Site Supporter Registered: December, 2015 Posts: 5,405
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 17, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $290.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Artistic, sharp and soft, excellent macro. | | Cons: | Tricky to master, advanced PP skills help get the most from it. | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 4
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-1
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I shall let my album and pictures do most of the talking and will try and keep my summary as short as I can.
This is what I consider an 'artistic' lens, and as such my first entry into this foray. The main problem with this lens is the lack of greater in-depth reviews from the mainstream media, when looking for sample shots they all seem to be strongly biased towards the f1.6-2 margin, which imo is not where the strength of this lens lies. Yes some fun can be had at these apertures but really I feel the times and application for when you should choose those apertures (with this lens) is few and far between, not at all light the media portrays it. You will get far more solid performing shots around f2.8 and f4, and even at f5.6 it has a unique property to it that I find lacking in 'normal' lenses.
The strength of the lens lies with it's Av biased control. Before messing with the f1.6-2.8 it's perhaps wiser to focus on the person or subject at f4 or f5.6, you gain clearer feedback for obtaining focus, take a shot or two and then practice rotating the aperture ring to wider apertures, take another shot, and then repeat as desired. What you end up with is some fun shots ranging from unbelievably sharp to velvet soft (but still sharp if you pixel peep) and the results of when combining these frames in post can be rewarding indeed.
It's perhaps true that similar effects can be achieved purely in PP with a 'standard' lens, but I am a strong believer in getting things more right in camera at the time leading to better more authentic shots in post than what any PP magic can manage. You're simply giving yourself a really good head start in PP.
I find this lens very versatile, macro, landscapes (stopping down to f8 and f11 will five you insane overall sharpness), gorgeous portraits (and a different style of portrait at that), it's a fun lens to use. Yes fun... the manual focus aspect engages you more and really you're only limiting yourself to what you can create from your own imagination and (lack of perhaps) pp skills. Knowing how to mask layers in post can be really helpful to drive home the full potential of this lens. Aperture stacking is most definitely your friend here.
Please note, I gave my aberrations as a 10/10, because when it's trying not to give aberrations it does very well indeed, I find it hard to critiscise it's aberration value when its actually a trait of the lens itself.
Some pics followed by a link to a main library with more images;
Album here; https://flic.kr/s/aHsmrLuiQe | |
Pentaxian Registered: April, 2015 Location: USA Posts: 2,875
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 30, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Unique artistic effect when shot at f/1.6, 2, 2.8 and 4 | | Cons: | At f5.6 and above it's a pretty average lens | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 1
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 10
Value: 8
Camera Used: K-3 II
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This lens is intended for portraits.
At f/1.6 and f/2, images have a very soft "hallo type" effect around the subjects in the center of the image. The edges and corners are blurred into total "mush".
At f/2.8 and f/4, most of the hallo effect is gone, with the center being very sharp and the corners and edges having what I would call a mild "vignette blur" type of effect.
At f/4 the central part of the image is "wicked sharp".
At f/5.6 and higher, images are pretty much run of the mill, with good sharpness and slightly below average contrast and colors.
I don't shoot portraits, so using this lens for portraits does not appeal to me.
I don't care for the way this lens makes typical landscapes look.
Where I personally really like this lens is for photos with a definite subject that is about 4 to 25 feet from you. Place your subject in the center and take four shots at: f/1.6, f/2, f/2.8 and f/4. You'll have fun and will end up with some very unique and artistic images requiring minimal post processing!  View image in gallery
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