> I'm still convinced that the image quality delivered by the *ist D is not up > to my expectations, and that's a major issue, as the "electronic film" (aka > sensor) cannot be changed/improved over the time, as it happens with film > cameras. > So far, despite trying several lenses on the *ist D, none in the shorth > focal length field gives acceptable image quality (to my standard, of > course), and none shows great difference. > I've tried: > 15/3.5 A > 20/4.5 SMC Takumar > 20/2.8 Zeiss Jena Flektogon > 24/2.8 A > 24/2 FA* > 18-35 FAJ > 24-90 FA > 28-70/4 FA
Unfortunately most of the primes on this list are older optical designs, primarily because pentax hasn't made a lot of new ultrawides I assume. The 15/3.5 design apparently isn't great (nor is the equivalent Nikkor), the 20/4.5 is generally held to be not the best. Kinda surprised that the 24s don't perform better, but I've never tested a 24 (Pentax or Nikon) that performs as well as longer lenses. Don't know anything about the Flektogon, other than that I'd like to have one if I could find one. The zooms don't surprise me as mediocre performers at wide angles, as zooms are always compromises and making a good one is more expensive than pentax normally markets. (This is not to say that Pentax zooms are bad, just that they aren't as good as the $1750 zooms from C and N) I'm curious what is WRONG with the images delivered by these lenses on the *istD, especially compared to the images delivered by the same lenses on film? Sharpness and contrast? (The *istD is known to "undersharpen" its images electronically, and the sensor in it does appear to be less sharp by nature than the Canon and possibly the Fuji sensors). Distortion? It's a real pity that you can't mount the same lenses on some other digital and compare results to know if all the wides are bad or the camera is bad. I have not found ultra-wides to be great performers on film, in any brand and at any price range, when compared to standard lenses. I'd actually expect Pentax lenses to perform better on a digital camera than most because Pentax seems to optimize for center sharpness at the cost of corner sharpness and digital of course doesn't use the corners. How does the *istD perform with a lens of known outstanding quality? If it is fine there then the problem is the lenses, although I think you'll find that nobody's ultra-wide glass is great. DJE
