Digital SLR Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Pentax Digital Slr’

Pentax SMC DA Series 16 50mm f 2 8 ED AL IF SDM Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras

Designed for exclusive use with Pentax digital SLR cameras, the Pentax DA* 16-50mm f/2.8 wide-angle zoom lens is a terrific choice for landscapes, portraiture, and just about any other application. The lens features a tightly sealed, weather-resistant and dust-resistant construction to enhance durability in rainy or dusty conditions. The lens’s three aspherical elements and two special optical glass elements, meanwhile, help compensate for chromatic and spherical aberration, producing images with superior contrast, clarity, and edge-to-edge sharpness. And thanks to the lens’s Pentax-original Quick-Shift Focus System, you can easily and instantly switch from autofocus to manual focus.

Specifications

• Focal length: 16-50mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2.8
• Minimum aperture: f/22
• Lens construction: 15 elements in 12 groups
• Angle of view: 83 to 31.5 degrees (when used with Pentax digital SLR camera body)
• Number of diaphragm blades: 9
• Metering system: TTL open-aperture metering
• Minimum focusing distance: 0.3 meters
• Maximum magnification: 0.21x
• Filter size: 77mm
• Corresponding AF mounts: Pentax KAF2
• Dimensions: 3.3 inches in diameter and 3.9 inches long
• Weight: 19.9 ounces (without hood)
• Warranty: 1 year

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Stunning lens
It’s too bad there are bad copies out there because the only thing thing I can say about my copy is “stunning.” Well, there are other adjectives but you get the idea;)

I’ve had mine for a little over a month now and it’s by far my favorite lens. Crystal clear sharpness, incredible colors, great bokeh, and wonderful contrast. For me it’s the perfect walkaround lens–although I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a 31mm Limited!

As for the bad copies, I know there are bad copies out there and you should always test your lens but make sure you test it correctly. The WRONG way to test it is to make a test board, open up the lens to 16mm, 2.8 and get close to the board so that it fills or nearly fills the frame. I guarantee the edges will be hugely out of focus. The reason is the edge is 40% farther from the lens than the center of the picture. So it’s better to back away and take several shots by focus locking on the target and then moving your camera so the image is on the various edges of the frame.

My copy does have very, very slight vignetting at 16mm at 2.8 but it’s never been annoying, but it can be easily PP’d out if need be. I didn’t mark it down for this because it is so slight and is actually pleasing to the eye, imo.

One thing, however, is you should buy it from a reputable dealer with a good return policy so if you do get a bad one it won’t be a hassle to return it. I have to say, though, that this lens is so good it’s worth taking the risk.

5 Stars Great Lens!
I’ve been using the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8, and upgraded to the Pentax because of the SDM, the wider wide angle, and the Weather Resistance, and I don’t regret it. The Sigma isn’t a bad lens, considering it costs ~60% as much, but this lens is far superior.

Initially, I thought it was broken – when I pressed the shutter button I didn’t hear *anything*. Then I realized that it had focused, and was amazed. It’s much faster focusing than my other short zooms, nearly silent, and very precise. Contrast is great, bokeh is very nice. It also focuses closer than I expected – down to around four or six inches. Not a Macro, but definitely useable for lots of close-ups.

The images I’ve gotten from it in the days I have had it are extremely sharp and contrasty. The Sigma I have tended to underexpose by about half a stop; this one seems dead on.

This thing is huge, too. It’s probably 30% bigger than the Sigma, and much heavier. Prepare to spend money if you want to put filters on this baby. Make sure you have a good strong back before strapping this thing on your camera, too!

Pentax continues to amaze me with the quality they produce at such low prices. If you’re one of the people that just snorted when I said “Low prices”, I suggest you go check the price on the Nikkor or Canon equivalent of this lens (L series in Canon lenses). Then report back.

2 Stars I sent the first two back
They are still having problems with quality assurance. This lens arrived and it looked great. I took several test images of a large 2 foot square black-on-white ink line drawing. It had sharply defined ink pen lines all over it, all the way to the edges. The images showed that the focus was unacceptably out of alignment from left to right and also a bit out from bottom to top. Looking at the test images over all, it seems like it might be a good lens if they can get me one with the alignment right.

