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06-30-2019, 01:51 AM - 4 Likes   #106
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So, to sum up June...

I quite liked the jokers theme I set myself. Probably about half I feel happy with, as something a bit creative, rather than just a joker in front of, or stuck to, something.

The Sigma 30mm... welp. At the end of May I wrote: "Roll on June and the big, heavy, slow-and-sketchy-autofocus Sigma 30/1.4." Indeed it is big; it is heavy; AF is indeed slow and sketchy; bokeh often doesn’t appeal to me - seems a bit jittery.

Those are the negatives. On the plus, 1.4 is pretty good to have - though nowadays I can really tell the difference stopping it down to at least 3.5. It can be sharp as a ridiculously-sharp thing that's been sharpened especially for the Sharp Things Day sharpness competition.

Beyond that ... I dunno really. It looks ok, if that matters, though it makes it all seem a bit chunky for me. Nothing much else to say.

My favourites from the month:


Fire After Ice by -Occasionally Focused-


Märchen by -Occasionally Focused-


Everybody wings go up... by -Occasionally Focused-


On the Fence by -Occasionally Focused-


At my fingertips by -Occasionally Focused-

And *still* trying to decide on next month's lens...

06-30-2019, 01:58 AM - 1 Like   #107
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I disappeared without fanfare early in the month. Sorry.

Last edited by Sandy Hancock; 06-30-2019 at 02:21 AM.
06-30-2019, 02:13 AM - 5 Likes   #108
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Well another month done and I have enjoyed this lens, a large hunk of glass with a delicate silver painted finish. The SMC FA* 85mm 1:1.4 IF really delivers a wow factor in portrait photos, the transition from in focus to out of focus is lovely and smooth and the bokeh is buttery smooth. I calibrated the lens using a focusing tool and it does exhibit purple and green fringing on the edge of high contrast transitions in out of focus areas. After doing the test I assumed it was going to be a month of post processing to remove the fringing in all my photos. In real world use I didn't have to do any post processing, maybe it was just the subjects and lighting I used over the month, but I never noticed any until the last day when I saw the reflections of 100 led lights on my wife's glasses frame with some fringing in the out of focus areas. Not a normal lighting setup and only seen when pixel peeping. While the lens is screw drive I never noticed any hunting when mounted on the K1 and the focus was quick to lock on. One thing that all fast lenses have a need for is accurate focusing as when used wide open the area being in focus can be down to just 1cm. I found using the single point focus and repositioning gave me good accuracy for focusing where I wanted. The minimum focus is not close , but not unworkable at all, I tried it with extension tubes and it worked fine.I used the lens to produce several pleasing photos using lightroom to stitch several photos together, this helped me when a wider view was required in landscapes and also to try the brenizer effect which I enjoyed. This lens sat in my cupboard all through the APS C years as I just didn't feel it compared to the 35mm feel on film, with the K1 it feels just right again. Used for landscape, the slight telephoto helps isolate the details in the photo. I have found my love for this lens all over again.













The favourite photo from the month came near the end of the month and I am aiming to have it enlarged and printed for my wall, thanks to this wonderful lens.

[COLOR="Silver"]

Last edited by garywakeling; 06-30-2019 at 02:20 AM. Reason: spelling
06-30-2019, 09:55 AM   #109
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QuoteOriginally posted by garywakeling Quote
I have found my love for this lens all over again.
No wonder! It's a great lens and produces real nice portraits.

BTW those still look like toy cars

06-30-2019, 09:58 AM - 1 Like   #110
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tsuken Quote
I quite liked the jokers theme I set myself.
Really liked your theme. Probably due to amount and versality of graphics of your joker cards. You managed to pull fitting colors and feel to a lot of different scenes.

That flaming card is a killer shot
06-30-2019, 12:21 PM   #111
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tsuken Quote
So, to sum up June...

I quite liked the jokers theme I set myself. Probably about half I feel happy with, as something a bit creative, rather than just a joker in front of, or stuck to, something.

