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04-11-2008, 05:05 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by moxfyre Quote
Personally I would not pay $85 for that lens, but would go for the Tamron LD Di f/4-5.6 instead (or spring $200 for the Sigma APO, but I assume you're on a fairly tight budget like me )
I wish this advice had come a couple of days ago, as I've already gotten it. It seems OK to me--not great, but not terrible, either.

Here are a few images taken with the Sigma 100-300:










Gotta get to work...
Heather

04-11-2008, 06:15 AM   #17
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Heather it looks like you got a much better copy than I did. Very nice colour with it and decent sharpness as well. You did ok there I think.

Sorry to be hijacking your thread Hin...
04-11-2008, 07:10 AM   #18
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I did put in a price quote request at B&H for both the F70-210 and the Sigma 100-300. Perhaps if I can get enough for both of them, I may just go on ahead and order the Tamron 70-300 from B&H--if not, I'll hang on to the Sigma and put the 70-210 on Fleabay with a decent reserve price--they're getting around $100 or so there.

Heather
04-11-2008, 09:11 AM   #19
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K45-125 spotting...

...at B&H for $139. See the following link:
Used Pentax | 45-125/4 KM | B&H Photo Video

Heather

04-11-2008, 10:23 AM   #20
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very decent bokeh!!!
04-11-2008, 10:30 AM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Peter Zack Quote
Funny Hin, you're keeping the K mount lens and now selling my favourite lens that gets the most use in my kit. I'd never sell the Tamron, ever.
Oh man, I am making all the wrong decisions. I trust your opinion and I will re-think seriously. Thanks for the pointer. I put Tamron to be the last few items to sell and schedule it last in Hin's Camera Gear - Hin's Tech Corner . Thnings are yet in the planning and I will take my time to sort out what I don't use in my gear list.

What I want to achieve is to cut down on my unused gear. I buy too many things in impulse purchase and I end up having 9+ unused lens for months. The Pentax K 45-125 is one of them purchased about 5 months ago and not a single shot was taken until last weekend. I shot test pictures for selling the lens -- how pathetic one get in LBA in having gear just for test shots to sell at a reduced price.

The great AF540 flash that I purchased from you is another example of unused gear. I buy first and use and think later. It has become a problem for me. No matter how inexpensive an item is, any unused gear in my possession becomes a very expensive items, hence my current act in setting up a lens roadmap to undo my mistakes. By the way, I would force myself to use the flash with simple gear like the kit's lens and other A gear.

Back to the Tamron, I love the sharpness and color, almost like prime quality as in my FA 50 f/1.4. But I prefer lighter weight in that focal range. I know I am nuts in selling it instead of SMC FA 28-105 but I like the natural color and contrast from the SMC gear. I love the SMC FA 28-105 for its lightweight, color but it can never rival the Tamron for sharpness, especially wide open.
04-11-2008, 10:38 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by hwblanks Quote
...at B&H for $139. See the following link:
Used Pentax | 45-125/4 KM | B&H Photo Video

Heather
Heather, thanks for sharing the link. Please note that this is the poor man's choice for DA * 50-135. If you are interested, please take note on all the caveats that go with the poor man's choice as compared to the real gem as in DA * 50-135, few listed here besides what I posted in my blog with my initial impressions
  • It is all manual lens
  • Though constant at f/4.0 and sharp wide open, it is no where near as good as f/2.8 wide open -- you get what you paid for.
  • No 'A' aperture, all metering in Av with Ev compensation or M mode with shutter adjustment
  • Well built but lens is about 615g/21.7oz vs 24.? oz in the DA * 50-135
  • Lens is big and bulky but well balanced in actual shooting
  • On actual shooting with two hands, the 1 touch zoom works great though
  • The best is in the fast zooming and focusing -- very loose focus ring comes as a plus for me
  • Zooom falls to the front end making it uncomfortable to carry, no zoom lock is a minus
  • Zoom is distorted in 45mm making it less likely to be a good zoom for landscape
  • Zoom is great for portrait and fast moving objects as in squirrel and moving kids
  • Zoom is a zoom and you can't expect prime quality in IQ, but close in my books
  • The manual focus can be as good as AF if you practice
  • Nothing beats the happiness in getting great photos from quality but inexpensive gear. The contrary is also true -- life sucks when your cheap gear don't match up your expectations.




highlight is clipped in Picasa post processing -- my bad


highlight is clipped in Picasa post processing -- my bad


the uncropped version






Last edited by hinman; 04-11-2008 at 12:51 PM.
04-11-2008, 12:12 PM   #23
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Hin,

Whatever you do, please don't get rid of the Tamron. While I'm pretty happy with the Sigma 17-70 now, someday, I wouldn't mind having the Tamron/DA21 combination myself. For a zoom, the Tamron is an amazing lens.

No, I'm not planning on getting the 45-125, as I've got other priorities that are far ahead of it--like settling on a tele zoom, a dedicated macro, and at least a couple more primes.

