PentaxForums.com - Pentax SLR Lens Discussion

What is the difference between KA and K mount?

Zephries — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:32:21 GMT

Hello,

I recently bought a K-5 and and buying some old lenses, but I am new to photography and don't really know what I am doing yet. I am looking on ebay for some lenses and I came across a KA mount lens and am wondering if it is a K mount type.

LBA: Voigtlander APO Lanthar 125mm PK Mount on fleabay

usmcxm35 — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:18:31 GMT

If anyone is looking for a Voigtlander 125mm there is one on ebay Buy it now for $2500.

want to confirm if samyang 8mm fisheye has A seting?

liukaitc — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:10:12 GMT

The image from b&h product page does not has A seting.
so just want to confirm.

Samyang 8mm Ultra Wide Angle f/3.5 Fisheye Lens for Pentax

If You Had To Pick One Lens You're Coveting Right Now?

magkelly — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:56:28 GMT

What would you pick?

I'm rather coveting a Vivitar 70-150mm but so far I can't find a cheap Pentax copy locally and by the time you add shipping most of the time it just gets too pricey for me to buy one online. Before this I'd have probably said the Pentax 55-300 but I've got both the Tamron and the Sigma lenses for that range now and the 55-300 is looking more and more like a big bit of indulgence so I'm not really yearning quite so hard for one though eventually I may go there I suppose if I can find one used when I get a K5 or similar finally. Right now that's about all that's setting my LBA, such as it is off. If I can snag one locally? I'm probably going to pop for it though. Looks like a nice little lens for portraits and such...

You?

Best Budget(ish) macro for the K-5???

umeuph — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:13:45 GMT

As a recent K-5 adopter, anyone have a favorite budget(ish) macro lens to recommend? I'm mainly looking to shoot flowers, insects, small animals on an upcoming trip to Costa Rica. I'm trying to be budget minded, but I also want some good glass. Any thoughts are appreciated!

70-200/2.8 options for K5

Talos — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:58:31 GMT

I'm looking at 70-200mm lenses to add to my K5 kit (which currently includes the DA* 16-50/2.8, DA-50-200/4-5.6, FA-50/1.4). I'm intending to team one of these 70-200's up these up with a Kenko PZ-AF 1.5 and 2x TC for the moment to cover my longer range needs atm with a view to adding the supposedly upcoming 120-400mm from Pentax to my collection later.

Currently available to buy are (with pricing available to me locally):

Sigma 70-200 f2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM � ~$1400
Sigma 70-200 f2.8II APO EX DG HSM Macro � ~$500-600
Tamron 70-200 SP AF f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro � ~$800-1000

After opinions from owners or users of the above lenses. Obviously OS on the $1400 Sigma isnt really needed with the K5's inbuilt OS but is its image or build quality really 2.5-3x times better than the $550 version? The $550 version of the Sigma is no longer manufactured it seems but is still available on shelves atm until stock runs out. Doesnt seem to get great reviews for sharpness but has great auto focus?

Also how does the Tamron compare to the Sigma's? I know its auto focus is supposed to be a lot louder and slower than the Sigma's but its IQ is supposedly a lot better also? Is the loss of AF speed worth the tradeoff for the sharper image?

Will any of the above options NOT work with the Kenko PZ-AF TC's?

I guess my other option is the Pentax DA* 60-250/4 for a touch extra length (and IQ?) but not sure how it will handle indoor sports events with its slow /4? Can pick on of these up for ~$1500 locally atm so comparable to the OS Sigma in price.

Looking at using the 70-200 for a variety of things including field and indoor sports, motor sports, nature and landscape, plus ive got a baby on the way so will be using it for documenting their life and growth as well. Pretty much an all-purpose sort of lens in terms of use I guess.

Any input from current/past owners or thsoe who have also gone through this decision would be greatly appreciated. I hate having options like this with such a wide-spread price range..

Looking for something cheap and fast

Rusky40 — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:28:59 GMT

Looking to a good cheap fast zoom lens I really want the sigma 70/200 but money is o so very tight, don't mind if it's a little older help please

Closeups

gilsouthwood — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:41:43 GMT

Hi

I have my new 135mm f3.5, which is a great lens, although the minimum focusing distance is pretty poor� Can anyone suggest anything to bring the focusing distance in?

