[jbinpg]

I busted the focus on my workhorse DA*300 the other day. I could not go without a long lens while I sent in for repair, so I got smart and bought myself a 300 PLM. Night and day AF speed at a slight resolution loss. But I will still get the DA*300 fixed since I need it for my comet hunting. As for vintage lenses, I will never give them up. Different rendering compared to modern lenses with often more satisfaction with the finished image.

[UncleVanya]

I busted the focus on my workhorse DA*300 the other day. I could not go without a long lens while I sent in for repair, so I got smart and bought myself a 300 PLM. Night and day AF speed at a slight resolution loss. But I will still get the DA*300 fixed since I need it for my comet hunting. As for vintage lenses, I will never give them up. Different rendering compared to modern lenses with often more satisfaction with the finished image.

What wrong with it?

[photoptimist]

Shooting vintage manual primes is like life in a small village. It may be slower but it has plenty of character and can be extremely fulfilling.

Shooting AF zooms is like life in a big city. It offers every focal length at a convenient twist of the lens and every focused picture with a convenient press of a button. It's great for fast photography on the go but it's too easy to miss the details that come with slower styles of photography.

Personally, I've lived both places starting with totally manual film cameras (OM-1 & OM-4) and ranging to a ZLR (zoom-lens reflex AF Olympus film camera) and Minolta Dimage digital bridge cameras. Currently I split my time between Vintage Village and Zoomer City with the K-1 using a growing collection of vintage lenses for slow photography and a sufficient assortment of AF zooms for faster photography.


I sincerely hope you don't dump all your vintage lenses because they can be so rewarding. But I also hope you add a couple of modern zooms because they do make some kinds of photography so much easier.

[BigMackCam]

^^^ Brilliant post. Very well put! And, of course, I concur

To extend your analogy, I'll add that most people who live in a village like to visit the city from time to time, while city dwellers often enjoy a break in more rural areas. Even if you have a preference for one over the other, it's good to be able to step outside your usual environment and enjoy the differences

[jbinpg]

Somehow, I managed to break the focus clutch from the helicoid. Spin the focus and the elements don't move at all. Won't even manual focus.I have had it ever since it was released so time for a CLA anyway.

[Kerrowdown]

Does shooting Only Legacy glass somehow make me a more traditional Photographer ?

Of course it does... you shouldn't even need to ask.

Does being a Legacy Prime Purist benefit me in ANY way ?

Yes, it earns you even greater respect from the old Kerrowdown... is that good enough?

and a SMC-A 50mm f1.2 lens was the absolute hardest to handle.....

Now this is just an outrageous state of affairs... you sold your "Special Lady" unforgivable.

[Ronald Oakes]

Of course it does... you shouldn't even need to ask.



Yes, it earns you even greater respect from the old Kerrowdown... is that good enough?



Now this is just an outrageous state of affairs... you sold your "Special Lady" unforgivable.

Actually....I sold BOTH of them within the last 7 days !.....

Im going to blame ALL of this on HelenJo ! Had she not been out Cruising the 7 Seas of the World …...cracking 3 ribs while riding the waves on some ship somewhere.....fracturing her lumbar spine on a Jet Ski …...and .....not calling for 5 weeks after her scheduled return date home.....NONE of this would have ever happened !
All those Legacy Lenses she had in her collection while I was house-sitting her blasted little Pygmy dog...…. Well.....lets just say they really got to me when I stuck a few on the snout of my K-1 !
I started Cleaning House on my Lens collection !

BTW.....where is she ? I figured she would be here Posting something by now ? She Must be at Radiology.....getting more spinal and Chest X-Rays done !

---

Last edited by Ronald Oakes; 06-23-2018 at 04:03 PM.

[kiwi_jono]

As previously said its also a journey for many people.
I personally really enjoy trying out different lenses and some of my best shots are taken doing just that (once I get bored with a lens my rate goes down as I'm not so motivated anymore).
I'm also one of those that has a constrained budget. The K-1 was expensive but enabled digital FF for all my older lenses - and to me that was a revelation!

That said I do own the DFA28-105 and its on my camera quite a lot. The only real down side for me is that it likes to pump dust into my camera - something I previous did not have any trouble with even after so many prime lens swaps. Would love to add a some other of the new DFA and while budget is an issue, the size weight is off putting to me too as I carry my gear around quite a bit.

[Ronald Oakes]

As previously said its also a journey for many people.
I personally really enjoy trying out different lenses and some of my best shots are taken doing just that (once I get bored with a lens my rate goes down as I'm not so motivated anymore).
I'm also one of those that has a constrained budget. The K-1 was expensive but enabled digital FF for all my older lenses - and to me that was a revelation!

That said I do own the DFA28-105 and its on my camera quite a lot. The only real down side for me is that it likes to pump dust into my camera - something I previous did not have any trouble with even after so many prime lens swaps. Would love to add a some other of the new DFA and while budget is an issue, the size weight is off putting to me too as I carry my gear around quite a bit.

