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09-07-2010, 07:52 PM   #91
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QuoteOriginally posted by twitch Quote
LOL, yep, and probably by a high school kid living with his parents, whose only photography knowledge comes from forum surfing.
LOL, but to not make the story any bigger than it really is, I am 36 years old, studied physics, got married and together we have two lovely young daughters, currently living in Japan (raised in the Netherlands and for sure going back to our own home at the end of this work assignment).
  • A little over 10 years ago I bought a SLR (Canon with functionality to adjust focus point automatically to where I looked within the OVF - on limitted matrix layout, so actually didn't make much sense either way) with the kit zoom lens as well as a 75-300 mm zoom.
  • Over time I also owned about 5 compact P&S camera's, but until my LX3 I wasn't satisfied with most of the results.
  • But now I want a little more (also because the LX3 is always at the bottom of my wife's bag, in good looking leather casing and too small to find fast....).
  • My father's camera was cool and the Pentax story did sounded pretty good to me.
With my technical background (including optics) I did indeed read myself into the tools and also into the applications (totally different story), but practically speaking I am for sure a newbie. But sometimes it is better to not have a established opinion before making a decision.
Did you ever really notice on what reasoning most camera's are sold? Listening to a sales guy in the shop or people having experience with only one brand can be pretty misleading.

One thing I don't understand about Pentax. They know about the SDM failure stories going around, how can they continue asking premium prices and not given 10 year world wide transferable free repair of structural design / manufactoring issue?
- It at least combines very badly with the name they build with the quality MF primes.

Besides the kit lens(es) and some second-hand primes, I am in the market for portrait prime and/or zoom.
  • Optically I have the impression the Pentax DA*50-135 mm F2.8 is superieur, but mainly because of this SDM story icw higher price I am leaning to the Sigma 50-150 mm F2.8.
  • But I also like a fast automatic focus prime, but don't know 200% sure yet which focal length... (I will try out the manual focus primes first)
  • The fact that you effectively cannot correct back/front focussing issues on a K-x (all lenses get same correction) is also an irritation they to my opinion should fix very soon (firmware to enable manual selection at turn-on is OK-ish). Asking customers to upgrade to a much larger K-7 for this doesn't make any sense. Oh, the K-7 has more nice features and I can dream up a whole wishlist for the successor of the K-x as well, but besides this it actually already seems to be more thatn good enough for me. Why would Pentax not offers such containment?
As far as I can see next to its flagship camera also a good cheap entry level DSLR of course icw a nice and robust lens line-up is crucial for Pentax.

So back to the automatic focus zoom lenses, I found it very difficult to compare the Pentax line up with Nikon/Canon. To my impression price, body features (incl test results with kit-lenses vs price) and prime availabilty are the main subjects to differentiate on, the Pentax limitted series (as well as the old manual primes - good support like focus confirmation on manual lenses is very smart move) are in favor of Pentax.

But why are Pentax AF Zooms better than those from Nikon and Canon?
- Given SDM failures and back focus issues that cannot be corrected on K-x

Sorry, but this post might be slightly of topic...


Last edited by JoepLX3; 09-07-2010 at 08:03 PM. Reason: Layout + last summary line + off topic remark
09-07-2010, 07:55 PM   #92
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QuoteOriginally posted by timo Quote
pimpim - the hexagon confirmation is not precisely accurate. Try putting the camera on burst mode, and use trap focus turning the focusing ring very slowly. You will find that several shots can be taken with slightly different focusing settings, all with the hexagon lit. Alternatively use the hexagon first turning the focus one way (from infinity inwards) and then the other. You will find with a very fast lens (say a 50 @ 1.7) that you get two different results.
Sounds like you would be able to correct for it pretty well by putting in center between those two turning positions.
09-07-2010, 08:55 PM   #93
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QuoteOriginally posted by opiet70 Quote
The Pentax 18-250 was on the camera when the tiger came calling. After a lot of PP I got the pic below.
Very cool!

