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03-27-2019, 07:54 AM   #1
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Decisions... Any thoughts?

I've always thought of myself as a lens guy in a sense that I get much more excited by lenses, especially old ones, than bodies. I have a K-5 and it works fine, no complaints. I don't really like it's low light performance, but I've been told there is something wrong with me Last year I got these two beautiful lenses, both mint, and both at a fraction of the cost that they sell for on eBay. One is Carl Zeiss Ultron 50mm f1.8 in Icarex mount and the other one is Enna Munchen Ennalyt 75mm f1.5. I love these old lenses and the Ultron has probably some of the nicest bokeh I've seen. I've been thinking of getting a Fuji XT-1 or XT-2 to shoot them. I could get Skoparex 35mm and have a nice Fuji kit. I shoot either landscapes or portraits, so these two lenses would set me up in the portrait department.

But now I am feeling kind of meh and thinking maybe I should just sell the two lenses and get a K-1. If I sell the two lenses for what people ask for them on eBay (not a done deal, obviously) I'll have enough for a K-1 and will have some cash to put towards the D FA (50 or 85, if it ever comes out).

The problem with this plan is that I will miss those lenses and I am not likely to find them again, definitely not at the price I paid. Sounds funny, it's a tool after all, but they are so nice to hold! The focusing ring on that Ultron is just amazing.

The benefit is that I am not really sure I want another system, and really, who can complain about K-1?

Final thought, as I said, I really like old lenses and I have a few (Trioplan, Primoplan, Helioses) but in the end, they are specialty lenses. I use them when I need what they offer, but most of the time I just take my 43 and 77 along. It's funny how these lenses grew on me. When I got the 77 I thought there wasn't really anything special about it, not in the way Primoplan or Trioplan is special (in other words, optical problems). It's when you look at the mundane images that look great when taken with the 77 that you realize how nice it is.

Anyway, any thoughts?

03-27-2019, 08:04 AM   #2
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The D FA 50mm 1.4 was the first lens I purchased when I picked up the K-1II. Beautiful compression, bokeh, and sharp at f/1.4. AF is quiet/smooth. It's a heavier lens, but it balances well with the weight of the K-1.

QuoteOriginally posted by IgorZ Quote
I've been thinking of getting a Fuji XT-1 or XT-2 to shoot them.
I am quite familiar with Fuji cameras. My partner shoots an XT-2 and has three primes that she rotates through. I would avoid the XT-1. It was a first gen product that was plagued with issues. Firmware provided some improvements to stability, AF, etc, but the XT-2 was Fuji's first serious, competitive offering in the high-end APS-C space.
03-27-2019, 08:05 AM   #3
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sorry

this won't be helpful

only you can decide what is best for you

any chance you live where you can rent equipment and try out the K 1 or K 1 II to see if you want to get one

Information on Businesses that offer cameras and lenses for rent - PentaxForums.com

you could call and see if any of those companies would rent equipment to you since you live in Canada and the cost of doing so

LensRentals.com is the one I use and they are very good responding to emails and phone calls
03-27-2019, 08:49 AM   #4
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I'm a "lens-guy" too ... I'm still occasionally using M42 lenses I bought in the '70's on my Pentax DSLR's and I bought a relatively cheap mirrorless Samsung "DSLR-style" camera so I could use most of my old Russian M39 rangefinder lenses with an adaptor.


My opinion, for what it's worth, is to keep the lenses!


You want them else you wouldn't have purchased them in the first place. Buy a reasonably cheap s/h mirrorless body and adaptor(s) to use the lenses. If then you decide you don't really like them you'll be justified in selling them ... you can keep the cheap camera to try out any other weird lenses you find If you really like the lenses maybe then buy a "decent" body to use them on. You'll probably get your money back on the cheap body if you're careful how much you spend in the first place


Good luck.

03-27-2019, 08:50 AM - 1 Like   #5
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If you love your lenses...keep them.

If you have a jones for a new camera, buy what you can afford.

If you can't afford the camera without selling gear, be careful to only sell the gear you don't love.


