RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: The DA560 is Not Completely Full Frame Compatible

Sunday, February 17, 2013

The DA560 is Not Completely Full Frame Compatible

See the latest test by the PF with a roll of film for the $7,000 DA560 lens put onto a MZ-S:-

http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/da-560mm-f56-is-it-a-full-frame-lens.html

The test pictures speak for themselves, there is heavy vignetting at corners at f/5.6. It should be noted that the hood was not extended for these shots. The darker corners can still be seen at f/8, i.e., one stop from wide opened, although it is not as obvious then.

Updated: Compatibility of DA Lenses on Full Frame

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Mike Lambert · 629 weeks ago

I would be interested to know who this lens is aimed at? Perhaps a serious amateur with deep pockets? With no professional level bodies, and no significant amount of sports togs or paps using Pentax who is going to buy this thing? Perhaps they should have put the development money into FF?

3 replies · active 629 weeks ago

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zosX · 629 weeks ago

In a recent poll on pentax's facebook page nature photographers clearly took the lead. I think pentax knows their market better than people realize and obviously sports photographers are a minority. This lens is designed for field use where portability and weight are probably the most important aspects. If you are shooting wildlife, f5.6 isn't all that slow.

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zosX · 629 weeks ago

It probably didn't cost much for them to develop this too...looks like they pulled an old design and refreshed it a bit. The cost is due to volume and production costs. Obviously there is a small niche market of pentax users they are catering to here.

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Flex D Hands · 629 weeks ago

It's basically a telescope with a lens mounting as far as I can see. My heart sinks at the vast number of tedious bird pictures we're going to have posted on the various boards, now. Yaaaaawwwwwwwn

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John Rice · 629 weeks ago

It's a DA lens so it's not a FF lens ie DFA .

It's all in the name!

1 reply · active 629 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 629 weeks ago

Nope. Most non-wide DA prime lenses are actually Full Frame compatible!

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Peter · 629 weeks ago

Sadly I have finally given up on Pentax. I really wanted Pentax to succeed, I really did, but the idiotically overpriced and profoundly underwhelming 560 was the last straw. I have px'd all my Pentax gear and bought full frame Nikon. For what the 560 would have cost me I have bought the stunning AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II plus 14E II and 20E III TC's and with the change and px on my Pentax kit I've bought a D4. I simply can't wait for Pentax; they are so far behind Canon and Nikon I doubt that they will ever catch up.
Sad day.
Peter

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Peter · 629 weeks ago

Not a good lens compared to the Nikon/Canon offerings. Nikon and Canon are in to second or third generation development of in lens vibration reduction and its integration with camera AF. Whilst shake reduction might work on short to medium length lenses it simply can't work on long lenses because of the geometry and the physics. The 560mm lens is more than half a meter long and is relatively light, add a fairly light body on one end and the combination is going to wave around like a stick in the wind. I really can't see how the Pentax IS can possibly work with this lens hand held. I've recently used a Sigma 150-500 on a K5IIs with the OS on and the camera SR turned off - a revelation.

1 reply · active 629 weeks ago

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Mike Lambert · 629 weeks ago

Sad to hear. I'm thinking of doing the same but I won't get $7000 for my kit :( I will give Pentax until xmas to pull something out of the bag. I think this lens and some their other recent products are misguided and are not giving the average Pentax user what they want. That is the majority of their users - their "bread and butter". I can't believe they will sell enough of these lenses to make the development and production costs worthwhile, unless of course it really was cobbled together as other posters have said. As I said it will appeal to a handful not the many thousands they should be aiming at. Like most Pentaxians I would like to see a FF body with a few novel features or something to make it distinctive from the Canikons of the world. Some new lenses would be nice. Its not asking too much is it?

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Anonimity is Great · 629 weeks ago

How bout APS-H? We all know the real obstacles for Pentax in releasing FF, is the lack of official new Pentax ff lens. But, on an APS-H camera the vignette from available da lenses would be much less noticeable. Et, Viola! It will be a good compromise for Pentax to release such camera. They wouldn't have to release modern fa lenses which would cost a lot in investment, yet their cameras will have the advantage of bigger sensors. Now I don't see any reason for the ff campers to keep insisting on FF once this camera comes out, or is there?

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jaad75 · 629 weeks ago

1.3EV vignetting is what you would normally see on full frame, especially wide open. Sometimes much more than that. What is more important, is the corner resolution - if it's good enough, I would definitely say it is a full frame lens.

4 replies · active 629 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 629 weeks ago

The sudden light fall-off does look rather awful to my eyes, at least.

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jaad75 · 629 weeks ago

It doesn't look good, but it is not that visible in real life situations. Let's wait for corner resolution tests.

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OGL · 629 weeks ago

1.3EV vignetting is pretty normal on full frame ONLY for wide-angles lenses wide-opened.
not for super tele at f5.6.

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jaad75 · 629 weeks ago

But it's the widest aperture for this lens. You can't compare an f/2.8 supertele stopped down to f/5.6 to this lens wide open. And there are many superteles with comparable vignetting (wide open of course).

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Z.T. · 629 weeks ago

I have looked through the links, like on The Digital Picture . com which describe the vignetting on both Nikon and Canon long lenses and understand now that article about the DA560 was a fantastic example of a half-baked journalism on Pentax Forum's side. It does more damage and bring in more misinformation that what's worth it looking at it. Rice, it would be good for you to check additional sources and references too.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-V...

3 replies · active 629 weeks ago

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RiceHigh 110p · 629 weeks ago

I don't think PF would and should do any damage to Pentax as it is obvious that the lens was given/loaned by Pentax for "free".

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OGL · 629 weeks ago

don't fool us - http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/612-canon400...
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 USM L - 0.42 EV at f5.6, and 0.08 EV at f8

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Alex · 629 weeks ago

Canon 500mm f/4 II - -1.4 EV at f/4

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OGL · 629 weeks ago

It could be average for FF telezooms, not for 7000USD's prime.

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frank · 629 weeks ago

There doesn't seem to be a long term strategy for fullframe. The 560mm spec was written 2yrs ago i assume. Back then FF didnt play any role un their thoughts. Now it does. Hopefully. Sealed k5 bodys make sense for wildlife photographers with such a lense if its sealed too.For FF a whole new lense family is neccessary. Cant do that over night. Its a big jump for a company with market share abt. 5...10%.Unfourtunately i think there were strategic mistakes and pentax did not know the market. But now i think they understood. Simehow they have toyish looking compacts with color variations (europe buyers dont care about such gimmicks), and on the other side a 7000eur pro price lens without a serious pro body programme...

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

The DA560 is Not Completely Full Frame Compatible

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