| Author: | | Pentaxian Registered: January, 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Posts: 6,620
6 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 26, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $470.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | outstanding IQ, microcontrast, flare resistance | | Cons: | none discovered | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 9
New or Used: Used
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I've been a wide shooter, tending to favor the 10-28mm range of FL's and purchased this lens primarily for the occasional wide landscape shot. Well, the IQ of the lens is superior to my wide zooms, so i now find myself shooting with this lens more than I had ever expected.
The sharpness is excellent, particularly when I stop down for landscapes, though now that I am also using it for indoor shooting, I wonder what shallow DOF opportunities I could get with an f/2 version of this lens, though i am sure the price would be out of my range. 
This lens produces very little barrel distortion compared to the 16mm FL of my 16-45 and the rendering is definitely nicer. Also, the flare resistance is surprisingly good, i mean surprisingly good! This is possibly why we all want to compose shots with the sun and other bright lights, because we can without getting a mess of flares everywhere. When you stop it down past f/8 the pleasing starburst becomes evident; this 14-pt burst is nicer than any other lens i've seen so far.
The lens is tiny, so you can conceivably fill your pockets with little primes and walk around with an entire kit in your pants; hey why not? I have giant lenses too and they need to fit in the bag too, so it is just nice to have some compact options to balance the rig. The retractable hood is very convenient and I wish more of my lenses had this feature.
overall an excellent lens and highly recommended for wide shooting.
3-exposure blended image
 | | | | | | | Junior Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Днепропетровск Posts: 37 | | Review Date: February 6, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Angle, bright, sharp | | Cons: | Not found | | New or Used: New
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Changed at 21lim.
I do not regret.
 | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2010 Location: casper, wy Posts: 6 | | Review Date: February 4, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $499.00
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | cute, solid, vivid | | Cons: | lil' slow | |
This is my first Limited lens and I couldn't be happier. I could tell just by holding the box that this was going to give the same feel as the classics. Metal is awesome, built in hood is super-slick (though I haven't put a filter on yet), and image quality is fantastic. You do have to stop down a bit to get optimal crispness but as I am primarily using this lens for those sweeping, backcountry vistas this is not a prob at all. I did try to use it indoors in the evening to try and get some new puppy face shots but really couldn't pull it off without crazy ISO (time for a k-5 I guess). Overall, great lens. Don't listen to dpreview's assault on the 15mm. This lens will satisfy over and over.
(p.s. I like the screw on cap. I don't know what the rest of these foolios are yakin' bout)
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2010 Posts: 2,395
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: February 1, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $550.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, high contrast, no flare at all | | Cons: | Inflexible | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 8
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This is one hell of a lens. I absolutely love the quality this thing produces. I chose this over a bulky wide-angle zoom because I like to keep my set up small, and this is the perfect lens for the job. It's discrete form-factor allows for some fun photography that would be either less doable, or more cumbersome, to pull off with a zoom.
That said the 12-24 will give you a lot more bang for your buck. You have been warned.
The sharpness of this lens is incredible enough that I am comfortable cropping it pretty severely even wide open... so the inflexibility is not huge. The wide-angle is tough to use for many applications though, so be careful.
My favorite use other than landscapes is to use it indoors in party situations, or full body shots in hallways etc. The small size of the lens makes working with people a breeze, and quite frankly, f4 is not a big deal at 15mm, even indoors.
The colour and contrast are incredible and those are the two reasons you should consider this lens IMHO.
I love it... but be warned, this is a difficult lens to use properly (due to the focal length).
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: November, 2009 Posts: 2 | | Review Date: December 6, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $499.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Everything | | Cons: | NA | |
Love this little germ very much. Carried it with my DC-BOS-NYC trip, worked very well.
I am totally satisfied with its sharpness and color. Flare resistance is so amazing for this little germ.
