Irix 15mm Firefly Lens!

There’s something to be said for used photography equipment. This lens has been on my radar ever since I started getting interested in the Pentax K1 Mk ii. It is the Irix (Brand) 15mm (Fisheye/Super Wide Angle), Firefly (ABS Plastic version), lens. I wanted it for both goofy distorted pictures, and believe it or not, astrophotograhy. Wide angle lenses are great for Astrophotography.

I ran around the house and yard popping off a few test images to see how the lens felt in use. It isn’t too heavy since it doesn’t have a metal body like it’s brother the “Blackstone”. The price difference was about $100 between them, and I couldn’t find the metal “Blackstone” version so I purchased the Firefly version. The guts are identical (same glass, gears, coatings etc…).

The only “faults” I have with this lens is the lack of autofucus. I went in knowing it didn’t have it so I guess it “isn’t” a fault, but it is something that takes time to get used to. So far it feels like it might have some clarity issues wide open so I’ll be playing with that more. The way it handles light seems good, if not a little bit bright, but it does lack contrast. I had to pull that up on all of these images (Two of them I let go untouched).

Here are the images, not a lot to say about them really, they’re just test images.

Pentax K1 mark II wirh an Irix 15mm Firefly lens

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