[ZombieArmy]

FA* 85 1.4 is currently my favorite prime. Basically only shooting with it at the moment I can't put it down. Film, digital, whatever. It's basically magic.

Usable wide open at 1.4, sharp at f1.8 and becomes brutally sharp at around f3.4.


Here is an album from my recent-ish single in with this lens. If some of the pictures look weird due to flaring it's because my copy happens to have a giant crack in the rear element.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135940736@N02/albums/72157719988565180

Edit: lol I see you've decided

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Last edited by ZombieArmy; 03-23-2022 at 10:10 PM.

[Jonathan Mac]

Well, I did it. The answer to my original question "First good prime to get? For K-1M2, K-70, and also film" seems to have been not one but three good primes.

Wow, I has assumed that there was some budget limitation involved. If you' said "I need the best primes around that are suitable for both film and digital and I have a bag of money to buy them" then this thread could have been a lot shorter

Here is how they look on both late-model film (MZ-S) and digital bodies (K-70, K-1M2).

And here they are on some of my older film bodies, the 1976 K1000, the 1995 Z-1P, and the 2001 ZX-L. I can also use them on my 1983 Super Program, the 1989 SF1n, and the 1997 ZX-5n. I think that is very neat. Photographs courtesy of my Sony A6000 (although maybe I should have used my K10D to keep it in the family). Thanks everyone for your advice. - Richard.

Now those are some fine camera p0rn shots.

[RICHARD L.]

Here is how they look on both late-model film (MZ-S) and digital bodies (K-70, K-1M2).

Ah, Ha! You are becoming a "hoarder" just like me. We never tire of these marvelous little wonders. Now go out and take pictures. This will be time well spent, forgetting about the World and the bad news everywhere.

Receive my very Best Regards

[que es tu]

chuck who ?

John Wick is the one who was sent to kill the boogie man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rOnkqEGIJk&t=7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jkZYzCUEyg&t=101s

Ok, I guess you got me there, but Chuck Norris is so bad, he can UNscramble eggs!!

[que es tu]

here is how they look on both late-model film (mz-s) and digital bodies (k-70, k-1m2).

yummy!!!

[OldChE]

You don't futz around.

Mostly I do, but in this case, no.

---------- Post added 03-24-22 at 12:12 PM ----------

Wow, I has assumed that there was some budget limitation involved. If you' said "I need the best primes around that are suitable for both film and digital and I have a bag of money to buy them" then this thread could have been a lot shorter





Now those are some fine camera p0rn shots.

I didn't mean to waste the group's time - my thinking has changed during the discussion!

I've always approached photography gear purchases with a budget and "value buyer" mindset - actually over the entire 50+ years that I've been in the hobby. For example, I stuck to using my Spotmatic, rather than buying the later more automated and autofocus bodies as they came out, figuring "why do I need to buy more equipment when I can take fine pictures with the Spotmatic? I can focus just fine, and I know how to meter an exposure." For decades I had only 4 lenses for the Spotty - the 55/1.8 that came with it, a 28mm Sigma Mini-Wide, a Lentar 135/2.8, and a Tokina 35-105 zoom. The lenses were good but inexpensive offerings at the time. It was only in recent times, as film equipment became much less expensive on Ebay and Goodwill, that I got those other film bodies you see in the pictures, along with some used lenses. Even there, I never pay more than the average selling price for those items. I got my first digital camera (a Canon point and shoot) for free (a United Way raffle prize), and stuck to inexpensive P&S cameras until I needed a better, water-resistant camera for a Boy Scout trip (the K-50). Even that was a value concept - I could re-use some existing manual lenses on the K-50. I'd be using the K-50 still if it hadn't died (prompting the K-70 replacement). That's why I posed my original question like that, as it is my habitual way of thinking. It is probably why I've been a life-long Pentaxian - as Pentax is a "value oriented enthusiast" brand.

However, I am nearing retirement, and have received some generous bonuses from my employer these last couple years - actually termed at-risk or variable compensation, meaning my base salary is also a bit lower. Our retirement financial picture is in pretty good shape, my kids are all out of college and off by themselves, so feel that I can use some of that bonus money for my hobby. Also, as I get older, more medical issues pop up, which brings to mind the idea of making the best use of the near-term time you have while you can still get around and enjoy travel and hobbies. So, in these last couple years, I splurged on the K-1 Mark II (last year), having in mind my pending retirement, and as I thought more about this lens purchase and what I read about primes on the Forum and elsewhere, I decided (after further discussions with my wife) to splurge on the Limited lenses (this year). I'm likely to be retired by this time next year, so no more windfalls in the offing, and I'll focus on using these new tools and that extra free time on this very enjoyable hobby - particularly if I'm photographing trips that my wife and I hope to make.

[mbukal]

Ok, I guess you got me there, but Chuck Norris is so bad, he can UNscramble eggs!!

Chuck Norris received a beating only from Bruce Lee on Way of the Dragon and never before and never after, Chuck Norris is the strongest, Chuck Norris is the only one who knows the answers to questions that haven't even been asked yet

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Last edited by mbukal; 03-24-2022 at 10:30 AM.

