There's absolutely no reason to be "sorry". I welcome any kind of critical analysis. It's because I'm not entirely happy with the performance of the kit lens that I'm looking for something better. So - keep it coming.

The sun is shining again - and I have more time today, so tripod in hand, I'm going to wander off and try again. Watch this space ....

Andrew

Indeed so - and that's why I'm still considering buying a 16-45mm. I know it will blow away the kit lens at wider apertures.

As an aside, I can't say that I've ever been enthused about brick wall tests. Personally, I find it easier to interpret shots with lots of fractal detail such as trees in winter (like the one posted above).

The MTF tests agree with what you say at apertures wider than (and maybe including) f8. I'm particularly interested in performance at f11 and f16, as it is those that will be used in some landscape shots to get maximum depth of field. Are you saying that lenses other than the 18-55mm kit are much better at those apertures?

I agree with you that the most useful feedback can come from users who have both lenses and can provide a direct comparison. I'd be especially interested in photos that anyone might be able to share that illustrate the difference at small apertures. I haven't been able to find any threads here or elsewhere that show the same photo taken by the 18-55 and also 16-45 at f11 or f16.

Funny you should say that. I was reading through the MTF data on photozone.de this evening, to see how the 18-55mm kit lens's performance at f11 compared with other lens they have tested. I checked four Pentax primes (14,15,20,21) and five zooms (12-24,16-45,16-50,17-70 and 18-55) and there seems to be little to choose between them.

I had a wander in the sunshine this afternoon and took the K200D with me, largely to see how the kit lens performed at small apertures.

This is a photo of no artistic merit whatever, of the car park at a place in Oldham called Brushes Clough. It was taken using the 18-55mm kit lens at 20mm, f16 at 1/80sec. It was hand-held, with no lens hood (as I still had a holder for Cokin P series filters attached - but no filter) and only about 20 degrees anti-clockwise from the sun - so it may well not be the best that the kit lens can do with this scene. Maybe I'll pop out again tomorrow during the day, with a tripod, if the sun makes an appearance.



a 100% crop near the centre ....




and a 100% crop at the top left corner ...



Whilst I've no real basis for comparison, it seems to do OK. If the 16-45mm can do significantly better, then I want to buy one. On the other hand .....

Any thoughts?

Andrew

Just about any prime I can buy is going to be sharper than the kit lens at f5.6 or wider - certainly a (mediocre) old Sigma 28mm f2.8 mini-wide I have is demonstrably sharper below f8. At f8 and above, there's little or no difference.

I'd buy a 16-45 like a shot if I were convinced that it would be sharper than the kit lens at f8, f11 & f16. Are you saying that it is? Have you got any test photos you can share that demonstrate that?

Andrew

Is the gorse out yet in Cornwall?

I've just happened across the thread again (because I was pondering anew about whether I need to buy something "better" for this kind of image) and checked the EXIF for your photo. You took that at f22, 18mm. Every lab test (of any lens) I've seen suggests that at that aperture, image sharpness will be diffraction limited and the quality of the glass has little or no effect.

My suspicion is that at f16 or f22 and at most (all?) focal lengths, the kit lens is pretty much as good as anything you can buy that is stuck on the front of an APS-C camera. If we want much sharper, I think we might have to revisit film in the form of the kind of 5x4 land/view camera used by such as Joe Cornish that has pure size on it's side - and can also incline the plane of focus to get depth of field that is simply unobtainable with the kind of cameras we use.

Well, the sun is shining here - I wonder if there is any gorse in Oldham ....:


Andrew

I received an invoice from ParcelForce on 23/02/2010, which is 7 days after the parcel arrived at customs. If yours arrived at customs on 24/02/2010 then your letter may well arrive in the post today or tomorrow.

If you pay their invoice immediately (you can do it online), it should be delivered on the following day.

The only modern lens I have is the 18-55mm kit lens that came with the K200D when I bought it. I do, though, have half a dozen PK fit manual lenses, some of which were from a previous life and some that I've picked up for very little on Ebay.

The manual lens I use the most is a Pentax-M 75-150mm zoom which I really rate - but I do have difficulty (sometimes) in getting focus confirmation. Maybe my eyes aren't quite what they used to be.

A thought crossed my mind last night whilst I was using the K200D with it's new focus screen. Maybe it's an unworthy thought, I don't know. Maybe some will take exception, but I'm sure others will agree. The thought was "Wow, this is just like using a real camera".

(Dons hard hat & asbestos underpants and ducks under parapet)

Andrew

Parcel Force is part of the Royal Mail Group. On this Parcel Force web page, they explain the charges as:

"We have two levels of clearance fee for import parcels. There is a charge of £13.50 for express parcels imported through the EMS (i.e. International Datapost equivalent) and GLS (i.e. Euro 48 equivalent) networks and also for high value standard parcels (valued at over €1000). For all other import parcels, an £8 charge will apply."


Andrew

I can't say that I'm too happy about the delay either. It took focusingscreen.com 7 days to manufacture the screen and have it shipped 6200 miles from Taiwan to Coventry. It then took Customs and ParcelForce another 9 days to move the parcel the last 130 miles.

You'll get a letter through the post from ParcelForce asking you to pay the VAT (£9.89) and their "Clearance Fee (£13.50)". You can pay online, so should get the delivery the day after you pay.

I haven't really worked out what the "Clearance Fee" is for. ParcelForce pay Customs the VAT on your behalf, so I guess it's effectively an interest charge. If a loan shark charged the same rate (several thousand percent), I suspect he'd be sent to prison. Ho hum ....


Andrew