I have thought about bellows, but I'm completely lost into which one I should consider...:hmm:

Thanks for your help:)

Does anyone know where I can FIND a Tokina AT-X 28-80 f2.8?

Quazimoto — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:07:55 GMT

This is the lens I'm talking about:

Tokina AT-X 280 AF PRO 28-80mm f/2.8 Lens Reviews - Tokina Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

Also looks like it was sold on here once (second item down):

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/s...0-300mm-f.html

Now when I found out this existed, I got very excited - because I really liked my Tamron 28-75, but two things about it could have been improved: the build quality (though I am not really a stickler, Tamrons light lenses please me too) - and reach. Now I know 5mm extra isn't much, but it's better than nothing - in fact I'd really like a 40-115 f2.8 because to me the 50-135, whilst beautiful, just starts that little bit too tight.

So anyway, I got excited - and then disappointed, when I couldn't find one being sold new anywhere. Second hand was no go either for now, but I feel like surely it should still be available new somewhere out there?
The most recent reviewer in the 3 reviews said that they bought the newer version (I've read it's lighter than the older one) but for Pentax. I can only find ONE store available to Australia who sell it, and it's only in Canon mount. Anyone help me out?

Thanks.

Cleaning an oil fouled SMC A 35-70 f 3.5/4.5

Jean Poitiers — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:59:53 GMT

Bonjour,

I "cracked" (as the French say ... "craqu�") and bought a SMC A 35-70 f3.5-4.5 via the Internet from a UK used vendor (Rocky Cameras).

Unfortunately the lens this oil fouled, looks like a "WD-40" type product that seems to be now on the outer fringes of the front elements and "dip run" traces across one element. I'm guessing that the lens may have had a "stiff-ish" focus movement, thus a blast of oil ... which has penetrated to the lens elements. The focus ring at the moment is almost too smooth, like it's bathing in oil, etc.

I am going to complain and/or maybe send back this lens, but before doing so, does anyone know if this would be an easy clean or not?

Any input would be greatly appreciated because I would like to keep/save this one ... Please know that I have torn down an oily CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 and got it working again (except for the already "dead" auto pin arm mechanism) ... it was a 3 buck swap meet buy and a long tale. Plus a CZJ 135/3.5 Zebra and now trying to save a re-badged Auto Chinon 135/2.8 ...

Merci d'avance, John le Frog

CZJ Flektogon 35 2.4 - Repair, Sell, or Keep?

Tom Woj — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:47:59 GMT

So,

Today while in town, doing my usual round of charity shop window shopping, I walked past cashconverters (like a pawnbroker type shop), looked at the lenses they had to see if anything new had cropped up, and saw this little M42 lens sitting on top of a little pyramid of lenses. "I know that red lettering...", I thought to myself. Couldn't see much because the sticker was in the way, and they'd put 35/24 on the sticker or something anyway. So I asked to have a look. Damn. Blades not moving, focus was a little stiff, and whatever I tried the lens just wouldn't stop down. :( Glass looked ok though.

Now being an idiot and not knowing much about theses lenses I gave it a miss. I have a CZJ 135 3.5, but didn't know anything about this one.

Thought nothing of it and went to grab a cup of tea. While I was there in the caffe I pulled out my phone, got on the free wifi, and decided to do a little search. "Hmmm this looks interesting, mflenses.com states it's one of the best macro lenses ever made... wonder how much it's worth." Went to ebay... �100 bid listings...�100-200 buy it now...I nearly dropped my cup of tea as my jaw dropped. I gulped it down and dashed off back to the shop. I casually walked back in and asked to see it again, pretended to look at it once more for a few seconds, and bought it while trying to hide the big grin on my face. How much for? Ten, fine English pounds. Yup, �10.

:D

The question now is, what do I do with it!? For all I know someone could have tried a repair previously and the aperture blades might not even be there, because I cant see anything move when I turn the ring, in either the A or M position. The stop-down pin does go stiff when in auto and can be pressed down, but it still doesn't stop-down.

