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01-26-2017, 11:58 AM   #166
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QuoteOriginally posted by pepperberry farm Quote
anybody talking about February yet?
I had hoped to spend February with an old neglected M35/2.8 lens, until learning that its helicoid grease has crept onto the iris blades again. I'd had it professionally cleaned a few years ago (by Eric H., no less), but apparently this really is a design flaw. More than one of the site reviews brings it up.

So I'm thinking about a "kit lens on mirrorless" month, either K-01/DA40XS, or Q7/02. I've not used those combinations much yet - have mostly kept a DA21 on the K-01, and an 01 prime on the Q7.

Probably it will be the former, just to avoid using a zoom two months in a row.

01-26-2017, 12:59 PM - 1 Like   #167
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The DA 40 HAS a nice perspective on APSC.
01-28-2017, 01:36 AM - 2 Likes   #168
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February thread up.
01-28-2017, 04:59 AM   #169
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tsuken Quote

you so rock!

01-28-2017, 04:30 PM   #170
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just a quick update for me: I am asking for constructive criticism on my earlier shooting today; any suggestions or critiques are welcome:

Bald Eagle - cc requested, please - PentaxForums.com
01-29-2017, 05:19 AM   #171
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e p i c.

Federer goat.

419am

bed time
01-29-2017, 07:12 PM - 2 Likes   #172
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All caught up with the posting. Had a few dial-in days. Sleep deprivation is getting worse. Shots not up to standard. But at least I took something.

It seems the best shots seem to happen when I don't have the camera with me. *sigh* In spite of its size, maybe I need a camera that I can attach around my neck so I'm never without it?!

01-30-2017, 07:30 AM - 1 Like   #173
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February i am going to do the daily challenge and utilize some of my more neglected fuji lenses, but i will be watching everyone here for inspiration . finally back (or at least 90%) but with nothing for the missed days this month oh well. I plan on a month using the 105 2.8 and the 35 3.5 taks neither of which has seen a great deal of time on any of my cameras, maybe next month i will return with one of the two
01-30-2017, 05:34 PM   #174
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QuoteOriginally posted by eddie1960 Quote
February i am going to do the daily challenge and utilize some of my more neglected fuji lenses, but i will be watching everyone here for inspiration . finally back (or at least 90%) but with nothing for the missed days this month oh well. I plan on a month using the 105 2.8 and the 35 3.5 taks neither of which has seen a great deal of time on any of my cameras, maybe next month i will return with one of the two
Also shooting a 3.5/35 in February! I have the Super-Takumar variant. Should be fun.
01-30-2017, 06:16 PM - 2 Likes   #175
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Okay, so the month isn't quite finished yet, but I think I'm ready to vomit forth my thoughts on the Industar 50mm f/3.5 lens.

This is not a lens for the shooter who wants to crank their K-3ii's drive mode into continuous high and see how fast they can reach their maximum rated shutter count. In fact, with its pure stop-down diaphragm (not even an auto-manual switch), complete steplessness of said diaphragm, and awkwardly interesting placement thereof relative to the focusing ring, it's almost hideously pedestrian. On top of that, mine seems to be very sloppy.

That being said, it does turn out some excellent results. I might have done better with macro if I hadn't misplaced my M42 tubes, but even then my jury-rigged setups seemed capable of turning out some pretty sharp and high quality shots. These old lenses have a reputation for softness and low contrast, and I had actually been hoping to explore that, but feed this little beastie enough light and stop it down enough, and suddenly it's capable of some really nice colour rendition and sharp detail.

I think it suffered from being used in a winter month in a snowy country; I suspect I might be repeating the experience in summer or autumn where more things exist outside.

IIRC it cost me $20CDN to get from a chap in the Ukraine. Even if I'd only ever used it for this month, that's less than a dollar a day. If you're into M42 anyway, and don't mind the fiddliness of the aperture ring, the size is a boon. The downside is that it's nearly two stops slower than almost all my other 50mm lenses; the one exception is my SMC Macro Takumar 50/4.0. It also badly needs a hood under most conditions of bright lighting (though that wasn't really a problem during the time I was using it), and of course none of my filters or filter adapters will fit it.