QuoteQuote:
The two main lenses I sold were the 18-250 and the 10-17.
Both of these lenses have focus rings - meaning manual focus is most certain;y an option for them. The 10-17 even has quick shift, meaning it's an option even when the camera is in AF mode.
09-08-2010, 05:11 AM - 1 Like   #94
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QuoteOriginally posted by creampuff Quote
With AF, focus is a lot faster than you could usually do manually, which translates to more keepers, especially when quick, unexpected photo opportunities occur.
This single reason above is what has made me slowly stop shooting with my fairly extensive collection of Takumars and stick with my AF primes. I am *always* sticking my camera overhead or shoving it between people to get "the moment" shots. These are always unplanned and can't be anticipated enough to guess distance/exposure. I would guess I'd lose about half my best shots if it weren't for AF and AE doing it for me. Now, my Taks and M/A series lenses only come out if I'm going out to get a landscape.

09-08-2010, 08:02 AM   #95
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This debate has so many facets. It really depends on the user and the sbject.
FWIW I personally spent in excess of 2 years figuring out how to get the indoor sports pics I wanted w/o flash. My go to lenses for in the gym have become a 55/1.4 and a rather rare fast 35 (not Pentax lenses). I do use them both below 2.8 which allows me to shoot ISO 800 and still have enough shutter speed. In this application there is not an AF lens available that mounts to a Pentax body that can compare with a couple old MF primes.
09-08-2010, 08:14 AM   #96
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QuoteOriginally posted by seacapt Quote
This debate has so many facets. It really depends on the user and the sbject.
FWIW I personally spent in excess of 2 years figuring out how to get the indoor sports pics I wanted w/o flash. My go to lenses for in the gym have become a 55/1.4 and a rather rare fast 35 (not Pentax lenses). I do use them both below 2.8 which allows me to shoot ISO 800 and still have enough shutter speed. In this application there is not an AF lens available that mounts to a Pentax body that can compare with a couple old MF primes.
The DA 55mm f1.4 and the DA 35mm f2.8 macro are both comparable. There is also the Sigma 30mm f1.4 if you're concerned about speed. As I recall, there aren't any MF lenses in the 28-35mm range that's as fast as f1.4 for a reasonable price.

Which rare fast 35mm are you referring to, anyway?
09-08-2010, 10:10 AM   #97
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QuoteOriginally posted by hangu Quote
The DA 55mm f1.4 and the DA 35mm f2.8 macro are both comparable. There is also the Sigma 30mm f1.4 if you're concerned about speed. As I recall, there aren't any MF lenses in the 28-35mm range that's as fast as f1.4 for a reasonable price.

Which rare fast 35mm are you referring to, anyway?
I've yet to see anything as sharp between 1.4 and 2.0 as the old Mamiya 55 and the oddball 35 is a Chinon1.7 which I've only seen or heard of twice. Did that just drive up the prices on Fleebay?
edit: the Chinon isn't what I'd consider a great lens but it's real fast for the length , I'd love to try the Sigma 30/1.4 that you mentioned even though the review I read was less than stellar .


Last edited by seacapt; 09-08-2010 at 10:48 AM.
09-08-2010, 03:22 PM   #98
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QuoteOriginally posted by JeffJS Quote
In all fairness to the photos have been taken since dirt was first discovered discussion, that was also before the mass sharing facility known as the public internet. Publishers also have limited space in magazines and newspapers to deal with. So the fact is, you don't Know what is there in terms of the number and quality of photos. AF and zooms make the job easier and more likely to succeed but it by no stretch means it cannot be done any other way.

yes but that entirely depends upon when dirt was discovered, if in fact you even believe it has been discovered. I'll talk to some pros I've got to know and ask them if their keeper numbers have increased since moving to digital.
09-08-2010, 04:12 PM   #99
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arpe Quote
yes but that entirely depends upon when dirt was discovered, if in fact you even believe it has been discovered. I'll talk to some pros I've got to know and ask them if their keeper numbers have increased since moving to digital.
They may have more Keepers but how many are they taking to Get them would be the logical question (in my mind). Digital recording and storage along and fast autofocus with the ability to take multiple frames per second afford us a lot of luxuries that didn't exist before (dirt was discovered, yes, I believe it has been ).

