[annod]

Taking back what I said about the A 50mm f1.7 not being 3D enough. Once I switched from viewing in Pentax Browser to viewing in Photoshop...What a difference!

Now I am impressed with the 50mm f1.7 colors. But I already returned it and ordered a FA 50mm f1.4...

Would like to keep them all. But if I have too many lenses, I will have the dilemma of choosing which lens every time I leave home.

Thanks for all the replies.

Hi all,

I got the Takumar smc 50mm f1.4 as my first lens for my k10d.
Love the quality. The contrast, details, sharpness, and a very 3d quality was amazing, reminds me of the zeiss on my Contax G1 I used to have.

But decided I don't want to deal with screw mount and stop-down metering.

Then I returned it and got the Pentax SMC-A 50mm f1.7. It was good, and the bokeh is interesting. But it just doesn't have the same 3D IQ as the Tak. Actually, it was not much better than my 16-45mm, which is excellent. But it just doesn't have that extra something that the Tak has.

So now I am thinking, if I get the FA 50mm f1.4, will the contrast, colors be more like the Tak, or the A 50mm/f1.7? Or should I try to find a Voigtlander 58/1.4? But it would cost a lot more...

Thanks,
donna

P.S. I am also getting a DA35mm macro. So I want another longer prime will be for lowlight, portraits...

[Nick Siebers]

Too many lenses! That is where I live. I spend most of my time shooting "trying out new (old) lenses". With that said, I hope you will like the FA50. There is someting to be said for the auto-everything option. But I have both an A 50 1.7, and an SMC 50 1.4, and I love them both. As well as my first lens, my M 50 1.7. And my two 50mm macro lenses. And my 55mm sears macro lens. Not to mention the 58mm Mamiya lens I bought, because maybe 58mm looks different than 50mm? So perhaps there is a sort of wisdom in your continual returning of the lenses you think you do not want. You at least will have room in your bag for the lenses you end up with. (4 bags - but no, the lenses do not fit :-)

[georgweb]

Nick Siebers said:
"Too many lenses! That is where I live. I spend most of my time shooting "trying out new (old) lenses"...
... Not to mention the 58mm Mamiya lens I bought, because maybe 58mm looks different than 50mm?

Drool, what 58mm ? Nick, same with me, but I have come down to a couple of lenses (basically the bokeh ones and the full open low light razor group)

Here's that Mamiya you are probably referring to, M42 Auto Mamiya Sekor SX 1.4/55 on K100D (working hard on my quest for the 'long bokeh' champ)

[IMGWIDELEFT]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3228571356_966aa249f0_b.jpg[/IMGWIDELEFT]

I was watching an FA 1.4/50 but lost interest after it surpassed the 200,-$ mark.
Best, Georg (the other)

[Nick Siebers]

Hi Georg. I am trying to live within my wife's request of "if one comes in, one goes out." So I have sold a few lenses on the forum here, and on eBay. But that means I am browsing the Marketplace, and eBay. So more trouble arises.

Actually the Mamiya lens I have is even older, I think, sold as the "kit lens" on the CWP body (which I bought along with it but haven't got the hang of). It is 58mm, f/1.7, and has a manual/auto switch that is handy. I'll see if I can scare up a picture. Ah here we go:


It does seem like a great lens, with very nice bokeh - here is a sample shot:


and another, I love this one of my daughter:

[georgweb]

Nick,
great pics!

Found the cam and lens at Herron's,
Mamiya Prismat 35mm Cameras

Mamiya's history of mount changes is quite confusing but this is another lens that seems worthwhile to grab.

Looking forward to see more of it :-)
Thanks for posting,
Georg (the other)

[Blue]

Nick,
great pics!

Found the cam and lens at Herron's,
Mamiya Prismat 35mm Cameras

Mamiya's history of mount changes is quite confusing but this is another lens that seems worthwhile to grab.

Looking forward to see more of it :-)
Thanks for posting,
Georg (the other)

Actually, the 35mm Mamiya mount change isn't that bad. They ran the m42 about as long as Pentax. The just went to the bayonet mount CS for a couple of years and then switched to the Z/ZE mount which as electrical contacts after which they abandoned 35mm all together.

As far as their M42 stuff goes, its not different than Pentax with their Takumar, Auto-Takumar, Super Takumer, Super-Multi-Coated Takumer and Super Multi Coated Takumar.

Edit: The CS mount was scary similar to K mount. In fact a K mount with actually fit on my NC1000 and focus and all but just without the linkages etc. I would be afraid to actuate the shutter because I don't know if the mirror would clear the Pentax lens.

[georgweb]

Blue,

thank you so much for clearing the fog!

In fact, the CS-mount has the same register as Pentax = 45.50 mm

The CS lenses on Stauber's look nice, and Herron on the ZE page says that the Z/ZE register is the same, only 90° off.

I wonder whether there are lenses from these series better than the M42 ones, but if one falls in my hands, I'll give it a try .-)

Blue skies, Georg (the other)

[richard64]

But how can stop-down metering be fast enough for candid portraits? Manual focus requires an extra step from AF. Stop down meter is another extra step. Any tips? Pre-meter?

Donna,

If anything it is not stop down metering that is the issue, it is focussing.

You set the aperture for the depth of field you want and, as others have said, to get the camera to set the shutter you just press the green button (in my case with a K100D, the AE-L button). In practice you are likely to do that only once in a while, because if the light does not change (and you keep the same aperture) then there's no need to meter. Also, if you shoot RAW then you can post process to adjust for the exposure, +/-1 EV definately, and you'll probably be able to do +/-2 EV as well.

In my experience, focussing takes more time, and unlike exposure, you have to get it spot on. (I throw away more out of focus images than badly exposed ones.) Like séamuis I have my thumb always on the AE-L button and it has become a habit to press the AE-L button before pressing the shutter button (sometimes when I don't want to that <g>).

Of course, it has to be said, that unlike M lenses (that can only be used in M mode), M42 Takumars can be used in Av mode, which removes the need to meter. However, I think there is an issue with the K10D metering with M42 lenses in Av mode, but once you've got to know your lens and the right EV compensation for the aperture, you can just forget about metering. Which is a good thing, for me, because I really do need to concentrate on focusing.

Richard