters on good build quality and convenience of focusing ring that doesn't rotate when auto focus is in action.
The lens is a bit bigger than I expected even more so with lens hood attached, but nothing worth complaining. The upside of size is that it makes camera look more impressive.
After more than a month with this lens I find my self using it more and more. I'm definitely keeping it.
EDIT: DA14 survived mud therapy "without a scratch". K100Ds as well.
Some real life sample photos. All resized to 50% of original:
If you find this review useful give me reputation | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: August, 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 20 | | Review Date: January 19, 2008 | Recommended
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Focal length absolutely necessary for landscape/nature photography. Fills the need in APS-C format for the widest view generally acceptable without introducing distortions that seems unnatural to the naked eye. | | Cons: | Some CA (which seems to be the trade-off for good resolution/sharpness); flare. | |
Overall, this lens performs very well for landscape photography, though there is some distortion that may cause minor havoc with level horizons when trying to maximize depth of field. Big problem for landscape photographers is the often mentioned vignetting when using a Cokin P-holder that is not optimized (sawed and sanded) for the purpose - don't quite understand why because my FA20mm never approached this kind of problem.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2007 Location: Logan, Utah Posts: 971 | | Review Date: February 6, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $570.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Wide angle, sharpness, build quality, low distortion | | Cons: | Weight, softer at large apertures | |
Not a perfect lens, but I find myself using it more and more often. Originally purchase to shoot house interiors, it has been wonderful for downtown shots where I'm trying to get the whole building in frame. It seems to hit it's prime (pun noted but not intended) around f/4 to f/5.6. It is very well made. CA seems to be fairly well controlled as well.
When used on a film camera, it goes from fair vignetting (corners are black, but edges are still fairly bright) at infinity focus to rather bad vignetting at close focus.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2007 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 531 | | Review Date: February 17, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $465.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Highly corrected, excellent color. | | Cons: | Soft until f/5.6 | | New or Used: Used
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I purchased this lens used on ebay from a large camera store. As soon as I opened the package, I proceeded to test it. After evaluating the results wide-open, I contacted the seller and asked about returning the lens. I was not happy with some indoor shots at f/2.8.  But after comparing it to my Zenitar 16mm lens, I decided to do more test shots.  The Zenitar was also soft wide open, but the noticeable difference was color rendition. The Pentax 14mm was warmer and more accurate compared to the Zenitar.
The most interesting thing that I found was at f/2.8 there is an area at the center that was the most soft. But as you "pixel peep" towards the edges, the image seems to get sharper, until you reach the corners which become soft again.
I took some photos outdoors on a sunny day, and the results were stunning - especially at f/8 and f/11! The color is beautiful, and at these settings the detail is tack sharp.
I wouldn't consider using this lens wide open unless that was the only way to get the picture. It is nice to have the extra light when needed. Otherwise, the lens is a great performer, with wonderful color rendition and excellent sharpness from f5.6 up.
edit 3/13/2008: I just found out that my K10D has a back-focus issue that is worse as the lens gets wider. My results weren't a good test of the lens, and it probably performs much better wide open than my review states.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2008 Location: Hawkesbury Posts: 1,896
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 24, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $640.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Very sharp in most conditions, Excellent colour balance, good build and focus clutch | | Cons: | Slight distortion towards corners, variable sharpness wide open | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 8
New or Used: New
| |
I bought the DA14 lens for landscapes but have mostly used it for wide-angle "macro". Currently the sharpest lens I own and I cannot fault its rendering of colours when used on a K10D. Large aperture is very useful for fine focusing. The manual override focus clutch works perfectly and should be a major selling point.
I am very please with the DA14's treatment of out of focus areas, at least when stopped down a little.
I have had occasional soft shots wide open while using a polarising filter. Haven't exactly nailed what causes this.
The softness wide open extends to variability in the quality of the bokeh, giving a dreamy under-saturated washed look out wide with a more even and more saturated blur towards the centre. Colour fringing always seems to remain admirably low.
My copy displays slight distortion towards the corners which requires careful composition when shooting straight edges such as a flat horizon or buildings. Not an issue for most of my subject matter.
While it is not badly designed, the hood is wide enough to be troublesome in my camera bag so I tend to leave it behind. The biggest issue with using this lens is not strictly a lens problem. Current digital sensors have insufficient dynamic range for many types of wide angle photography. While HDR can get around some of this, it is not always an option.
Please Pentax Add this lens to your WR development program. Surely with its current design it would be easy to implement. Just a couple of seals?
In Australia we seem to pay a premium for this lens via the authorised importer. With the current (mid 2008) exchange rate it would be over US$800.
An early example on K10D. Slightly soft from motion blur.
First image is scaled, second is 100% crop without processing.
 | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: July, 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 1,100 | | Review Date: August 16, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Color Rendition | | Cons: | | |
I've had this lens for about 2 months now. Within the scope of my intended use (Landscapes, Interior and Exterior Real Estate) this lens is a 10. It also captures people well but, be sure to have the person(s) in the center and about 15-20% away from all edges. This should be classed as a Limited lens as the build quality is right up there. Great job Pentax.