How much would it be to get it repaired? Repair it and then sell it? Worth selling it as spares? Repair it and keep it? Or try to fix it myself?

What do you guys think? :o

Woj

smc F 70-200 ?

fearview — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:19:00 GMT

just curious about this lens i found in ebay. F 70-200 4-5.6

PENTAX-F 1:4-5.6 70-200mm AUTOFOCUS ZOOM | eBay

i know there is a version of FA, but i didnt knew the F version is exist. on PF database we have only F 70-210 4-5.6?

Best lens for floral arrangements

AOShep — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:11:34 GMT

My wife is into floral arrangements and she has me take 100 shots from every conceivable angle, then post them on her fb page. I have been using my DA* 50-135 because it is the best lens in my bag. But then I told her I couldn't get the angles she desired because the lens was too long, she gave me permission to buy another lens. Whatever I get will need to be capable of tending to her needs as well as my other needs. I wouldn't necessarily need macro, but close focus would be nice. My first choice would be the FA 31mm Limited for reasons other than the flowers. There are also several wide angle zooms that I could make use of. Any thoughts before I let my heart decide on the Limited?

What Lens for my K-5

sixteen12 — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:26:52 GMT

Hey all;

So my sister pushed (a fairly easy sale based on the price of the K-5) me into selling her my K-x and kit lens, which leaves me with a gap in my lens arsenal.

I currently own a DA 10-17 and DA 55-300, both lenses I love and used maybe 30% and 50% of the time respectively. I never used the 18-55 much as I was never super satisfied with the results compared to the others. I do want a wide angle zoom for architecture photography though. What are your recommendations?

Ideally I would like some versatility as I find I'm either shooting in the fisheye range (very specific stuff) or in the 35-70mm range and don't want to change lenses all the time. DA 18-135; DA 17-70; Sigma 17-70 or others? I would like to keep both the K-5 and new lens under $2k if possible.

Thanks guys!

Pentax 40mm f/2.8 XS Review

hcc — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:55:52 GMT

Slrgear.com just posted a review of the Pentax 40mm f/2.8 XS lens:

Pentax Lens: Primes - Pentax 40mm f/2.8 XS SMC DA (Tested) - SLRgear.com!

They concluded: "Many users of the 40mm ƒ/2.8 Limited SMC P-DA may be looking for an even smaller and more portable shooting experience, and they would find it in this slightly less expensive package. However, it's not at the same level optically as the more expensive Pentax offerings, so there is a bit of a trade off between cost and performance - but not so much that it's an obvious upgrade."

It would be very valuable if PF or some PF members could present a detailed comparison of the 40mm f/2.8 XS vs 40mm f2.8 Ltd to confirm (or not) these findings.

da15 starburst?

everydaylife — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:27:10 GMT

Having just got this lens and seen all the starburst shots I decided to try for this effect myself. Can't get it. What am I doing wrong. How far should I stop the lens down? All I get is an over exposed blob in the corner of the shot.:o

Which lenses for Oregon Coast / Grand Canyon?

Mr_Canuck — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:12:21 GMT

This is a bit of a stupid post, but just trolling for some challenge. We're going camping down the west coast and then up the grand canyon and area next week. What lenses should I take along?

What I've got as options:
limiteds: 15, 21, 35 macro, 70
zoom: 18-135, 55-300

I've often thought what if I just took one prime, or maybe two, and see what I can see? Sort of a rangefinder type experience, which is the beauty of small Pentax body and some limiteds. But, is that too limited? :o

(The easiest is the two zooms to cover "everything" but I'm not sure that's very interesting. We'll have a 25-300mm point-and-shoot. I will take my compact Velbon tripod. And ok, I could throw the 18-135 under the seat as a safety.)

Challenge me to something interesting. What should I take for a lean kit? 15 and 70? Just the 35? 15 and 35? 21 and 55-300? Just the 21?

Pentax F 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5?

Tatume — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:29:42 GMT

Hello Folks,

I've read some very nice comments about the Pentax F 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lens. In particular, it's said to be a very nice lens, and is supposed to be on the used market at very low prices. My question is, where (besides eBay) can I go bargain hunting for a lens like this?

