[betsypdx]

Ha! I took one of these the other night - no comparison! Where's the index?

[betsypdx]

If only we could see Jim King's collection in a photo (or several photos) like this one

That would have to be an 18 image composite to get all of his in one picture!

[axl]

(Click for the larger version.)

beautifull collection, would like to have anything similar...
btw, now I understand what some of you guys mean, if you write that you own "some glass"

This is good. I showed my wife and said "and you thought I had a problem."
....

I know how you feel ...

[carpents]

Top left is a Tammy SP 300 f2.8. top right to the left of the silver jupiter looks like an A 300 f4

The sign of the true addict is being able to identify lenses based on a teeny tiny Internet JPEG...

Ha! I took one of these the other night - no comparison! Where's the index?

See above!

And I thought I had a lot. You got a bag, I mean truck, big enough to carry those in?
Is that the 300 F/4 in the top left? I could use that this weekend.

Since they're all primes, I don't like to go out with more than 7 lenses at a time. I find that 7 is about the absolute maximum I can go through in a day's shooting, and usually it is much less. But I can easily fit two bodies and 7 lenses (except the Tamron 300/2.8) in my Tamrac Expedition 5 backpack - I highly recommend one!
(And yes, next to the Tamron 300/2.8 is a Super-Takumar 300/4 and as and noted above there is an A*300/4 as well.)

Now I'm gonna show this one to my wife, so I'd have more reason to get more lenses

If only we could see Jim King's collection in a photo (or several photos) like this one

I have to agree with the comments above - I would bet that with the exception of The King, you've owned more lenses than any member of this forum. You just don't own them for more than a month!

I too would like to see The King's collection. Many people here don't know that he owns as many 50mm lenses as own lenses, period! And that only includes PENTAX 50mm ones!



I actually took this shot because several (about 15) of these and other lenses are being sold from non-use and I wanted to get a 'Great Big Family' portrait. I like to think that I'm not collecting per se, because I like to use them all. So if I'm not using one or another, I should sell them. The K200/4 and M50/1.7 are already listed here (still for sale!) and they along with some screw mount lenses are going to eBay soon.

For those interested, this was taken with two off-camera flashes bounced off the ceiling - one from behind at 1/4 power (top right of the picture) and one below at 1/2 power (bottom left). This is because I just discovered the my AF-500FTZ flash is a freakin' wireless flash! Who knew?!?

Glad you all enjoyed it!

[daacon]

Wow , Wow and Wow - how much for everything ? PM me and I will put my car up in the Market Place see if there is any interest.

Curious for house insurance do you have special clause for these ?

[TaoMaas]

Since they're all primes, I don't like to go out with more than 7 lenses at a time.

That's not a zoom in the center at the top? What is it? A 200mm?

[carpents]

That's not a zoom in the center at the top? What is it? A 200mm?

It's an SMC Pentax 200/4, a.k.a. the 'K' version. It's quite good, actually, and for sale here!

[Duplo]

That is a nice collection there...

and a technically well executed photo too.

[txbonds]

My problem is, and the reason I had to show my wife and say, "and you thought I had a problem", is that in the past, I've owned, used and sold the following:

Bodies:
Minolta 7d
Canon 10d
Canon 20d (x2)
Canon 30d
Canon 5d (x2)
Nikon D70 (x2)
Nikon D2H
Nikon D200
Nikon D2X
Pentax K10D

Auto Focus Lenses:
Canon 70-200 f4L
Canon 24-105L
Canon 50 f1.4
Canon 85 f1.8
Canon 100 Macro
Canon 35 f1.4L
Canon 300 f4L
Canon 18-55 kit
Canon 17-55
Nikon 17-55
Nikon 70-200 vr
Nikon 105 vr
Nikon 50 f1.4
Nikon 85 f1.4
Nikon 85 f1.8
Nikon 35 f2
Nikon 18-70 kit
Nikon 18-200 vr
Nikon 180 f2.8
Minolta 50 f1.4
Minolta 17-35
Minolta 28-75
Minolta 300 f4
Tamron 300 f2.8
Tokina 300 f2.8
Tokina 100-300 f4
Sigma 30 f1.4
Pentax 18-55 kit
Pentax 70 ltd
Pentax 40 ltd
Pentax 31 ltd


And, out of all of those items I've tried (yes my wife does think I'm a photo nut) I have deduced the following for me anyway:

Best portrait and low light camera - Canon 5d with 35 f1.4 & 50 f1.4 & 85 f1.8 (would have prefered 1.2)
Best wildlife camera - Either D200 with 70-200vr or 5d with 300 f4 IS
Best camera feel in hands - Minolta 7d
Best focus and tracking for birds - Nikon D2H
Most versatile wildlife lens - tokina 100-300 f4 (sigma 100-300f4 probably same)
Favorite camera to carry and use daily - Pentax K10D with Limited Lenses
Camera I Still own out of all of them - Pentax K10D with Limited Lenses


So, deduce from this what you want, as I know these are all opinions and are subjective, but for me what it came down to was that they were all great cameras and lenses, and all had pros and cons, but the camera I actually enjoy using and grab when I head out the door is the Pentax. All the others were either too heavy, too expensive, too big, too .................... you get the idea, and I would have to think really hard sometimes about taking the camera when I went out with the family. The K10d with a limted lens is small enough to go just about anywhere. You can even grab another limited or two.

I'd love to have some long lenses for wildlife again, and am holding out for pentax to bring us some, but so far I just am finding the K10d to be a nice overall package with a little bit of everything in it. No real specialty over the others, just a good all arounder.

Sorry for the post, but the picture got me thinking about all this.

[TaoMaas]

It's an SMC Pentax 200/4, a.k.a. the 'K' version. It's quite good, actually, and for sale here!

Okay, thanks. I couldn't tell for sure from the pic.

[carpents]

No real specialty over the others, just a good all arounder.

Sorry for the post, but the picture got me thinking about all this.

No need to apologize, from one equipment junkie to another!

I agree that the K10 is a good 'all-arounder' but IMO it is a better camera than both the Canon 40D and Nikon D200, both of which I've used. There are subtle things, like changing the ISO on the fly, that make the K10 superior IMO.

As interested as I'd be in getting a Canon 5D + manual focus screen + 85/1.2 L, I just can't wrap my head around Canon's ergonomics.

[Lowell Goudge]

Errr, well I am sure you can justify your need for each and everyone of those, right?

btw this photo is flawed, the lens you took the shot with is not in the shot! So, you need to buy another lens so that you can get the lens you took this shot with in the shot, and then of course you will need another lens to get that lens in the shot, and then another lens to....

What you describe is a never ending loop, unless you get a friend to take the photo for you, or use (god forbid, a non pentax camera to take the shot)

If you want the shot to be of all your collection taken with one of your lenses, and indlude the lens on your camera, I have a suggestion.

use a remote release, put your camera in the group, and use a mirror.

HA HA

By the way, you can't possibly still be suffering from LBA, you have them all!

[txbonds]

No need to apologize, from one equipment junkie to another!

I agree that the K10 is a good 'all-arounder' but IMO it is a better camera than both the Canon 40D and Nikon D200, both of which I've used. There are subtle things, like changing the ISO on the fly, that make the K10 superior IMO.

As interested as I'd be in getting a Canon 5D + manual focus screen + 85/1.2 L, I just can't wrap my head around Canon's ergonomics.

I agree, switching from Nikon to Canon and back was pretty tough and backwards. I just never did like having the power switch on the back bottom of the camera like canons do.

The pentax, nikon approach is much better in my opinion.

But what that 5d would do nicely with the 35 f1.4L on it, is sit there and take awesome, clean pictures at ISO 1600 all day long with no flash and natural light. I bought it in a temporary loss of insanity when our son was born. Have great pics to show for it, but the money spent caught up with my brain eventually. Worse part is that I bought another one after the price dropped, and still couldn't get my head around the cost.

Second worse part to me was the body size and lens sizes. I mean, that 35 f1.4L felt twice as large as my new 31 f1.8 limited. And, with the canon hood on, it was maybe three times. Build quality was not the same either, although optically my copy of the 35 f1.4 was tops.

Long story short though, I'd rather have only a handful of key lenses with top build quality on a camera with lots of features but smaller body. I tend to use it more.

PS - after getting my 31 this week, I'm already plotting the 43 next, and am even thinking of an eventual swap of my 70 for the 77. These FA limiteds are a notch above the DA's in build I think, just not as small. From what I'm seeing out of the 31 with the few trial pics I took, I don't think I'll be able to resist the 77 which I hear is it's equal.

The 70 is awesome, don't get me wrong, but I think the 77 may just edge it out a little.

[thePiRaTE!!]

I believe I see the photographer in his red t-shirt in the wide angle on the far left. As per the previously stated contest rules - I win the lot!

[Peter Zack]

Or if you have a burning desire to become single, stop buying flowers and put every last dime into a collection like this. Then soon enough you're single and you never have to answer the ever present question in the womens clothing store. "Hun, do these pants make my......

Thanks guys, funny responses all.

Note to the young guys: stay single, you won't have to justify your purchases!