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: March, 2010 Posts: 114
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 28, 2010 | Not Recommended | Price: $499.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Metal construction, small size | | Cons: | Not sharp at all wide open, must stop way down | |
If you rate a lens by construction, then it rates high. If you rate it by the picture it takes, then it is rated at a 6. Not sharp at all unless stopped down to f8 at least. At f4, everything is fuzzy. No amount of lens adjustment in the K5 changed this fact. I sent my copy back, very disappointed with the quality of picture with this lens. | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: January, 2008 Location: Brampton, ON, Canada Posts: 2,456 | | Review Date: October 11, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $450.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | size, hood, flare resistance, good FL, build quality | | Cons: | edge sharpness | |
Unique lens, worthy of a "limited" designation in my book.
Essentially I sold the 16-45mm for this lens. Colour is excellent, as is sharpness and usual landscape DOF (F8-11 work really well as previously noted). Size for travel is wonderful.
Really good fun. Interesting video lens too:
Bouctouche Moonrise
Vignetting
I have been experimenting with the "A" cokin series, with an extension ring to clear the built-in hood, and the "A" series holder, which seems to be closer to the front element of the lens than the "P". Seems to work, although there is an issue with flare from the polarizer/filters from the edge when using A series polarizer without a cokin hood (and the Cokin "A" hood on the end DOES cause vignetting). Straight into the sun however is OK.
Highly recommended.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2010 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 4,884
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: September 11, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | colour, clarity, sharpness, "limited" quality and construction, minimal flare and CA | | Cons: | screw on cap defies the imagination | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 8
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
New or Used: New
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I was looking for an ultrawide lens and looked carefully at several fixed and zoom options before deciding that I HAD to have this lens. For me it is a focal length I am entirely comfortable with, it is awesome for landscapes with minimal CA and excellent depth of field from about f/9.5. If you are looking for an ultra wide angle with exceptional image quality, this lens is worth considering. It is probably no surprise that so many happy owners share their images with this gem.
A selection of images updated now that I have had this lens for over a year. I want to add that this lens is great fun for urban architecture!
Lakeside pathway by jmschrei, on Flickr
Carburn Park portrait by jmschrei, on Flickr
Late afternoon sun by jmschrei, on Flickr
The flow by jmschrei, on Flickr
A view with distortion by jmschrei, on Flickr
| | | | | Inactive Account Registered: January, 2010 Posts: 1 | | Review Date: August 18, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Good performance, resistance to flare, build&size | | Cons: | none yet | |
Killer lens. Sharp when stopped down a little, even in the extreme corners. Love the size, build & focal length.
A must have for me if you're a prime freak.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2010 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,910
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 15, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $508.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Extremely small. Center very sharp. Vivid color reproduction | | Cons: | Replace the screw on cap, corner sharpness | |
This lens has some impressive color rendition.
It's small, as in really quite easy to toss in your pocket if you need a wide angle.
It's not 2.8, but most of the time when shooting with this lens, you wouldn't want that anyway.
The edge and corner sharpness could be better. It's barrel distortion is better controlled than the DA* 16-50, but the resolution is about the same.
The cap that comes with this lens is to be placed in a drawer and replaced with a pinch on cap.
For the price, you'll get a great wide angle lens; however, had I purchased the 16-50 first, I'm not sure I could have justified it.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Shanghai Posts: 1,509
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 8, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $660.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Size, Lens Hood, Image Quality (but see below) | | Cons: | Lens Cap, Corner Image Quality | |
I have just travelled through the Philippines for a month, and just before I set off I bought the DA15. I've used it a lot as I used it almost exclusively - it's just so addicting. I mostly shoot street photography and the occasional landscape, so keep that in mind when reading this review.
I owned the DA12-24 before, but sold it because I just hardly ever used it. Too big, too clumsy, the lens hood is huge, etc. The DA15, on the other hand, is a very small lens, and the lens hood is just brilliant (you won't appreciate it until you use it, it's just so easy). The lens cap slows you down, but I never thought it was very annoying. The rest of the build is up to the usual 'limited' standard.
A lot has been said about the image quality in the border of the image. I must say I do notice the drop in resolution, but had no one told me, I'm not so sure I would have. The 'rest' of the image quality is pure perfection. Flare resistance, colour rendition, center resolution, distortion (lack of..), all of it is flawless.
