Pentax smc P-DA 12-24mm f/4.0 ED/AL (IF) Lens

markdpace

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $738.00 from Amazon.com

Summary:
This lens is the sharpest and most distortion-free of all 35mm format wide-angle lenses I've ever used. Its resolution is simply awesome and light distribution is very even across the frame plane - no darkened corners and no need for ND center-point correction filters. It leaves Tamron SP 17mm far behind and in 16-24mm range it outperforms the Pentax DA 16-45mm by a huge margin. Flare is truly well controlled and if you think that DA 16-45mm has flare under control, try this one! Well worth every penny I paid for it!

Strengths:
Incredible sharpness, resolution and distortion control at all apertures. Light-weight, yet feels fairly solid.

Weaknesses:
Slight corner softness at 12mm setting, which gets well under control by f8 and is not present at any aperture in 14-24mm range.

Similar Products Used:
Tamron SP 17mm, Sigma 18-35mm, Pentax DA 16-45mm, Voightlander 12mm

Customer Service:
None needed so far.

danag42

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
2 votes

Price Paid:  $695.00 from B&H

Summary:
This lens is amazingly sharp, especially for a zoom. Distortion is so well controlled that correction in Photoshop is really not necessary, pretty amazing for a super-wide zoom.
CA very well controlled, and the constant f/4 apeture is a plus, especially when using studio flash with a flash meter.

Strengths:
Low distortion, low CA, very sharp for a zoom.

Weaknesses:
Lens hood is HUGE, but I suppose there's no avoiding that with a super-wide.

Similar Products Used:
Pentax 16-45mm f/4 zoom, primes from various manufacturers, an ancient K 45-125 zoom (hard to find those!) and some of the Pentax Limited series.

Customer Service:
Never needed