[Wasp]

After a couple of recent acquisitions, I now own a copy of each of the major focal lengths: 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm (4 of), 85mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm (2 of), 300mm and 400mm. I also have a Takumar 2x converter to make up something weird else if I want to. Oh yes, and a Pentax 1.4x L converter, but it only fits on the 400mm. To round out the collection, I have four zooms in 18-55mm, 28-80mm and 70-300mm. I now own pretty much everything there is and should not even look at buying any more lenses. If only life was that simple.

Incidentally, all the primes are manual focus and all the zooms are auto focus. I didn't plan it that way, it just happened. Probably because auto focus primes are quite scarce on the second hand market, especially in ZA. I have only ever seen one 50mm f/1.7 in auto focus, but the deal fell through. A dealer had a 200mm f/2.8 last year but the price was out of reach for me.

The thing is, not all those manual focus primes are Pentax lenses. The 35mm is a Takumar - no problem there, except for the M42 adapter hassles. It is a very capable lens if you stop it down. Wide open, it is capable of wild bokeh but one has to work at it to get results. Manual aperture is a bit of a drag but it goes with the territory. The 135mm and 300mm are also M42 and this is where the dream does not match the reality.

The 135mm is an f/2.8 branded as Fotar. Internet searching has turned up very little on this beastie. I bought it for one dollar on an internet auction site. The seller might have gotten a better price if he had bothered to describe it properly. Instead he only put up a couple of rubbish photos. I could only make out 1:2.8 on the front. I guessed that it was a 135mm from that as well as the size of the thing. From the shape of the lens cap at the back I guessed M42. There was nothing else in the ad, but for the price I had little to lose. Luckily it worked out. Except for the part where it turned out to have a bit of haze inside. Picture quality is not too bad but I haven't used it much.

The 300mm is even more of a mixed bag. It is a Tamron in M42 mount. I bought it on the web in the hope that it would be an Adaptall but it wasn't. There is some loss of coating on the fron element but the seller did disclose this. For about eight dollars I got my money's worth. I have hardly used it and it resides in my storage cabinet.

So what is next? I can live with the Tak and its quirks, but a Pentax would be nice. Especially if it has an A on the aperture ring. That brings me to another 'problem.' I only have four A lenses: 24mm, 50mm macro, 85mm and 400mm. It never really bothered me before, but I am starting to feel the love for full program exposure. Manual focus is tricky enough without having to press that green button as well. How did I ever manage without automation in my youth? The 50mm macro is 'only' f/2.8. Something with more bokeh is 'needed.' I am therefore looking at another 50mm right now and might accidentally click on 'Buy.' I will let you know how it works out.

I can live without a 'proper' 300mm. The 135mm is another matter. There are a lot of choices. The M 135mm f/3.5 would go nicely with my M 100mm f/2.8. The K 135mm f/2.5 would match my K 200mm f/2.5. Or how about an A f/2.8? The one that stands out is the Samyang 135mm f/2 - a perfect match for my Rokinon 85mm f/1.4! Not cheap, but one can dream.

Yes, I do know that Pentax also made 55mm, 120mm and 150mm lenses. There were 180mm lenses as well - the Tamron f/2.5 springs to mind. And the odd 90mm, but I can't remember which. And a 250mm, for all I know. I can get by with the focal lengths listed above. So I don't have a full set, but I am not that obsessed. Says the guy with nineteen and counting lenses, hehehe.

Finally, all the lenses I have are full 135 frame, except the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my late K10D. Perhaps I should stop buying lenses for a while and start saving up for a K-1...

[longbow]

Perhaps I should stop buying lenses for a while

....... good luck with that and if you find a way to stop let me know

[interested_observer]

....... good luck with that and if you find a way to stop let me know

Where do you want me to send my "Chancellor of the Exchequer" to? - the Mrs IO.

[Ascencio]

Compared to habits some people have your not doing bad. Enjoy!!!

[timw4mail]

After a couple of recent acquisitions, I now own a copy of each of the major focal lengths: 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm (4 of), 85mm, 100mm, 135mm, 200mm (2 of), 300mm and 400mm. I also have a Takumar 2x converter to make up something weird else if I want to. Oh yes, and a Pentax 1.4x L converter, but it only fits on the 400mm. To round out the collection, I have four zooms in 18-55mm, 28-80mm and 70-300mm. I now own pretty much everything there is and should not even look at buying any more lenses. If only life was that simple.