So, in short, the lens cap and border resolution are flawed, but only very slightly so. I would not let it hold you back when you consider buying this lens. It's awesome.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: March, 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 509
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: August 5, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Extremely well built, excellent image quality, light weight | | Cons: | Slight PF, Slightly weak extreme border performance | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Autofocus: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 9
New or Used: New
Camera Used: K5, Kx
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Finally, I bite the bullet and got this gem. This is my first "limited" lens. Everything feels right. Even the focusing ring is well damped, unlike my other AF lenses. The lens is lovely for its size and for its precision feel. It is just a sweet little gem
Why I got this lens? I had Sigma 10-20mm f3.5-4.5 EX DC which is a great performer. However, the Sigma is heavier than what I want. The color rendition is a ever so slightly cooler than my liking. The sigma is not very good with filters or dust at the short end. More importantly, I am not a frequent ultra-wide shooter. So I decided to get this one.
I am not disappointed at all after some use. Here are some examples. It compares very well against zoom lenses, particularly with respect to contrast, color rending, and resistance to flare. It simply creates more crisp images. It also compares well with earlier Pentax fixed focal lens at the largest aperture. It does not get soft in the middle of the picture at f4. 49mm filter ring helps a lot. Ultimately, it is so light that I can carry it to anywhere... It works fine as a combo with the kit lens. Otherwise, I would have to carry the DA17-70 with me which is heavy.
While there are many positive points, here are some of my minor gripes.
1. f4 is a bit small. f3.5 or would have been better.
2. extreme border performance can be improved particularly at f4.
3. polarizer can create vignetting at f8 or larger aperture.
4. not weather sealed (am I asking too much?).
BTW, I keep my lens cap at home and use a plastic generic cap on the road. The original one is for decoration only, not very practical in the field.
Fall Colors at Bells Canyon Reservoir, Sandy Utah
Construction: 10
Image quality: 9
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: October, 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Posts: 9,830 | | Review Date: July 14, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Great FOV and IQ and reasonably compact | | Cons: | weird hood and cap, could be faster | |
This lens saves an event or a vacation. People who see my photos with this lens often ask why my shots look so much more interesting. It's the FOV and the snap. The very first shot with this lens jumped off the screen. I wouldn't be without it, now. It's amazing even indoors and wide in both senses of the word:
 | | | | | Administrator
Site Webmaster Registered: September, 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 51,594
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 3, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $499.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Compact, sharp, great colors, stunning close-ups | | Cons: | Screw-in cap is tedious to use, lens hard to hold | | New or Used: New
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B&H Photo was generous enough to loan us this lens for an official PentaxForums.com review! It is currently offered for $499 - click here to buy!
After spending a couple of weeks with this lens, we were quite impressed, especially when comparing it with the SMC-A 15mm F3.5 full-frame lens. The DA 15mm seemed sharper at F4 and F5.6, and frequently produced better-exposed images in P mode.
We found that this lens is very sharp in the center, and therefore an amazing choice for close-up shots. There was no loss in resolution when text was photographed from a distance of 3 to 6 feet. At a distance, and to the naked eye, there was no noticeable difference in overall sharpness between this lens, the A 15mm, and the DA 12-24mm zoom. 15mm is a pretty wide focal length, and therefore something like this is to be expected.
Pentax's modern coatings as well as the built-in hood do a pretty good job with flare control, so that impressed us as well. AF speed was very fast, and throw and stiffness were both above average for this kind of lens. Like all DA limited lenses, the DA 15mm features a very elegant all-metal finish.
The only negatives we could identify were that the screw-in cap was a pain to use, and that the lens was somewhat hard to hold on to when mounted. An extra stop of light would also sometimes come in handy, but we can't complain about considering the lens's tiny size and weight. For those needing a faster lens, there's always the SMC Pentax-DA 14mm F2.8, which is considerably larger.
