| Latest Review Posted | SMC Pentax-DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited
1) Build Quality:
This is a solid lens. It's fit and finish are top notch and the manual focusing on this lens is reminiscent of the old manual focus lenses, with the right amount of dampening.
2) Optics:
For all the talk of soft images in some of the formal reviews, this lens is very sharp all the way around. I've only used it stopped down, but I have never felt the image quality has been anything other than superb. I should also mention the colour is fantastic on this lens....right up there with the DA* line of lenses, and the contrast is also top notch.
3) My personal wishes....
I had a DA14mm and it was a faster lens, but I never used it at f/2.8. Also, it vignetted horribly with my Cokin 'P' sized filters. Although you need to use a 49mm ring-mount filter before you can add the cokin P set-up, it does work with only the extreme corners vignetting. I wish the built-in hood sat flush with the end of the lens when retracted and haven't ruled out removing some of the lens hood to do this. Having said that, the vignetting can be fixed and it's only at the very extreme corners so it's much better than the results I get even from the DA*16-50 at the wide end.
Of course, if this lens was weather-sealed, it would be that much closer to perfection, but all in all, there's very few reasons to critisize this lens.
Overall, I'd say a 9.5/10 for my uses. Paired up with my 43mm limited, I've got the perfect walk-around kit and for the first time since going digit... |