Incidentally, all the primes are manual focus and all the zooms are auto focus. I didn't plan it that way, it just happened. Probably because auto focus primes are quite scarce on the second hand market, especially in ZA. I have only ever seen one 50mm f/1.7 in auto focus, but the deal fell through. A dealer had a 200mm f/2.8 last year but the price was out of reach for me.

The thing is, not all those manual focus primes are Pentax lenses. The 35mm is a Takumar - no problem there, except for the M42 adapter hassles. It is a very capable lens if you stop it down. Wide open, it is capable of wild bokeh but one has to work at it to get results. Manual aperture is a bit of a drag but it goes with the territory. The 135mm and 300mm are also M42 and this is where the dream does not match the reality.

The 135mm is an f/2.8 branded as Fotar. Internet searching has turned up very little on this beastie. I bought it for one dollar on an internet auction site. The seller might have gotten a better price if he had bothered to describe it properly. Instead he only put up a couple of rubbish photos. I could only make out 1:2.8 on the front. I guessed that it was a 135mm from that as well as the size of the thing. From the shape of the lens cap at the back I guessed M42. There was nothing else in the ad, but for the price I had little to lose. Luckily it worked out. Except for the part where it turned out to have a bit of haze inside. Picture quality is not too bad but I haven't used it much.

The 300mm is even more of a mixed bag. It is a Tamron in M42 mount. I bought it on the web in the hope that it would be an Adaptall but it wasn't. There is some loss of coating on the fron element but the seller did disclose this. For about eight dollars I got my money's worth. I have hardly used it and it resides in my storage cabinet.

So what is next? I can live with the Tak and its quirks, but a Pentax would be nice. Especially if it has an A on the aperture ring. That brings me to another 'problem.' I only have four A lenses: 24mm, 50mm macro, 85mm and 400mm. It never really bothered me before, but I am starting to feel the love for full program exposure. Manual focus is tricky enough without having to press that green button as well. How did I ever manage without automation in my youth? The 50mm macro is 'only' f/2.8. Something with more bokeh is 'needed.' I am therefore looking at another 50mm right now and might accidentally click on 'Buy.' I will let you know how it works out.

I can live without a 'proper' 300mm. The 135mm is another matter. There are a lot of choices. The M 135mm f/3.5 would go nicely with my M 100mm f/2.8. The K 135mm f/2.5 would match my K 200mm f/2.5. Or how about an A f/2.8? The one that stands out is the Samyang 135mm f/2 - a perfect match for my Rokinon 85mm f/1.4! Not cheap, but one can dream.

Yes, I do know that Pentax also made 55mm, 120mm and 150mm lenses. There were 180mm lenses as well - the Tamron f/2.5 springs to mind. And the odd 90mm, but I can't remember which. And a 250mm, for all I know. I can get by with the focal lengths listed above. So I don't have a full set, but I am not that obsessed. Says the guy with nineteen and counting lenses, hehehe.

Finally, all the lenses I have are full 135 frame, except the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my late K10D. Perhaps I should stop buying lenses for a while and start saving up for a K-1...

For the 135, a really under-rated lens is the Takumar-Bayonet 135/2.5. It doesn't have the SMC coating of the 'Pentax' equivalents, but it's quite a nice lens.

If you really have to have the A contacts, I can also recommend the Adaptall 135/2.5, with the Pentax KA adapter. ( I'm not sure there's much difference between the Adaptall and Adaptall 2 versions of this lens ).

Really though, it seems lens makers have to try in order to make a terrible 135mm lens.

[timw4mail]

Compared to habits some people have your not doing bad. Enjoy!!!

Hey............

[longbow]

Where do you want me to send my "Chancellor of the Exchequer" to? - the Mrs IO.

I just want to try them all !!.....can be a problem when you're debt free and have a good paying job. But fortunately have a small house, so finding room is starting to be the limiting factor

[boriscleto]

You don't have 34 50mm lenses? 45 between 40 and 58mm? You don't have anything to worry about.

[interested_observer]

I just want to try them all !!.....can be a problem when you're debt free and have a good paying job.

Well, debt free and recently transitioned from a good paying job to retirement.

But fortunately have a small house, so finding room is starting to be the limiting factor

There is this book - The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter . Last year we went through the house, room by room, item by item....... Lot's of trips to Goodwill.

