Focus on the Pentax Q’s 08 rare and wonderful wide angle lens
This sunset image shows the impressive results that are capable with the Pentax Q cameras and the 08 wide angle lens.
Another tiny but tough-to-beat legendary Pentax lens
Pentax has made more than its share of legendary lenses, but nothing really comes close to the rare and relatively unknown (except to Q-series owners) 08 wide angle lens.
Why? Because it’s so small and sharp that it defies logic.
In December of 2013, Pentax released their final Q-series lens for their diminutive, mirrorless Q-series cameras. This 17-33mm equivalent lens (depending on the Q camera used) originally sold for almost $500 US and could pass for a 50mm, M-series lens, accept it’s probably smaller and lighter.
Today you would probably be hard pressed to find one much cheaper than the original price thanks, in part, to a combination of quality and rarity.
This garden image was photographed with the Q7 and the 08 extreme wide angle lens. Note the strong colours together with the edge-to edge sharpness.
Of course the whole Q-series of cameras and lenses are ridiculously tiny. The 08 wide angle lens in the Pentax Q “high performance” lens series follows in those same footsteps, but it’s still mind boggling that a lens packing this kind of punch can be this small, have image quality that matches and surpasses some of the finest 35mm equivalent lenses, and boasts such a high-quality build standard.
Pity that so few photographers will ever get the opportunity to run it through its paces. Thankfully, I’m not one of them.
I was able to purchase the lens as part of an entire Q7 series that included the 01 (nifty 50mm), the 02 wide angle, the 06 (70-200 f2.8), the fisheye and the mount shield lens. Despite already owning most of the lenses, let’s just say the offer was too good to refuse.
One of several waterfalls images that shows the incredible capabilities of the original Pentax Q camera together with the approximate 17-30mm wide angle lens. This image was shot using an accessory waist level finder (see below) and post processed with Luminar Neo. (see below for details on how you can get 10 per cent off of Luminar Neo with my special code.
“It’s still mind boggling that a lens packing this kind of punch can be this small, have image quality that matches and surpasses some of the finest 35mm equivalent lenses, and boasts such a high-quality build standard.”
This Pentax lens packs a punch
But we are here to focus on one lens only – the Pentax 08 wide angle lens.
Chart provided courtesy of Pentax Users Discussion Group.
First, it’s important to remind Q-series camera users that the various cameras in the lineup have different sized sensors that affect the focal length of the lenses. In the case of the 08 wide angle gem, the different sized sensors mean that the 08’s focal range is equivalent to approximately 21 to 33 mm in the full-frame (24 x 36 mm) format when used on an original Q or Q10 camera, and 17.5 to 27 mm when used on a Q7.
Add to the excellent build quality, wide focal length and miniature size, an image quality that again, defies most logic.
For more Pentax Q-series images with the 08 wide angle lens, be sure to check out my photo gallery here.
This image is one of a series taken on a one-day visit to downtown Toronto. The Pentax Q series of cameras together with the 08 are a great combination for architecture or street photography. Add the waist level finder accessory (see below) and no one would suspect you are taking serious street images.
Sharp throughout; including the corners; excellent distortion control; built-in ND filter, and shutter which prevents rolling shutter and synchronizes with the built-in flash; a built-in autofocus motor that features a quick-shift which allows the photographer to manually fine tune focus without switching out of autofocus mode. There is also a plastic tulip-style lens hood available, (sold separately). The lens mount is made of metal and the front element accepts the traditional 49 mm lens filters.
What more could you ask for in an extreme wide angle lens.
Suffice it to say it’s incredibly wide for such a tiny camera sensor, and with that comes all the challenges the world of wide angle photography presents.
You might think that using an extreme wide angle lens is easy, but that would be a mistake. Even though I have owned the lens for close to a year, maximizing its unique characteristics comes with a whole set of challenges.
This garden image makes use of strong foreground grasses and a misty morning to keep the image simple.
Now, if I lived in an area of epic landscapes, maximizing extreme wide angle lenses would be a whole lot easier. Unfortunately, epic landscapes are hard to come by where I live. Successful extreme wide angle photography begs for simplicity and finding natural images that work with a wide-angle lens takes time and a whole lot of patience.
Nevertheless, in time, I’ve collected a decent selection of images exploring the potential of the lens. I’m sure the lens will be put to the test many more times in the near future and I will try to add them both to this post as well as my photo gallery of Pentax 08 images here.