[OldChE]

Ah, Ha! You are becoming a "hoarder" just like me. We never tire of these marvelous little wonders. Now go out and take pictures. This will be time well spent, forgetting about the World and the bad news everywhere.

Receive my very Best Regards

Thanks. Actually, I have two objectives now - go out and take pictures, as you said, and organize my gear and sell off what I don't really want to keep anymore.

[wadge22]

I didn't mean to waste the group's time - my thinking has changed during the discussion!

Don't worry about that for one moment! Helping convince other people to spend their money on great lenses is precisely what a lot of us like to do with our time here

[OldChE]

Don't worry about that for one moment! Helping convince other people to spend their money on great lenses is precisely what a lot of us like to do with our time here

You did a good job this time.

[TwoUptons]

Mostly I do, but in this case, no.

---------- Post added 03-24-22 at 12:12 PM ----------



I didn't mean to waste the group's time - my thinking has changed during the discussion!

I've always approached photography gear purchases with a budget and "value buyer" mindset - actually over the entire 50+ years that I've been in the hobby. For example, I stuck to using my Spotmatic, rather than buying the later more automated and autofocus bodies as they came out, figuring "why do I need to buy more equipment when I can take fine pictures with the Spotmatic? I can focus just fine, and I know how to meter an exposure." For decades I had only 4 lenses for the Spotty - the 55/1.8 that came with it, a 28mm Sigma Mini-Wide, a Lentar 135/2.8, and a Tokina 35-105 zoom. The lenses were good but inexpensive offerings at the time. It was only in recent times, as film equipment became much less expensive on Ebay and Goodwill, that I got those other film bodies you see in the pictures, along with some used lenses. Even there, I never pay more than the average selling price for those items. I got my first digital camera (a Canon point and shoot) for free (a United Way raffle prize), and stuck to inexpensive P&S cameras until I needed a better, water-resistant camera for a Boy Scout trip (the K-50). Even that was a value concept - I could re-use some existing manual lenses on the K-50. I'd be using the K-50 still if it hadn't died (prompting the K-70 replacement). That's why I posed my original question like that, as it is my habitual way of thinking. It is probably why I've been a life-long Pentaxian - as Pentax is a "value oriented enthusiast" brand.

However, I am nearing retirement, and have received some generous bonuses from my employer these last couple years - actually termed at-risk or variable compensation, meaning my base salary is also a bit lower. Our retirement financial picture is in pretty good shape, my kids are all out of college and off by themselves, so feel that I can use some of that bonus money for my hobby. Also, as I get older, more medical issues pop up, which brings to mind the idea of making the best use of the near-term time you have while you can still get around and enjoy travel and hobbies. So, in these last couple years, I splurged on the K-1 Mark II (last year), having in mind my pending retirement, and as I thought more about this lens purchase and what I read about primes on the Forum and elsewhere, I decided (after further discussions with my wife) to splurge on the Limited lenses (this year). I'm likely to be retired by this time next year, so no more windfalls in the offing, and I'll focus on using these new tools and that extra free time on this very enjoyable hobby - particularly if I'm photographing trips that my wife and I hope to make.

That seems to be a relatively common way to do things around here, and I think one of the most responsible

It's always a trick to balance where to "splurge" to provide the greatest benefit

But we all know that it was neither Chuck Norris nor John Wick who took care of the Boogie Man...
It was Santa Claus... https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Oogie_Boogie

-Eric

[OldChE]

Tested the three lenses today on the K-1M2, all seem to work well. A couple seemed to miss focus a little bit, I might try that firmware update that I read about (my camera is still on firmware 1.05, and the 1.20 update was for focusing on the HD limited lenses). Some observations so far: I didn't realize that the 31mm could focus that closely, it is almost like a macro lens. And the 77mm seems a good focal length for kittens.

[que es tu]

That seems to be a relatively common way to do things around here, and I think one of the most responsible

It's always a trick to balance where to "splurge" to provide the greatest benefit

But we all know that it was neither Chuck Norris nor John Wick who took care of the Boogie Man...
It was Santa Claus... Oogie Boogie | Disney Wiki | Fandom

-Eric

There is no such thing as Santa Clause!

[BigMackCam]

Tested the three lenses today on the K-1M2, all seem to work well. A couple seemed to miss focus a little bit, I might try that firmware update that I read about (my camera is still on firmware 1.05, and the 1.20 update was for focusing on the HD limited lenses). Some observations so far: I didn't realize that the 31mm could focus that closely, it is almost like a macro lens. And the 77mm seems a good focal length for kittens.

Lovely photo. What a cutie!

The firmware update is a good first step, but you'll probably find a small amount of AF fine adjustment is necessary with each lens. Perfectly normal, and if you perform it correctly, it'll be "set and forget"

[TheLastMan]

And here they are on some of my older film bodies, the 1976 K1000, the 1995 Z-1P, and the 2001 ZX-L. I can also use them on my 1983 Super Program, the 1989 SF1n, and the 1997 ZX-5n. I think that is very neat. Photographs courtesy of my Sony A6000 (although maybe I should have used my K10D to keep it in the family). Thanks everyone for your advice. - Richard.

As a K1000 owner myself, I do like the look of the 43mm f/1.9 on it. I wonder how it would compare with my M 50mm f/1.7 ?