Heather
04-13-2008, 06:33 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by hwblanks Quote
Hin,

Whatever you do, please don't get rid of the Tamron. While I'm pretty happy with the Sigma 17-70 now, someday, I wouldn't mind having the Tamron/DA21 combination myself. For a zoom, the Tamron is an amazing lens.

No, I'm not planning on getting the 45-125, as I've got other priorities that are far ahead of it--like settling on a tele zoom, a dedicated macro, and at least a couple more primes.

Heather
Heather,

I have taken your advice and that from Peter in keeping both the Pentax K 45-125 f/4.0 and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8. Instead, I will line up the other zooms to sell, I am working on a road map to trim my lens, documented in my camera gear page, I have identified 13 lens/camera to sell/donate/gift to trim my gear

Hin's Camera Gear - Hin's Tech Corner

But I am still uncomfortable in selling three lens that are lower quality than the Tamron -- kit's lens, DA 50-200 and FA 28-105 f/3.2-4.5. I probably will phase them out one in stages with addition of quality gear to make the transition easier. I especially like the FA 28-105, followed by DA 50-200.

Thanks,
Hin
04-13-2008, 06:56 PM   #25
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Hin,

In addition to the 21 + 28-75 combination, I've also thought about a 21 + 28-105/3.2-4.5 combination, as well, mainly because the 28-105 is half the weight of the 28-75.

Granted, besides the great IQ of the primes, one of the reasons I want to have a nice prime kit is for when I want to travel light, so based on that reasoning, what would be the point of getting the 28-105?

So, at the moment, I'm envisioning my kit looking like this:
Lightweight prime kit: 21, 43 (or DA35), and 70. If I don't get the DA35, then I would add a DFA 100 for macro.
Zooms: currently Sigma 17-70 + Sigma 100-300 UC. Especially if I don't get the DFA100, then the 100-300 could also go with the primes for whenever I need telephoto.
I might consider replacing the Sigma 17-70 with the DA17-70, if it's weathersealed, otherwise I'll eventually trade the Sigma for the 28-75. Depending on reviews and finances, I would also consider replacing the 100-300 with the DA55-300.

With some of these new lenses not even being out yet, it's hard to make any definite decisions, but I'm keeping my options open.

Heather
04-13-2008, 08:25 PM   #26
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I just got the 28-105 myself as my travel lens instead of the tamron for the weight issue and used with the tamron 1.4 TC I think its a really good package along with my 10-17 and a fast prime to make up my travel kit
04-14-2008, 06:58 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by gokenin Quote
I just got the 28-105 myself as my travel lens instead of the tamron for the weight issue and used with the tamron 1.4 TC I think its a really good package along with my 10-17 and a fast prime to make up my travel kit
It is a tough choice for me to make. The SMC FA 28-105 f/3.2-4.5 is good walk around lens. It is light and compact like the kit's lens size. And the focal range is better than the kit's lens for walk around but I find it a bit soft when I use it on my K100D, especially at wide open aperture. The color, contrast and bokeh is quite nice on the lens. I actually like the results better with this lens when I use it in my film camera Pentax pz-1. In a 4x6 print, sharpness is totally an non-issue and the color beats that of Tamron when I tried out the 1st film roll. I am on a road map to trim my current gear.



Identiffied Gear To Sell





With Pentax pz-1 on Fujifilm 400




Last edited by hinman; 04-14-2008 at 07:05 PM.
04-14-2008, 07:14 PM   #28
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I dont know if it makes a huge diffrence but I have the black one not the silver one. I feel it is a good lens on the k100d have not gotten back any pics yet that i took with the PZ-1p yet. I know that the black one is f4.0-5.6
04-14-2008, 07:24 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by gokenin Quote
I dont know if it makes a huge diffrence but I have the black one not the silver one. I feel it is a good lens on the k100d have not gotten back any pics yet that i took with the PZ-1p yet. I know that the black one is f4.0-5.6
The f/4.0-5.6 version seems to come from Tamron. From what I gather, both are nice but people seem to praise about the Pentax version with f/3.2-4.5 more especially in the film era. When I use it with my Pentax pz-1, that lens perform quite well for me. I am sure yours will do well as well. That focal range in 28-105 will work extremely well to pair with a 21mm limited as Heather suggested. I pair it with Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5 and a cheap prime in 24mm f/2.8 in outing and the combination of 2 or 3 lens has made my trip very pleasant for photo opportunities.
09-10-2008, 05:17 PM   #30
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Lens in Marketplace

I have this lens on sale in marketplace in case you are looking for an alternative to DA * 50-135 and don't mind about manual focusing lens.

Kiron 28mm f/2.5, Pentax K 45-125 f/4.0, Tokina 28-70 f/2.8-4.3 in Marketplace

Last edited by hinman; 09-10-2008 at 05:23 PM.
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