Steve

(...values clarification...)
03-27-2019, 08:57 AM - 2 Likes   #6
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Do whatever you need to do, but get a K-1. Especially since you like old lenses and bokeh. It's in a different league than the k5 or any crop body that I know of.
03-27-2019, 09:02 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by IgorZ Quote
Anyway, any thoughts?
@IgorZ, I'm afraid that I don't have any clear suggestions for you, but I understand your dilemma exactly!

Amongst my treasured vintage lenses, I have an Angénieux P1 90mm f/1.8 in an uncommon M42 mount, which was made in the mid-1950s. Like your lenses, I got it at a low price quite by chance. I use it occasionally, and think it's an amazing lens -- sharp, great colours, smooth out-of-focus transitions, bokeh to swoon over, and so on. However, it's not one of my more-often used lenses, and I actually tend to prefer my S-M-C Takumar 85/1.8. So, I debate whether to sell it: one day, sure let's put 'er on eBay; the next day, ummm, no, if I sell it, I'll never get another one. Today, I think I'm at 75% sell, 25% keep. Haha.

I have a K-3 II and a fairly good lens kit and other gear, so I'm pretty well outfitted and happy with my pictures. I don't have a driving desire to get a K-1 right now so I'm not desperate to sell the Angénieux. On the other hand, having some cash in the 'camera kitty' would be nice should I decide later to get a new camera or whatever.

- Craig


Last edited by c.a.m; 03-27-2019 at 09:46 AM. Reason: typo
03-27-2019, 09:21 AM   #8
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Disclaimer: I am a total novice, and not even a good one.

I have a K1, K3, and K5. The K3 was a big upgrade over the K5 for me, and I hardly touch the K5 anymore, should really sell it. I loved my K3, until I got a K1... now I hardly touch the K3 and when I compare perfectly decent shots from the K3 vs the K1, I just like that full frame look. Honestly I couldn't go on flickr or 500px and tell you what was or wasn't FF vs APSC, but I do test shots side by side between the 2 and maybe it is psychological bias to justify my unnecessary purchase, but I am personally happier and more satisfied with my K1 images. Beyond the images I just like holding and using the K1. It just feels great, handles great, I love the controls. It is just better and I enjoy it. All purely personal and subjective I know, but this is a hobby for me and enjoyment is why I do it.

I also like to use and handle old manual lenses and have a small collection of Takumars. I just like them, and when I have time to be slow and deliberate I shoot with them. But mostly, I don't. The AF lenses are just faster, less tedious and contribute more to my joy of shooting. I personally would go for whatever brings you the most joyful photography experience. If it's Fuji and awesome manual focus lenses, do it. Full frame K1 is also a very enjoyable experience.
03-27-2019, 09:25 AM   #9
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I too consider myself a lens man. I have over 30 unique lenses useable on K-mount, plus another couple dozen adaptable
to use on the Q. I love the subtle differences each lens can bring to the table, which is why I own over a dozen different 50mm
lenses. Theoretically, I should only need one 50mm. I've isolated those lenses I could easily sell, but still find it difficult to
pare down my collection of 50mm to less than six or so lenses.

However, I use only one camera body for 95%+ of everything I shoot. (Currently a K-3). That has been true at
any point in the past. I still own my previous primary body, a K10D. I haven't used it for 5 years, but I hold on to it because
I >might< someday convert it for infrared. I have two old film bodies I haven't used in over 10 years but I keep them for
sentimental reasons. And I have a Q7 which is great fun but gets used only infrequently.

Despite this disparity, I still feel the body is the foundation of the camera/user experience. You interact with the lens
>through< the camera. The world is filled with great lenses. Pick a body, there's sure to be a few great lenses to attach
to it. However, it is very unlikely you will find a body that will mate with every great lens.

Sooooo...., for me I would want to be really certain the Fuji camera/user experience met with my satisfaction before
I decided to switch bodies. Having access to that Ultron might be wonderful, but what would I give up? What would
I miss?

