[Elisha]

EDIT: For now I'm going with the FA* 85mm 1.4 Ltd thanks to pschlute!

Warning: Backgrouond rambling. I'll bold the important parts.

Hi all! I haven't been here in a hot minute, but I'm an ex-equine photographer now only shooting my own animals for fun (namely my 4-month-old puppy). In another life I muddled along with a Pentax K-r and Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8, often doing a lot of compensation work in post given that my gear isn't technically pro level. I stopped shooting for $—honestly stopped shooting almost completely, because burnout—a while back and have long since taken my website down (and am at work without access to the actual files), but I threw some examples off Facebook/my phone here—please excuse the compression/horrible IQ, I know. I pretty much stopped paying attention to photography, what's available, gear, ANYTHING, until I got my dog.

Well, I'm sick of hauling the old 70-20mm around to shoot her; I'm a short lady with puny arms, the dog is a LOT closer to the ground than horses are (I had to lie flat on my stomach in gravel to get several of the ones in the example album), and there are no arena fences to rest the camera on anymore (tripods and monopods restrict my mobility too much and I hate them). The puppy wants to be close to me, and a stay from across the yard (for portraits with the 70-200) is a lot harder for her than a stay from a couple of meters away.

In view of this, and the fact that my K-r is slowing down after years of abuse, I decided to finally bite the bullet and get a smaller lens—and upgrade to a K-1 while I'm at it, since I'd really like full frame (I'm sure you all can spot a few places in my example album where it would have benefited me, sigh, but I'm not April Visel/Wojtek Kwiatkowski and never charged those prices, and my clients were always happy). I really like a lot of background separation/nice bokeh, so I thought a 85mm f/1.2 would probably be the best fit for my needs based on my experiences with my 50mm f/1.8 AF (which is an OK everyday lens, but it seriously struggles in low light and I wanted the extra aperture for that, too).

I google, I find seemingly the only 85 f1.2 compatible with the K-1 (the Mikaton Speedmaster), and I order it. All hunky dory.

And then I see on a spec list, AFTER ordering, that stupid me, being exclusively a zoom lens shooter in practice, didn't think to check the autofocus ability/lack thereof...and it's manual focus only. I know how to use manual focus; I have countless photos of beads, laptop keys, very still-sitting humans, landscapes, whatever I was shooting while playing around learning how to use a camera. You cannot shoot animals in manual focus. Not really. You can shoot a dog in a reliable stay or a sleeping cat, I guess, but anything with movement is going to get ruined. Even "easy" shots like this one, where she had walked up to that plant and stopped for 0.5 seconds to sniff it.

I'm familiar with a thin DOF; 200mm at f/2.8 has gotten me many a nose in focus with blurry eyes. I'm used to compensating. I don't think I can compensate in manual, because my reactions are NEVER going to be fast enough to keep up with a sudden 2" shift that will throw my subject's face completely out of focus. I'm now freaking out a little bit. I don't want to have to return the thing once it gets here, but I do not have money to blow on a lens I essentially cannot use.

Now, I did find a SMC Pentax-F 1.7x AF Adapter. Does anyone know if this will work with the Mikaton Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2? (Edit: I see someone saying that it'll essentially turn it into a f/2.8 lens at best, which kind of defeats the purpose...)

Failing that, do I have any fast prime K-mount (ideally no wider than 70mm) options for shooting moving animals that DO have autofocus, so I can switch to something that is more portraity than a 50mm but won't murder my damn arms like the 70-200 does? Please, esteemed colleagues, lend me your knowledge, for I am desperate.

Thank you so much in advance!!!

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Last edited by Elisha; 06-25-2019 at 09:42 AM.

[pschlute]

The SMC F 1.7 AF TC will allow you to autofocus with any manual lens. But, you need to get the focus "close" before the AF will take over and do its thing. It does not make that lens behave exactly as any other AF lens. Plus you have the increased FL and slower aperture. For AF critical work like animal portraits I would not recommend that combination.

lens suggestions for you :

DA 70mm 2.4 Ltd
FA 77mm 1.8 Ltd
FA* 85mm 1.4 Ltd

A 1.2 lens is nice to have but getting accurate focus consistently for animal portraits.... good luck

[Elisha]

Thank you, friend :') I really wanted the f/1.2 but I might have to settle for f/1.4 if there just aren't any other options—I think the FA 85mm 1.4 is probably best for me out of those. I'll keep looking around, but ugh. I really, really, really wish they'd just make an AF version. I'd happily pay extra, I just don't want to pay Canikon/Sony levels of extra. :|

A 1.2 lens is nice to have but getting accurate focus consistently for animal portraits.... good luck

Ha...yeah. A fool's errand, I agree

Edit: Whewwwww I sure will have fun finding a copy!!!

[pepperberry farm]

umm... I shoot moving dogs with MF lenses all the time...

pre-focus and lots of practice....

[pschlute]

, but ugh. I really, really, really wish they'd just make an AF version. I'd happily pay extra

Then wait for the DFA 85mm 1.4 expected shortly. You cannot really tell me you can tell the difference between f1.2 and f1.4 ?

[Elisha]

Then wait for the DFA 85mm 1.4 expected shortly. You cannot really tell me you can tell the difference between f1.2 and f1.4 ?

Did you mean 1.2, or will the DFA 85 F1.4 be much different than the FA 85 F1.4 Ltd? No, I think the FA 85 F1.4 Ltd will probably be fine! Just sucks to have to deal with canceling the order and waiting longer for the new lens and whatnot. Lesson learned about FULLY READING all of the specs charts before ordering, lol.

[pschlute]

will the DFA 85 F1.4 be much different than the FA 85 F1.4 Ltd?

I imagine it will be quite different given that the first recent prime from Pentax (the 50mm) was a significant departure than anything that came before. It will also be quite pricey. I love the FA* 85mm and use it a lot for my pooch portraits on the K1.

[Elisha]

I imagine it will be quite different given that the first recent prime from Pentax (the 50mm) was a significant departure than anything that came before. It will also be quite pricey. I love the FA* 85mm and use it a lot for my pooch portraits on the K1.

Ah, interesting! I'll keep an eye out for curiosity's sake/the future, but for now I did find a used copy of the FA 85 online and think I'll grab it, so thanks again for the recommendation. Also, your dog is beautiful!

[photoptimist]

Look into Catch-in-Focus as a way of getting AF sharpness with MF lenses.

It does come with some compromises: it uses center-point AF and takes the shot the instant it detects focus. That means you can focus-and-recompose and the subject is always dead center composition. However, the K-1 has so many delicious pixels that it's not hard to create a better off-center composition by cropping later.

[pschlute]

Also, your dog is beautiful!

Thanks, but he is not mine. That picture is of Harvey, one of my dog's friends.

[Elisha]

Thanks, but he is not mine. That picture is of Harvey, one of my dog's friends.

Ahh, well a cutie nonetheless!

The lens got here! Thanks again!!!!!