Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
04-06-2021, 09:24 PM - 1 Like   #796
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Alaska
Posts: 522
Mike still likes the lens... a lot.

The Online Photographer: More About the Pentax Magic Macro

04-07-2021, 07:27 AM   #797
Pentaxian
ChristianRock's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: People's Republic of America
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 9,897
Flowers... always look great with this lens.

04-08-2021, 08:15 AM - 1 Like   #798
Veteran Member
er1kksen's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Forestville, NY
Photos: Albums
Posts: 1,801
Agreed that flowers always looks great with this lens. As a botanist in the field this lens has been living on my K-5 95% of the time- perfect focal length, even if almost every review of macro lenses in this range seems obliged to suggest it's an awkward focal length for macro usage. We're not all shooting flighty bugs- for my work the extra context and depth of field make 30-35mm perfect, 50mm a decent compromise and 100mm a bit longer than ideal.

Unfortunately something's gone wrong with the quick-shift clutch in my lens. Maybe I was just too assertive with it, or maybe it got knocked against something the wrong way. Autofocus is essentially not working with my K-5, which is having no trouble with other lenses. Mounted on the camera with the camera off, it behaves strangely- you can turn the focus ring to extend the helicoid, but it refuses to turn back in the other direction. While the camera is on and struggling to make it turn, if I turn the ring manually the clutch will catch and let it autofocus. All around not an ideal way to work.

I was considering looking into repair options (which would cost more than the great deal I got on the lens in the first place) when I noticed that Olympus has finally made the standard zoom I've always wanted in their new 12-45mm f4, which achieves 1:2 near-macro at all focal lengths, is WR, tiny, and optically impeccable. The new 20mp 4/3 sensors are also at last completely adequate with a much better noise floor than their earlier sensors. So I've ordered the OM-D E-M5 iii with the 12-45 f4. I can sell my K-5 and other lenses. But what to do with this beautiful little HD DA 35 Ltd with faulty autofocus?

Inevitably, I would want a macro prime to use with the Olympus. Their 60mm f2.8 looks great, but is longer on 4/3 than I'd prefer. Their 30mm f3.5 checks the right boxes but honestly seems a little boring from the samples I've looked through- nothing distinctive about its rendering. There's a Panasonic 45mm that looks nice, but is expensive. So for the time being, I also have a Pentax K to micro 4/3 adapter with aperture control on the way. I look forward to seeing how this lens does on the Olympus. In the meantime, here's a nice shot from this past summer- cropped to the equivalent area of a micro 4/3 sensor.
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-5  Photo 
04-08-2021, 09:11 AM   #799
Pentaxian
ChristianRock's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: People's Republic of America
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 9,897
QuoteOriginally posted by er1kksen Quote
Agreed that flowers always looks great with this lens. As a botanist in the field this lens has been living on my K-5 95% of the time- perfect focal length, even if almost every review of macro lenses in this range seems obliged to suggest it's an awkward focal length for macro usage. We're not all shooting flighty bugs- for my work the extra context and depth of field make 30-35mm perfect, 50mm a decent compromise and 100mm a bit longer than ideal.

Unfortunately something's gone wrong with the quick-shift clutch in my lens. Maybe I was just too assertive with it, or maybe it got knocked against something the wrong way. Autofocus is essentially not working with my K-5, which is having no trouble with other lenses. Mounted on the camera with the camera off, it behaves strangely- you can turn the focus ring to extend the helicoid, but it refuses to turn back in the other direction. While the camera is on and struggling to make it turn, if I turn the ring manually the clutch will catch and let it autofocus. All around not an ideal way to work.

I was considering looking into repair options (which would cost more than the great deal I got on the lens in the first place) when I noticed that Olympus has finally made the standard zoom I've always wanted in their new 12-45mm f4, which achieves 1:2 near-macro at all focal lengths, is WR, tiny, and optically impeccable. The new 20mp 4/3 sensors are also at last completely adequate with a much better noise floor than their earlier sensors. So I've ordered the OM-D E-M5 iii with the 12-45 f4. I can sell my K-5 and other lenses. But what to do with this beautiful little HD DA 35 Ltd with faulty autofocus?

Inevitably, I would want a macro prime to use with the Olympus. Their 60mm f2.8 looks great, but is longer on 4/3 than I'd prefer. Their 30mm f3.5 checks the right boxes but honestly seems a little boring from the samples I've looked through- nothing distinctive about its rendering. There's a Panasonic 45mm that looks nice, but is expensive. So for the time being, I also have a Pentax K to micro 4/3 adapter with aperture control on the way. I look forward to seeing how this lens does on the Olympus. In the meantime, here's a nice shot from this past summer- cropped to the equivalent area of a micro 4/3 sensor.
Sorry to hear you're going from the Pentax fold (mostly)... I find it hard to believe that a zoom will render as well as the "magic lens" (as Mike Johnston calls it). Hopefully the cropped version of it on the Olympus will still yield good results. But the important thing is to keep shooting...

