Hawki's reviews

  • Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Build Quality, Sharpness, Great Contrast
    none yet

    I wanted a lens primarily for indoor museum and gallery low light photography.
    This lens consistantly delivers at every aperture with sharp almost 3D images. Color and contrast are very good.
    The build quality is typical Sigma EX and that means great finishes, fit and feel. Some don't like the weight of this lens, but to me if feels well made and rugged.

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $385)
  • Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 SMC P-DA

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Build quality, weight, bang for the buck
    slow and a little soft

    For the money, this lens is really quite amazing.
    I had the chance to pick this up used from someone who had gotten it as a kit lens. I wanted an everyday, I really don't care if it gets scratched, walk around lens.
    To my suprise, the build quality was better than almost every other kit lens I've seen, especially for the price (even at the suggested retail price).
    It auto focuses suprisingly fast and accurate.
    The only thing I will say is that the optic quality of this lens is what you would expect for a $100.
    If you have the opportunity to acquire this lens with a new Pentax ... do it, you will find a use for it.

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $55)
  • Pentax 77mm f/1.8 Limited SMC P-FA

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Very sharp, Good Color and Contrast, Bokeh is very pleasing, Solid Feel
    Expensive (but you get what you pay for)

    What a lens!
    Just about every aspect of this lens is superb. Out of focus is creamy smooth, images are sharp at all apertures and the color is acurate. The focus ring is well dampened and the build quality feels like a well build piece of equipment.
    This lens took a whole lot of my allowance, but boy was it worth it.
    About the only thing that is taking some time to get used to is the silver lens on a black body look. It is growing on me though ...

    reviewed January 12th, 2007 (purchased for $575)
  • Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II SMC DA

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    Lightweight, Sharp for Price, Build better than I expected
    Manual focus ring not dampened, focus a little noisy.

    This lens is a pleasant surprise. I had read a couple of reviews that had been everything but kind to this lens, but found them to be wrong, at least for my copy.
    The colours are typical Pentax, the contrast is good, distortion is controllable and the CA's within reason. I have viewed several 100% crops with my K20D and it truly appears that the increase in resolution of this lens works. I plan to couple this with the 50-200 and then supplement with some of the limited primes for most of my critical work.
    For the money, you just can't go wrong.

    reviewed November 3rd, 2008 (purchased for $109)