What others are saying about the Pentax 08 wide angle lens
The following are just a few comments from Pentax Q-series owners who have made images with the 08 wide angle lens.
Tiny but Tough
Pentax’s Q-series 08 wide angle lens is both rare and wonderful with exquisite image quality and very high build quality. Image provided by the Pentax Discussion users group.
From the Pentax Forums discussion group:
“In 2019, I still do not know what beats the Q-system with this and the 06 tele-zoom. As for sharpness, this lens is as good as it gets on the sensors in the Q's. Bokeh is impossible: shoot in BC mode if you need that, but, really, just bokeh in post if you need that. This lens is crazy unique, which alone makes it crazy good.”
“After a few test shots, I believe that this is the perfect lens for the Q system. It's as sharp as the 01, yet incredibly small for an ultra wide. It's almost unbelievable how Pentax has made such a marvelous feat of a lens! Now, if only Ricoh did not scrimp on a hood. With a 06 on Q, and 08 on Q7, and 01 on standby, I'm all set.”
“I was a bit hesitating before purchasing this lens due to the steep pricing (nearly cost as much as I spent on 01+02+06 all together). However, once I received my copy and started shooting with it, all my concerns went away. What a lens! It is certainly compact, quite a bit smaller than 02 or 06 lens. The amazing thing is the IQ, corner sharpness smashed my DA* 16-50. In fact, it is one of the sharpest wide angle lens I have ever seen. Colour reproduction is great, which makes RAW file super easy to work with. To sum up, for any one who owns a Q system camera, this lens is a must_have!”
Waist level finder
This waist level finder accessory from Temu allows the photographer to get the camera at a lower angle or use it more like a view camera. It has no electronics to hook into the camera but is handy to get a different perspective.
Add a waist level viewfinder to your Pentax Q
For most of the waterfall images shot with the Pentax Q and 08 lens, I used an ingenious accessory that allowed me to to get very low and better use foreground elements in the image.
The accessory brings back memories of my beloved Pentax LX with waist level viewfinder, except it can be used on any camera with a hot or cold shoe including the Pentax Q series of cameras. No information is transferred from the camera to the finder, so it is only for compositional purposes. I purchased it primarily for my coveted Sigma DP2 with its 42mm fixed focal length, but it allows me to get a good feeling for what’s in the frame of any camera, especially one that lacks a flip-up digital screen.
I purchased this waist level finder from Temu for less than $60 Cdn. That amounts to about $44 American. I also purchased some very nicely made camera straps at the same time.
Similar waist level finders are also available on Amazon.
For more on both the waist level finder and camera straps, click on the above links.
Finder is ideal fit for Q-series
The accessory waist level finder is handy for all sorts of photographic situations, especially if you want to get low and see the image in a top-down view..
The well-built, waist level finder has markings for a 40mm lens but goes out to about 28mm. It’s a far cry from the 17mm available on the Q-series 08 lens, but it gave me a good idea of the image I would obtain when the camera was set so low that I could not use the back LCD screen with any success.
It is ideal for the 02 lens and the 01 lenses, but will get called on for a number of my digital point-and-shoot cameras when I need to get low or just want to have some fun with the waist-level finder.
The extreme wide angle lens allowed me to take advantage of strong foreground objects including the small waterfalls and rocks.
Conclusion: It’s not always about size
Imagine heading out for a day of photography with a Pentax Q, the 08 wide angle, the 01 nifty fifty and the 06 telephoto slipped into your jacket pocket. Heck you might as well add the 02, a couple of toy lenses and the mount shield lens to round out your gear since everything fits nicely into two pockets or a small camera bag.
Just having a capable camera with you whenever you go out can do wonders for your photographic development. I love my cell phone, but give me a camera with a couple of sweet lenses any day over a phone. And that’s where the Pentax Q line of cameras and lenses really can’t be beat.
These things might be tiny but they aren’t toys. In fact, without the anti-aliasing screen that Pentax chose to eliminate on these cameras, you can shoot them in RAW DNG format with sweet Pentax lenses and get excellent results.
I’m hoping some of the images in this post and on my 08 photo gallery will inspire Q shooters and disbelievers to rethink what is possible with these exceptional mirrorless camera systems.
If you are interested in purchasing Luminar Neo, please consider using the code FernsFeathers at checkout to receive a 10 per cent discount. By using this code, I receive a small percentage of the proceeds which helps me to continue producing articles for readers.
