f 3.5/15mm on D

Hi all.

I've been offered a couple of nice lenses and I´d like to ask the forum if the SMC f 3.5/15mm lens should work ok (optically) as a wide angle on a K100D (or K10D), or should I go for an SMC DA lens instead? Yes, I like manual focusing.

I also came across the SMC-A* f 1.4/85 with the same guy and I´m quite anctious to lay may hand on them.....no kidding.....

// Mats

15mm?


Mmmmm sounds ace!

I'd expect it to have no problems on any of the bodies - I use a 50mm SMC-A f1.7 with no trouble

The 15mm lens won't be as wide as on a film camera, but it'll sill be plenty wide. The 85mm will also be cropped so that it's the sme as using a 127mm lens. Great for headshots and such.

Thanks for your answers, gentlemen.

Yes, I´m aware of the crop factor of 1.5. but as a 15mm will end up at 22.5mm, it's pretty wide angle to me.

I´ll just lay my hands on them both and see how I like them.

To tell the truth, I haven´t even got me a Digital body yet, but I´m waiting for the K10D to be released. I only have my KM that I bought new back in 1975 and a Contax/Zeiss setup, so it will be fun to enter the digital world.

Thanks again!

// Mats

I have an SMC Pentax-A 15mm F3.5 that I use no problems on an *istD, but I also use the DA 16-45, so do not actually need the 15mm on the Digital. The 15mm really shows its capability better on my PZ-1, however, because of the wide angle.

I am, in fact, thinking of selling my 15mm.

Thanks for your input Chris.

That´s good news to hear you like it on the *istD. What would be the going price on the market for the lens?

// Mats

Hard to tell the price. Brand new this lens sold for approx. £1000 in the UK. It came in an "M" and "A" format. It is the "A" format that is fully compatible within the *istD.

I would think that if the lens is "as-new" and boxed the price should be upwards towards the new cost, especially as this lens is:

A - very good
B - very rare
C- No longer available new
D - Good looking and fantastic fun to use

I would be interested in any other feed back as I decide whether to sell mine or not!

The 15mm f3.5, which was actually first a K series lens and then an A series with no M version, is excellent on film cameras.

On digital the one thing that hasn't been mentioned is it is huge and heavy and really IMHO a pretty over the top way to achieve a 22.5mm equivalent. I really think the 14mm DA or 16-45mm DA lenses would be much more appropriate, and will probably perform better as well.

Sorry for the bad news but I had a 15mm K series which I used on the *istD with dissapointing results. A Sigma 12-24 which replaced it gave far better results on digital and film. The overall optical contrast of the 15mm was very low at all apertures. I assume the tranfer function did not match the chip. Using unsharp masking with a large pixel radius helped with the overall contrast but corner sharpness and chromatic aberration where beyond repair, very dissapointing! This applies to old wide angles of other makes. Optics has moved on in the last 25 years.

Cheers Pierre

I can only assume you have a bad lens, or the "K" is significantly different than the "A" --- which I do not believe is the case. I will try and upload some photos at the w ekend, but my A 15mm F3.5 give sgraet sharp and contrasty pictures with both 35mm and Digital.

Please!

Try these, all with PZ1 and SMC A 15mm F3.5.


http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/chrisproudfoot/Photos/Antigua/Antigua%2014A%20jpg.jpg
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/chrisproudfoot/Photos/Antigua/Antigua%2020A%20jpg.jpg
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/chrisproudfoot/Photos/Antigua/Antigua%2031A%20jpg.jpg
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/chrisproudfoot/Photos/Antigua/Antigua%205A%20jpg.jpg

Mmm, that seems to be a good place for a vacation!

Did you scan or did you order a CD from the lab?

// Mats

These were scanned using a Nikon IV scanner. The film was ISO 400 and the grain clearly shows.

OK, so I just layed hands on the two lenses today.

They were in good shape, both of them, but the 15mm is missing the original front cap. It came with a Canon 80mm metal cap but that one is too "shallow" to cover the hood curves. I think this will be a problem with the KM as it has the full fame metering which is activated by light. The Canon hood leaks light into the camera, which will probably eat batterys when the lens is attached and the camera is not in use.

Any hint of where to find an original cap will be most appreciated.

Now, I´m just waiting for my K10D to be, so please Pentax, no delays now.......

// Mats