[MattGunn]

I just got back from a week away, taking the kids to visit their grand parents. Having finally saved enough money I scheduled a visit to SRS Microsystems on the journey between one lot of relatives and the next to pick up a Tamron 10-24. I had been telling myself that if I got this I would control my LBA for a while as this is the only new (and therefore the most expensive) lens I have. However these things never work out as intended and I cannot control my LBA.

I got to the shop and while I was waiting for a store assistant to finish with the previous customer and get me the Tamron to try I had a look at the second hand lenses (my first mistake). I also spotted a “Bargain Bin” of old bits they were trying to clear (my second mistake). In due course I tried, liked and brought the Tamron but couldn’t leave with just the one lens. In all I left with five lenses including:
Tamron SP 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5
Lensbaby 2
Cosina 24mm f/2.8
Vivitar 55mm f/2.8 macro (K/AR mount – for conversion to pentax K)
Olympus Zuiko 100mm f/2.8 (for conversion to K mount)

Fortunately the four additional lenses didn’t come to much so I didn’t get into too much trouble with the misses when she found out. The Tamron 10-24 is a superb lens and I have been having a lot of fun with it. The lensbaby is a really fun lens and although I don’t think I could justify the cost of a new one I’m glad I got the second hand one. I will post photos from both once I have had a chance to empty my camera and sort the week’s worth of photos.

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Last edited by MattGunn; 11-01-2009 at 01:56 PM.

[Ash]

You didn't do badly at all!

That's only a mild form of LBA - could have been much worse!
BGN lenses are fun since they don't cost the earth but give you a taste of what they can do.
Look forward to your photos from them.

[Voe]

I hear you. I promised myself that I will not buy any lenses until Christmas time.

For the last 3 weeks I bought:
Pentax K 50mm f/1.2
Mir-24N (converted to K mount by me)
Pentax F 50mm f/1.7
And two days ago I bought Leica R Summicron 50mm f/2, and also Leitax adapter.

I don't think I can trust myself controlling this damn LBA. It's just out of control.

[tvfd911]

Not too bad. Glad to hear that the 10-24 is working out for you. It was on my short list until I came across a DA12-24 gently used for a price I couldn't refuse.

Looks like you should be able to have some cheap fun with the rest of your finds.

When the mailman gets here today, my LBA should be over with. Honestly, after the 12-24 purchase, the desire to keep shopping around pretty much went away. The only reason for the purchase being delivered today is I'm looking for some longer range macro and an old camera kit including bellows and some reversing rings came up for the right price. I should be able to at least break even out of the deal if I decide it isn't for me. I doubt it will get sold though. This stuff only seems to be a one way street...

[MattGunn]

Ash: I'm trying to keep my LBA to this relatively mild variety, I get lots of lenses to play with and I havent gone bankrupt yet. Also as I generally buy damaged lenses for repair they should be worth more when I come to sell then than when I brough them (I havent yet managed to part with a single one yet though, I'm still hoarding them).

Voe: I think your impulse buying os worse (more expensive) than mine. I got the Tamron at about the cheapest price I could find it in the UK. The other 4 lenses together came to less than half the difference between the cheepest and most expensive prices for the tamron.

In havent had a chance to do anything with most of these lenses yet but I have finally got round to sorting out some of my first pics with the Tamron and lensbaby, a few of which are shown bellow.


User Photo Gallery - Nature


User Photo Gallery - Nature

Apart from fome resizing these are all Jpgs straight from the camera. In due course when I have had a play with the rest of the lenses I will post some results from these.


User Photo Gallery - Travel, Cityscapes & Streets


User Photo Gallery - Machines and Vehicles


User Photo Gallery - Miscellaneous Photos

[Voe]

Voe: I think your impulse buying os worse (more expensive) than mine. I got the Tamron at about the cheapest price I could find it in the UK. The other 4 lenses together came to less than half the difference between the cheepest and most expensive prices for the tamron.

Hi Matt,
Nice photos with the Tamron. Love the Lensbaby effect (have to get one for myself as well)
A few years ago it all started with buying more affordable lenses, at that time I believe that I got hooked, so my curiosity caused me to move to more expensive lenses.
I'm pretty sure there are others in similar situation.
The good side is that lens prices tend to go up, so it's very likely to sell a lens for a small profit

[MattGunn]

So I guess this means that I am destined for bankruptsy in spite of my best intentions. However in the meantime I will continue to buy almost every cheap and interesting lens I see and hope that one day I can persuade myself to part with some of them and mabe even make a little money to cover the inevitable expensive lenses I will desire later...

[hinman]

You didn't do badly at all!

That's only a mild form of LBA - could have been much worse!
BGN lenses are fun since they don't cost the earth but give you a taste of what they can do.
Look forward to your photos from them.

Ash,

Are you sure what is reported is a mild form of LBA. Buying a new lens in Tamron 10-24 followed by two non-pentax k mount oldie but excellent lens is a mild form of LBA. I have that kind of LBA except that I never find the time to convert the non-pentax K mount and ended up selling it for free.

If that is mild form, I may have a cure, hopefully. Guys, please help me buy my LBA excess in a dozen in the month to come after X-mas.

Warmest,
Hin

[hinman]

I hear you. I promised myself that I will not buy any lenses until Christmas time.