09-08-2010, 05:10 PM   #100
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I believe the discovery of dirt came when someone first found a speck on an image from their DSLR.
09-08-2010, 06:13 PM   #101
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QuoteOriginally posted by Marc Sabatella Quote
I believe the discovery of dirt came when someone first found a speck on an image from their DSLR.
09-08-2010, 06:18 PM   #102
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QuoteOriginally posted by JeffJS Quote
They may have more Keepers but how many are they taking to Get them would be the logical question (in my mind). Digital recording and storage along and fast autofocus with the ability to take multiple frames per second afford us a lot of luxuries that didn't exist before (dirt was discovered, yes, I believe it has been ).

When looking through books on rugby (as I do sometimes) I look at the old pictures in there, and most are pretty fuzzy, compared with today's ones. Whether that's the lens or the film or the lack of fast focus we don't know, probably a combination of all 3. So yes fast AF is a godsend for sport, and I'm sure a 50-600/f2.8 zoom that is light and small enough to carry would be snapped up by the pros. So in this light, getting back to the basic premise of the thread, manual focus primes are not necessarily the bees knees. But I know you know that.
09-08-2010, 06:32 PM   #103
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QuoteOriginally posted by seacapt Quote
I've yet to see anything as sharp between 1.4 and 2.0 as the old Mamiya 55 and the oddball 35 is a Chinon1.7 which I've only seen or heard of twice. Did that just drive up the prices on Fleebay?
edit: the Chinon isn't what I'd consider a great lens but it's real fast for the length , I'd love to try the Sigma 30/1.4 that you mentioned even though the review I read was less than stellar .
Hah, the Mamiyas are rare as hell nowadays. I'm curious to try one, you're the second person to claim that the Mamiya 55/1.4 is the sharpest 50/1.4 out there, bar none. I've seen the Auto Mamiya Sekkor version, are there others?

I've never even heard of the Chinon 35mm f1.7. If you have a photo of it somewhere, I'd love to see one. There are plenty of great 35/2 lenses out there, such as the S-Tak/SMC Tak 35/2 and the SMC FA35/2, all of which are pretty sharp wide open. I'm not sure the extra half-stop at a wide focal length of 35mm is really worth it if it doesn't perform well at f1.7.
09-08-2010, 07:34 PM   #104
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QuoteOriginally posted by Arpe Quote
When looking through books on rugby (as I do sometimes) I look at the old pictures in there, and most are pretty fuzzy, compared with today's ones. Whether that's the lens or the film or the lack of fast focus we don't know, probably a combination of all 3. So yes fast AF is a godsend for sport, and I'm sure a 50-600/f2.8 zoom that is light and small enough to carry would be snapped up by the pros. So in this light, getting back to the basic premise of the thread, manual focus primes are not necessarily the bees knees. But I know you know that.
You forgot about the printing of the magazine but it's neither here nor there at this point. There are some manual focus prime (and zoom) lenses that I do think are the Bee's Knees And the Cat's Pajamas (as my former coworker from Ireland use to say). However, were I a paid fast action photographer, none of these lenses would be convenient for use in the field. Yes, I know that. I think we basically agree here.

09-08-2010, 08:56 PM   #105
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FYI: I just paid 30 Euro (excl 6.75 transport costs) for a Pentax M 200 mm F4 (MF Prime).
  • Still targeting for 28 mm F2.8, 50 mm F1.7 and 135 mm F3.5 (with Pangor Auto Macro Converter as well as SLR with big flash...) all for 65 Euro (excl transport costs)
  • and maybe combined with some other m42 glass including a 500 mm F8 (100 Euro incl transport costs will be my first offer)
But next to that I still have to go buy a Pentax DSLR... The K-x or its successor? Isn't today the big day for such announcement?
  • I am willing to pay more for better and/or bigger LCD, 100% and larger OVF, Low light AF support light (without pop-up flash), WR, better video support incl connector for external stereo microphone, 18-125 mm kit zoom lens, Front/Back focus correction for at least up to 5 lenses.
Also so a nice 40 mm F2.8 MF pancake, LBA?
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