The Sigma 30mm... welp. At the end of May I wrote: "Roll on June and the big, heavy, slow-and-sketchy-autofocus Sigma 30/1.4." Indeed it is big; it is heavy; AF is indeed slow and sketchy; bokeh often doesn’t appeal to me - seems a bit jittery.

Those are the negatives. On the plus, 1.4 is pretty good to have - though nowadays I can really tell the difference stopping it down to at least 3.5. It can be sharp as a ridiculously-sharp thing that's been sharpened especially for the Sharp Things Day sharpness competition.

Beyond that ... I dunno really. It looks ok, if that matters, though it makes it all seem a bit chunky for me. Nothing much else to say.

My favourites from the month:


Fire After Ice by -Occasionally Focused-


Märchen by -Occasionally Focused-


Everybody wings go up... by -Occasionally Focused-


On the Fence by -Occasionally Focused-


At my fingertips by -Occasionally Focused-

And *still* trying to decide on next month's lens...
The fingertip jokers was my favourite followed closely by the fire joker

---------- Post added 07-01-19 at 05:24 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by iheiramo Quote
Time to wrap up June. I shot every day and posted in quite steady manner. I was too busy and stressed at work in mid month and therefore lot of shots is just something that can be quickly taken. I didn't feel innovative this month, so a lot of others is something reliably beautiful. Not my best month as a photographer, but lens is good.

M50/4 is relatively slow lens, but performs well wide open. Corners do get bit weak with FF camera, so if you need corner sharpness, you need to stop down, but otherwise wide open us usable option. Lens is very versatile and can go from macro to landscape without any problem. Little fringing, but in most cases it's easy to correct. I didn't get any night shots due to lack of night at this time of the year, but I believe it's not the strong point of this lens like it wasn't with APSC camera. The sunset shot against the sun worket fine. Personally I like the bokeh this lens produce.

Fifties are a tight group in M series with 4 sharp lenses available. Macro is the most expensive of the group, but in this case it means still cheap Money is really no issue among these lenses. For me this lens is a keeper due to macro feature. It's more usable than playing with extension tubes on others.

In July I go with M50/1.7 to finish the battle between my favorite M fifties. Can it prove that I need a second fifty in my bag to go with macro? I hope I have the answer in the end of the month.

Wide open at MFD:


Wide open focus around 2m:


Wide open focus at infinity:


F5.6 around MFD:


F5.6 focus stack:


F5.6 focus around 1m:


F5.6 focus around 2m:


F8:


F11:
Nice month Ismo even if you were not feeling it, the colours from the M Macro and versatility really do make this one a keeper.
06-30-2019, 12:38 PM - 3 Likes   #112
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
I disappeared without fanfare early in the month. Sorry.
If you will put em up in Flickr, I'll take look for sure

---------- Post added 06-30-19 at 23:06 ----------

Alrighty, FA 31 limited.



A classic.



I dunno. it has it's weaknesses. But still after these couple of months of putting it around places it still do manage to surprise me. I could not share most of portraits of my little girl, but believe me, they are beautiful! Also works with adults(my wife ect.) but better with little ones. Once you stop this down for land/cityscapes, it is no longer lens foult if it does not look good.



There is some barrel distortion and vingetting, but once you take it off(LR lens profile), you loose half of magic at the same moment. I can feel that this has been designed to be used with film, which means no perspective corrections!



Pixie dust? yes! And yes, now I do have a idea of what people have been talking about. ofcourse there is some funky things, fringing, flare, not so nice corners when wide open(not good for astro highlights at corners). But there are better lenses for that.



I have been talking about going to 645 format -which I will do-. But this lens(along with other limiteds and that *70-200) make me really think that there is not much more to be asked for, really. Ideas, great photo opportunitues, fun. (ofcourse there are more things, isn't that allways the case..)


All in all. I must say that I have not been let down. Taking in consideration that for lens torture there are better lenses. But if and when you stop this baby down, there will be a LOT of resolution. Near distance there is lovely bokeh, and FoV is great. That said, if I'd be working seriously, and would need something wide and quite fast, I'd propably take my 15-30 and get it done. Wide prime is in the end quite restricting. But that is another thing. This baby is small, lovely to handle, looking good little gem.


My favourite shots?