If I were more of a wide-angle shooter, I would have held onto this lens in a heartbeat! I strongly recommend it for anyone who enjoys taking landscapes, panoramas, or wide close-ups!
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2006 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 10,685
7 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: July 1, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $525.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | amazing IQ, incredibly small even with hood, a really useful focal length | | Cons: | awkward screw-in cap (easily replaced by a standard 49mm pinch version) | |
This has become my most used lens, and by a pretty large margin - surprising from someone who does shoots a ton of concert photography and generally leans toward telephoto. It's hard to put into words how much fun this lens is. Being so much smaller and not quite so unnaturally wide as the DA14, but noticeably wider than the DA18-55, it's really a perfect focal length for a wide prime in my opinion. Someone who is totally into wide angle photography would probably prefer a zoom that starts wider and ends longer, but such lenses are much larger than I would want to be carrying around on a regular basis. And make no mistake - I do have a prime basis, largely for this reason. Someone with an overall zoom basis would be well served getting the DA12-24, Sigma 10-20, Sigma 8-16. But someone looking for a way of getting wide angle capability without needing to buy a whole new bag just for the new lens - this is the lens, period.
Some specifics worth mentioning:
- As someone who shoots in low light quite a lot, I would *not* be concerned over a max aperture of f/4. It's not like you often need fast shutter speeds in low light when at 15mm. With that wide an FOV, neither camera shake nor subject motion are big issues except at point blank range. Also, at close range, DOF is already surprisingly thin. I'd rate the DA15 as being at least as generally use in low light as any of the other DA Limiteds.
- The lens is practically free of linear distortions, but that doesn't mean it violates the laws of physics and eliminates *perspective* distortion. Shoot a person from very close range and their nose *will* look big, because it is significantly closer to you. Nor do you want your subject in the corners. Taking a large field of view that almost wraps around to your sides and shrinking it into an image you look at directly in front of you rather than wrapped around to the sides like the original scene will *always* result in things looking "stretched".
- Center sharpness is absolutely incredible - almost off the chart even wide open, as verified by Photozone and my sample below. Corners are the really the part people debate, and then, only at relatively large apertures. I'd note that the corners are almost *never* in focus at f/4 or f/5.6 when shooting ultra-wide - the large FOV and the DOF and field curvature issues make that very difficult to achieve. And the perspective distortion means details in the corners seldom reproduce as you'd want them anyhow. But FWIW, when you do manage to get the corners in focus at larger apertures, there is really nothing to complain about in the sharpness department, as I will try to demonstrate below.
- The lens is *so* sharp throughout most of the image that cropping it to resemble the 21mm FOV is really quite doable. A 12MP image taken at 15mm but cropped to the 21mm FOV yields, um, something like a 6MP image - still more than enough for large prints with good resolution. So if, like me, you're debating the 15 or 21, I say, get the 15 and have it both ways.
- Flare resistance is admirable, and you often see people post shots with the sun in them that demonstrate this (see below). I would just caution that the lens does not have the magic ability to fix the dynamic range problems in inherent in such shots. Expose to show any detail in the sky, and your foreground will still be silhouetted; expose to show foreground detail and the sky will still be blown out. But if you catch the sun being filtered by a cloud or through trees, or in a cloudless sky where there is no detail worry about, or if you simply brighten the shadows in a silhouetted image, you can certainly get the kind of results you see in samples. My sample below had the foreground brightened in PP.
So here are my shots to demonstrate what I think are the salient points the lens:
Legendary flare resistance, wide-but-not-unnaturally-so FOV:
The fun factor cannot be overstated:
Perfectly usable in "low light" situations:
Good close focus capabilities, and fairly shallow DOF possible even at f/4:
There's probably no better lens for the "hold-the-camera-and-point-back-at-yourself-to-prove-you-were-there" shot - wide enough to take in some of the scene along with a couple of people, light enough to actually hold this way:
And for the pixel peepers, some 100% crops (from a 10MP K200D):
100% crop from center at f/8:
100% crop from center at f/4:
100% crop from extreme border at f/4:
100% crop from extreme corner at f/5.6:
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