Overall a somewhat difficult and challenging lens to single with at first, it turned out to be not so terrible by the end and I have a much better grasp of its capabilities now. It could be a very interesting beast to throw onto a Spotmatic and use in a sort of pseudo shutter priority mode, picking a shutter speed and then adjusting the aperture until the needle is exactly horizontal, something the stepless aperture lends itself to very easily. On a digital camera it is arguably best in aperture priority (though I found I needed a permanent +1 EV offset), but it was also fun presetting the aperture and guessing which shutter speed I needed to get a properly exposed result.

Using it with the internal flash on the *istDS was horrific; at close range the flash needed to be dialled down in-camera to -2.0EV and the lens closed almost all the way down not to completely blow everything out; I suspect the *istD, with its alleged full TTL control even over the internal flash would make the whole experience much more pleasant. Input from those who currently own and shoot the *istD and also have this lens would be enlightening.

Anyone who REALLY wants to slow their shooting down and has time to fool around should consider putting this on a meterless camera (e.g. Pentax S1a/H1a, or a Spotmatic with the batteries dumped) and using an external light meter. If that doesn't encourage slow, deliberate photography, nothing will.

A caveat - pretty much the entire mount and all the electrical and screwdrive contacts are uncovered when this lens is on. Take care, and stay out of the rain.

Last edited by pathdoc; 01-30-2017 at 06:21 PM.
01-30-2017, 06:37 PM   #176
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QuoteOriginally posted by pathdoc Quote
Okay, so the month isn't quite finished yet, but I think I'm ready to vomit forth my thoughts on the Industar 50mm f/3.5 lens.

This is not a lens for the shooter who wants to crank their K-3ii's drive mode into continuous high and see how fast they can reach their maximum rated shutter count. In fact, with its pure stop-down diaphragm (not even an auto-manual switch), complete steplessness of said diaphragm, and awkwardly interesting placement thereof relative to the focusing ring, it's almost hideously pedestrian. On top of that, mine seems to be very sloppy.

That being said, it does turn out some excellent results. I might have done better with macro if I hadn't misplaced my M42 tubes, but even then my jury-rigged setups seemed capable of turning out some pretty sharp and high quality shots. These old lenses have a reputation for softness and low contrast, and I had actually been hoping to explore that, but feed this little beastie enough light and stop it down enough, and suddenly it's capable of some really nice colour rendition and sharp detail.

I think it suffered from being used in a winter month in a snowy country; I suspect I might be repeating the experience in summer or autumn where more things exist outside.

IIRC it cost me $20CDN to get from a chap in the Ukraine. Even if I'd only ever used it for this month, that's less than a dollar a day. If you're into M42 anyway, and don't mind the fiddliness of the aperture ring, the size is a boon. The downside is that it's nearly two stops slower than almost all my other 50mm lenses; the one exception is my SMC Macro Takumar 50/4.0. It also badly needs a hood under most conditions of bright lighting (though that wasn't really a problem during the time I was using it), and of course none of my filters or filter adapters will fit it.

Overall a somewhat difficult and challenging lens to single with at first, it turned out to be not so terrible by the end and I have a much better grasp of its capabilities now. It could be a very interesting beast to throw onto a Spotmatic and use in a sort of pseudo shutter priority mode, picking a shutter speed and then adjusting the aperture until the needle is exactly horizontal, something the stepless aperture lends itself to very easily. On a digital camera it is arguably best in aperture priority (though I found I needed a permanent +1 EV offset), but it was also fun presetting the aperture and guessing which shutter speed I needed to get a properly exposed result.

Using it with the internal flash on the *istDS was horrific; at close range the flash needed to be dialled down in-camera to -2.0EV and the lens closed almost all the way down not to completely blow everything out; I suspect the *istD, with its alleged full TTL control even over the internal flash would make the whole experience much more pleasant. Input from those who currently own and shoot the *istD and also have this lens would be enlightening.

Anyone who REALLY wants to slow their shooting down and has time to fool around should consider putting this on a meterless camera (e.g. Pentax S1a/H1a, or a Spotmatic with the batteries dumped) and using an external light meter. If that doesn't encourage slow, deliberate photography, nothing will.

A caveat - pretty much the entire mount and all the electrical and screwdrive contacts are uncovered when this lens is on. Take care, and stay out of the rain.


