[Wasp]

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Another one of my regrets is the Takumar 35mm f/2.3. When it came up for sale on a local auction site, I researched it and saw all sorts of pictures with weird and wonderful bokeh. That convinced me that I had to have it. I duly placed a bid, the first one there was. Out of nowhere a counter bid appeared. The fat was now in the fire and I really had to have it. In an inspired moment I realized that the bidding was now only slightly under the buy it now price, so I just clicked the BIN button. The auction was over and the lens was mine. Was it sneaky and underhanded of me? Maybe, but it worked. I now owned the magical, mythical Tak that was older than me! And I am not exactly a spring chicken...

My copy turned out to be in very good condition. It came with the original lens cap and carry case. Optically, it was everything the interwebs raved about. Getting the mad boked was not entirely straight forward. One has to work at getting it right. Angles are everything, it seems. I haven't quite mastered it yet. Perhaps I should take it out more often.Therein lies the rub. I seldomly use it. There always seems to be another lens that take priority when packing the bag. Too many lenses - a real first world problem.

The other problem is the value of the thing. They are fairly rare and the value seems to go up. That makes it an investment of sorts that should be kept in a safe place. Here is a current auction:

[MINT] Pentax Auto-Takumar 35mm F2.3 M42 Screw Mount Lens From JAPAN #331 | eBay

With prices like that, perhaps I should sell it. Then again, prices would probably go up even more. Just when do I sell? Decisions, decisions. As I said before, I am not good at selling. So the lens remains, along with the nagging thoughts of the gear that I could buy if I liquidate it.

By the way, once you stop down to f/5.6 or so it turns into a normal lens. Flare can be an issue. The recipe for Super Multi Coating was not yet available when it came out.

Here is one of my early attempts. Not that great but it does show the madness that is lurking inside. I can't even begin to figure out the cause of the strangeness is. I do know that it can not be done with the likes of Photoshop.

[osarafian]

Q7. I'm too sensitive to ridicule to carry around a tiny, yellow camera with a giant, strap-on, magnifying eyepiece. Even writing the phrase, "strap-on", makes me blush.

[jeallen01]

A used "Carl Zeiss Jena" (Yeh - maybe!) 75-300mm (AFAIR) in Practica bayonet mount in my film days - turned out to be a re-branded Sigma and so was soon sold on at relatively low loss (thank goodness!). OH, I forgot about the FA80-320 that wasn't at all sharp and then developed the dreaded "barrel wobble" and couldn't be repaired (and so is still is in bits in the cupboard)

Since then (it was a long time ago!) I've been rather more careful about reading 3rd-party reviews and watching prices, and so haven't had too many "buyer's regrets", apart from a few cheapish accessories like the K-mount extension tube set, gimble mount, couple of pistol grips (one since sold as bundled with my old K-5) - and multiple filters that I have never got around to actually using!

[PDL]

I always have buyers remorse with nearly everything I buy other than food. I just live with it now, as worrying about it does no good. I have also cut way back on buying things so there is still money in my pocket.

[monochrome]

Not buyer’s remorse;

Some years ago I suggested in a thread discussion I should probably sell everything and just have early versions of all three FA Limiteds. Within an hour a FS thread popped up with all three FA Limiteds in their original properly colored pouches with boxes - $2,000. That just seemed like a lot of money and I let it go by, but even today that isn’t an exorbitant price for the right lenses.

Eventually I got an 43 and 77, but I don’t have an early 31 yet.

Around the same time I passed on a Voightlander SL 125/2.5 Macro with hood in K-mount. I haven’t seen one since.

[Arjay Bee]

For sure ergonomics is a big reason we either like or dislike certain cameras. Today with 3D printers, I bet it wouldn't be too hard or expensive to custom make an MX grip.

If I can do it anybody can...
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/173-general-photography/389414-3dprinting-mx-grip.html

[Wasp]

About a year ago a couple of variable ND filters came up on a local auction site. The auction closed late Saturday night. I swooped in and grabbed both for cheap. There were other bids but the bidders had better things to do than to check for counter bids. The thing is, I have never used either one of them. One is 52mm size and the other is 67mm. The first one can be used with or without a 49/52 step up ring on various Pentax lenses. I even have such a ring. The other one is in 67mm. I have lenses in 62mm and 72mm, but no step up or down rings. Buying some is on my to do list. If need be I could just hold the 67mm in front of the lens by hand, I suppose.