Ammended 9/24 2009

The replacement arrived I tested it today using the same method and the alignment on this replacement lens was out of alignment in roughly the opposite direction by a similar amount, making the left edge significantly less sharp focused than the right. I returned it for replacement. We shall see what we get on the next try. I really would like to to get a properly aligned example of this lens that can provide images with a consistent focus left and right and top and bottom.

Ammended 9/29/2009

Amazon declined to send a third lens, offering simultaneously that getting two defective examples was very unusual, and strangely that, were they to ship a third, it would likely suffer the same defect. They volunteered to refund my shipping cost and purchase price, and recommended I contact Pentax. I will post clips from the center and each of the two extreme edges of the test image on this site.

It was very easy to alert Amazon and initiate a return. I really would still like to get a good one of these lenses. Apparently you do need some amount of luck to accomplish that.

My advice to anyone wanting one of these is, be prepared to test what you get, and do not order it a week before your big vacation trip expecting to have one arrive at the last minute that is good enough to use.

5 Stars A bargain…just buy it!!!
For Pentax K20D users:

(Older model owners: upgrade already, you’re missing all the fun, what are you waiting for?

I reviewed tons of sites before purchasing this lens. Here the lowdown after some extensive K20D (real world studio with people, not charts) testing:

-”Famous urban Internet legend” QA issues: Are done and over with. Blast from the (2008) past. All current lenses in stock do not have any issues anymore (in case you heard).

-Sharpness/Focus: Much, much better then lower grade zooms, especially if you stop down an f-stop or two (which you really should anyhow). It really shows all the (detailed) glory of your sensor. Do not settle for a third party lens (Sigma, Tamron, etc.) if you can have the real thing.

-AF: Way more accurate then kit/consumer lenses. Dead-on 95% of the time (versus non * lenses: More like 50%-70%). And in case you’re comparing: Yes, it’s better then the 17-70mm Pentax.

-A real bargain compared to Nikon/Canon glass: you would have to pay over a grand for the same quality.

-Bottom line: the best zoom glass you can get other then the (new digital) * primes. Even there, I think you would have a hard time to see a difference.

And yes, I do this for a living (shooting, not reviewing, that is).

I’m just flabbergasted how professional Pentax has become: The Nikon D300 with any glass shoots like a Coolpix in comparison (yes, I own an entire Nikon outfit).

5 Stars This is the lens to buy
Stellar! If you’re buying a new camera, don’t buy the “throw away” lens that comes with the camera for a hundred bucks (you get what you pay for), save the money and apply it towards this lens. If you have the camera body already and are looking for a top notch lens, this is it. The 16mm-50mm f2.8 is great for shooting indoors and outdoors. It is excellent in low light situations, especially where you don’t want to use a flash. One of the best lenses I’ve seen in a long time. Well worth the price at full price through Pentax, Amazon has been giving this lens away, so even better.

Buy/More Info

Pentax DA 55 300mm f 4 5 8 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras

The versatile Pentax DA 55-300mm zoom lens offers a focal length equivalent of 82.5 to 450mm in the 35mm format, making it ideal for moderate to long sports and wildlife shots. The lens is outfitted with multiple ED glass elements, which are designed to minimize chromatic aberration and makes images look crisper and sharper than ever before. The Pentax Super Protective coating, meanwhile, protects the exposed lens elements against dirt and contamination. Other features include a focusing ring that permits easy manual focusing, a 4.6-foot close focusing distance, and a 58mm filter diameter. Specially adapted for high-quality Pentax and Samsung digital SLR cameras, the lens carries a one-year warranty.

