Loyal Site Supporter Registered: May, 2013 Location: North Potomac, MD Posts: 1,427
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 16, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $446.95
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Contrast, overall sharpness, color rendition, build quality, smoothness of operation | | Cons: | Corner sharpness | |
This is one of my primary-use lenses, especially for wide-angle landscapes. The build quality is great, at the same time very light, making handling a pleasure. The zoom operation is smooth and precise and stays in place once set. Autofocus is fast and not excessively noisy.
Image quality is excellent overall providing sharp, contrasty images. My only critique would be a drop of sharpness in the corners, especially at the lower end of the zoom range. One nice thing (although probably true of most full-frame fisheye lenses), with careful composition, the fisheye effect can be minimized and the lens employed as a super-wide angle. In any case, the fisheye effect is considerably lessened towards 17mm. Bokeh seems smooth without any noticeable unpleasant characteristics, although for me it was difficult to evaluate (at the closest focus distance of less than 6 inches) given the lens' depth of focus due to its somewhat extreme wide-angle.
Here are some landscape examples:
On a KP, Badwater Basin, Death Valley NP:
On a K-3 II, Yellowstone NP:
On a K-5, Zion NP
Overall, an excellent value and without a doubt, one of my favorite Pentax lenses!
Cheers, Allan
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Forum Member Registered: May, 2010 Location: Utrecht Posts: 90
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 10, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | tremendous fun, works well on FF, versatile because of the mild effect on 17mm, bonkers on 10mm | | Cons: | it's a challenge to get right | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 6
Autofocus: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 7
New or Used: New
Camera Used: Pentax K1mkII
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Good day Pentaxians!
Having had (and sold) the old SMC version of this lens, I found that I missed a fisheye in the bag, and since having a K1mkII, I bought the new HD version. In short: it is a great little versatile fisheye lens that can be used on the K1mkII to get a near circular image at 10mm. From 14/15mm the circular effect disappears and at 17mm the effect is mild (but stil pretty fishy). Of course the lens can also be used on the APSC line of Pentax cameras.
The build quality is good; typical DA style, with refreshed 'looks' and as a bonus you get a metal lenscap and also a soft pouch. AF is very quick and the close focus is capabily is brilliant.
The copy that I have is much sharper than the SMC version I used to have.
If you like the fisheye effect than this is a great little lens. I would rate the SMC version an eight. This one a nine!
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Pentaxian Registered: April, 2009 Location: Norway Posts: 668
1 user found this helpful
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New Member Registered: May, 2021 Location: Porto Alegre Posts: 10 | | Review Date: June 22, 2021 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | | | Cons: | | | New or Used: New
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Is anyone have a video comparation of 10-17 btw11-18 Pentax Lens?
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Pentaxian Registered: March, 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Posts: 9,357
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 7, 2020 | Recommended
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Small and light, unique FOV, works on FF by removing the hood | | Cons: | PF, vignetting, soft corners | |
This lens is a worthy upgrade to the previous SMC version. As stated in the in-depth review, it corrects many of the flaws of the previous version, and adds the option to shoot circular images with a full frame camera.
Images created by this lens are rather unique. When used well, and deliberately, it can create images like no other. Optically it's not perfect, but still pretty darn good. Its small size and light weight make it easy to carry.
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