I have never used any of the filters. Not even once. I am not even sure in which bag they are right now. II think the brand is Fotga, but my memory is a little fuzzy on that. it is just that I have yet to come up with a use case for these bad boys. I don't do much landscape photography. I haven't visited any streams, rivers or waterfalls lately, so no stereotypical blurry water shots yet.

At least I didn't spend a lot of money on these two bad boys. Coming up next, my extensive collection of Cokin filters...

[Wasp]

Another bad case of buyer's remorse on this side. Besides other things, 2020 has not been a good year for buying gear. An SMC Pentax 1.7x AF Adapter was excellent but the rest was not so good.

There was the SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.2 that had fungus. It is still in the repair shop, long story.

There was the Pentax *ist DL with a blown sensor. It powers up and everything happens that one expects when the shutter is pressed but it only takes dark frames. Blown sensor, who knows? The seller did warn about the problem,so the fault is mine. I wanted the SMC Pentax FA J 75-300mm that came with it. Don't know why anymore. It works fine but it's not like I don't have a Sigma 70-300mm or an SMC Pentax F 100-300mm already. In fact, I have two of each. long story.

Today I got an MD-NX adapter. I duly put my Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.4 onto my trusty Samsung NX1 and went outside to take some shots. I have had the lens for a few years but have never used it. A slight problem immediately popped up. The aperture is stuck wide open and will not stop down. The ring turns but that's all. At least the lens was cheap - free! Now I know why.

I then tried the Tamron 38-100mm f/3.5 in MD mount that I also got for free. At least it works, but it's not like I don't have a bunch of K and NX mount lenses that cover that range. I might as well have gotten a K mount Adaptall ring.

So there you have it. I can take bokeh pics with the 58mm wide open but what's the point. That adapter wasn't a lot of money, but USD40 still not trivial when in my local currency. Oh well, lesson learnt. Check aperture on old lens before buying adapter for it.

I will take the Rokkor in for repair. Perhaps there is something that can be done. Incidentally, I tried it on the Minolta SRT303 body that it came with. The aperture was nonoperational on it as well. Turns out that the camera mirror doesn't come down after firing a shot. To get the mirror back down you need to cock the shutter again. I will not be not taking the SRT303 in for repair. If I want to do film, I have more than a few Pentax bodies for that.

Edit: another silver ring to this dark cloud is that I can be the second person to review the Tamron lens on this site.

Tamron Adaptall 38-100mm f3.5 (SZ-38 and CZ-38M) Lens Reviews - Tamron Adaptall Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

[SpecialK]

I like just about any ice cream, except the rubbery cherry kind, so I tried the mango coconut habanero variety - it left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Wasp]

Included with the Pentax *ist DL mentioned above was an SMC Pentax FAJ 75-300mm f/4.5-5.8. The rubber on the zoom ring is quite scuffed, but otherwise it's in good shape and it works fine. The fly in the ointment is that I don't need it. I also have two copies of the Sigma 70-300mm 4/4-5.6 (regular and APO) and an SMC Pentax F 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6. I blame internet auction fever. The expenditure was about USD40. The deal even included an SMC Pentax DA 18-55mm AL f/3.5-5.6. So I have two of those now. It was not a bad deal, but still...

[Benz3ne]

Fortunately, no. Not really. With the exception of seemingly good job lots, or job lots described as good or 'fully working' that were not. Fortunately, those have been returned without (much) issue on a number of occasions. The longest, most drawn out, one was for an MX and ME Super lot with a couple of lenses. Neither camera was working, the lenses were scratched and with fungus and one with sticky aperture blades. It was a private sale on FaceNovel (or similar) but I paid using PayPal Goods & Services. Always worth the slight extra outlay and given that I'd recorded the evidence of their confirmations that everything was working, they sided with me fully. In that instance I had even offered to return the goods at my cost, so the seller was not out of pocket, which they refused. After that, I wasn't going to hold back.

[HoutHans]

The M150/3.5. I bought it locally for a good price and liked the idea of a small and light telephoto (I have the K135/2.5 and M300/4, neither of which is light or small) to bring into the field. However, I find that I hardly ever use it. I'll probably sell it.

[termy]

Not yet a buyer's remorse.
but hoping it will not become one.

Am picking up 'katie' in about 5 to 6 hours from now.

[brightseal]

All manual lenses without A ring.
But wish I would've kept the M50 macro.

[savoche]

Nah, I've bought a few things I shouldn't have and have some gear that I don't use, but no remorse on my part. Spending too much on unnecessary things is hardly worth worrying over (as long as they don't break the bank). I save my remorse for more important mistakes in life