04-08-2021, 09:40 AM - 1 Like   #800
Veteran Member
er1kksen's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Forestville, NY
Photos: Albums
Posts: 1,801
QuoteOriginally posted by ChristianRock Quote
Sorry to hear you're going from the Pentax fold (mostly)... I find it hard to believe that a zoom will render as well as the "magic lens" (as Mike Johnston calls it). Hopefully the cropped version of it on the Olympus will still yield good results. But the important thing is to keep shooting...
I've left and come back (or usually just partially left) many times- trying out different systems and lenses is something I enjoy, and usually manage to trade sideways by buying and selling used without having to spend much money (this is the second K-5 I've owned). For a while I was even using an M 50mm f4 macro with an adapter on a Nikon V1 (also tried it on Pentax Q but the crop was just too much). I think the 35 Ltd will do very nicely on m4/3, and so will the M 50mm f1.7 I've had since at least 2008. Ironically, I've always used the M 50 with an old rubber Olympus OM 85mm f2 lens hood (also a nice fit on the F 35-70) left over from my film days- in which I had a Pentax K1000 and Olympus OM-2. So, really this is the continuation of a long dual love I've had for both Pentax and Olympus OM cameras.

No doubt there'll be some nice results from the 35 Ltd on m4/3 to share in this thread. I certainly don't expect the 12-45mm zoom to render as beautifully as the 35, but I do expect it to be a very practical lens for my needs. I put in a lot of mileage on foot, so the small size is important, and have increasingly been shooting video for projects at work. And optically it does seem a lot better than standard zooms available for Pentax and other APS-C systems- I think this is the kind of thing where the smaller 4/3 format really has its strengths.

Last edited by er1kksen; 04-08-2021 at 09:47 AM.
04-12-2021, 11:46 AM - 2 Likes   #801
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
wtlwdwgn's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Billings, MT
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 13,794
A new to me DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited showed up on my door step today.
04-27-2021, 02:33 PM - 1 Like   #802
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
wtlwdwgn's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Billings, MT
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 13,794




04-27-2021, 02:54 PM   #803
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
SelrahCharleS's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 931
I picked up a DA 35 Macro last year (SMC, not HD) and it has almost never left my K5IIS since. It's probably my favorite of the lenses I own (that could be a newness factor somewhat, but I've always like images I've seen online from it too).

I even really like images from it on the K1 and using the full sensor, although the vignetting is noticeable. I think I agree with Mike that it's a really special little lens.
04-27-2021, 03:49 PM   #804
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Alaska
Posts: 522
I got one of these here Macros as part of a set of limiteds - picked up the set with any eye toward the 15/4 that was in there, however decided to try it out and it is quite the sweet little lens. I've got a FA35/2 from new that I've enjoyed for a few years now... but may need to find a new home for it in the not too distant future!
06-09-2021, 08:53 AM   #805
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
wtlwdwgn's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Billings, MT
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 13,794
On the K-3.
06-19-2021, 10:00 AM - 7 Likes   #806
Pentaxian
Chris_K's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Poland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,779
Nice morning in the grassland with good light and a 35 macro limited. I really like this lens



06-21-2021, 04:09 AM   #807
Pentaxian
Jonathan Mac's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Madrid, Spain
Posts: 10,852
QuoteOriginally posted by SelrahCharleS Quote
I picked up a DA 35 Macro last year (SMC, not HD) and it has almost never left my K5IIS since. It's probably my favorite of the lenses I own (that could be a newness factor somewhat, but I've always like images I've seen online from it too).

I even really like images from it on the K1 and using the full sensor, although the vignetting is noticeable. I think I agree with Mike that it's a really special little lens.
My 35 Limited is the oldest Limited in my lens lineup and I still love it.

QuoteOriginally posted by zzaletel Quote
I got one of these here Macros as part of a set of limiteds - picked up the set with any eye toward the 15/4 that was in there, however decided to try it out and it is quite the sweet little lens. I've got a FA35/2 from new that I've enjoyed for a few years now... but may need to find a new home for it in the not too distant future!
I can't speak for the SMC but if it's the HD then I find that it works just fine along with the DA 35mm for when I need a bit more speed.

QuoteOriginally posted by Chris_K Quote
Nice morning in the grassland with good light and a 35 macro limited. I really like this lens


Beautiful pair of images there.
06-21-2021, 10:21 AM   #808
Pentaxian
Chris_K's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Poland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,779
QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
Beautiful pair of images there.
thank you!
06-21-2021, 02:46 PM   #809
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: walking in the air
Posts: 1,315
QuoteOriginally posted by Chris_K Quote
Nice morning in the grassland with good light and a 35 macro limited. I really like this lens
Very good second photo.
06-22-2021, 08:09 AM   #810
Pentaxian
Chris_K's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Poland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,779
QuoteOriginally posted by edri Quote
Very good second photo.
Thank you! Actually, I decided to go mono here due to some heavy CA
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
35mm, beetle, da, da 35mm ltd, flickr, images, indoors, k20d, lens, lenses, macro, macro shots, mark, pentax, pentax lens, photo, photos, pm, post, sensor, shasta, spider, thread, wonder
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Theory/Engineering question on lens max aperture Michael Barker Photographic Technique 9 07-26-2010 07:45 PM
Vivitar lens with PK-A/R tag need help to use it with K-7 Chaitanya Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 11 01-28-2010 02:14 PM
Conspiricy Theory Billgscott Pentax News and Rumors 23 05-01-2009 10:21 AM
disappointed in the rag-tag-ness of my lens collection :( Gooshin General Talk 33 09-12-2008 06:57 PM
Conspiracy...Perhaps. Just a Theory benjikan General Talk 6 05-05-2007 07:39 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:43 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top