Thanks, Tom

Variation in White Balance Temperature with Pentax lens Aperture

AH11 — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:56:42 GMT

I have been recently testing many of the lenses that I own and have noticed that some of the Auto Pentax Lenses such as the DA 18-55mm or DA 55-300mm or FA 50mm f`1.4 have variations in the color balance as the aperture is closed :confused:. I don't know how it can happen but it has been consistent. The manual prime pentax lenses that I have don't display such behavior.

I have two Tamron lenses 28-75mm f2.8 and 17-50mm f2.8 that also have a different white balance overall (warmer colors), however, it doesn't change with changing the aperture.

Can someone please explain how this is so and if it is normal.

Cost to fix decentering

Mr_Canuck — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:50:10 GMT

I've got two lenses that seem to have some decentering. One has it along much of the left side. The other seems to be really soft just in the top left corner. I assume these are fixable. Both are past warranty. What sorts of costs can I expect to incur to have this fixed? Anybody have experience to shed light on this?

And it looks like Pentax Canada want my camera sent with in order to calibrate properly. I assume this is typical?

Thanks for any advice.

Is my new sigma 8-16 a good copy?

liukaitc — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:19:19 GMT

check 100%crop and see what you think
I think it is not as sharp as many review says.
these pic are all took at 8mm and f5.6

Attached Images

Lens Review Math

panoguy — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:18:29 GMT

I've seriously got to wonder if some people just want to skew the averages on some lens reviews to make themselves feel more important or vent their anger at Pentax for other perceived slights:

SMC Pentax-FA 31mm F1.8 AL Limited Reviews - FA Prime Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Sure, not everyone is going to adore the 31mm Limited (I personally don't like the 77mm), but without any Pros or Cons listed - how does the math of averages on this work?

Sharpness: 5
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 7
Autofocus: 6
Handling: 6
Value: 1
Overall Rating: 3

Seems like it's time for the lens reviews section to have a little "built in calculator" for the math-challenged.

I�d like to achieve macro of the magnification in this video. How can i do it?

dmbaile2 — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:17:46 GMT

The photographers name is Thomas Shahan and i feel his photos are absolutely stunning.

Here is the video im referring to but i will also post a direct link to his website gallery if you don't want to watch the video (the pictures in the video are on his website)

Video:

An Introduction to High-Magnification Macro Photography - YouTube

His website:
http://thomasshahan.com/photos

These macro shots (in my opinion) are simply amazing. In his video he claims that he is using a prime lens with some simple spacers, in addition to a very home-made looking flash system. When you watch him taking shots he is obviously manually focusing the lens which leads me to believe maybe its of the older variety? This idea infinitely excites me, knowing that someone (of great skill no doubt) can produce pictures like this without spending tons of money on lenses.. I haven't seen any macro lens reviews that get this close to subjects. Even 1:1 lenses that i have looked at in the reviews section don't get you quite as close and intimate with the critters as he has achieved. Though I lack the skill to take beautiful shots like these, If i wanted to give it the old college try on my new K-r, what would i want to purchase? Keeping in mind his mentality that you don't need to break the bank to do macro...

Thanks.

LENSES! How confusing...

laughlady99 — Sun, 13 May 2012 22:21:54 GMT

There is so much to learn about lenses! I bought my K-5 about 2 months ago (first dslr camera), and I've been reading tons of stuff about lenses. I'm in no way able to spend a ton of money right now for super good lenses, but I know I need something better than the kit lens.

I guess what I need to know first is which lenses will fit the K-5 easily and which would need adjustments or not work right? I have read some articles, and I'm confused a little bit, it says the K-5 is a KAF2 mount, correct? If I purchase an older used lens on ebay that just says "K Mount" will it fit? I'd like to get a better all purpose lens, and maybe a cheap zoom lens to play around with. I love the idea of being able to use the cheaper old lenses, but I'm not sure where I will get into needing adapters and needing to change things to make them work, so right now I'd just like to find a few things that will JUST WORK. lol... I'm learning... slowly...

:) Thanks!