It was fun!


06-30-2019, 02:45 PM - 2 Likes   #113
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QuoteOriginally posted by repaap Quote
If you will put em up in Flickr, I'll take look for sure

---------- Post added 06-30-19 at 23:06 ----------

Alrighty, FA 31 limited.



A classic.



I dunno. it has it's weaknesses. But still after these couple of months of putting it around places it still do manage to surprise me. I could not share most of portraits of my little girl, but believe me, they are beautiful! Also works with adults(my wife ect.) but better with little ones. Once you stop this down for land/cityscapes, it is no longer lens foult if it does not look good.



There is some barrel distortion and vingetting, but once you take it off(LR lens profile), you loose half of magic at the same moment. I can feel that this has been designed to be used with film, which means no perspective corrections!



Pixie dust? yes! And yes, now I do have a idea of what people have been talking about. ofcourse there is some funky things, fringing, flare, not so nice corners when wide open(not good for astro highlights at corners). But there are better lenses for that.



I have been talking about going to 645 format -which I will do-. But this lens(along with other limiteds and that *70-200) make me really think that there is not much more to be asked for, really. Ideas, great photo opportunitues, fun. (ofcourse there are more things, isn't that allways the case..)


All in all. I must say that I have not been let down. Taking in consideration that for lens torture there are better lenses. But if and when you stop this baby down, there will be a LOT of resolution. Near distance there is lovely bokeh, and FoV is great. That said, if I'd be working seriously, and would need something wide and quite fast, I'd propably take my 15-30 and get it done. Wide prime is in the end quite restricting. But that is another thing. This baby is small, lovely to handle, looking good little gem.


My favourite shots?
...
It was fun!


Lovely images. I totally get what you say about the magic disappearing when you “correct” things in LR. I’m convinced that part of the character of any lens consists in how it departs from straight and (in that sense) “correct”.

---------- Post added 1st Jul 2019 at 07:46 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by garywakeling Quote
Well another month done and I have enjoyed this lens, a large hunk of glass with a delicate silver painted finish. The SMC FA* 85mm 1:1.4 IF really delivers a wow factor in portrait photos, the transition from in focus to out of focus is lovely and smooth and the bokeh is buttery smooth. I calibrated the lens using a focusing tool and it does exhibit purple and green fringing on the edge of high contrast transitions in out of focus areas. After doing the test I assumed it was going to be a month of post processing to remove the fringing in all my photos. In real world use I didn't have to do any post processing, maybe it was just the subjects and lighting I used over the month, but I never noticed any until the last day when I saw the reflections of 100 led lights on my wife's glasses frame with some fringing in the out of focus areas. Not a normal lighting setup and only seen when pixel peeping. While the lens is screw drive I never noticed any hunting when mounted on the K1 and the focus was quick to lock on. One thing that all fast lenses have a need for is accurate focusing as when used wide open the area being in focus can be down to just 1cm. I found using the single point focus and repositioning gave me good accuracy for focusing where I wanted. The minimum focus is not close , but not unworkable at all, I tried it with extension tubes and it worked fine.I used the lens to produce several pleasing photos using lightroom to stitch several photos together, this helped me when a wider view was required in landscapes and also to try the brenizer effect which I enjoyed. This lens sat in my cupboard all through the APS C years as I just didn't feel it compared to the 35mm feel on film, with the K1 it feels just right again. Used for landscape, the slight telephoto helps isolate the details in the photo. I have found my love for this lens all over again.





Excellent month - and that dry boat pic is just wonderful

---------- Post added 1st Jul 2019 at 07:48 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by iheiramo Quote
Time to wrap up June. I shot every day and posted in quite steady manner. I was too busy and stressed at work in mid month and therefore lot of shots is just something that can be quickly taken. I didn't feel innovative this month, so a lot of others is something reliably beautiful. Not my best month as a photographer, but lens is good.



M50/4 is relatively slow lens, but performs well wide open. Corners do get bit weak with FF camera, so if you need corner sharpness, you need to stop down, but otherwise wide open us usable option. Lens is very versatile and can go from macro to landscape without any problem. Little fringing, but in most cases it's easy to correct. I didn't get any night shots due to lack of night at this time of the year, but I believe it's not the strong point of this lens like it wasn't with APSC camera. The sunset shot against the sun worket fine. Personally I like the bokeh this lens produce.



