21mm Limited Back Focus Issue

[Benjamin Kanarek]

Just got the response from Pentax via their head office in Germany. They confirmed that there is a back focussing problem with the 21mm Limited exclusively. They offered to set up one of my bodies to work in conjunction with the lens, which I refused. I do not wish to take up one body exclusively for that lens. I am waiting on a firmware fix or a chip set change for the lens. I will use it in manual focus only. They are sending me back the two bodies and the two lenses i.e. the 21 and the 16-45 which didn't have a problem and focussed perfectly on the "0" calibration point. I will wait for the 16-50 f2.8 which I should have in ten days to use in lieu of the 21mm Limited. If it is anything like the Canon 17-40L lens which I used on 80 percent of my magazine work, I will probably do the same with it.

Ben

[Ben Rubinstein]

Thanks for that Benjamin, it's been my one serious caveat about buying into the system given that it was to be my main lens for street work. I'm hoping they get their act together on that and the high iso banding with the next firmware update.

BTW, although the 17-40L is a good lens, it's far from being the best Canon can do, I find that it's OK but not stellar on my 5D's, the 24-70L beats it hands down for resolving power and contrast. A friend sent me a RAW file from the 21mm which actually looked pretty similar to the 17-40L's look, then again the FF 5D is murderous on anything but the finest in lenses.

[Benjamin Kanarek]

Thanks for that Benjamin, it's been my one serious caveat about buying into the system given that it was to be my main lens for street work. I'm hoping they get their act together on that and the high iso banding with the next firmware update.

BTW, although the 17-40L is a good lens, it's far from being the best Canon can do, I find that it's OK but not stellar on my 5D's, the 24-70L beats it hands down for resolving power and contrast. A friend sent me a RAW file from the 21mm which actually looked pretty similar to the 17-40L's look, then again the FF 5D is murderous on anything but the finest in lenses.

The problem with the 21mm is exclusively with my lens. It does not appear to be endemic.


Ben

[Ben Rubinstein]

Seems to be rather widespread though, there have been many reports of it.