The DA 70mm. A forgotten lens?

Dewman · 11-30-2018, 02:46 PM

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Originally posted by Docrwm

This is not a place you should visit, very specifically:
Pentax DA70 | eBay

I know! I know! I've been bouncing in and out of there all week long! If I were only younger, more physically able to get out and chase down those waiting images!

**mikesbike** · 11-30-2018, 04:29 PM - **1 Like**

I've had the FA 77mm f/1.8 LTD for many years. But a good deal turned up for a new DA 70 earlier this year, and there is enough difference in FL, so now I have included it in my arsenal. The 77mm is small, but the DA70mm is ultra-small! I've had it along in a kit with the DA 20-40mm, the DA 15mm, and/or the FA 77mm, all in various pockets or accessory compartments! It's like carrying next to nothing extra, yet having 3 marvelous primes along with the zoom lens on-camera. The DA 70mm is an excellent portrait lens, among its many uses.

nocturnal · 11-30-2018, 04:34 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by clackers

About the only kind of photographer I can't abide is a lazy one, who hasn't gotten better or done things differently in the last year, or years, dare I say it.

To hear someone crap on how they've outgrown Pentax and need a Sony A9, and we can all see that after five years they're still only up to getting a flower exposed and focused - week one of a photography course - is always amusing. There's a lot of them about!

Brilliant!

I suggested similar on Pentax SLR Talk on dpreview and they hated me for it. A photo of a coffee mug or a cat on top of a shed gets about 7 likes (this with a k1 and dfa 50 f1.4), I post a decent landscape photo and I'd be lucky to get a mention...

Next they are wanting Pentax to invent a mirrorless camera to rival Canikon and they are never happy... They have too much money!

dbs · 11-30-2018, 05:11 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by nocturnal

Brilliant!

I suggested similar on Pentax SLR Talk on dpreview and they hated me for it. A photo of a coffee mug or a cat on top of a shed gets about 7 likes (this with a k1 and dfa 50 f1.4), I post a decent landscape photo and I'd be lucky to get a mention...

Next they are wanting Pentax to invent a mirrorless camera to rival Canikon and they are never happy... They have too much money!

Hi Nocturnal

"they have too much money" yes thats right ,they bought Pentax instead of canikon.

Anyway I'm happy with my DA 70 ltd at the end of the day thats all that counts you being happy with whatever you buy

Dave

Dewman · 11-30-2018, 06:13 PM - **2 Likes**

Back in "the day," my favorite combo was my Spotmatic and a Super-Takumar 105mm f:2.8 lens. Interestingly, it's the same coverage as the DA-70mm in APS-C format.

**clackers** · 11-30-2018, 08:14 PM - **6 Likes**

Originally posted by nocturnal

... They have too much money!

But it's a cat on a shed taken with a D850!

Like you, I reckon there's no point having money and going from being a bad photographer with a K-50 to a bad photographer with a Z7.

Instead, they ought to look at someone like Dartmoor Dave with his K10D or whatever it is. Throw him all their cash to mentor them, and actually get better.

Dewman · 11-30-2018, 10:27 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by clackers

But it's a cat on a shed taken with a D850!

Like you, I reckon there's no point having money and going from being a bad photographer with a K-50 to a bad photographer with a Z7.

Instead, they ought to look at someone like Dartmoor Dave with his K10D or whatever it is. Throw him all their cash to mentor them, and actually get better.

I've often thought it would be interesting to have a "Photography Contest" where the contestants were limited to the throw-away Kodak film cameras. Hmmm...... ?

nocturnal · 12-01-2018, 09:56 AM - **5 Likes**

The DA 70 I do not have, maybe I will get one sometime to compliment the HD DA15 Ltd and HD DA 20-40 Ltd. I am addicted to these two and usually all I ever use. Between these two and my F*300 f4.5 I have nothing stellar to match the I.Q of these.

Agree with you clackers but a lot of these 'photographers' don't even seem to want to get better, all they are interested in is buying new gear and complaining about Pentax autofocus tracking. For example, they talked and talked and talked for ages about the DFA 50 f1.4 and shortly after they bought it the lens was never mentioned again, I didn't even see many photographs either....

Now there are threads with 100's of replies talking about Pentax Mirrorless and threads about Ricohs profits etc. These people are not wise! 😀😀😀

I don't believe anyone chooses Pentax because they can't afford Canikon, I nearly went Nikon until I seen an advertisement for a K30 covered in water up a mountain or somewhere and I thought "right this is what I need!"

