New to the Pentax Forums, but not new to Pentax :-)

**marco_gea** · 02-06-2022, 03:57 AM - **3 Likes**

Hello everybody,

Let me introduce myself: I've been what might perhaps be described as an "advanced amateur" photographer for many years now, and over this time I have gone through a fairly wide range of photographic equipment.

It all started for me over 30 years ago with my dad's ME and an M 50/1.7.
I then moved up to a Super-A with A 50/1.4, A 24/2.8, FA 100/2.8 Macro and AF280T flash, and stayed with those for several years, eventually swapping the body for a newer MZ-5n, mainly to have spot metering (which I found very useful with the slide film that I preferred using).

Then came the move to digital, with a Nikon D70s... and that's when I sold all my Pentax gear and moved to Nikon... and then Fuji, with an S5Pro (so I could continue using the Nikkor lenses).

Then, I liked the Fuji jpegs so much that I decided to switch to their mirrorless APS-C offerings, which again entailed a wholesale system switch. X-E1, X-E2s, X-Pro2, X-H1 and a few of their lenses.

Which eventually brings me full circle in a very round-about way: my current "main" camera system is still a Fuji body, but now the GFX50R, with a selection of wonderful SMC Pentax-A 645 lenses. I feel like I'm "home" again!

I admit that I initially decided to try these lenses as a sort of stop-gap, as more affordable alternatives to the native GF lenses.
But after using a few of them, and being very pleasantly impressed by the results I was obtaining, I decided to invest in some more, including the not-so-affordable 600mm super-telephoto.

Also, I knew from the start that the lack of autofocus would not bother me, as for the type of photography that I do, I generally prefer manual focus anyway.
Thus, I opted to only collect "A" series manual-focus lenses, instead of the later "FA" series lenses, since not only do the latter also become manual-focus-only when used as adapted lenses on non-Pentax bodies, but they have less smooth/precise manual focus helicoids.

Generally speaking, I found the P645 lenses to have a very endearing combination of technical qualities (i.e., sharpness, contrast, resistance to flare, minimal chromatic aberrations) and a slightly more "organic"/"vintage" character vs. most modern lenses. The latter is hard to define in quantitative terms, but I'll post a few images in the "Review" forum when I get the chance, and let those speak for themselves.

Marco.

Sandy Hancock · 02-06-2022, 04:19 AM

Welcome home, Marco.

**Kerrowdown** · 02-06-2022, 04:37 AM

Originally posted by marco_gea

I opted to only collect "A" series manual-focus lenses

Welcome back to Pentax... good lens series to be interested in... albeit I maybe a tad bias.

Sandy Hancock · 02-06-2022, 04:59 AM

Originally posted by Kerrowdown

Welcome back to Pentax... good lens series to be interested in... albeit I maybe a tad bias.

Marco is talking about the A645 series, not the common or garden K-mount option

wadge22 · 02-06-2022, 06:03 AM

Welcome tot he forums!
That's a nice collection, and a nice shot of it, too.

**Kerrowdown** · 02-06-2022, 06:39 AM

Originally posted by Sandy Hancock

Marco is talking about the A645 series, not the common or garden K-mount option

Ooops....

BTW I'll have you know there's nothing common about my "Ladies" and I strongly advise him not to mention that word within their earshot.

**BarryE** · 02-06-2022, 07:00 AM

Welcome back Marco, from down south ...

Manual 645 lenses on a Fuji body is one I've had in my MF moments. Will be interesting to see what you upload and say.

**marco_gea** · 02-09-2022, 01:35 AM

Originally posted by BarryE

Welcome back Marco, from down south ...

Manual 645 lenses on a Fuji body is one I've had in my MF moments. Will be interesting to see what you upload and say.

Thank you.
So far, I've made a couple of posts in the "Lens review" forum, on the A 55/2.8 and A* 600/5.6 ED(IF). More will follow as time permits.
Marco.

**marco_gea** · 06-01-2022, 01:02 PM

GFX50R

A 35/3.5
FA 80-160/4.5
A 120/4 Macro
A* 300/4 ED(IF)
A* 600/5.6 ED(IF)

Read more at: My current favourite P645 lens line-up... - PentaxForums.com

**marco_gea** · 06-16-2022, 01:28 PM

I bought a nice second-hand copy of the zoom, to compare to the prime.

