In body SR and older zoom lenses?

emr · 03-24-2009, 01:57 PM

I've used a couple of old MF prime lenses on my K20D and I know one has to choose the correct focal length for optimal SR. Now I'm buying my first MF zoom and just realized I have no idea what to do with the SR. Should I change the length setting every time I zoom the lens for optimal settings? That doesn't seem very practical. So I assume the way to do it would be to choose a nominal focal length somewhere in the middle of the zoom range. Right?

Venturi · 03-24-2009, 02:16 PM

I ran into the same situation a week ago when I got my A70-210/4.

Based on my searching here the advice is to use the lens' minimum focal length. The reasoning being that too little SR is better than too much.

emr · 03-24-2009, 02:20 PM

Thanks, I'll try that when I get my new lens (also a 70-210mm zoom, a Vivitar series 1). Any official advice from Pentax re: this?

Marc Sabatella · 03-24-2009, 04:00 PM

I don't know about "official" advice, but I definitely agree to little beats too much - you can get some incredibly weird pictures if you have SR focal length set *way* too high. But just a little too high probably doesn't matter. Something to consider - choose a focal length somewhere near the bottom of the range but a kind of unusual number - like, say, 82 - so that if later on you want to find all shots taken with this lens, you can search you images for ones shot with a focal length of 82mm. Lens data is not included in the EXIF for manual lenses, so identifying them by SR focal length is the only way.

emr · 03-24-2009, 10:28 PM

Good idea, I'll try that too.

03-24-2009, 01:57 PM	#1
emr Guest	In body SR and older zoom lenses? I've used a couple of old MF prime lenses on my K20D and I know one has to choose the correct focal length for optimal SR. Now I'm buying my first MF zoom and just realized I have no idea what to do with the SR. Should I change the length setting every time I zoom the lens for optimal settings? That doesn't seem very practical. So I assume the way to do it would be to choose a nominal focal length somewhere in the middle of the zoom range. Right?

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03-24-2009, 02:16 PM	#2
Venturi Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Tulsa, OK Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,636	I ran into the same situation a week ago when I got my A70-210/4. Based on my searching here the advice is to use the lens' minimum focal length. The reasoning being that too little SR is better than too much.

03-24-2009, 02:20 PM	#3
emr Guest	Thanks, I'll try that when I get my new lens (also a 70-210mm zoom, a Vivitar series 1). Any official advice from Pentax re: this?

03-24-2009, 04:00 PM	#4
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	I don't know about "official" advice, but I definitely agree to little beats too much - you can get some incredibly weird pictures if you have SR focal length set way too high. But just a little too high probably doesn't matter. Something to consider - choose a focal length somewhere near the bottom of the range but a kind of unusual number - like, say, 82 - so that if later on you want to find all shots taken with this lens, you can search you images for ones shot with a focal length of 82mm. Lens data is not included in the EXIF for manual lenses, so identifying them by SR focal length is the only way.

03-24-2009, 10:28 PM	#5
emr Guest	Good idea, I'll try that too.