Specifications

• Focal length: 55-300mm
• Maximum aperture: f/4 to 5.8
• Minimum aperture: f/22 to 32
• Lens construction: 12 elements in 8 groups
• Angle of view: 29 to 5.4 degrees (when used with Pentax digital SLR camera body)
• Number of diaphragm blades: 6
• Minimum focusing distance: 4.6 feet
• Maximum magnification: 0.28x
• Filter diameter: 58mm
• Diaphragm control: Fully automatic
• Hood: PH-RBG 58mm
• Objective cap: O-LC58
• Case: S80-160
• Corresponding AF mounts: Pentax and Samsung
• Dimensions: 2.8 inches in diameter and 4.4 inches long
• Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Warranty: 1 year

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Bad copies, beware!
I received two bad copies of this lens ordering from Amazon. The first wouldn’t focus even in bright light/high contrast; it would sit there seeking forever and decide on a very blurry shot. This wouldn’t have been so bad, but the manual focus ring is pretty touchy, especially when at 300mm. Additionally, it appeared that the left half of the image was out of focus and the right half was in focus when taking faraway shots.

I returned the lens to Amazon for another copy – Amazon gets five stars for its awesome exchange policy! – and this new copy didn’t have the autofocus problems, but all my pictures were blurry regardless of the aperture. To make sure I wasn’t going insane or just being a poor photographer, I tested out a copy at a local photo store and found the images to be sharp and crisp like all the other reviewers here. So, buyer beware, it looks like there’s a bad batch out there somewhere.

4 Stars Great value zoom
This lens is a really great deal and unless you are going to pay waaay more, picking up this lens is a no brainer. The reason I only give it 4 stars is that while the IQ is excellent, it’s still not on par with the DA* lenses. It takes excellent pictures but they just lack that POP that the DA* and other top end lenses give you but it is a very sharp lens which makes post processing that much easier.

Ideally, I would like a DA* 50-135 and a DA* 300 to cover the similar range but that would run close to 2K. So all in all I am very happy with this little lens.

5 Stars Pentax Lens
This lens meets all my expectations, I have used it several times with complete satisfaction.

4 Stars a great performer
I have had this lens for about a month now. First the good things: This lens is surprisingly sharp from 55mm all the way through 300mm and there is not much difference in sharpness between widely open and close down aperture. The weight is just about right and focusing speed is ok for me. But, my lens has very strong chromatic abberation when it is widely open, all through the zoom range. The color (blue) fringe is pretty (excuse me for not being scientifically accurate) wide. In a test shot, the black characters (on a white background) became all blue at the short end of the lens at f4 and f5.6. I did not bother to return my lens for service or exchange, because it is so sharp and I can avoid most of the chromatic abberation by not shooting high contrast subjects. At about 350 dollars, this lens is not at all a bargain as somebody has suggested. But it performs much better than many other lens in this league.

5 Stars Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED Lens
This is a fine zoom lens. I especially enjoy taking pictures of low flying planes with it.

Buy/More Info

Opteka Professional 1X 2X Right Angle Viewfinder for Canon Nikon Olympus Sony and Pentax Digital SLR Cameras

Ever find it hard to get your SLR in just the right angle to take that perfect shot you’ve always wanted. Optekas Professional Right Angle Viewfinder let’s you line up an off the deck shot without needing to crawl on your belly. The Opteka finder features include a built in diopter with 1X and 2X capability, full 360 degree rotation, and universal mounting attachments for most Digital SLR cameras including Canon EOS, Nikon, Olympus EVOLT, Pentax, Sony Alpha, & many more. Padded leather-like pouch for easy handling included.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good quality and good price
I bought this for my Nikon D60. It is not the kind of thing I use a great deal, but it is very helpful for low angles. I bought it primarily for macro photography, although the 2X magnification is very nice when the camera is on a tripod. The finder is well made and it fits perfectly. I noticed comments on loose fitting with Canon cameras, but this is not the case with Nikon. It produces a clear image with good contrast. Its only problem is a narrow angle of view, i.e., you have to look straight into the eyepiece. This is a minor issue. At roughly 1/4th the cost of the Nikon right angle finder, this is a real bargain.

3 Stars Ill-fitting adapter
This was the most reasonably-priced angle viewfinder on the market. After reading the reviews of it on Amazon I decided to buy it since I made a new year’s resolution to do more with macro photograhy this year. The viewfinder arrived quickly and was packaged in a nice leather (or pseudo-leather pouch). Because the viewfinder is “universal” it comes with several different adaptors for different makes and models of DSLRs. I have a Canon 50D, so I immediately selected that adapter and tried to attach the viewfinder to the camera. Unfortunately the adapter is a shade larger than the viewfinder on the camera that it attaches to. The end result is that the viewfinder is loose on the camera–to the point that it might even fall off if you don’t hold it firmly against the camera with your finger. I don’t know if this was an error in packaging of the adapter or not. I did not read anything about this in any of the other reviews, I can certainly still use the viewfinder, and it appears to function adequately, but it is going to be kind of a pain to have to hold it tight with my finger.