Pros:
- it's much lighter, and it does not need the long lens support rig that I was using with the A* prime. It balances very well on the Fotodiox adapter's tripod foot (see picture).
- it zooms (duh!), which adds compositional versatility for landscapes
- it focuses closer (2m vs. 3m)

Cons:
- it's 1 stop slower
- less "buttery smooth" manual focus action than with the A* prime (but still OK).
- slightly less contrast

Sharpness at f/5.6 is only VERY SLIGHTLY worse than the prime's, to the point where it does not really matter. From f/8 onwards they are essentially equal.

**marco_gea** · 06-26-2022, 07:01 AM - **1 Like**

...back to Pentax 100%.

I've traded in my GFX50R for a new, deeply discounted 645Z body. At that price, I could not resist.

I've now also further consolidated my core "kit" to:

645Z
A 35/3.5
FA 75/2.8
A 120/4 Macro
FA 150-300 ED(IF)
A* 600/5.6 ED(IF)

Also grabbed a second-hand KP + DA 40/2.8 as a compact and lightweight alternative for casual hand-held use (the SR will come in handy).

:-) Marco

**marco_gea** · 07-14-2022, 09:27 AM - **1 Like**

aizatk · 07-14-2022, 12:24 PM - **1 Like**

Welcome, that's a great collection you have there!

**marco_gea** · 07-15-2022, 02:34 AM

Originally posted by aizatk

Welcome, that's a great collection you have there!

Thanks!

**marco_gea** · 07-23-2022, 12:37 AM - **1 Like**

02-06-2022, 03:57 AM - 3 Likes	#1
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136	New to the Pentax Forums, but not new to Pentax :-) Hello everybody, Let me introduce myself: I've been what might perhaps be described as an "advanced amateur" photographer for many years now, and over this time I have gone through a fairly wide range of photographic equipment. It all started for me over 30 years ago with my dad's ME and an M 50/1.7. I then moved up to a Super-A with A 50/1.4, A 24/2.8, FA 100/2.8 Macro and AF280T flash, and stayed with those for several years, eventually swapping the body for a newer MZ-5n, mainly to have spot metering (which I found very useful with the slide film that I preferred using). Then came the move to digital, with a Nikon D70s... and that's when I sold all my Pentax gear and moved to Nikon... and then Fuji, with an S5Pro (so I could continue using the Nikkor lenses). Then, I liked the Fuji jpegs so much that I decided to switch to their mirrorless APS-C offerings, which again entailed a wholesale system switch. X-E1, X-E2s, X-Pro2, X-H1 and a few of their lenses. Which eventually brings me full circle in a very round-about way: my current "main" camera system is still a Fuji body, but now the GFX50R, with a selection of wonderful SMC Pentax-A 645 lenses. I feel like I'm "home" again! I admit that I initially decided to try these lenses as a sort of stop-gap, as more affordable alternatives to the native GF lenses. But after using a few of them, and being very pleasantly impressed by the results I was obtaining, I decided to invest in some more, including the not-so-affordable 600mm super-telephoto. Also, I knew from the start that the lack of autofocus would not bother me, as for the type of photography that I do, I generally prefer manual focus anyway. Thus, I opted to only collect "A" series manual-focus lenses, instead of the later "FA" series lenses, since not only do the latter also become manual-focus-only when used as adapted lenses on non-Pentax bodies, but they have less smooth/precise manual focus helicoids. Generally speaking, I found the P645 lenses to have a very endearing combination of technical qualities (i.e., sharpness, contrast, resistance to flare, minimal chromatic aberrations) and a slightly more "organic"/"vintage" character vs. most modern lenses. The latter is hard to define in quantitative terms, but I'll post a few images in the "Review" forum when I get the chance, and let those speak for themselves. Marco.

