good ultra wide for pentax

<p>Hello, I am looking for suggestions, I have a 17-28mm smc-f that i am looking to replace, (to much barrel distortion and CA) with a couple of primes, Im thinking a 20mm and a 17 or 18mm K mount or m42 doesn't mater. I am using a K10D. I would like to keep it under $200, if I could.<br>

thanks</p>

 

<p>Your Pentax 17-28mm "F" lens is a fisheye zoom. Its wide angle is much greater than the focal length of 17mm indicates, but fisheye design does include high distortion. Part of the fishy fun.</p>

<p>If it were me, wanting to get a rectilinear wide angle at around 20mm for under $200, I'd consider looking for a Tokina AF 19-35mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens. Build quality is quite good, image quality is very good, and distortion is pretty low at the wide end. f/3.5 at 19mm is decently fast also. If you can find one with the lens hood, better yet.</p>

<p>Most good ultra-wide lenses are very expensive, certainly more than $200. That said, for about that money you can purchase the Zenitar 16mm Russian lens. I owned one for a few years. F 2.8, totally manual, very well built, and the optical quality is quite good. This is a fisheye on a film camera and an ultrawide on a K10D with some noticeable bending distortion on the side. This latter issue can be resolved with software, fairly easily.</p>

<p>Some consider this lens a bargain. You can get an M42 mount used, but I would recommend the K-mount.</p>

<p>ME</p>

<p>I am kind of outdated when it comes to lens purchase. But DA14mm is over $700 even at B&H not to mention Canadian / Aus prices.<br>

I am happy with Zenitar 16mm (I second what Mike said above) and even with the recent increase to US$200, it is still a good deal.<br>

Do not worry about MF and barrel distortion both of which can easily be handled</p>

<p>Daniel </p>

 

<p>I realize this isn't a prime, but you might consider the Pentax DA 18-55 f3.6-5.6. This is Pentax's standard kit lens, it is abundant and inexpensive especially on the used market. I cannot comment on its quality as I do not personally own the lens.<br>

As Michael noted your lens is a fisheye zoom, Pentax's only fisheye zoom and it is no longer made. There might be some demand for that lens. I typed it in quickly at KEH and they would give you $158, you should be able to do better on ebay if you are looking to replace it.<br>

<a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2333979"><br /> </a></p>

<p>One thing about using WA /MF lens is that a lot of time you do not need to focus at all. I did this with zone focus shooting from the floor up of a cat<br>

<img src="http://www.pbase.com/danieltong/image/103144961/original.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Daniel, Toronto</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"As Michael noted your lens is a fisheye zoom, <strong>Pentax's only fisheye zoom</strong> and it is no longer made."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What about the Pentax DA 10-17 fisheye zoom? I'm fairly certain that Pentax still makes that. We'd have heard an uproar if it had been discontinued!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"you might consider the Pentax DA 18-55 f3.6-5.6. This is Pentax's standard kit lens, it is abundant and inexpensive especially on the used market. I cannot comment on its quality as I do not personally own the lens."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I personally own the 18-55, and the quality is actually quite good. For the price, it really can't be beat. The new "II" version is supposed to be even better.</p>

<p>The 16-45 f/4 is really good too.</p>

<p>You might actually nail a good used DA 16-45mm f/4 for not a whole lot more than $200 off ebay. It really is a fine zoom lens with high imaging quality. Some people are going for the new DA 17-70mm and may be looking to sell the older one. Its distortion is rather high at 16mm, but low at 20mm. One recent poster had a thread about a store offering a new one for $300. Try Amazon too.</p>

<p>If you choose to get the 18-55mm kit lens, its distortion at 18mm is also rather high, but good at about 22mm on. You might consider getting the new weather sealed version, since your K10D is also weather sealed.</p>

<p>20mm F2.8 Pentax A lens on ebay:</p>

<p>http://cgi.ebay.com/20mm-Pentax-Manual-Lens-used-on-a-K1000-with-hood_W0QQitemZ140347229162QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCamera_Lenses?hash=item20ad58c3ea&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</p>

 

<p>DA 16-45/4 as recommended above is very good even fully wide. A bargain. For rectilinear ultra-wide you'll need to spend much more for the DA12-24/4.</p>

<p>Thanks R.T for catching that mistake.</p>

 

<p>Not a problem, Douglas. :-) The 10-17 fisheye zoom would appear to be out of Nathan's price range, but I just wanted to make sure that everybody knew that Pentax still has a fisheye zoom in their lineup. ;-)</p>

<p>Incidentally, it's almost certain that e-bay A20/2.8 will close at over $200, probably > $300.</p>

<p>Nathan, recommend DA16-45/4, should be < $300. DA18-55/3.5-5.6 which is also decent can be found for less than half that. Either one is especially strong through the 20-35 range. If the wide-angel 16-20 range is important, that's a good reason to prefer the 16-45 as 16mm is substantially wider than 18mm, plus the 18-55 is a little weaker (vignetting, etc.) at its widest. $200 will get you a good 28mm prime or (maybe?) the 16/2.8 fisheye zenitar but for the most part any primes wider than 28mm will probably bust your stated budget.</p>

<p>Hello Nathan,<br>

If you are only looking at primes, then there is a manual focus Tokina 17mm f/3.5. The IQ of the lens is very good and without dramatic barrel distortion. Its a old style lens i.e. sturdy built quality.<br>

Hope this helps.<br>

Subho</p>