[Riggomatic]

200mm really should be a macro lens or at least close focusing. That would make it a lot more usefull focal length in camera bag. Too bad those are so rare and expensive.

I agree!

[JensE]

Not fair, please share the shot so I can try and track down the location

Nothing special about the location. In fact I would have turned back ...


I was driving back towards Melbourne from Wilsons Promontory (one of the very dark easily accessible places, as I found out later) after watching the sunset on Whisky Bay and stopped for a coffee in Fish Creek on a clear Saturday night in June. Even with the street lights there, I noticed how dark the sky was compared to what I know from rather remote places in Europe and much of the USA: Light Pollution Atlas 2006, 2016 and 2020 gives an idea, even though it likely still overestimates the pollution for a clear night in the area. Too tired to go back and afterwards drive back safe, I just drove off the main road onto one of the straight dirt roads in between fields for one or two kilometers and took a few 'quick' shots.

[zubzubadoodle]

May with the Tamron Adaptall2 SP 500/8 on the K1.
It's been a fun month with this lens, even though the depth of field is very thin and, being a fixed f8, the viewfinder can be quite dark. In consequense, I missed focus on a lot of occasions. The use of a tripod and the back screen on the K1 would have helped, but I can rarely be bothered lugging a tripod around and I dislike using the screen. So it's my own fault. The image quality is pretty good, even at the higher ISOs needed. The 1:3 'Macro' and minimum focus distance of just under 6 feet (1.7m for those who use the new-fangled metric system) make it useable for those garden safety flower shots.


Some of my favourite shots from the month:

[garywakeling]

Nothing special about the location. In fact I would have turned back ...


I was driving back towards Melbourne from Wilsons Promontory (one of the very dark easily accessible places, as I found out later) after watching the sunset on Whisky Bay and stopped for a coffee in Fish Creek on a clear Saturday night in June. Even with the street lights there, I noticed how dark the sky was compared to what I know from rather remote places in Europe and much of the USA: Light Pollution Atlas 2006, 2016 and 2020 gives an idea, even though it likely still overestimates the pollution for a clear night in the area. Too tired to go back and afterwards drive back safe, I just drove off the main road onto one of the straight dirt roads in between fields for one or two kilometers and took a few 'quick' shots.

Oooh you really were close, my wife used to do the mail run to all the farms around Fish creek, I feel guilty that I haven't done enough astro shooting given how wonderful the stars look here on a clear night, I will challenge myself to try for something this month with the K 20mm lens in SIC ( hopefully the clouds/rain stay away)

[bigted]

It was a bit of an adjustment getting back into the groove, shaking off the winter blahs and depression and getting used to a new body and lens all at the same time. With that in mind I am pleased with what I managed. In all I believe I missed 2 days where I had no shot to contribute and I am pleased it was only 2 days. With the commenting I missed a few more days (OK more than a few) but I tried to do as much as I could, simply because I know I thrive on comments. I am still trying to get used to all the bells and whistles on the K-1 - notably I missed the GPS function on the one day that it mattered. The low light capabilities are great but my dining room is like the back of an unlit cave and it suffers greatly from the lack of a flash, something I have ordered and maybe by July I will have it. I am pleased with the image quality after cropping as it which was something I noticed I needed more and more simply because my summer lens combo on my K-3 was always the 300mm and the 1.4 rear converter. I am not sure I am in love with this lens like I am with the one that came with my K-3 (18-135mm) but I suspect I just need some more time with it, probably not trying to figure out the body at the same time.

Predictably my 2 favourites for the month are cat pics:

[womble]

May is often a busy month for me as I have to do a lot of grading. I used to have a trip to the US in the middle but the event was cancelled because of covid in 2020 and hasn't been reinstated. As a result I had a lot of "safeties" including one or two terrible ones which I'll gloss quickly over. The main issue I have with the K135/2.5 is that it is not very close focusing. As a result, my extension tubes got a lot of use this month, often just the thin 13mm one which is enough to bring focusing down to about 1m or so. I have no idea why, but I seemed to have more problems focussing the 135mm using the viewfinder than I did with the K120 earlier in the year. Whenever I could (basically when I could use a tripod), I used live view to refine the focus. Only once did I knock the dial when turning the camera on and accidentally set the focal length to 1135mm. I'm getting better at checking. I also think that the contrast etc. would be improved with a lens hood. I have an original appropriate plastic clip-on hood but one of the clips is not quite right and it tends to fall off, so it didn't get used much. Before I moved house I used to use a metal screw-in Takumar hood which was much better but I couldn't find which box those ended-up in!

All in all, it is a nice lens and I'm happy to have it and use it. It is nice and sharp when you nail the focus and quite bright. I suspect, however, that the K120mm might see a little more use on the basis of the two SIC months with these two lenses, Here are a few unremarkable images.


May 28: rose par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 02: Cougar par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 12: Knebworth churchyard par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 24: walking by par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 07: Hampton Gay par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 06: SV par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 09: odd one out par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity

[Riggomatic]

May is often a busy month for me as I have to do a lot of grading. I used to have a trip to the US in the middle but the event was cancelled because of covid in 2020 and hasn't been reinstated. As a result I had a lot of "safeties" including one or two terrible ones which I'll gloss quickly over. The main issue I have with the K135/2.5 is that it is not very close focusing. As a result, my extension tubes got a lot of use this month, often just the thin 13mm one which is enough to bring focusing down to about 1m or so. I have no idea why, but I seemed to have more problems focussing the 135mm using the viewfinder than I did with the K120 earlier in the year. Whenever I could (basically when I could use a tripod), I used live view to refine the focus. Only once did I knock the dial when turning the camera on and accidentally set the focal length to 1135mm. I'm getting better at checking. I also think that the contrast etc. would be improved with a lens hood. I have an original appropriate plastic clip-on hood but one of the clips is not quite right and it tends to fall off, so it didn't get used much. Before I moved house I used to use a metal screw-in Takumar hood which was much better but I couldn't find which box those ended-up in!

All in all, it is a nice lens and I'm happy to have it and use it. It is nice and sharp when you nail the focus and quite bright. I suspect, however, that the K120mm might see a little more use on the basis of the two SIC months with these two lenses, Here are a few unmarkable images.


May 28: rose par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 02: Cougar par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 12: Knebworth churchyard par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 24: walking by par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 07: Hampton Gay par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 06: SV par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity


May 09: odd one out par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity

I felt the same way when I used the 135/f2.5. I just wanted to get a little closer to fill the frame.