5 Stars Using Opteka’s Professional Right Angle Viewfinder
Who would have thought that an accessory like this could be so much fun. I bought this item for the purpose of getting into closeup photography at different angles.

I must have used this in the regular position, looking down like an old box camera, for who knows how many shoots.

I experimented with turning the viewer to be able to look around corners. Actually, the viewfinder can be turned to 4 different positions. A whole new world can be seen from almost all of these options.

4 Stars Nice performer for light duty
I purchased this device for occasional, light duty and it fills that requirement very well. The fit on my Nikon D80 and D90 is slightly lose but not so lose as to cause problems given my limited usage. It certainly makes ground level flower photography much easier and is very handy when I attach my camera to my astronomical telescope. If I were a professional photographer or used a right angle viewfinder for a majority of my work, the $230 Nikon viewfinder would make sense but for the more limited work I do with it, this $60 device fills the need and performs very well.

5 Stars opteka right angle viewfinder
This item does a good job for the purpose of it’s design

has quality optic’s and works well.Recommend item

Buy/More Info

Pentax AF 360 FGZ Flash for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras w case

The PENTAX AF360FGZ auto flash unit features a large guide number of 30 (at ISO100/m), which allows for effective flash photography over a lengthy distance. This clip-on, bounce auto-zoom flash includes a variety of advanced flash features, such as P-TTL auto flash, high-speed synchronization and wireless P-TTL auto flash, when mounted on a PENTAX digital SLR camera. Zoom Head – 24-85mm (flash automatically senses focal length) Flash sync mode – Leading-shutter-curtain sync, Trailing-curtain-sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed-sync, modeling flash, Wireless flash Power Source – Four AA size batteries (alkaline, lithium, Ni-Cd, NiMh) Dimensions W x H x D – 2.8 x 4.3 x 4.5 inches (70 x 110 x 115.5mm) Weight – 9.6 oz. (270g)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Excellent Product
Perfect addition to my K100D

It uses less battery life than the camera when in a pinch, I’ve been able to switch out the batteries to increase my camera’s life while still being able to use the flash.

2 Stars Mechanical Quality Stops At the Surface
If I could, I RATE THIS PRODUCT 2.5 Stars.

I agree with an earlier review in that this Pentax flash unit is mechanically very disappointing and certainly not worthy of the Pentax name. In no way does this product represent the Japanese Quality and Solid Designs of the 80’s that we have all become sentimental about. With this flash unit, Pentax has taken the low road to profit in place of working towards brand loyalty by producing a quality product, and making sure their dealers stand behind the product without sniveling.

The Pentax flash I received was assembled in the Philippines and judging from the rough mold quality of the battery door and surround plastics used to secure the battery door are reminiscent of parts that come from a place with little QA. With the flash unit I have, when all four AA batteries are out, the battery door is difficult to open. With all four batteries in place, the battery door is easily knocked ajar, leaving a 1.5-2 mm gap at the top of the battery door. From this slight open position, the battery door can and does with little force, pop open letting the batteries to spill out. I had the flash in my hands for just 3-4 minutes before that event happened and when I need my flash the last thing I want happening is for the batteries to fall out into my camera bag or on to the floor.

If you are right handed like myself, because of the natural area where a person tends to grab the flash, to release the flash head position lock button, by default causes the battery cover on my flash unit to pop partially open. Only once in 3 attempts was I able to till the flash head without disturbing the placement of the battery compartment cover and knocking the cover partially open. I have been using flashes of this similar design and nature since the old Vivatar 283 days of the late 70’s and never have I seen a case where the act of tilling a flash head could cause a battery compartment to open.

The second area of concern is the flash shoe. Like another review stated the shoe uses a small metal pin to help keep the locking mechanism align while the user moves the compression collar. The compression collar on my shoe is not well registered mechanically. I can see this device failing and perhaps cracking in the field.