Fifties are a tight group in M series with 4 sharp lenses available. Macro is the most expensive of the group, but in this case it means still cheap Money is really no issue among these lenses. For me this lens is a keeper due to macro feature. It's more usable than playing with extension tubes on others.



In July I go with M50/1.7 to finish the battle between my favorite M fifties. Can it prove that I need a second fifty in my bag to go with macro? I hope I have the answer in the end of the month.



Excellent review - and images for the month. I really enjoyed what you posted.

---------- Post added 1st Jul 2019 at 07:50 AM ----------

Also, I’m glad my jokers theme was enjoyed - and not just by me
06-30-2019, 06:19 PM - 2 Likes   #114
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end of the month review for the EBC Fujinon Macro 55mm f3.5 lens:

please note that I irreversibly altered this lens to get it to fit flush on a standard M42 adapter... it's been noted that I am a 'butcher' for this, so I don't need the grief....


what a stupendously-capable lens this is - I had read in several reviews that the EBC coatings that Fuji had developed were the equal (at the time) of the SMC coatings that Pentax had introduced, plus the 55 Macro was supposed to be the jewel of the Fujinon line at the time... let's give it a shot!

I purchased mine from KEH, in 'excellent' condition and it is - no marks on the glass, nothing but smoothness in the focus and aperture rings, and original 'Fujinon' lens caps...

it fits (after modification) flush on the K-5 IIs body, in the M42 adapter, with no gaps or light leaks...

it is not a large lens by any stretch, but is all-metal so has a substantial feel, and the aperture ring is difficult to access when mounted on a camera - it is a smallish ring, but turns easily...

firstly, I was not surprised by the lens' sharpness - I expected it in a macro, even this old - I was, however, surprised by the amount of color and light collected by this lens...

it is only f3.5, not a fast lens, but I mostly shot indoors at f5.6 all month long, and only needed to bump up the K-5's ISO only a few times.... f3.5 on this lens can become a little glowy, with a possible loss of contrast in stronger light...

secondly, once you are in the green-button routine, this becomes such an easy lens to live with - quick to focus, beautiful color and clarity, smooth pretty bokeh, and supremely versatile...

and the shots:













and the rest of the month:

Single In Challenge - June 2019 | Flickr


I can highly recommend this lens, with a couple of caveats:

- you will have to modify it if you expect to use it on a standard-M42 adapter

- it is a somewhat rare lens, so if you can live with the above, do it
07-01-2019, 11:00 AM - 1 Like   #115
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QuoteOriginally posted by pepperberry farm Quote
please note that I irreversibly altered this lens to get it to fit flush on a standard M42 adapter... it's been noted that I am a 'butcher' for this, so I don't need the grief....
I've had to do this to one Fujinon lens, and am about to do it to another (that wretched tab!). I guess that makes me a 'butcher' too. But I don't collect lenses to sit on a shelf; I buy lenses that I think would be fun to use. No regrets.
07-01-2019, 11:04 AM   #116
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QuoteOriginally posted by babywriter Quote
I've had to do this to one Fujinon lens, and am about to do it to another (that wretched tab!). I guess that makes me a 'butcher' too. But I don't collect lenses to sit on a shelf; I buy lenses that I think would be fun to use. No regrets.
this is the second M42 Fujinon I've altered, both are fun 55mm lenses to use, so won't be languishing here, either...
07-01-2019, 02:24 PM - 2 Likes   #117
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June is finished, and I'm not sur how I feel about it.

On the one hand, the new FA 35 is a really good lens. Quite sharp, resistant to flare, with well controlled aberrations. It is no macro lens, but quite usable for close-up shots, even if cropping helps sometimes. Lastly, the focal lenght suits me. I know many would like it to have an onboard focus motor and to be weather-sealed, but I feel it is better in a small and lightweight package.

