DA 21mm Limited appreciation thread: the versatile pancake

[art2d2]

I think Bernard and Denis have already sum it up what a great lens this is. I been using the DA21 as one of my main lens for the past 3 years. I actually traded my DA*16-50 with it with top up from the trader.

Shot 2 weddings almost entirely with it and recently my family reunion during Chinese New Year. It was a very special CNY for me as my brother from Australia came home for the first time after 20 years to celebrate with my family. Here are some photos taken during my CNY holidays back in KK, Sabah.

Reunion Dinner...too much meat. Apologizing for displaying non-halal food in advance hehe.
All photos taken with K-X, DA 21 and Metz-50, uncropped.

Char siew and siew nyuk

Roast duck

Roast chicken

Kui nyuk and yam

More photos coming later...

 

[hjbyeo]

Arthur, you pics are content protected!

 

[art2d2]

Arthur, you pics are content protected!

Opps you should see it now..;p

 

[gtl1987]

Wah really meat overload :sweat:

Reunion Dinner...too much meat. Apologizing for displaying non-halal food in advance hehe.
All photos taken with K-X, DA 21 and Metz-50, uncropped.

 

[creampuff]

Wah Arthur the food looks good. One day we must somehow arrange to meet you in Kota Kinabalu for Pentax Sabah photo outing. With all that meat, going up Mount Kinabalu is no problem... :bigeyes:

 

[hjbyeo]

I am already hungry looking at all the food. It does show its capabilities with food as well. I'll not hesitate to take pictures of food wide open (at f3.2), and in some cafe's it's dim and the auto iso points straight to 3200 on the camera, but it turns out ok.

Denis, serious about a trip to Sabah KK? Let's organise 1. When's a good time to visit?

 

[felixcat8888]

Man, all that food is really making me hungry

 

[creampuff]

I am already hungry looking at all the food. It does show its capabilities with food as well. I'll not hesitate to take pictures of food wide open (at f3.2), and in some cafe's it's dim and the auto iso points straight to 3200 on the camera, but it turns out ok.

Denis, serious about a trip to Sabah KK? Let's organise 1. When's a good time to visit?

Actually I'm quite keen. I had planned to go years ago but my travel plans had to change last minute. OK need to do research first and get in shape liao...

extracted from another source online:

January to April are the driest months where the precipitation are the lowest (i.e. below 150mm per month). This is the best time to come here and climb Mount Kinabalu.
Rain can occur at any time of the year. In Sabah the main rainy seasons are from October to January when the rains come with the north east monsoon, and from May to July, with the south west monsoon.
Mornings are usually clear at any season. Sabah lies below the typhoon (hurricane) belt, though the tail-ends can cause strong winds and rain during the typhoon season.
At Kinabalu Park Headquarters (1,560m a.s.l) the mean monthly temperature is approximately 20 ºC, with a daily fluctuations of 7 – 9 ºC. Mean annual rainfall at this location is 2,380mm.
A common climatic feature to the park are bright early mornings, followed quickly by clouding mid-morning, which obscures the mountains by mid-day. Showers usually occur on the upper slopes in the afternoon.

 

[gtl1987]

Wah. School time...

Actually I'm quite keen. I had planned to go years ago but my travel plans had to change last minute. OK need to do research first and get in shape liao...

extracted from another source online:

January to April are the driest months where the precipitation are the lowest (i.e. below 150mm per month). This is the best time to come here and climb Mount Kinabalu.
Rain can occur at any time of the year. In Sabah the main rainy seasons are from October to January when the rains come with the north east monsoon, and from May to July, with the south west monsoon.
Mornings are usually clear at any season. Sabah lies below the typhoon (hurricane) belt, though the tail-ends can cause strong winds and rain during the typhoon season.
At Kinabalu Park Headquarters (1,560m a.s.l) the mean monthly temperature is approximately 20 ºC, with a daily fluctuations of 7 – 9 ºC. Mean annual rainfall at this location is 2,380mm.
A common climatic feature to the park are bright early mornings, followed quickly by clouding mid-morning, which obscures the mountains by mid-day. Showers usually occur on the upper slopes in the afternoon.

 

[gtl1987]

Hi guys, any recommendations on a replacement hood for this pancake? The pentax one is really slim and sexy, but really expensive and not available locally. Looking for something similar to the pentax one if possible.

 

[hjbyeo]

Actually I'm quite keen. I had planned to go years ago but my travel plans had to change last minute. OK need to do research first and get in shape liao...

extracted from another source online:

January to April are the driest months where the precipitation are the lowest (i.e. below 150mm per month). This is the best time to come here and climb Mount Kinabalu.
Rain can occur at any time of the year. In Sabah the main rainy seasons are from October to January when the rains come with the north east monsoon, and from May to July, with the south west monsoon.
Mornings are usually clear at any season. Sabah lies below the typhoon (hurricane) belt, though the tail-ends can cause strong winds and rain during the typhoon season.
At Kinabalu Park Headquarters (1,560m a.s.l) the mean monthly temperature is approximately 20 ºC, with a daily fluctuations of 7 – 9 ºC. Mean annual rainfall at this location is 2,380mm.
A common climatic feature to the park are bright early mornings, followed quickly by clouding mid-morning, which obscures the mountains by mid-day. Showers usually occur on the upper slopes in the afternoon.