Before this I had a loan of a Pentax Optio 450 compact camera and I got some great photos with it, I was amazed by the quality so that swayed it and affordability of different systems never entered my head. 😀

I'll have a look for Dartmoor Dave, I like photographers who get the best from their gear.

**mikesbike** · 12-01-2018, 02:51 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by nocturnal

The DA 70 I do not have, maybe I will get one sometime to compliment the HD DA15 Ltd and HD DA 20-40 Ltd. I am addicted to these two and usually all I ever use. Between these two and my F*300 f4.5 I have nothing stellar to match the I.Q of these.

If you sometimes find a need to reach beyond 40mm as you use this excellent kit, I have now found the DA 70mm LTD will fit in very well! And so easy to carry. Not really very different from the DA15mm in terms of size and weight! Imaging is superb.

ZombieArmy · 12-01-2018, 02:56 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by normhead

At one point it was the sharpest Pentax lens out there.

For people who go on about edge to edge sharpness, if they don't own this lens I don't take them very seriously. It's affordable and it's excellent.

I remember looking at the charts for this lens. It's certainly on my list once I recoup the costs of the KP.

---------- Post added 12-01-18 at 04:58 PM ----------

Originally posted by Dewman

I've often thought it would be interesting to have a "Photography Contest" where the contestants were limited to the throw-away Kodak film cameras. Hmmm...... ?

I'd be down for that!

Dewman · 12-01-2018, 03:31 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by ZombieArmy

---------- Post added 12-01-18 at 04:58 PM ----------

I'd be down for that!

O.K. Let's do it! We'll call it "Dewman's Challenge!" Limited to throwaway, cheapo film cameras only! Color OR B&W. What'd ya' think? Do we need to include some limitations as to the PP used in the final submissions?

An interesting concept, but since it doesn't involve Pentax-specific gear, it might not be appropriate.... eh? Still, an interesting concept.

**RGlasel** · 12-01-2018, 03:37 PM - **3 Likes**

Originally posted by Dewman

I've often thought it would be interesting to have a "Photography Contest" where the contestants were limited to the throw-away Kodak film cameras.

Nothing wrong with that, but it would take away any reason to have lenses like the DA 70. In some ways, your contest would be like a three-legged race, requiring a great deal of skill to produce some very unimpressive results, relative to what can be done in a two legged race.

I think the key is to master what you already have, before moving up to something better, but I don't see the point of deliberately handicapping yourself, just because you can. Anyway, you are getting many excellent photos with a kit that isn't any better than mine, so please don't feel you shouldn't upgrade when you get the chance.

ZombieArmy · 12-01-2018, 05:01 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by RGlasel

Nothing wrong with that, but it would take away any reason to have lenses like the DA 70. In some ways, your contest would be like a three-legged race, requiring a great deal of skill to produce some very unimpressive results, relative to what can be done in a two legged race.

I think like a 3 legged race it's not about the result, but the fun of the challenge getting there.

nocturnal · 12-01-2018, 05:43 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by mikesbike

If you sometimes find a need to reach beyond 40mm as you use this excellent kit, I have now found the DA 70mm LTD will fit in very well! And so easy to carry. Not really very different from the DA15mm in terms of size and weight! Imaging is superb.

It is perhaps on the long term list and I'll want the HD version but I'm about to press the button on a K-70 and I just bought a photography monitor today. The K-70 seems a good upgrade over my beloved K30... I'm a landscape photography who likes very large prints (It is not for facebook, not that I partake anyhow!).

Many times though I want well beyond 70mm for landscape, I use 135, 200 and even 300mm sometimes, which is why the future DFA 70-200 f4 might be a good one for me. It will have great optics and modern coatings etc.

**Des** · 12-01-2018, 10:25 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by nocturnal

I'll have a look for Dartmoor Dave, I like photographers who get the best from their gear.

Dave is a legend and a fine photographer. I love the story of him sandpapering the front element of his 18-55 to get the effect he wanted: The K10D Club! - Page 35 - PentaxForums.com And following that with further mods: The K10D Club! - Page 46 - PentaxForums.com

11-30-2018, 04:29 PM - 1 Like	#32
mikesbike Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Southeastern Michigan Posts: 4,551	I've had the FA 77mm f/1.8 LTD for many years. But a good deal turned up for a new DA 70 earlier this year, and there is enough difference in FL, so now I have included it in my arsenal. The 77mm is small, but the DA70mm is ultra-small! I've had it along in a kit with the DA 20-40mm, the DA 15mm, and/or the FA 77mm, all in various pockets or accessory compartments! It's like carrying next to nothing extra, yet having 3 marvelous primes along with the zoom lens on-camera. The DA 70mm is an excellent portrait lens, among its many uses. Last edited by mikesbike; 12-01-2018 at 02:45 PM.