Worry about getting a bad copy of 16-50mm lens

A8YANG — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:49:58 GMT

Hi all:

I just got a Pentax DA16-50mm superwide to normal lens. Due to many people complain about the image quality of this lens such as soft edge, back focus, distortion. I shot two photos using DA 12-24 and DA 16-50 to see any difference. To my surprise, they look almost identical. I would like to post the photos here to let all of you to see if there are any image quality issue in my new lens. Both of photos are shot with F2.8 with lens wide open (12MM and 16MM). If you see any probelm in lens, please post your findings so I can return it to the store.

Thank you :)

Attached Images

lens choice?

Tatume — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:13:04 GMT

Hello Folks,

After testing my old Sigma UC ZOOM 70-210 lens on my new K-5 (in manual focus mode) I've concluded that it is not going to satisfy me. The Sigma doesn't come close to the 18-55 kit lens in color rendition or sharpness. As I need more reach than I get with the 18-55 kit lens, I've reviewed the Pentax zoom lenses on the lower end of the price spectrum, and it appears that the DA 55-300mm F:4-5.8 ED is head and shoulders above the DA 50-200mm F:4-5.6 WR and the DA 18-135mm F:3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] WR. I'm disappointed in that, because I would rather have a WR lens.

What are your thoughts on these three lenses? Do the reviews do them justice?

Thanks, Tom

How many lenses do you own?

slackercruster — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:50:38 GMT

How many lenses do you own?

Best prime lens trio with upgrading possibility to FF

MichaelBilson — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:36:54 GMT

Hi there,

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before. At least I couldn't find anything.

I was wondering what you guys think is the best lens trio (4 lenses are also ok). Please keep in mind, that it should be easily (and relatively cheaply) upgradable should a FF Pentax camera ever be available. I.e. you shouldn't have to replace all 3 lenses once a FF Pentax camera can be bought.

My current trio is the 15mm + 43mm + 77mm (still saving for the 77mm :hmm:). Should a FF camera come out, I will make it a 24mm + 43mm + 77mm combo.

The reason I didn't buy the 31mm (instead of the 43mm) is because I will be unhappy with the focal length on FF.

What about you guys? I'd love to hear your opinions.

- Michael

Was this Tamron Sp 60-300 a bad buy?

dmbaile2 — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:57:46 GMT

So I was taking pictures at the part today and noticed two things, I want more magnification and i want to be able to do macro shots. After a lot of reaserch i figured this lense can help me with both of those.

I found this ebay auction but its a little wiered.

Tamron SP 80-300mm f/3.8-5.4 Telephoto Zoom/Macro Lens for Adaptall 2 Mounts | eBay

In the listing it says the lens is an 80-300 but if you look at the picture you can clearly see that it is a 60-300 if you look at the markings on the side... This is how the glass was described "Very minor spotting from haze, no fungus or scratches" I figured that may be what was keeping people away from it but i couldnt resist. Im cheap like that. But now im worried that maybe this will affect the image quality more than i assumed originally. Its too late now, but what do you all think?

And what does it mean when the zoom is "slightly under-dampened"?

Thanks for any help.

Pentax SMC 50mm F1.2 on a Canon

Chaos_Realm — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:26:00 GMT

Hey guys,

Just wondering what cameras this lens can be mounted on?

There are adaptors to Canon mount but I can only find info on the crop sensor range, nothing on full frame.
Are there anythings I should be aware of? as I wanted to try it out on a couple of Canons, (600d and 5d mark II)

Cheers

Scott

Sticky Zoom on Tamron 28-75mm

FlashJT — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:18:03 GMT

Just got my Tamron 28-75mm that I bought off the marketplace. As I was playing around with it today, I can't help but think the zoom ring has more than a normal amount of resistance. If I try turning it slowly from 28mm to 75mm it will go a little, stick a little, go a little, stick a little, etc. When moving it a little quicker it's not as noticeable. I keep trying to convince myself this isn't a big deal, but it's REALLY annoying for making fine adjustments. The 3 pentax lenses I have are smooth as butter when zooming/focusing. This one, not so much. Focus ring is fine, it's just the zoom ring that's sticky.

Anyone else have this problem with the Tamron 28-75mm? Is there any fix I can do on it? Or would I have to send it in somewhere to have that done (or maybe a local photo shop)?