I keep my equipment meticulously Clean. However Im not at all happy knowing about the DFA 28-105 being a Dust Pumper ! I didn't have any issues either on a couple bodies until I briefly used a DA 18-135 WR lens.....it was a Dust Pumper too !
I never really associated it until now...….Thinking.....thinking....

I just unboxed my Backup K-1 that has been sitting unused in its box for over a year.
Its 3 lens Kit is a Ricoh Rikenon P 28mm 2.8 (sharp) , Ricoh Rikenon P 50mm 1.4 (hardly ever use) , and Ricoh Rikenon 50mm 2.0 lens (use Alot , highly underrated).....the entire set only cost a whopping $59 and the 1.4 was the brunt of that.
My most inexpensive lens set and Im completely satisfied with it for general landscapes...….I didn't even Need the others...….lol.

[onlineflyer]

Old school guy here. Had four lenses for my old KX film camera: M 50/1.7, K 30/2,8, Sigma 135/2.8 Pantel, and Vivitar Series 1 90-180/4.5 Flat Field macro zoom. Still own and use all four lenses. Acquired a FA 28-105mm/4-5.6 with the purchase of a PZ-1P. Bought a K-30, my first digital camera, then added the M 100/2.8, Lester Dine 105/2.8 macro, M 200/4, K 200/2.5, Sigma 70/2.8 macro, M 35-70/2.8-3,5, A* 300/4, DA 20-40/2.8-4, DA 300/4.5, and most recently the K 50/1.2 (thanks Ron). As you can see, I have some unusual old lenses, along with several more modern lenses.

I currently own two cameras, the K-5iis and K-3. Would love a K-1 but both of my cameras are better than my ability, so why bother upgrading? My DA lenses are absolute optical marvels. I love the output I get from them but there is something special about the old glass. First and foremost, they are manual lenses with an aperture rings and manual focus doesn't bother me and often times I find it useful for the type of shooting I do, plus the build quality and feel of these lens is just marvelous. They are line finely tuned mechanical watches and being an engineer, I just love the precision.

When I go out to shoot, I usually take one lens, two at the most. I try to anticipate the environment I will be shooting in and plan accordingly. In most cases, this works out well for me. If I'm planning on shooting in a fast pasted environment I'll take my modern zoom af lens and, perhaps, a af prime. If I'm shooting in a more relaxed situation, I'll take a manual focus lens or two based on what I'm hoping to shoot.

We are all unique individuals, have our own style and reason for loving the art of photography. What works for one may, or may not, work for another. I enjoy having an array of options, including old manual and zoom glass, along with modern af prime and zoom lenses. In my mind, it's the best of both worlds. That's why I love Pentax, it offers me both options.

---------- Post added 06-23-18 at 07:57 PM ----------

My current SMC-K line is down to 8 lenses that I consider my keepers.
SMC-K 20 4.0 (currently in Repair) , SMC-K 24 2.8 , SMC-K 24 3.5 , SMC-K 28 3.5 , SMC-K 35 3.5 , SMC-K55 1.8 , SMC-K 105 2.8 , SMC-K 135 3.5 , SMC-K 200 4.0.....all are used somewhat frequently.

Ron, you're missing the K 30/2.8. LBA addiction is incurable.

[Ronald Oakes]

Old school guy here. Had four lenses for my old KX film camera: M 50/1.7, K 30/2,8, Sigma 135/2.8 Pantel, and Vivitar Series 1 90-180/4.5 Flat Field macro zoom. Still own and use all four lenses. Acquired a 28-105mm/4-5.6 with the purchase of a PZ-1P. Bought a K-30, my first digital camera, then added the M 100/2.8, Lester Dine 105/2.8 macro, M 200/4, K 200/2.5, Sigma 70/2.8 macro, M 35-70/2.8-3,5, A* 300/4, DA 20-40/2.8-4, DA 300/4.5, and most recently the K 50/1.2 (thanks Ron). As you can see, I have some unusual old lenses, along with several more modern lenses.

I currently own two cameras, the K-5iis and K-3. Would love a K-1 but both of my cameras are better than my ability, so why bother upgrading? My DA lenses are absolute optical marvels. I love the output I get from them but there is something special about the old glass. First and foremost, they are manual lenses with an aperture rings and manual focus doesn't bother me and often times I find it useful for the type of shooting I do, plus the build quality and feel of these lens is just marvelous. They are line finely tuned mechanical watches and being an engineer, I just love the precision.

When I go out to shoot, I usually take one lens, two at the most. I try to anticipate the environment I will be shooting in and plan accordingly. In most cases, this works out well for me. If I'm planning on shooting in a fast pasted environment I'll take my modern zoom af lens and, perhaps, a af prime. If I'm shooting in a more relaxed situation, I'll take a manual focus lens or two based on what I'm hoping to shoot.

We are all unique individuals, have our own style and reason for loving the art of photography. What works for one may, or may not, work for another. I enjoy having an array of options, including old manual and zoom glass, along with modern af prime and zoom lenses. In my mind, it's the best of both worlds. That's why I love Pentax, it offers me both options.

---------- Post added 06-23-18 at 07:57 PM ----------



Ron, you're missing the K 30/2.8. LBA addiction is incurable.