06-01-2022, 01:02 PM	#9
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	Updated "kit" GFX50R A 35/3.5 FA 80-160/4.5 A 120/4 Macro A* 300/4 ED(IF) A* 600/5.6 ED(IF) Read more at: My current favourite P645 lens line-up... - PentaxForums.com

06-16-2022, 01:28 PM	#10
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	*Thinking of swapping the A300/4 for the FA 150-300/5.6 I bought a nice second-hand copy of the zoom, to compare to the prime. Pros: - it's much lighter*, and it does not need the long lens support rig that I was using with the A prime. It balances very well on the Fotodiox adapter's tripod foot (see picture). - it zooms (duh!), which adds compositional versatility for landscapes - it focuses closer (2m vs. 3m) Cons: - it's 1 stop slower - less "buttery smooth" manual focus action than with the A* prime (but still OK). - slightly less contrast Sharpness at f/5.6 is only VERY SLIGHTLY worse than the prime's, to the point where it does not really matter. From f/8 onwards they are essentially equal. Last edited by marco_gea; 06-16-2022 at 01:39 PM.

06-26-2022, 07:01 AM - 1 Like	#11
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	I've come full circle... ...back to Pentax 100%. I've traded in my GFX50R for a new, deeply discounted 645Z body. At that price, I could not resist. I've now also further consolidated my core "kit" to: 645Z A 35/3.5 FA 75/2.8 A 120/4 Macro FA 150-300 ED(IF) A* 600/5.6 ED(IF) Also grabbed a second-hand KP + DA 40/2.8 as a compact and lightweight alternative for casual hand-held use (the SR will come in handy). :-) Marco

07-14-2022, 09:27 AM - 1 Like	#12
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	Some new "kit" pictures :-)

02-06-2022, 04:19 AM	#2
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	Welcome home, Marco.

02-06-2022, 04:37 AM	#3
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,816	Originally posted by marco_gea I opted to only collect "A" series manual-focus lenses Welcome back to Pentax... good lens series to be interested in... albeit I maybe a tad bias.

02-06-2022, 04:59 AM	#4
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	Originally posted by Kerrowdown Welcome back to Pentax... good lens series to be interested in... albeit I maybe a tad bias. Marco is talking about the A645 series, not the common or garden K-mount option

02-06-2022, 06:03 AM	#5
wadge22 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: NE Ohio Photos: Albums Posts: 897	Welcome tot he forums! That's a nice collection, and a nice shot of it, too.

02-06-2022, 06:39 AM	#6
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,816	Originally posted by Sandy Hancock Marco is talking about the A645 series, not the common or garden K-mount option Ooops.... BTW I'll have you know there's nothing common about my "Ladies" and I strongly advise him not to mention that word within their earshot.

02-06-2022, 07:00 AM	#7
BarryE Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 1,653	Welcome back Marco, from down south ... Manual 645 lenses on a Fuji body is one I've had in my MF moments. Will be interesting to see what you upload and say.

02-09-2022, 01:35 AM	#8
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	Originally posted by BarryE Welcome back Marco, from down south ... Manual 645 lenses on a Fuji body is one I've had in my MF moments. Will be interesting to see what you upload and say. Thank you. So far, I've made a couple of posts in the "Lens review" forum, on the A 55/2.8 and A* 600/5.6 ED(IF). More will follow as time permits. Marco.

07-14-2022, 12:24 PM - 1 Like	#13
aizatk Forum Member Join Date: May 2022 Posts: 95	Welcome, that's a great collection you have there!

07-15-2022, 02:34 AM	#14
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	Originally posted by aizatk Welcome, that's a great collection you have there! Thanks!

07-23-2022, 12:37 AM - 1 Like	#15
marco_gea Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: London Photos: Gallery Posts: 136 Original Poster	The full kit :-)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
New to Pentax Forums but not to Pentax	Richie53rd	Welcomes and Introductions	4	08-16-2020 01:24 PM
Not one, not two, not three, not four, but a wedding where half attendees are bob.	LeDave	Photographic Industry and Professionals	12	05-16-2016 03:40 AM
Yup, I am new to Pentax Forums, but not the Cameras!	tonhill	Welcomes and Introductions	3	06-24-2014 12:58 AM
New to the forums, not new to Pentax	aaronwarnick	Welcomes and Introductions	4	11-21-2013 08:09 AM
Amazon Giveaway not Pentax, but Canon but $18K worth can buy lots of Pentax Gear	brecklundin	Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands	14	04-24-2010 05:40 PM