New Content: Lens Fact Sheets

[Adam]

I'm proud to announce that our first actual website content is ready. In addition to future reviews, we've now added Pentax lens fact sheets to the site.

To view them, visit this page: http://www.pentaxforums.com/index.php?page=lenses

These fact sheets include basic lens details as well as high-res photos of each lens (I took all the current photos today). The point here is to help you decide whether or not it a lens fits your needs.

These lenses are currently listed:

SMC Pentax-DA 40mm "Pancake" F2.8
SMC Pentax-DA 12-24mm ED AL (IF) F4
SMC Pentax-DA 18-55mm AL F3.5-5.6
SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm ED F4-5.6
SMC Pentax-DA 10-17mm Fisheye ED (IF) F3.5-4.5
SMC Pentax-FA 50mm F1.4
SMC Pentax-FA 31mm AL Limited F1.8
SMC Pentax-FA 77mm AL Limited F1.8
SMC Pentax-D FA 100mm Macro F2.8

As you can see, I gave priority to the lenses that are currently available from Pentax. However, I don't have any of the remaining 6 (D FA 50mm Macro, DA 21mm Limited, DA 70mm Limited, DA 14mm, DA 16-45mm, FA 43mm Limited), so if you'd like to contribute some of your photos, please PM me.

Enjoy, and I'll be adding more of these as time progresses. Let's hope they don't use up the enture bandwidth limit (Seriously, though, I may end up having to move the pics to another server)

Here's a little teaser: one of my DA 50-200mm pics.

[taveren]

I wonder if you could possibly supply a photo of each lens mounted on a camera. It's always nice to see it in relation to the camera.

[Adam]

Great idea; I'll take care of that as well as sample photos soon

[Adam]

I've just added 4 new lenses as well as new camera-mounted photos to each page

Thanks go to Carpents for making the Super Takumar 50mm page!

[Rak]

Originally Posted by Mo

Great idea; I'll take care of that as well as sample photos soon

Sample photos would be incredibly useful. They would make this forum more useful than dpreview.com.

Also, once this database becomes more comprehensive, perhaps you can even publish it!

[rags]

I'm a bit confused by your indication that the lenses being covered first are the currently available models. The FA 80-320 is listed, but the SMC P-FA J 75-300mm F4.5-5.8 AL is not. When I go to Pentax's website they list the latter as a currently available lens, but I find no mention of the former. B & H have the 75-300 at $130; I don't see the FA 80-320. When I checked on kmp.bdimitrov.de they indicate the FA 80-320 was in production through 2002, but the 75-300 is currently in production.

I recently bought a SMC P-FA J 75-300mm F4.5-5.8 AL. (I chose it because it was significantly more compact, as well as lighter, than other available similar range zooms, the Tamron and Sigma 70-300s.) I'd be happy to supply pictures of the lens, and samples of pictures taken through it, if that would be helpful.

Incidentally, from the price, the 80-320 appears to have been a mid-range lens, as opposed to the entry-level 75-300. Mid-range lenses seem to be all too rare these days; most seem to be either entry-level lenses selling in the $100-$250 range or else high specification (or at least would-be high specification) lenses selling in (or at least near) the four-digit plus range.

[ccallana]

Great idea!!

Couple suggestions for you - on your "Focal Length" field, I would not add to the confusion by putting the 35mm film equiv FOV here. I would just list the focal length. I would put the FOV difference in the next field. This might help people better understand the whole Crop factor thing.

Also - maybe a section for users to reply about their experiences - there are others like this on the web, but to put it all in one place would be nice. If you could score internal diagrams (like Boz has on his site) for the lenses that would be cool too

[vievetrick]

Is it me or is the link for the 80-320 really shows a 28-105 on the main picture? The ones below are 80-320.

[Adam]

Not just you

Fixed.

[carpents]

I think I agree that the focal length should just be the focal length - maybe we can have another row for FOV.
Also, what do you feel about having 'Relevant Links' (sort of like at the bottom of a Wikipedia article) for each lens? That way, we can link back to all the excellent lens resources that are scattered throughout the web. Maybe we can even link to some important threads talking about the lenses?

What do you think?

[Adam]

I guess the focal length field is a bit confusing, but there'd bu no point in restating the lenses focal lengh, would there?

So, either we'll keep the filed or just get rid of it completely (or rename it), but no in-betweens...

Relevant links would be nice, and for comments, we should just have a [discuss this lens] link that goes to a specific thread in the forum.

I can't come up with everything, though, so I guess we'll need a submission form for the links.

What do you say?

[SpecialK]

Originally Posted by Mo

I guess the focal length field is a bit confusing, but there'd bu no point in restating the lenses focal lengh, would there?

So, either we'll keep the filed or just get rid of it completely (or rename it), but no in-betweens...

Get rid of it completely. We can do our own calcs if needed.

Nice database!

[Adam]

I'll consider it.

I'm still in the process of adding new ones, though Once I add all my lenses, I'll work on a more centralized system that's easier to navigate.

[Marc Langille]

Originally Posted by Mo

I'll consider it.

I'm still in the process of adding new ones, though Once I add all my lenses, I'll work on a more centralized system that's easier to navigate.

Hi Adam,

Just referencing the A*, F* or FA* series lenses... they are amazing on the DSLRs of course.

I know they're not made any more, but many of them are the pinnacle of Pentax optical engineering. If you only wish to reference current lenses, I understand.

Would they be better in the equipment reviews section? Thoughts?

Regards,
Marc

PS I must confess: I own 3 FA* lenses...

[Adam]

I'm currently for the lookout for any * lenses...especially A*'s.

Feel free to review yours, but I'll be putting mine on fact sheets for now.