Lenses for landscape

Jake21209 — Sat, 12 May 2012 22:42:34 GMT

I recently upgraded from my old, but still trusty Spotmatic 35mm to the K-5. This has been a bit of a cultural shock, the Spotmatic manual was only 35 pages vs the K-5 at 374 pages. I am working to understand how to take advantage of, and setting up, the K-5 for my needs and I have also changed my interest from almost exclusively macro with the Spotmatic to landscape, nature and macro with a future look at wildlife with the K-5.

I currently have 8 prime lenses ranging from a Vivitar 28mm f2.5 to 7 Takumars ranging from a 35mm f2.8 to a 300mm F4. These are too many to carry around, at my age, and I am considering upgrading to new glass. These would be all new k-mount telezooms to take advantage of the multitude of features in the K-5 and would range from an ultra wide to a max of 200mm. I have already purchased the Pentax D FA 100mm F2.8 macro and am very please with the lens.

Based on an article in Outdoor Photographer, I have divided my selection into 3 types or tiers:

Tier 1 very wide - in the 8 - 24 mm range, the Tier 2 midrange in the 17 - 70 mm range and the Tier 3 classic 70 - 200 mm telephoto zoom. While Pentax offers a number of telezooms in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 categories, so does Sigma. I have done some online research and read the reviews on the forum, but I am looking to members who have purchased in both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas.

I intend to purchase one lens in both the Tier 1 and Tier 2 and want to know which to purchase first. The telephoto can wait, since the 70 -200mm will be mostly for wildlife photography. Landscape photography is new to me and I am seeking user/members advice as to which to purchase first, the very wide Tier 1 or the next step up Tier 2.

The selection of lenses from Sigma with the Pentax mount is quite extensive.
For Tier 1 they offer a 10 - 20mm F3.5, a 10 - 20mm F4-5.6, an 8 -16mm F4.5-5.6 and the 12-24mm F4.5-5.6.

For Tier 2 they offer a 17 - 50mm F2.8, and a 17 - 70mm F2.8 - 4.

Pricing for Sigma seems to be comparable to Pentax and B&H stocks both brands. My thinking is to go with the fixed aperture but I am willing to listen to other opinions.

Thanks in advance for your advice -

Jay

Lens Maintenance

tyronfall — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:12:36 GMT

Hello all

For all those that own a collection of lenses that don't often get used, do you do anything to maintain them eg take them out, move around the aperture settings, move the focus ring, etc or do you let them sit till you need them?

Thanks

Macro Converter for Primes

civilian — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:21:17 GMT

I have these lenses :
Primes : DA 15 Ltd, FA 31 Ltd, FA 43 Ltd
Zooms : DA*16-50, DA* 50-135

I need a macro converter for any of these lenses (preferably, Primes)
what adapter/converter should I buy, to achieve best possible Macro shots, second only to dedicated Prime lenses.
please suggest !!!!

SMC-M 100mm f4 macro

Stupot1 — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:14:22 GMT

I have always been a big fan of SMC-M lenses, but is the 100mm f4 macro capable of delivering image quality comparable or close to Vivitar Series 1 macro (either version) or Kiron 105mm?

Primes for wedding?

vrrattko — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:01:09 GMT

Hi guys,
I'm aware that some of you do a wedding photography, mostly with fast zooms like DA*16-50. My question to you is what focal lenghts do you use mostly at wedding? I'm kind of prime guy, although I owned DA*50-135 which was great, at the moment I have only primes in my bag. So I wonder if it would be possible to take K-5 + the backup body, flashes and instead of zooms set of primes like FA20/2.8, FA31/1.8 and DA70/2.4 as the main lenses....with FA43 as a backup lens?
I'm just bit worried by the sound of screwdrive focusing - in that aspect DA*16-50 will be much better choice. Do anybody of you use primes for wedding?
cheers

Should I sell my 18-55 DAL and get 18-55 AL II?

geekette — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:26:59 GMT

I have a pink pentax k-x with 18-55 DAL lens that I am thinking about selling. Should I keep the lens and use it on my new K-5 or should I sell it with the K-X and buy the : SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL II ??