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: September, 2007 Location: Pressburg, Eur Posts: 19 | | Review Date: September 28, 2008 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Rendering&colours; sharpness stopped down; build quality&internal focusing; close focusing capabilities | | Cons: | Heavy and comparatively large; very prone to flare in bright daylight | |
The only current very wide rectilinerar prime option from Pentax and a solid performer for its length. Nice colours with a slant towards the warm side, good contrast and pleasantly sharp stopped down for an ultrawideangle and a perspective to love and always discover something new to.
Yet what I personally like most about this lens are its close-distance focusing abilities (it is capable of focusing to less than 5cms from the lens front!) which translates into potentially highly interesting closeups and/or perspectives when trying to build up a larger composition. F2.8 helps additionally with better separating dof and/or shooting on the safe side of stopping down.
Its only obvious weakness is that it does not handle well reflections, even stray light, so playing with light sources can be a problem. Sunsets and low-daylight sky shots come out perfectly though.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: August, 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 233 | | Review Date: October 26, 2008 | Recommended
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Quite Wide, Well Constructed, Relatively Fast, DOF scale, Very low distortion. | | Cons: | Little softness and vignetting wide open. Sizable hood. | |
This lens is really well constructed. Completely metal body like a limited. The focus ring is like those of the DFA macros in the sense that it is very smooth and well damped. It doesn't rotate when you autofocus. Internal focus doesn't extend the lens at all, doesn't suck up dust. It feels very high quality.
Other people have mentioned most of its strengths:
Saturated "Pentax" Colors. Minimal distortion. Great for people who don't like to post-process too much. Extremely close-focusing.
In this review, I'll deviate from just the straight review and talk a bit about other lenses frequently compared against.
Mostly, people who look at this lens also look at the DA12-24, most people end up deciding on the 12-24 because it is a zoom and it is sharp wide open. I think what they neglect to consider is this:
1. f2.8 is completely usable even if it's better at f4 (which is true for all lenses). Unless you plan on using the flash, f4 isn't a consistantly usable option indoors without a tripod. f2.8 is so much more useful indoors. (I've actually used it flashless in caves).
2. The DOF scale is very useful in wide angle and not present in the 12-24
3. Close focusing is much better than the 12-24 and allows interesting shots in really cramped places. (I've photographed companions on a crowded aerial tramway among other places).
4. This lens is about $100-$150 cheaper than the 12-24.
The same as above remains true when compared to the Sigma 10-20, except even more so because that is even slower a lens (but less expensive). Although the Sigma (which I have) is a fine lens in its own right but purely for the sharpness and extremely wide 10mm field of view.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: December, 2007 Location: Finland Posts: 214 | | Review Date: February 1, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Specs | | Cons: | somewhat soft | |
A lens that makes Pentax unique – there's no handy, fast, really wide-angle lens for APS-C sensors out there for the Minolta mount or the Nikon (no I didn't bother to look at Canon) so the existence of this lens contributed greatly to my switch from KM-Sony to Pentax a year ago.
I figured 14/2.8 would be the equivalent of the 20/2.8 I had been using so much in my daily work in the 35mm days. And yes, mathematically seen it is. But mostly I throw the 12-24 in the bag instead, a minute before I go. The exception is when I know that light will be critically low. Then I go for the 2,8.
My copy of this lens is a bit disappointing when it comes to sharpness and focusing performance. The 12-24 zoom seems to be it's equal. But then again, for most real life assignments both are good enough.
In the daily work, size and build quality are as important as the last pixel. I have put this lens (and a K20D) through it's paces in a storm with wet snow, hard winds and darkness. I can tell you the weather sealing works. And the live view of the K20D isn't totally useless.
| | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: March, 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Posts: 23,920 | | Review Date: February 5, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $375.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Colour rendition, solid build, well controlled CA | | Cons: | Not sharp enough for a prime, significant distortion | |
As mentioned already, sharpness can be an issue below f/5.6 (not good for a prime IMO) and 'moustache' distortion is apparent in landscape shots.
Otherwise, it is a sturdy (metal build) and reliable lens with excellent colour rendition.
It would have been a better lens had its IQ contended favourably with the excellent DA 12-24. Nevertheless, PF and CA are well controlled and resolution is still decent enough.
I consider this lens recommendable but would recommend the DA 12-24 more highly.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: December, 2008 Location: LA Posts: 90 | | Review Date: February 5, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Fast, versatile, close-focusing | | Cons: | Size, blocks the on-camera flash | |
I love this lens for its versatility. I like how it is fast enough for indoor low light shots. I think this is actually a great "portrait" lens. This lens has produced some of my best pictures of my kids. It focuses very close so taking extreme closeups gives a very unique perspective. Wide open it is a bit soft, but that gives a nice effect for people pictures. If you stop it down a bit, it becomes very sharp. That makes it nice for landscapes and scenery. Plus, it can take very nice low-light interior architecture shots. Great for temples, churches, and cathedrals.
The only problem is the lens casts a shadow when using the on-camera flash. Also, it is a bit large so it doesn't fit into my ultra small camera bag.
All in all, there is not too much to complain about. It is a great all around lens. I think this is Pentax's best bargain.
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