So why am I not overly enthusiastic? The month has been quite busy (june always is, with music day taking a lot of the available time), and I could not shoot as much cityscape as I would have liked. It is a shame as the lens shines here, but I just couldn't find the time most days. I also missed three days completely, but this is to be expected in this challenge and it did not bother me overmuch. No single in july for me nonetheless, I need to breathe.







07-01-2019, 06:45 PM - 3 Likes   #118
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So, some thoughts about my month with the Pentax 645 and 150mm f/3.5 lens:

- I wanted to do this to get to know the camera better, and because I had a backlog of expired film that just needed to be shot. Success on both counts.
- The 645 is a bulky, heavy camera - made of solid metal, for the most part - but it handles much more easily than you would think. While I certainly felt self-conscious carrying around a breadbox with a handle, I got progressively less so as the month continued.
- The 150mm lens is a capable piece of kit.Quality was acceptable for film use, but I'm sure that if I'd strapped it to a 645Z, I would have noticed the difference. (This is significant, because if I ever buy a D or Z, I'd start out with the lenses I already have.) Surprisingly, shooting landscapes with the equivalent of a 100mm lens on full frame was kind of fun. I was able to isolate areas well and came out with some pleasing shots.
- I had fun, and that was my primary objective for this month. I've been overloaded by life and the pressure of keeping up here on PF, and it was nice just to take a deep breath and go at a slower pace. Sorry, though, for not commenting much. I did look, however.
- I got my hands on a 280T flash about midmonth - this is the flash that was designed for the 645 originally. Awesome to see how TTL works on this camera. Seems pretty good for mid-80s technology.
- I still have one more roll to develop, of unexpired Cinestill film. Looking forward to seeing what comes out.

A few pictures that I liked:







07-01-2019, 11:46 PM - 1 Like   #119
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QuoteOriginally posted by nono Quote
June is finished, and I'm not sur how I feel about it.

On the one hand, the new FA 35 is a really good lens. Quite sharp, resistant to flare, with well controlled aberrations. It is no macro lens, but quite usable for close-up shots, even if cropping helps sometimes. Lastly, the focal lenght suits me. I know many would like it to have an onboard focus motor and to be weather-sealed, but I feel it is better in a small and lightweight package.

So why am I not overly enthusiastic? The month has been quite busy (june always is, with music day taking a lot of the available time), and I could not shoot as much cityscape as I would have liked. It is a shame as the lens shines here, but I just couldn't find the time most days. I also missed three days completely, but this is to be expected in this challenge and it did not bother me overmuch. No single in july for me nonetheless, I need to breathe.






Nice set over the month, thanks for playing, I used the FA 35 older version last month and enjoyed it too

---------- Post added 07-02-19 at 04:48 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by babywriter Quote
So, some thoughts about my month with the Pentax 645 and 150mm f/3.5 lens:

- I wanted to do this to get to know the camera better, and because I had a backlog of expired film that just needed to be shot. Success on both counts.
- The 645 is a bulky, heavy camera - made of solid metal, for the most part - but it handles much more easily than you would think. While I certainly felt self-conscious carrying around a breadbox with a handle, I got progressively less so as the month continued.
- The 150mm lens is a capable piece of kit.Quality was acceptable for film use, but I'm sure that if I'd strapped it to a 645Z, I would have noticed the difference. (This is significant, because if I ever buy a D or Z, I'd start out with the lenses I already have.) Surprisingly, shooting landscapes with the equivalent of a 100mm lens on full frame was kind of fun. I was able to isolate areas well and came out with some pleasing shots.
- I had fun, and that was my primary objective for this month. I've been overloaded by life and the pressure of keeping up here on PF, and it was nice just to take a deep breath and go at a slower pace. Sorry, though, for not commenting much. I did look, however.
- I got my hands on a 280T flash about midmonth - this is the flash that was designed for the 645 originally. Awesome to see how TTL works on this camera. Seems pretty good for mid-80s technology.
- I still have one more roll to develop, of unexpired Cinestill film. Looking forward to seeing what comes out.

A few pictures that I liked:






I really enjoyed watching what you produced over the month, film scanning and developing certainly raised the bar for this challenge , well done
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