Pentax smc DA 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II review - Vignetting

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Pentax smc DA 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II

16 October 2009

Arkadiusz Olech

8. Vignetting

Vignetting didn’t improve at all. In some cases you could even speak about slightly worse results, but the difference is so small, that it stays within the margin of error so we don’t take it into account.

Pentax smc DA 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II - Vignetting

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At 18 mm and by f/3.5 the light fall-off amounts to as much as 40% (-1.46 EV). On slight stopping down to f/4.0 the vignetting decreases to the level of 36%. By f/5.6 it reaches just 30% and then it drops by next 5% for every full f stop to finally halt at the level of 15% by f/16.

In the middle of the focal range and wide open the vignetting reaches 27% (-0.90 EV) and it decreases to 16% on using the f/5.6 aperture. It disappears completely (7%) by f/8.0.

At 55 mm and by f/5.6 the brightness loss is 21% (-0.68 EV). By f/8.0 the vignetting amounts to 14% and by f/11 it decreases to the imperceptible level of 7%.