Pentax SMCP-DA Fish-Eye 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 ED (IF)

tac sharp & an overall great lens for all sorts of occasions.
great for really big landscapes & tight up close shots.
10mm has all sorts of cool distortion, if you're into that.
I tend to use the 17mm more, it comes in very handy.

solidly built, it has a hefty feel to it

the outside lens is really curved & protrudes from the main lens body.
I havent scratched the lens, but it concerns me to see the glass hanging out :o)
keep that lens cap on between shots

havent had to use it

Originally I was looking at this for external architecture and museum interiors. I am amazed at how close your able to get to the subject and still capture everything. The ability to take in 180 degrees is great, and with software your able to remove the fisheye effect if needed. I actually used it as a walking around lens for a day at a county fair - it was fun and effortless and produced a number of great shots. At 10mm there is an fisheye effect, however at 17mm there is much less than expected. A slight bend - but not that noticeable. More rectilinear than expected.

The lens is quite small, smaller than what one might expect. The weight for its size is surprisingly heavy, however overall it is very light. Construction is excellent, actually superb - primarily metal, and reeks of quality. Build finish is excellent as you would expect. It feels like a precision instrument when held, especially when taken out of the bag/case in which it comes in. The metal lens cap fits over the outside diameter of the lens, protecting the curved surface of the primary lens. When compared to other lenses, it is quite small, with the barrel size smaller than what you initially expect.

Upon mounting it on my K100D, it is a bit shorter than expected, actually quite small, however with its mass, when mounted it gives a great feel and balance to the camera unit. Auto-focusing is extremely quick and instantous - no hunting, just dead on. Manual focusing is smooth and quick.

The lens is extremely sharp, colors very accurate, everything you would expect from this lens at the price. Purchased it for $450 with the $100 Pentax rebate for a total of $350.

This lens provides a large additional dimension to viewing the world. Initially, the first day out, I used it photographing small animal judging (rabbits and guniea pigs) – which proved to be a very good application, in that one could take in the entire field of competition while on the judging tables. Even the winner’s pictures holding their animals, using 17mm, brought a new perspective, in that the camera was able to get so close to the subjects.

I will say for landscapes, it does push the main focal points away to the extent that they may be lost in the frame, unless the overall subject is so large and consuming - i.e., the Grand Canyon, that you would need the lense to caputure the overall setting.

Great quality and construction finish. Feels like a fine instrument. Dead on instant focus - no hunting. Great bag/case.

None

DA 16-45mm F4 ED AL
DA 18-55mm F 3.5 5.6

Not used