Thanks, I never got around to single in with mine before it was stolen. It was a decent little lens for next to nothing though. I've been looking for a shorter registration version (say ltm ) to try on the Fuji. The small size is lost on an m42 adapter for me
01-30-2017, 06:50 PM   #177
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That really would be a tiny retro treat, especially given the Fujis' knob-ridden film-camera-like aesthetics (I've got no problem with that at all, in fact I quite like it, but am heavily invested in Pentax and have no professional reasons that would drive me to change).
01-30-2017, 09:21 PM - 3 Likes   #178
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I missed yesterday due to a long work day followed by a long concert. That Springsteen guy has some stamina, I can tell you - he started singing at 1945 and barely drew breath until he finished just after 2300. It was quite a show.

I'll get a final shot up later, but for now, here are my thoughts on the Lomography Daguerreotype Achromat by Chevalier, 64mm f/2.9

This lens is a modern, 35mm compatible, multicoated replica of the optical formula used in the first lens ever designed for photographic use back in 1839. It was funded via a kickstarter campaign and despite only originally being intended for Nikon and Canon mounts, a petition started here at Pentax Forums convinced Lomography to add a K-mount version. Focus is all manual, and aperture is controlled by inserting one of a variety of metal plates into a slot in front of the front element, so it is as old-school as anyone could possibly imagine.

Before I get to any appraisal of the lens' output, let me say it is a joy to behold and handle. It comes in an absolutely beautiful box, which includes a set of aperture plates on a leather-thonged key ring, two manuals (one generic, one specific to the K-mount version) and an almost coffee table sized (well, I might be exaggerating a little here, but it's substantial) booklet of sample images and information about the philosophy and history behind the lens. It is made of solid brass and weighs a ton. The focus ring is buttery smooth and well damped. There is a brass hood which removes by a (slightly rattly) bayonet mount to access a 40.5mm filter thread - the same as the Q01 and Q06, which is quite handy as I now have a polariser and ND filter to fit them too!

Optically it is.... interesting

Wide open it is almost impossible to focus. Even with focus peaking and 4x magnification in live view, the sharpness is so low it is difficult to judge where the focal plane is. Interestingly, if you look through the glow and flare there is quite a bit of detail, and when you get it right a very pleasing soft-focus effect can be achieved. Bokeh is just berserk - like a Helios 44-2 at the end of a long night on the vodka - which is limiting but can be used to great effect.

Stopped down a little things get a little more controllable; some actual edges appear in the viewfinder image, allowing a degree of precision with focus, and the bokeh is more like a Helios with a bad hangover the next day. Beyond f/5.6 it's quite well behaved and even a bit boring - like a Helios returning from a detox boot camp. Adding the specialty aperture plates (a variety of stars and polka dots in my basic kit, but there also exist a few others which are currently on back-order) lends a whole new dimension to the fun.

Colours are really nicely rendered. Distortion was never much of an issue. I never had to correct for purple fringing. In fact, I spent less time post processing these images than usual, partly because there were so often no details to try and highlight.

All in all, this very much a niche lens for aesthetes, enthusiasts, students of photographic history, bokeh freaks and masochists. Does that sound like anyone you know?
01-31-2017, 03:13 AM   #179
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It sounds like me because I bought one, though I will probably wait until there's foliage on the trees and a relative dearth of snow before I single with it.
01-31-2017, 04:40 AM - 3 Likes   #180
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I'm out for what remains of this month and probably a bit into next. My dad fell and has a hairline crack in his femur, so he's resting (hopefully) for few days in the hospital and then off to rehab. I'll be taking shots while out and about but my evening time is taken.

I was planing on singling in the 77mm for next month still a day to decide.

My review: The Ricoh GR-2 is quite the little camera. It's hard not to compare it to a Fuji X100 which I had, loved but sold off because of sloooow focus especially in low light. the GR-2 lens is sharp starting at wide and open is truly pocketable, it beats the fuji on both accounts. It does lack a viewfinder which i missed from my experience with the Fuji, though I do have to say it was because of the X100 that I started using live view on my big boy cameras. The macro mode on the lens is great as is, especially for a lot of my inside shots made this winter. The focal length was surprisingly useful for me, because I had predisposition for a lens in the range of 21-23mm. It generated some nice bokeh as well, though it could get a little busy sometimes. The SOOC jpeg "effect" (as Ricoh calls them) were very useful but I did tone down the High contrast B&W one to my liking. i would say the i sued the effects for about half my posting it was fun playing with them and in a pinch you could just shoot jpegs but i do like taking the image from raw and making into what i want. overall 4.5 stars knocked down because of the lack of view finder and the not so great battery life ( but then again its competitors are the same in that regard).
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