Pentax 15mm HD Limited Review

Pentax 15mm HD Limited Review

I've had a Pentax K5 for a number of years and decided to upgrade my lenses exclusively to Limited lenses only. I've had a few SLR's over the years but have never been truly happy with the lenses. I did own a Canon 17-40L but I wasn't overly impressed, I think it would be perfect for a full frame body but on a crop 50D it didn't have any wow factor.

I recently purchased the Pentax 35mm 2.8 Macro Limited lens which is one of the best lenses I've owned. The sharpness, colour and contrast as well as the macro facility make it a superb lenses to any Pentax kit. You can see my review and some samples here:-

http://pentax35mmlimitedlens.blogspot.co.uk

For my next purchase I plumbed for the 15mm HD Limited wide angle lens from Pentax. I've done lots of research and was initially disappointed with the majority of reviews. They all labour on about soft edges and corners wide open but my thoughts were, 'who shoots wide angle lenses wide open?'. I'm a landscape fan so for me that was never going to be an issue. The one review that really opened my eyes was the one at Northcoast Photographer:-

http://www.northcoastphotographer.net/blog/files/4cfb050deed06e35eb0dca56dc7442ee-23.html

The review here is a glowing report of the older SMC 15mm lens but it really hammers home that a lens is to be used in the field and the quality of images are judged by real photographs and not just lab and technical measurements. It was this single review that led me to purchasing the new HD version of the 15mm Limited lens.

Pentax 15mm HD

Initial Thoughts

The first thing that strikes you about the Pentax Limited lenses, even before they're mounted on a body, is the sheer quality of the build. We're talking milled aluminium barrels with no wobble whatsoever, smooth focusing action and engraved markings as opposed to painted on lettering. There is a reassuring feel in the hand and although it's not heavy it just feels like you are getting your money's worth. I did like the green livery of the older SMC version but there has to be some immediate visual difference, I guess. It looks a little Canon L with the red ring, but hey, I can live with that. No one will mistake the big Pentax on the mirror box anyway; I'd rather not look like a sheep with an SLR around his neck.

Lens Body

The lens has a smooth focusing ring with a depth of field scale and markings for hyperfocal focusing. This is actually useful on a WA lens; the hyperfocal scale on the 35mm is so small it's hardly worth it. The lens cap is a screw on type, again made of metal but with a felt coating on the inside. The screw cap isn't an issue for me but you can throw a skylight filter on a be done with it. Contrary to some reviews, you can screw the cap onto a filter without any issues. Well, I can anyway.

The lens has a quick focusing system so you don't have to switch to MF to focus yourself, just the ring as you used to do in the old days. The auto focus is driven by the screw drive in the body so it's a little noisier than the USM on other lenses. It's hardly noticeable and doesn't bother me at all. I usually have headphones in listening to Progressive Rock anyway so I wouldn't hear it if it was really loud.

Image Quality

At F4, the edges of the frame are a lot softer than the centre. I don't see this as a problem. I would not use this lens for portraits with out of focus backgrounds so F4 isn't going to be used. I'm predominantly a landscape photographer so will be using this mainly at F8 or greater for depth of field. At 5.6 and 8 the edges improves considerably and it's they're only noticeable as the centre of the frame is very sharp.

A lens isn't just about sharpness, it's about the resulting image and this lens is going to deliver superb contrast and deep, rich colours which for landscapes is paramount. I've yet to test it on the subjects I really love to photograph but a quick scout around my home town has shown me images that I will be happy with.

I'm lucky in that I live in  England and only around 90 minutes from the Lake District, Peak District and Snowdonia National Park as well as miles and miles of coastal dune systems and bustling cities like Liverpool. This lens is going to give me the opportunity to capture those images I really want.

Value for Money

The Limited lenses from Pentax do some with a slightly higher price tag but that premium is justified when considering the quality. Edge sharpness could be a little better on this lens but that is countered by the superb colour rendition and contrast you also get. You could look at some of the zoom lenses on offer and weigh up whether you need a more versatile focal length range. For not much more you could have a look at the Pentax 12-24 or even the Sigma 18-35 Art lens (it's a huge lens though, the small size is where the 15mm Limited wins hands down). I've tried to move away from zooms personally as they compromise slightly on every aspect with no one feature being truly outstanding.

One thing to consider is that the Limited lenses do hold their value and even if you sell one in twelve months time you'll get a large chunk of your money back.

Conclusion

As you might be able to tell, I'm a fan of this 15mm lens. I will post more photographs when I can get out to the mountains and take some images I'm passionate about. I recommend this lens for landscape, urban and possibly street photography and I'm more than happy with my purchase.