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11-30-2018, 02:46 PM	#31
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Originally posted by Docrwm This is not a place you should visit, very specifically: Pentax DA70 \| eBay I know! I know! I've been bouncing in and out of there all week long! If I were only younger, more physically able to get out and chase down those waiting images!

11-30-2018, 04:34 PM - 2 Likes	#33
nocturnal Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 507	Originally posted by clackers About the only kind of photographer I can't abide is a lazy one, who hasn't gotten better or done things differently in the last year, or years, dare I say it. To hear someone crap on how they've outgrown Pentax and need a Sony A9, and we can all see that after five years they're still only up to getting a flower exposed and focused - week one of a photography course - is always amusing. There's a lot of them about! Brilliant! I suggested similar on Pentax SLR Talk on dpreview and they hated me for it. A photo of a coffee mug or a cat on top of a shed gets about 7 likes (this with a k1 and dfa 50 f1.4), I post a decent landscape photo and I'd be lucky to get a mention... Next they are wanting Pentax to invent a mirrorless camera to rival Canikon and they are never happy... They have too much money!

11-30-2018, 05:11 PM - 1 Like	#34
dbs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Clare Valley S A Photos: Albums Posts: 7,564	Originally posted by nocturnal Brilliant! I suggested similar on Pentax SLR Talk on dpreview and they hated me for it. A photo of a coffee mug or a cat on top of a shed gets about 7 likes (this with a k1 and dfa 50 f1.4), I post a decent landscape photo and I'd be lucky to get a mention... Next they are wanting Pentax to invent a mirrorless camera to rival Canikon and they are never happy... They have too much money! Hi Nocturnal "they have too much money" yes thats right ,they bought Pentax instead of canikon. Anyway I'm happy with my DA 70 ltd at the end of the day thats all that counts you being happy with whatever you buy Dave

11-30-2018, 06:13 PM - 2 Likes	#35
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Back in "the day," my favorite combo was my Spotmatic and a Super-Takumar 105mm f:2.8 lens. Interestingly, it's the same coverage as the DA-70mm in APS-C format.

11-30-2018, 08:14 PM - 6 Likes	#36
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	Originally posted by nocturnal ... They have too much money! But it's a cat on a shed taken with a D850! Like you, I reckon there's no point having money and going from being a bad photographer with a K-50 to a bad photographer with a Z7. Instead, they ought to look at someone like Dartmoor Dave with his K10D or whatever it is. Throw him all their cash to mentor them, and actually get better.

11-30-2018, 10:27 PM - 2 Likes	#37
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Originally posted by clackers But it's a cat on a shed taken with a D850! Like you, I reckon there's no point having money and going from being a bad photographer with a K-50 to a bad photographer with a Z7. Instead, they ought to look at someone like Dartmoor Dave with his K10D or whatever it is. Throw him all their cash to mentor them, and actually get better. I've often thought it would be interesting to have a "Photography Contest" where the contestants were limited to the throw-away Kodak film cameras. Hmmm...... ?

12-01-2018, 09:56 AM - 5 Likes	#38
nocturnal Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 507	The DA 70 I do not have, maybe I will get one sometime to compliment the HD DA15 Ltd and HD DA 20-40 Ltd. I am addicted to these two and usually all I ever use. Between these two and my F*300 f4.5 I have nothing stellar to match the I.Q of these. Agree with you clackers but a lot of these 'photographers' don't even seem to want to get better, all they are interested in is buying new gear and complaining about Pentax autofocus tracking. For example, they talked and talked and talked for ages about the DFA 50 f1.4 and shortly after they bought it the lens was never mentioned again, I didn't even see many photographs either.... Now there are threads with 100's of replies talking about Pentax Mirrorless and threads about Ricohs profits etc. These people are not wise! 😀😀😀 I don't believe anyone chooses Pentax because they can't afford Canikon, I nearly went Nikon until I seen an advertisement for a K30 covered in water up a mountain or somewhere and I thought "right this is what I need!" Before this I had a loan of a Pentax Optio 450 compact camera and I got some great photos with it, I was amazed by the quality so that swayed it and affordability of different systems never entered my head. 😀 I'll have a look for Dartmoor Dave, I like photographers who get the best from their gear.