That's OK ! Im about to be missing the K 105/2.8 also......Just lowered the price to $109 shipped !

[c.a.m]

The OP resonates with me.

I'm in the process of 'optimizing' my lens kit -- I have approximately 30 lenses, acquired over a period of eight years. Some are in my core kit of modern(ish) lenses, including several DA Limiteds, my new FA 43 Ltd, a couple of DA* lenses, a Sigma 70-200 HSM II, and others. The rest are older, and mainly manual focus. I use some of them only infrequently, so I figure it's time to thin the herd and focus on what I really need.

Still, I think I live in a border town between @photoptimist 's Vintage Village and Zoomer City. While I like and use my modern lenses often, I'm also attached to some of my vintage Pentax lenses, sort of along these lines:

SMC Pentax 50/1.2. I happened to come across this one for sale on a local online classified site, and must have been the first viewer after the owner listed it. Fortunately, he was located fairly close to my home, but there was a heavy winter snowstorm in play at the time. I implored the seller to hold it for me and I'd get there as soon as possible. My wife thought I was crazy to brave the roads, but the call of the 1.2 was strong, my friends. I made it in 15 minutes, complimented the guy on his very well-kept kit, haggled a bit on the price, and walked away with the lens, an immaculate black ME Super and a couple of other lenses for a very attractive price. So, I've not only come to love the 1.2, I've also got that small story surrounding it's purchase. It's not going anywhere except when it's in my camera bag.

SMC Pentax 30/2.8. Another online sale, but it was located in another Canadian city. The lens was shown in the seller's image, but it was obscured and not obvious. So, with a bit of detective work, I figured it was a 30/2.8. After a couple of email exchanges and an elevated pulse rate, the seller agreed to ship it to me at cost. It's the lens that has kept me from seeking an FA 31 Limited.

Auto-Takumar 55/2. While this little one doesn't have the coatings or ultimate sharpness of modern equivalents, what's not to love about a lens as old as I am? Besides, it makes good pictures.

And so it goes. I do have several items for sale at the moment, and am preparing some others to join the herd as it migrates away from Vintage Village.

- Craig

[Durf]

I'm also an obsessed vintage lens addict, I've got at least 30 old lenses and only a couple are not in great working condition. I have several that are gems and in mint condition....my main set of gems are those darn good ole Takumars, and I have several Pentax K-Mount lenses too. (Takumars are my favorites).

The irony is that I don't own a digital Pentax Camera and adapt all these old lenses to a couple of Canon Camera's. Regardless, the results I get are most often beyond amazing!

Perhaps someday soon I'll find a great deal on a K-1 and start using these old lenses on a Pentax full-frame digital camera!

[HelenJo]

Actually....I sold BOTH of them within the last 7 days !.....

Im going to blame ALL of this on HelenJo ! Had she not been out Cruising the 7 Seas of the World …...cracking 3 ribs while riding the waves on some ship somewhere.....fracturing her lumbar spine on a Jet Ski …...and .....not calling for 5 weeks after her scheduled return date home.....NONE of this would have ever happened !
All those Legacy Lenses she had in her collection while I was house-sitting her blasted little Pygmy dog...…. Well.....lets just say they really got to me when I stuck a few on the snout of my K-1 !
I started Cleaning House on my Lens collection !

BTW.....where is she ? I figured she would be here Posting something by now ? She Must be at Radiology.....getting more spinal and Chest X-Rays done !

Rony ! Very Funny.
My spine is Ok , Its my ribs that are bothering me.
I see you have been up to no good while Im gone. Haha !
And I didnt crack my ribs riding the waves on the Seven Seas as you proclaimed. I cracked my ribs when I went out of a side door and got blown hard against a metal rail and almost went overboard.
And my lumbar fracture didnt come from a Jet-ski , it came from falling off the bed during rough seas going around the Cape of Good Hope and I landed on my Tailbone. Haha.
So get your facts right Rony !
Im home for good , so come over and bring my 20-35 with you.
I think Pigmy misses you too Rony. She keeps looking at the door ?

---------- Post added 06-23-18 at 06:16 PM ----------

Now this is just an outrageous state of affairs... you sold your "Special Lady" unforgivable.

I cant believe it either. When I see him , He is in Big trouble ! Haha.

---------- Post added 06-23-18 at 06:20 PM ----------

That's OK ! Im about to be missing the K 105/2.8 also......Just lowered the price to $109 shipped !

Rony ! If thats the one I borrowed ? Bring it with you as I want it. PM sent.

[pcrichmond]

Great story and one I have similar experience with in an opposite twist. Several lenses are kept over from high school and college days and a few m42's I inherited from my father. I still own the first Helios I bought in the 70's before I got into Pentax. Now days if I wish to try a new lens I'll rent before purchase and almost always will purchase a used vintage over a newer edition. Every time I rent a new DA or DFA lens I'm very impressed with the build quality and the IQ that can be achieved - there is just one major drawback of the newer lenses. No aperture ring. I can't imagine how I would deal with LBA if I had to purchase duplicate copies of each lens - one for digital and one for film.