I understand the AL II has quick-shift and a metal mount? -- both features sound really nice.

What are the trade-offs? What should I do? Thanks.

Kiron/Komine

gilsouthwood — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:15:40 GMT

Can someone tell me if the optics (especially the bokeh) on a Kiron 28mm f2 are the same as the far cheaper Vivitar-komine 28mm f2.8?

Thanks:)

da 15 ltd soft corners ??

everydaylife — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:03:21 GMT

I would like some advice regarding my recently purchased DA 15. I understand that it is known to be soft in the corners wide open but shouldn't the softness disappear when it is stopped down. The gas meters were taken at F8 1/400s The brick wall f9 1/500. These images appear to be soft in the corners. Acceptable?

top L
top-R centre
bot-r

Cost to fix decentering?

Mr_Canuck — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:56:14 GMT

LBA, why ohh why are you sucking my money away?

VoiceOfReason — Sat, 12 May 2012 02:49:23 GMT

Well, in the past 3 weeks I've bought 3 Tamron lenses. The 10-24, 17-50, and the 28-300. The last I got today because it was payday and the price was too good to pass up. I don't think I can keep this up or else I will have to live on ramen noodles. Why ohh why does the LBA strike, and why can't I be a millionaire so I can get my lens collection to where it needs to be? Anyone know of a cure for this thing called LBA?

Zone focusing with an A lens

Basset — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:50:04 GMT

Does zone focusing work with A lenses that have the aperture setting at A? If so, how do you do it? (I know how to read the focus marks when you manually set the aperture, of course. )

Mysterious DA16-45

Ameiji — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:41:09 GMT

Can somebody please identify what's that thing on a picture? Some kind of an older variant of DA 16-45, which I'm unaware of, or just a false (shopped?) photo.

http://pentax.ru/catalogue/product/f...4521292456754/

Prime lens

Tatume — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:04:05 GMT

Hello Folks,

In my meager collection of lenses is an SMC Pentax-A 1:2 50mm lens that came with my K1000. Underneath the lens cap it is marked Tiffen 49mm SKY 1-A Made in U.S.A. I'm thinking of using it on my K-5 (scheduled to be delivered today), as it is the only prime lens I have. Is the quality of this lens good, or should I just buy a good prime lens?

The F-stop ring is marked with an "A" with a little green arrow. Since this lens came on a K1000, I had always assumed it was manual focus. Is this an autofocus lens?

Thanks, Tom

Help with old Canon FD 50mm 1.8 lens

Edgar_in_Indy — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:48:10 GMT

My father-in-law frequents auctions, and recently he picked up very cheaply an old Canon AE-1 with an FD 50mm 1.8 lens attached. He wants me to sell the camera/lens on eBay, so I'm trying to check to see if everything is working. The lens and body look like they're in great shape, but when I have the lens off the body and adjust the aperture ring, the aperture blades do not move.

There are two levers on the back of the lens, a large one and a small one. I am able to easily move the large one with my finger, but the blades do not move. The small lever does not move when applying light pressure.

So is this lens broken, or is there something I don't know about these old FD lenses?

Thanks for any help!

Pentax 18-135mm & Raynox DCR-150 or DCR 250

d4vr0s — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:25:56 GMT

Has anyone tried pairing these together? I'm interested in opinions and/or experiences. I recently purchased the 18-135 and am waiting on the K5 I ordered. I've been using a K10D with the standard 18-55 lens and have been fairly pleased with the macro shots it's given me. When I ordered the 18-135 I didn't think to check if it had a macro function and I'm trying to decide whether or not to get a DCR-150 for it.

Possible 15mm Limited Auto Focus Issue

lawjbm — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:46:24 GMT

Hi:

I just bought a 15mm Limited to use with my K5. There often seems to be a delay in engaging the autofocus after depressing the shutter. For example, with any other lens after I depress the shutter butten halfway the lens will begin to autofocus instantly.

With the 15mm Limited there is either a slight delay or I need to disengage the shutter button and depress it again to get it to begin focusing. Is this normal? All other lenses work fine (31 Limited, DA*55, DA*50-135, 77 Limited, and DA*300).