12-01-2018, 02:51 PM - 3 Likes	#39
mikesbike Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Southeastern Michigan Posts: 4,551	Originally posted by nocturnal The DA 70 I do not have, maybe I will get one sometime to compliment the HD DA15 Ltd and HD DA 20-40 Ltd. I am addicted to these two and usually all I ever use. Between these two and my F*300 f4.5 I have nothing stellar to match the I.Q of these. If you sometimes find a need to reach beyond 40mm as you use this excellent kit, I have now found the DA 70mm LTD will fit in very well! And so easy to carry. Not really very different from the DA15mm in terms of size and weight! Imaging is superb.

12-01-2018, 02:56 PM - 3 Likes	#40
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	Originally posted by normhead At one point it was the sharpest Pentax lens out there. For people who go on about edge to edge sharpness, if they don't own this lens I don't take them very seriously. It's affordable and it's excellent. I remember looking at the charts for this lens. It's certainly on my list once I recoup the costs of the KP. ---------- Post added 12-01-18 at 04:58 PM ---------- Originally posted by Dewman I've often thought it would be interesting to have a "Photography Contest" where the contestants were limited to the throw-away Kodak film cameras. Hmmm...... ? I'd be down for that!

12-01-2018, 03:31 PM - 2 Likes	#41
Dewman Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,492 Original Poster	Originally posted by ZombieArmy ---------- Post added 12-01-18 at 04:58 PM ---------- I'd be down for that! O.K. Let's do it! We'll call it "Dewman's Challenge!" Limited to throwaway, cheapo film cameras only! Color OR B&W. What'd ya' think? Do we need to include some limitations as to the PP used in the final submissions? An interesting concept, but since it doesn't involve Pentax-specific gear, it might not be appropriate.... eh? Still, an interesting concept.

12-01-2018, 03:37 PM - 3 Likes	#42
RGlasel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Saskatoon Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,228	Originally posted by Dewman I've often thought it would be interesting to have a "Photography Contest" where the contestants were limited to the throw-away Kodak film cameras. Nothing wrong with that, but it would take away any reason to have lenses like the DA 70. In some ways, your contest would be like a three-legged race, requiring a great deal of skill to produce some very unimpressive results, relative to what can be done in a two legged race. I think the key is to master what you already have, before moving up to something better, but I don't see the point of deliberately handicapping yourself, just because you can. Anyway, you are getting many excellent photos with a kit that isn't any better than mine, so please don't feel you shouldn't upgrade when you get the chance.

12-01-2018, 05:01 PM - 1 Like	#43
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	Originally posted by RGlasel Nothing wrong with that, but it would take away any reason to have lenses like the DA 70. In some ways, your contest would be like a three-legged race, requiring a great deal of skill to produce some very unimpressive results, relative to what can be done in a two legged race. I think like a 3 legged race it's not about the result, but the fun of the challenge getting there.

12-01-2018, 05:43 PM - 1 Like	#44
nocturnal Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 507	Originally posted by mikesbike If you sometimes find a need to reach beyond 40mm as you use this excellent kit, I have now found the DA 70mm LTD will fit in very well! And so easy to carry. Not really very different from the DA15mm in terms of size and weight! Imaging is superb. It is perhaps on the long term list and I'll want the HD version but I'm about to press the button on a K-70 and I just bought a photography monitor today. The K-70 seems a good upgrade over my beloved K30... I'm a landscape photography who likes very large prints (It is not for facebook, not that I partake anyhow!). Many times though I want well beyond 70mm for landscape, I use 135, 200 and even 300mm sometimes, which is why the future DFA 70-200 f4 might be a good one for me. It will have great optics and modern coatings etc.

12-01-2018, 10:25 PM - 1 Like	#45
Des Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Victoria Australia Photos: Albums Posts: 6,423	Originally posted by nocturnal I'll have a look for Dartmoor Dave, I like photographers who get the best from their gear. Dave is a legend and a fine photographer. I love the story of him sandpapering the front element of his 18-55 to get the effect he wanted: The K10D Club! - Page 35 - PentaxForums.com And following that with further mods: The K10D Club! - Page 46 - PentaxForums.com