[Dartmoor Dave]

Is it really that good?

To my eyes, yes, it really is that good. It's a photo that makes me want to go there, and that doesn't happen very often. I think that the bridge looks like a fascinating structure, and if it's local to you then I hope you'll do a lot more photos of it in different seasons and different angles and different light.

[tonksj]

Spotted these blackberries while out for a walk today. We now have a couple of kilos to turn into jam tomorrow!!

[rayallen]

To my eyes, yes, it really is that good. It's a photo that makes me want to go there, and that doesn't happen very often. I think that the bridge looks like a fascinating structure, and if it's local to you then I hope you'll do a lot more photos of it in different seasons and different angles and different light.

Thanks again, Dave. Yes, it is local to me - about 25 mins drive and easy to get to. You have inspired me to do more with it. The reason I had not considered printing that image is because the light was not at the best time of day. I had just been for cofee with a mate and we decided to test our pano heads. I would be more likely to print an image of that bridge taken with the light at a much lower angle. I think winter sunsets will be more suited and that is where we are now headed. And I will try to do better.

[paulh]

You have inspired me to do more with it.

Nice work Ray, and I look forward to seeing what you can do. All kinds of possibilities there

At the botanical gardens with the F35-70:

[Lord Lucan]

K10D with DA 16-45

1) Railway Bridge, Mawddach Estuary, North Wales :-




2) Toll Bridge, Mawddach Estuary, North Wales:-



3) Toll Bridge, Mawddach Estuary, North Wales:-

[rayallen]

Nice work Ray, and I look forward to seeing what you can do. All kinds of possibilities there

At the botanical gardens with the F35-70:

Thank you, Paul.

I love the 3D effect in that first image. And the rich colours too.

[ChristianRock]

I love the 3D effect in that first image. And the rich colours too.

I agree. Nice pictures, Paul. I even think that the rendering in color remind me of the time that I spent with the DA 21mm Limited...

[ChristianRock]

Got my new-to-me SMC-A 24 2.8 with broken A setting (so it's basically a K). It matches well with the K10D CCD

[rayallen]

Got my new-to-me SMC-A 24 2.8 with broken A setting (so it's basically a K). It matches well with the K10D CCD

It might be broken but I would not bother fixing it. It is working quite well as it is. Beautiful colours, CR.

[ChristianRock]

It might be broken but I would not bother fixing it. It is working quite well as it is. Beautiful colours, CR.

Apparently Eric Hendrickson couldn't fix it because the part that is missing isn't available anywhere. So I think that pretty much marks it as unfixable... but you're right, I don't mind K/M lenses, I'll just treat it as one And like you I'm liking its colors.

[paulh]

I love the 3D effect in that first image. And the rich colours too.

I agree. Nice pictures, Paul.

Thanks guys - it's hard to beat those CCD colors CR, great-looking photos with the new 24mm. Impressive property you have there!

Taken just a few minutes apart in mid-March. F35-80 on K10D:

[Dartmoor Dave]

Got my new-to-me SMC-A 24 2.8 with broken A setting (so it's basically a K). It matches well with the K10D CCD

Better than the K 24mm/2.8, I'd say. I used to own the K version and was entirely underwhelmed by it in comparison against the Takumar 24mm/3.5. Those shots with your A 24mm look far better than I remember from the K, with much more vivid colour rendering and much nicer contrast.


EDIT: I've just looked in the lens reviews and see that the K and A are optically the same. But looking at your shots and the samples in the review section, I'm guessing that the coatings must have changed significantly because the rendering looks quite different to me.

[ChristianRock]

Better than the K 24mm/2.8, I'd say. I used to own the K version and was entirely underwhelmed by it in comparison against the Takumar 24mm/3.5. Those shots with your A 24mm look far better than I remember from the K, with much more vivid colour rendering and much nicer contrast.


EDIT: I've just looked in the lens reviews and see that the K and A are optically the same. But looking at your shots and the samples in the review section, I'm guessing that the coatings must have changed significantly because the rendering looks quite different to me.

The coatings did change significantly. No way the K version could do blues like this, this is the "A" trademark - I've had a few A lenses and still have the A 70-210mm and I can tell this is very typical "A" rendering, except with even more contrast and saturation (possibly multi-coating of all the sides of all elements? That is the not-so-secret-weapon of the Ricoh GR's beautifully saturated color and contrast).

In fairness, my post-processing also changed since I've had the K, but still, there is a difference.

In regards to the importance of coatings, I found this recent review of the Tokina 35mm f/2.8 Macro quite interesting... Quick Review: Tokina 35mm 2.8 Macro AT-X Pro DX - phillipreeve.net followed by the Pentax Limited 35mm f2.8 Macro review... HD Pentax DA 35mm f2.8 Macro LTD: a quick report. - phillipreeve.net
In short (so you don't have to read it), it is horrible against bright light - flare, loss of contrast, aberrations, you name it. Something anyone knows to be a point where Pentax excels.
This quote tells it all: "It has good contrast, and the Pentax version has gone from disastrous flare in the Tokina to superb performance. I’m quite amazed there can be so much improvement without changing the optical layout."

So yeah, coatings make or break a lens and are as important as the glass itself

By the way, the pictures above have a couple tone curves that add some saturation and contrast, plus a small amount of contrast (+5 I think). The saturation was not increased at all, except for those curves that I've basically been using for other lenses, except for other lenses I do crank up the saturation just a bit...

[paulh]

A couple more from the botanical gardens with the F35-70. I really like this little zoom, but my copy seems to be decentered at certain FLs. It was probably dropped/damaged at some point, so I'll likely be on the lookout for another...

[ChristianRock]

It seems I can't get enough of my 22 dollar lens... I don't think it's pixie dust but I love the colors and rendering of the Craigs Optics 60-300mm f/4-5.6. Just so vibrant!
(xposted to manual focus zooms club)









By the way, it was pretty windy when I took these pictures. The colors are great but the sharpness suffered.