For the last 3 weeks I bought:
Pentax K 50mm f/1.2
Mir-24N (converted to K mount by me)
Pentax F 50mm f/1.7
And two days ago I bought Leica R Summicron 50mm f/2, and also Leitax adapter.

I don't think I can trust myself controlling this damn LBA. It's just out of control.

It is never too late to realize that LBA thoughts can be out of control. The only thing that I find somewhat manageable is to staged the selling after the LBA purchase. It is utmost important NOT to sell immediately after the impulse or well-thought-out buy. You have got to have few months to enjoy the LBA fruitful months. That is to use them to your best interest in photography. The cycle will become manageable if you have a sell period staged in between your buy period. I am a sucker in the Marketplace. I normally don't make money in the selling as I paid a small fee in the free-paypal and reduced price but I find it justified. Sometime, I do get lucky for the little surplus but hardly anything to brag about.

But as all of you know, LBA is scariest at times but it is what make our Pentax hobby fun. Every time when it come to deciding the lens out, it is the most enjoyable experience as the excitement goes in trying different combination of NEW and OLD. I can bring a old prime with the DA* or an oldie Tamron SP adaptall-2 zoom with my limited. And I can try out the MF 300mm ivory lens to meet the buddies with the L lens. The possibilities are here to BRAG about is priceless to pay.

I have NO cure. Cure me not.

Warmest,
Hin

[hinman]

So I guess this means that I am destined for bankruptsy in spite of my best intentions. However in the meantime I will continue to buy almost every cheap and interesting lens I see and hope that one day I can persuade myself to part with some of them and mabe even make a little money to cover the inevitable expensive lenses I will desire later...

I love your thoughts and I love your 10-24 test shots. I am planning for the Tamron 10-24mm as I want to give the Tamron the try instead of Sigma and the DA 12-24mm. Impulse buy happen to me all the time but as soon as I find myself having too many, I will identify the least use and the least of interest into on-sale item planning list so that I can manage my LBA to some degreee.

Thanks,
Hin

[MattGunn]

I love your thoughts and I love your 10-24 test shots. I am planning for the Tamron 10-24mm as I want to give the Tamron the try instead of Sigma and the DA 12-24mm.

Thanks. I'm quite pleased with the first shots from this lens, the extreme wide angle is going to take some getting used to though. Although I don't have much experience yet with the Tamron and I haven't tried the Sigma or Pentax equivelents, I highly recommend the lens, it feels well built and is a joy to use.

I have that kind of LBA except that I never find the time to convert the non-pentax K mount and ended up selling it for free.

I enjoy converting lenses as much as using them (previous hoby was / is model engineering) and have a few lenses to convert at the moment. So far I have converted a Zeiss 60mm macro from contax mount and a Zuiko 35mm shift lens. The work involved is definately worth it for these but I think I may now be buying lenses for conversion that simply arn't worth the hastle (LBa running away with me). I will undoubtely get round to converting them eventually though. Currently in the conversion lineup are 100mm & 50mm macro Zuiko lenses and the Vivitar macro. The vivitar will be the first conversion I have tried with a shorter registration distance than K mount but it looks like there is plenty of room to play with on this lens so infinity focus should still be possible.

I am still working on the conversion of a Kenedy instruments / Ilford monobar view camera (one of these Kennedy Instruments Monobar) to M42 / K mount so I can try some tilt shift photography in a more controled way than with the lensbaby (although this is undounbtedly a good fun lens to use). This in now nearly finished and I will post a thread showing the conversion and results as soon as I can.

I really should start selling of surplus lenses soon, I have far too many of them (about 48 lenses at last count) including a few duplicates (at least 3 cosina 50mm f/2 and 2 SMC Takumar 135mm f/3.5). This will happen in due course, I may try to raise some more money to get a 100mm ish macro sometime soon (and the LBA continues...)

[stevebrot]

I am still working on the conversion of a Kenedy instruments / Ilford monobar view camera (one of these Kennedy Instruments Monobar) to M42 / K mount so I can try some tilt shift photography in a more controled way than with the lensbaby (although this is undounbtedly a good fun lens to use). This in now nearly finished and I will post a thread showing the conversion and results as soon as I can.

I followed the link. Wow!

I did not know that such a thing existed. Do you have the film magazine that came with it? You said you are doing a conversion to K-mount. What are you rigging for a shutter? Did it come with a lens?

Steve

[MattGunn]

I followed the link. Wow!

That is exactly what I thought when I found it

I did not know that such a thing existed. Do you have the film magazine that came with it? You said you are doing a conversion to K-mount. What are you rigging for a shutter? Did it come with a lens?
Steve

I do have the original film back and in fact everything to use it as it is, although I have not tried it with film yet. In order to use a DSLR and have it pivot around the centre of the sensor (it is almost impossible to use if this condition is not met - every time you adjust one movement you have to re-adjust all of the others) I have made a whole new rear standard (more of a gimbal mount really). The mount on this is a part of an old M42 lens, currently with a flanged M42 to K adapter on it. It currently has a rodenstock 105mm f/4.5 lens on it in a shutter but this will be locked open for use with the dslr body, I can then use the Av metering and focal plane shutter as well as the view finder or live view instead of the ground glass focusing screen.
All I have to do before I can test it now is finish the bag bellows so I should be able to provide full details soon