Not sure if I can make it in Mar or Apr. How about end Apr or start of May? These days weather is even more unpredictable. Hokkaido, renown for their powdery snow fall, did not have much of that even in Dec period last year. So maybe, just maybe, May's still fine.

Ok, OT liao. But the 21mm will make a really nice trekking lens (wide perspective), as it's really small and light. ;-)

 

[timo]

Hi guys, any recommendations on a replacement hood for this pancake? The pentax one is really slim and sexy, but really expensive and not available locally. Looking for something similar to the pentax one if possible.

I lost my push-on lens cap, and rather than pay for freighting from B&H used a normal 49mm hood (thanks fengwei ... ) plus normal cap. But this is more bulky and recently I was able to get a real replacement, which gets the lens back to its compact style. Ideal for travelling.

Great posts from everyone - this distortion thing is always brought up, but really it is not at all obvious unless you are taking very 'architectural' shots, and even then you probably won't notice unless you are looking for it ...

I find 28mm on my k-x a more 'natural' FOV, but the 21mm is a great little all-rounder.

Mine mis-focused on the K10D (very common story), but has been fine on the K-7 and K-x.

Recommended.

 

[hjbyeo]

I lost my push-on lens cap...

I am getting a little worried too... Anyone thought of how you could possibly not lose it?

What I did was to not use the cap, and keep it in my bag, as it's really meant that my camera and lens is ready for shots esp. when you are travelling. The lens hood or possibly the 43mm filter if you use it should be ample protection?

I find 28mm on my k-x a more 'natural' FOV, but the 21mm is a great little all-rounder.

I just got an idea -

1. 21mm to represent the 31mm Ltd
2. 28mm to represent the 43mm Ltd
3. 50mm to represent the 77mm Ltd

:bsmilie:

 

[hjbyeo]

Another shot ... would prefer a narrow fov instead of using the 21mm which in this case is a little too wide. It'll be good to have the longer Ltds for this shot.

There's also a little bit of flare close to the sun near the water surface which may be a result of the filter in front of the lens more than the lens' issue.

 

[istDeS]

I am getting a little worried too... Anyone thought of how you could possibly not lose it?

What I did was to not use the cap, and keep it in my bag, as it's really meant that my camera and lens is ready for shots esp. when you are travelling. The lens hood or possibly the 43mm filter if you use it should be ample protection?

Use a lens cap string but it’s cumbersome…?

I usually take out the lens cap and straight away keep it inside my bag or pocket. The 21mm lens hood design is good enough to protect the lens don’t really need to put on the lens cap when walk around shooting, put the cap back only when keeping it into bag.

I just got an idea -

1. 21mm to represent the 31mm Ltd
2. 28mm to represent the 43mm Ltd
3. 50mm to represent the 77mm Ltd

:bsmilie:

I will just get the silver 21mm, 40mm and 70mm Ltd.:bsmilie:

 

[art2d2]

I am getting a little worried too... Anyone thought of how you could possibly not lose it?

What I did was to not use the cap, and keep it in my bag, as it's really meant that my camera and lens is ready for shots esp. when you are travelling. The lens hood or possibly the 43mm filter if you use it should be ample protection?

:bsmilie:

My DA 21 always have lens hood and 43mm filter on. All my lens cap stay at home. Same goes for all my other lens as well. Since there is always a filter in front of all my lens, no point bringing out the lens cap which have the risk of losing them. Unless you don't like to use filters.

Here are 2 shots taken on my 2009 trip to Xiamen at Xiamen university with my K20D+DA21.

 

[le petit prince]

Hi guys, any recommendations on a replacement hood for this pancake? The pentax one is really slim and sexy, but really expensive and not available locally. Looking for something similar to the pentax one if possible.

I do what some of the others here do -- after taking off the cap, I put it in my pocket or bag immediately. Have it for 2 years and still ok. Haven't lost any caps so far. Maybe it's luck (which will run out someday).

Anyway, my philisophy is simple: it's meant to be used, so I use it.

 

[hjbyeo]

Arthur, saturated colors from the DA 21.

Seems like all prefer to take off the cap and just use the lens hood and 43mm UV filter as protection for the lens. I think that's the way to go as well.

Back to the appreciation part, here's another shot with the DA 21 but in Black and white. I have not sharpen the picture at all, in camera JPEG, multiple exposure. The DA 21mm is sharp enough in my eyes. ;-)

 

[hjbyeo]

I will just get the silver 21mm, 40mm and 70mm Ltd.:bsmilie:

Sure bo? DA Silver Ltds, FA Silver Ltds! :thumbsup: :sweat:

 

[le petit prince]

The DA 21mm is sharp enough in my eyes. ;-)

Very serene feel there with the smooth sea and great contrast with the frantic clouds.

And yes, definitely very sharp. Here's another, the detail in the walkboard is all there..