I've had / do have great lenses that don't adapt to K-mount. Many I can adapt to the Q7 and that is enough to
satisfy my desire to use them. Nothing has driven me to seek out a new system solely to use the glass alone.
Personally, I'd sell the two lenses and get something really special and exotic and/or desirous for the system
I am comfortable with.
03-27-2019, 11:18 AM   #10
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For landscape and portrait, hard to beat the K-1 or now the K-1 II. Seems like the right move for your needs. Furthermore, since this design incorporates a crop mode for the use of crop lenses, you will no longer need your K-5. The crop mode provides about the same pixel density as the K-5, but will have better fine detail in images due to discarding the AA filter. I noticed this when I got my K-5 IIs compared to the original K-5.

Another factor- the crop mode turns a good 50mm lens into a FL of a more ideal portrait lens when used in this format. So you'd have very good options either way.

As to your old quaint lenses, I have no experience, but others appear to be offering good advice for using them.
03-27-2019, 12:56 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by IgorZ Quote
I've always thought of myself as a lens guy in a sense that I get much more excited by lenses, especially old ones, than bodies. I have a K-5 and it works fine, no complaints. I don't really like it's low light performance, but I've been told there is something wrong with me Last year I got these two beautiful lenses, both mint, and both at a fraction of the cost that they sell for on eBay. One is Carl Zeiss Ultron 50mm f1.8 in Icarex mount and the other one is Enna Munchen Ennalyt 75mm f1.5. I love these old lenses and the Ultron has probably some of the nicest bokeh I've seen. I've been thinking of getting a Fuji XT-1 or XT-2 to shoot them. I could get Skoparex 35mm and have a nice Fuji kit. I shoot either landscapes or portraits, so these two lenses would set me up in the portrait department.

But now I am feeling kind of meh and thinking maybe I should just sell the two lenses and get a K-1. If I sell the two lenses for what people ask for them on eBay (not a done deal, obviously) I'll have enough for a K-1 and will have some cash to put towards the D FA (50 or 85, if it ever comes out).

The problem with this plan is that I will miss those lenses and I am not likely to find them again, definitely not at the price I paid. Sounds funny, it's a tool after all, but they are so nice to hold! The focusing ring on that Ultron is just amazing.

The benefit is that I am not really sure I want another system, and really, who can complain about K-1?

Final thought, as I said, I really like old lenses and I have a few (Trioplan, Primoplan, Helioses) but in the end, they are specialty lenses. I use them when I need what they offer, but most of the time I just take my 43 and 77 along. It's funny how these lenses grew on me. When I got the 77 I thought there wasn't really anything special about it, not in the way Primoplan or Trioplan is special (in other words, optical problems). It's when you look at the mundane images that look great when taken with the 77 that you realize how nice it is.

Anyway, any thoughts?
I'd sell off some. I recently started to sell some gear and it feels great when you get into it. There will be more weird lenses to acquire in the future!
03-27-2019, 03:36 PM   #12
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If you're thinking of buying another camera to shoot these (and any other) full frame, manual focus lenses, I'd recommend buying a full frame mirrorless body - even if you have to choose an older model. I occasionally shoot my vintage lenses on my K-3, and that works just fine - but you miss out on so much of the individual rendering character by restricting yourself to APS-C, IMHO. I mostly shoot my vintage lenses on a Sony A7 MkII. I prefer almost everything about my Pentax gear, but the A7II lets me experience those lenses in a way that the K-3 can't, due to a combination of the sensor size and EVF viewfinder which makes for easier accurate focusing.

As to whether you should keep the lenses or sell them and get a K-1... That's a tough one. The K-1 is clearly an awesome camera from everything I've read in these forums. I would love to own one myself - that or the K-1II... either would do just fine But, like you, I am more excited by lenses than bodies. I don't shoot all of my lenses regularly. Some only come out of the cupboard every few weeks or even months... when I miss using them, basically. And that's the thing; there comes a point where I eventually miss shooting each of my lenses (especially the really good ones). So I'm pretty certain that if I sold any of the decent ones, some weeks or months later I would regret that.

