[Racer X 69]

But I really like how a $4.99 thrift store lens is working out.

Again, with extension tubes.

Lovely smooth bokeh.

I think I have mentioned before, but I really like the soft creamy way M series lenses draw bokeh. Very easy on my eyes. Many lenses draw bokeh so that my eyes try to focus on it, but naturally can't get it right. Makes it hard to look at those pictures.

Thanks you for the compliment.

I must apologize now. The first image was with an M lens. The second, with a Hanimex. I forgot what thread this is.

I feel bad now.

[iheiramo]

I must apologize now. The first image was with an M lens. The second, with a Hanimex. I forgot what thread this is.

I feel bad now.

Just don't tell anyone and nobody will notice. At least I didn't
Could have been M. Similar softness in bokeh.

[brightseal]

Catch in focus

Still unable to figure that out either

---------- Post added 06-19-17 at 07:15 ----------

Looks like you have it figured out.

Not really. I was shocked to get anything presentable...

[iheiramo]

Still unable to figure that out either

Took me awhile also. My problem was that I didn't realize that the switch in camera need to be set to AF and based on forum others have had the same problem. Otherwise it needs manual lens and CIF needs to activated from menus. I use central AF point only to have most control. Recently I realized by mistake that if IR remote is active the CIF doesn't work.

Catch-in-Focus Tutorial - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

I keep CIF active from menus all the time and turn camera to MF when I don't want use it.

[paulh]

A steamy day at the lake from last June. M28/3.5 on *ist D:

[Jonathan Mac]

M 50mm f/1.7, one click down from wide open, I think.


Tokyo by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

[iheiramo]

The archipelago in southern Finland is beautiful, but not ideal for windsurfing. There are only few places where the wind and waves have direct access to the coast. Shoreline is mostly shallow and covered with islands and groups of underwater rocks.I live close to a bay which is connected to the open sea only thru few small narrows. Our surf club has held here 2 traditional competitions a year since 80's. Yesterday we had the shorter one going around the islands in our bay. Race is always held on a week before Midsummer day, which is a kind of big deal in Finland, and therefore close to longest day of the year. Therefore named The longest day regatta.

Technically race is open for any windsurf equipment, but due to gusty winds and chancing conditions around the race track, it has always been dominated by race boards. Sadly we had only few participant this year thought winds were well above average. Also some rain clouds and sunshine for dramatic shots. The other race in September goes thru the narrows to the open sea and back. I was stuck driving the boat, so could not concentrate fully on photography, but if I had not been, I would have been surfing and had taken zero shots

All shots taken with M50/1.7 ISO 400 1/2000 f5.6 CIF set on high burst.

Juha Blinnikka (FIN-6) blasting away before the start. One of the best race boarders in the world for the last several decades.


Lining up for the start.


Race is on.


As expected FIN-6 takes the lead.


Round the downwind mark FIN-6 is chased by his youngest offspring FIN-4. The older 2 are probably training and racing somewhere around the world at the moment.


In the end the gusty winds were too challenging on upwind tack for the younger in the family and FIN-6 took clear win.


One more just for the atmosphere.

[Canada_Rockies]

Great series.

[Jonathan Mac]

This one of the very few photos I took in Japan with the M 120mm f/2.8 that I got just before the trip. For most of the trip I decided that a telephoto wouldn't bring much benefit so it stayed in the apartment.

I was happy though, to see another copy of this lens for sale in a used camera shop in Tokyo for considerably more than I paid, and mine is in fantastic condition.


Japan by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

[iheiramo]

^M120 looks like a great lens. Nice details on the trees.

-------

Great series.

Thanks.

-------

I went hunting for the sunset yesterday as weather was partly cloudy with some showers passing by. Too bad it was also windy, so no mirror surface on the sea, but I think I got something decent out of it.

M28/3.5:


M28/3.5 cropped for composition:


M50/1.7:



M28/3.5:

[Racer X 69]

This one of the very few photos I took in Japan with the M 120mm f/2.8 that I got just before the trip. For most of the trip I decided that a telephoto wouldn't bring much benefit so it stayed in the apartment.

I was happy though, to see another copy of this lens for sale in a used camera shop in Tokyo for considerably more than I paid, and mine is in fantastic condition.


Japan by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Nice scene Jonathan. I've always liked the organic look and feel of traditional Japanese architecture. This structure, in the trees, with the draped style of the roof and the ridge detail is an example of that.

It is a structure I would like to explore in person.

[ChristianRock]

M 50 f4 Macro

[Jonathan Mac]

^M120 looks like a great lens. Nice details on the trees.

Nice scene Jonathan. I've always liked the organic look and feel of traditional Japanese architecture. This structure, in the trees, with the draped style of the roof and the ridge detail is an example of that.

It is a structure I would like to explore in person.

Many thanks. Traditional Japanese architecture is beautiful indeed.

Though I haven't used it much, my initial observations show that the 120mm performs better, at least wide open or close to it, than either the 135/3.5 or the 100/2.8. I need to give the 100mm some more use before I consider selling it - I've had it for years but due to having the 85/2 it's never gotten much use. The 135mm will certainly be going up for sale.

[iheiramo]

I'm not really into shooting birds, but as I was waiting for the windsurfers to do something, I entertained myself with shooting young seagulls hunting in front of me. Hard to keep in center for CIF when they make dives towards the surface.

M*300/4:

[iheiramo]

...I entertained myself with shooting young seagulls hunting in front of me...

A Tern, they said. An Arctic Tern to be exact. Oh well, I also got some windsurf stuff on memory card, which is more familiar subject for me.

M50/1.7:


M50/1.7:


M*300/4:


M*300/4:


Catch In Focus is such a neat trick. Birds were difficult, but windsurfer is large enough and it's movement predictable enough for manual focus. I got much better hit rate with my old manual 300mm lens than my friend with AF of his consumer level canon when he took a couple of series of me. Don't know his settings (auto everything I presume) and different shooter so can't really compare, but I was more than satisfied with results I got with Pentax. From 200+ frames taken that day less than 10% were off focus and I think that most of those were due to user error, as the number of off focus shots seem to be declining as I get better at using CIF. Had to dumb a lot of good shots to cut down the number of keepers to a decent amount.

My set of M's is proving to be capable for so much more than I though 6 months ago. Don't really miss auto features at all at the moment, but this sentiment is going to be tested as I bought K-5 yesterday and have a possibility to user also my newer lenses. I bought it mainly to be the second body to shoot with my M primes in order to reduce lens changes. We'll see how it goes.