• The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your ... - Margareta Magnusson - Google Books

Now my wife keeps looking at the closet in my "office" asking - do you really need all of those boxes for your camera stuff, and do you really need all of that camera stuff? Can we get rid of some / all of that? Do you really need to be such a pack rat?

[aslyfox]

. . . Perhaps I should stop buying lenses for a while and start saving up for a K-1...

don't buy that K 1 until September

instead

post 10 times in August and enter the contest to win the K 1 or K 1 II

post 180 times and you are automatically in the final raffle

______________


To recap:
The community must reach 45,000 posts each month
At that point, 3 threads will be created 8 hours apart, and the first 80 posters in each will get a raffle entry
Automatic raffle entry if you have 180+ posts
Raffle participants must have at least 10 forum posts in the month of the raffle
The winner is drawn at random, and we will ship a K-1 to the winner
If the community reaches 51,000 posts by the end of the month, the prize gets upgraded to a K-1 II


Read more at: Pentax K-1 Triple Giveaway: Summer 2018 - Giveaways and Events | PentaxForums.com

[Wasp]

Another problem is how to store and transport the collection. I have two large and two small camera bags and they are not enough. A real first world problem, I know. But still a problem. Two Pentax bodies and all those lenses means that some planning is required before setting out.

It used to be that I could keep (almost) all of my gear in one bag. When it was time to go somewhere, I could just grab the bag. Now life is not so simple. Did I mention that I also have two Samsung NX bodies with three lenses for them?

I am going to a country fair tomorrow. What do I take along? The new 85mm and 24mm, definitely. But what else? The K 200mm f/2.5 is hard to focus and heavy to carry, but it has built in pixie dust - to name one. Which 50mm do I take? The super sharp f/2.8 macro, the bokeh magic f/1.4 or the do-it-all f/1.7? Will I need the reach of a 400mm?

One or two bodies? Or three?

Decisions, decisions...

[MossyRocks]

Don't feel bad. I just bought a new to me lens today. Because apparently I needed 2 300mm f/4 lenses in good condition. At least I can say this one isn't 50 years old.

[babywriter]

I have 40+ lenses, most of them manual, quite a few of them M42. I've banned myself from the local camera shops for a while, because if I go in, I tend to walk out with something ...

[PlumCrazy]

I'm not sure asking for help with LBA in this forum is the right audience??? :-) :-)
All of the excellent equipment suggestions, reviews and advice from the members of this forum are like crack cocaine to a new addict :-)
When I joined the forum a couple of years ago I had 3 film bodies, 2 digital bodies and 5 lenses. Now I have 8 bodies and 23 lenses.
So like "longbow" said ...If you find a way to stop ....(please) let me know....
Have fun at the fair!

[Ronald Oakes]

Another problem is how to store and transport the collection. I have two large and two small camera bags and they are not enough. A real first world problem, I know. But still a problem. Two Pentax bodies and all those lenses means that some planning is required before setting out.

It used to be that I could keep (almost) all of my gear in one bag. When it was time to go somewhere, I could just grab the bag. Now life is not so simple. Did I mention that I also have two Samsung NX bodies with three lenses for them?

I am going to a country fair tomorrow. What do I take along? The new 85mm and 24mm, definitely. But what else? The K 200mm f/2.5 is hard to focus and heavy to carry, but it has built in pixie dust - to name one. Which 50mm do I take? The super sharp f/2.8 macro, the bokeh magic f/1.4 or the do-it-all f/1.7? Will I need the reach of a 400mm?

One or two bodies? Or three?

Decisions, decisions...

Get a Dresser or Lingerie chest....mount wheels on it and buy a Dollie to cart it around for longer trips....Take Everything !

---------- Post added 08-10-18 at 13:50 ----------

Don't feel bad. I just bought a new to me lens today. Because apparently I needed 2 300mm f/4 lenses in good condition. At least I can say this one isn't 50 years old.

Consider yourself lucky...… I needed three 300mm f4's !

---------- Post added 08-10-18 at 13:52 ----------

I have 40+ lenses, most of them manual, quite a few of them M42. I've banned myself from the local camera shops for a while, because if I go in, I tend to walk out with something ...

I did the same ! Thank God for Ebay and Goodwill !
Ive got 11 Open auctions on Goodwill at the moment......I may not win anything , but its sure fun making sure to Bump-Em-Up so its no longer a Good Deal for anyone...….lol.