Also the flash unit, with hot shoe locking collar released, fits much too tightly in the camera hot shoe. For this reason, the flash unit is difficult to remove from the K20D hot shoe and always requires close attention during the process as I need to use both hands, one placed near the flash hot shoe, and one placed near the camera hot shoe. Then I have to wiggle the flash unit back and forth till I unseat the flash.

If not, I get the impression that over torquing during this process could lead to serious mechanical damage to both the flash unit and camera body. I’m use to using just one hand to perform this task, of seating and unseating a flash unit atop a prism housing, and this is the most difficult flash unit I have ever mounted.

In fairness, I thought I should make sure that the mounting issue was with this Pentax flash, so I tried to see how a backup Vivatar 2000 flash unit would sit on the K20D camera hot shoe, and I was able to seat and unseat the Vivatar flash on the camera hot shoe with a single hand. Hence the fitting (mechanical tolerance) issue rest with the Pentax flash itself. From feel, I estimate the Pentax flash hot shoe pad to be about 0.005″ of an inch too think.

Today, all of my photo shooting is done for fun, but that does not preclude my desire to still use and operate equipment that is reliable and robust enough that I can operate in the field and not be overly concerned about the state of my equipment or if the equipment will even survive little more than casual use. From what I have seen of the Pentax 360 Flash, makes me wonder if an investment in other Pentax gear is such a wise move. If Pentax is incapable of doing the very basic mechanical functions well like keeping a simple battery cover closed tight, then how can they be trusted to be any better with the more complex tasks?

From this product if not already, Pentax needs to initiate a Technical Lessons Learned (TTL) database, so this sort of fiasco in elementary mechanical design does not surface in a future product.

This sight unseen purchase, should I return the item will costing me $35 dollars for a 180 dollar sale. Beach Camera wants to charge a 10% restocking fee to take what I see as an inherent design and manufacturing flaw plus cost to return ship. Maybe, Beach Camera should not sell what they are not willing to stand behind, or they would take a defective product return without conditions. Also, why would you need to restock a defective item? Because of their return policy towards Amazon customers and the fact that they are not open on Saturday, I give a neutral recommendation for Beach Camera.

Minus one star for battery door design, function & quality of parts used.

Minus half star for hot shoe design & material selection.

Minus half star for casual use & field reliability.

4 Stars Nice flash.
Easy to use. Fast enough recharge. Affordable. Able to go wireless.

2 things. While I haven’t used the 540, I’d probably buy it over this one due to the lack of swivel alone. If you don’t find yourself taking portrait oriented photos in low light, its not an issue at all though.

also, i find turning the autozoom off in most low light situations. set to around 50mm, and keep the pttl on, makes a huge difference.

5 Stars Great product
Perfect product to carry with you! Low weigh and very compact, ideal for parties and other uses that you don’t want to carry a big accessory bag!

Plus: Very economic for the batteries!

5 Stars It’s a Fair product for the price
It have done all was it have promise, is well built and perform very good also it have a reachable price. I recommended a lot for any Pentax camera it also give great results with my Lumix LX3 of camera flash, tough it took a wile to make it work.

Buy/More Info

PENTAX DA 18 55mm f 3 5 5 6 AL Weather Resistant Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Camera

Featuring high quality, weather-resistant and dust-resistant construction, SDM autofocus, and extra low dispersion glass, the smc PENTAX DA Star 18-55mm F3.5-F5.6 ED (IF) SDM, exclusively for PENTAX digital SLR cameras, is a versatile telephoto zoom lens for photographers who demand flexibility and the highest quality from their glass. The tightly sealed, weather-resistant and dust-resistant construction enhances durability for use in both rainy and dusty conditions, making this lens a perfect companion for the weather-resistant PENTAX DSLR bodies. In addition the PENTAX-original Quick-Shift Focus System allows instant switching from autofocus to manual focus operation. Dimensions – 2.7 x 2.7 Weight – 8.1 oz without hood; 9.0 oz with hood Includes – Case, Hood, Lens Cap, and Rear Lens Cap

Buy/More Info