Pentax-03 Fisheye 3.2mm f/5.6 (Pentax Q) - Review / Test Report - Sample Images & Verdict
Lens Reviews - Pentax Q

Sample Images

Here're some RAW-converted images taken with the Pentax Q.

Click on a thumbnail to view the original file (opens in a separate window). Please note that the originals are FULL SIZE samples (=several megabytes) thus requiring a significant amount of bandwidth so please take care of the limited resources here.

Make PENTAX
Model PENTAX Q
ISO Speed 125
Focal Length 3.2mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure 1/250s
Make PENTAX
Model PENTAX Q
ISO Speed 125
Focal Length 3.2mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure 1/640s
Make PENTAX
Model PENTAX Q
ISO Speed 125
Focal Length 3.2mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure 1/200s
Make PENTAX
Model PENTAX Q
ISO Speed 400
Focal Length 3.2mm
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure 1/50s

Verdict

The Pentax 03 3.2mm f/5.6 Fisheye may not be designated as such but it really is a "toy" lens. Optically it leaves something to be desired which originates primarily in the small max. aperture - diffraction has simply an extreme impact at f/5.6 based on the small sensor size of the system. The quite high amount of lateral CAs doesn't help either in terms of subjective quality perception. That said it is a fisheye lens which is still capable of taking your breath away due to its immense field-of-view and if you just watch the results at conventional screen resolutions it's "fine enough" - less so for bigger prints. Another feature of the lens, actually of all Q lenses, is the extremely small size and weight - these 29g are simply not noticeable anymore.

The build quality is quite fine. Technically you may criticize the plastic mount but objectively it isn't really needed here anyway. The Pentax 03 3.2mm f/5.6 Fisheye is a manual focus lens. However, given its immense depth-of-field and the focus assist feature of the camera this isn't really something to worry about. At about 140EUR/US$ it doesn't cost a fortune so if you already own the system it will not really hurt your wallet. Just don't expect stellar results from it. If you are seeking a higher image quality potential it may make sense to look at e.g. the Fujinon fisheye lenses in C-mount via adapter.

Optical Quality:    
★★★★★
Mechanical Quality:
★★★★★
Price/Performance:
★★★★★

Click here for an explanation of our star ratings


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