Though I have not taken more than several dozen pictures with the lens (will take more this weekend) the autofocus does seem to work fine when it engages.

As an aside, the lens is quite soft at f4, even in the center. Not horrible/defective, but a bit dissapointing. I know it is a wide angle and f4 likely will not be used as often as the narrower apertures, but anyway.....

By f8 it is sharp acorss the frame, not bitingly so, but again, I need to shoot more.

I would note there is little to know obvious barrel distortion and CA is completely absent. I even shot some branches on tall trees directly against the bright sky and no CA was visible upon quick, but close inspection.

Thanks in advance for your help on the autofocus issue.

I just bought a K-r and 5 random lenses HELP!

dmbaile2 — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:59:02 GMT

Fist a little background, if you would like to, you can skip down to �lenses� which outlines my specific questions.

After much deliberation between Nikon, Canon, and Sony, I decided not to go with any of them. My primary reason for choosing Pentax was the backwards compatibility with old lenses. I�m essentially brand new to the DSLR scene, (upgrading from a point and shoot Fujifilm s7000). I know that the k-r is going to be quite an upgrade! I had it rushed shipped and it arrives tomorrow! :D
When I started researching different types of photography I realized that I already wanted several lenses and I hadn�t even bought a camera yet! My primary interests right now are bokeh, macro for insects, and telephoto for birds. Learning that that Pentax was backwards compatible with old lenses sealed the deal. After all, as a novice im most interested in playing and discovery, I don�t yet know exactly what I want out of a lens and camera combo.

Lenses

In my haste I purchased a set of lenses off of craigslist today, I may have over paid or bought lenses that I�m not interested in (im not sure), but I only paid $55 for 5 lenses so I figured what the heck..

I ended up with the following: They are all manual focus. And are all K mount. And all look to be in very good shape.

Vivitar 75-205mm 1:3.8 (Macro Focusing Zoom) with a Hoya HMC 62mm SKYLIGHT(1B) filter

Auto Chinon multi-coated 1:2.8 28mm with the same filter mentioned above

Five Star 35-70mm 1:3.5-4.8 (it says macro on the side of the body) this lens has a cokinlight skylight 1A filter on it. Says Auto-Zoom on it as well.

Auto Chinon 50mm 1:1.7 with a Hoya Skylight (1b) filter mounted on it.

And a Vivitar MC Tele Converter 2x PK-A/R-PK

I know it�s probably foolish to have a set of lenses before the camera even arrives but I couldn�t resist.
I have gathered that the 50mm 1:1.7 is good for bokeh but as for the rest of them, I have no idea what im looking at or where to start researching. Honestly the amount of lens options is staggering and I don�t know where to start.
I was hoping you could point me in right direction, like what type of photography each of these lenses can be used for? Additionally, what would be some good lenses for me to look out for in the future given my interests? Are there any must-haves for the novice photographer? And when I buy in the future, should I look for better quality lenses than these? Or will these off brands suffice for a beginner?

Thank you so much for any advice!

DA 55-300 vs DA-L 55-300

SenorBeef — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:37:58 GMT

The DA 55-300 is up to $430 in the US because of the new pricing policy, but you can still find the DA-L for under $250 if you look hard enough. I guess this is because the DA-L has no official MSRP because it's seperated out of kits to be sold.

Can the DA 55-300 justify being almost double the price? The difference as I understand it is just the metal mount, quick shift, and hood, right? And you can get a cheap replacement hood off ebay. Would you be able to tell which lens made a picture by looking at it, or is the picture quality identical?

What are the real risks with the plastic bayonet? Do you have to treat the camera delicately? Can the plastic flake off over time and scratch the sensor or mirror or anything like that?

Hard case for k50 1.2?

ecnal — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:28:39 GMT

Hi all, I am and have been for quite some time, trying to track down an original pentax case for the k50mm 1.2 pentax lens. I've had no luck finding a matching case, and am looking at other 'generic' pentax cases, ie: pentax hard cases that do not have a specific lens stamp. I've had a few misses from ebay purchases with cases either too small or much too big- can't seem to find anything that is a good fit. If anyone has paired their 50 up with an alternate pentax case, I'd love to know which one!