If I were you, I'd keep the lenses. It sounds like you got a great deal on them, and you're also happy with their optical performance. Replacing them in future would likely be expensive, and the copies you get might not be as good as those you currently own...
03-27-2019, 09:33 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
If you love your lenses...keep them.

If you have a jones for a new camera, buy what you can afford.

If you can't afford the camera without selling gear, be careful to only sell the gear you don't love.


Steve

(...values clarification...)
Yes I agree. It seams like getting a lens you love is "PRICELESS" they just can't be replaced. The camera body is replaceable. IMHO

Photobill
03-28-2019, 06:30 AM   #14
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My inclination would be to keep the lenses and save the pennies so you can buy the K-1 too. As touched on a bit above, do remember the difference in FOV. I find some lenses, like my Sigma Art 35, I use more on my K3 II, but others like my 43, go back and forth between formats more often. That may not make a lot of sense given how close they are, but that's why I mention it. Somehow I find the personalities of the different lenses land me on different bodies than I first anticipated. Also, while some say they don't care about the size and weight difference, for me, I find I do (6 messed up discs split between neck and lumbar). My K3-II with DA* 16-50 and 55-300PLM are much easier for me to grab for a walk with the dog than my K-1, even if I decide to travel light and just have the DA^ 60-250 mounted on my K-1 and something like the 43 and an SMC 24 in my pockets.
03-28-2019, 06:41 AM   #15
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Thank you very much for all your feedback. I read one reply and think: "Yes, I am selling!", read the next and :"no, I should keep them!"

---------- Post added 03-28-19 at 06:43 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by sutherland Quote
The D FA 50mm 1.4 was the first lens I purchased when I picked up the K-1II. Beautiful compression, bokeh, and sharp at f/1.4. AF is quiet/smooth. It's a heavier lens, but it balances well with the weight of the K-1.



I am quite familiar with Fuji cameras. My partner shoots an XT-2 and has three primes that she rotates through. I would avoid the XT-1. It was a first gen product that was plagued with issues. Firmware provided some improvements to stability, AF, etc, but the XT-2 was Fuji's first serious, competitive offering in the high-end APS-C space.
Thank you for this advice. I was actually looking at the XT-1 as a cheaper option. I also thought if I went for the XT-2 it would become my main body just because it's newer and has more pixels than my k-5. Didn't want to start going down that path...

---------- Post added 03-28-19 at 06:45 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by aslyfox Quote
sorry

this won't be helpful

only you can decide what is best for you

any chance you live where you can rent equipment and try out the K 1 or K 1 II to see if you want to get one

Information on Businesses that offer cameras and lenses for rent - PentaxForums.com

you could call and see if any of those companies would rent equipment to you since you live in Canada and the cost of doing so

LensRentals.com is the one I use and they are very good responding to emails and phone calls
I wish! I tried Lens Rentals before, but they don't send stuff to Canada because the gear may spend an unforeseeable amount of time at the border... I looked briefly around here,but haven't found a place that rents K-1. Mostly Fuji, Nikon, and Canon.

---------- Post added 03-28-19 at 06:49 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by kypfer Quote
I'm a "lens-guy" too ... I'm still occasionally using M42 lenses I bought in the '70's on my Pentax DSLR's and I bought a relatively cheap mirrorless Samsung "DSLR-style" camera so I could use most of my old Russian M39 rangefinder lenses with an adaptor.


My opinion, for what it's worth, is to keep the lenses!


You want them else you wouldn't have purchased them in the first place. Buy a reasonably cheap s/h mirrorless body and adaptor(s) to use the lenses. If then you decide you don't really like them you'll be justified in selling them ... you can keep the cheap camera to try out any other weird lenses you find If you really like the lenses maybe then buy a "decent" body to use them on. You'll probably get your money back on the cheap body if you're careful how much you spend in the first place


Good luck.
Thanks! I like that idea. I actually bought a Fuji AX-1 (I think) to use with the lenses. But it doesn't work, so maybe I should look into another cheap mirrorless... To be honest though, I didn't enjoy looking at the back screen while taking photos, as well as no shutter... Hence why I was looking at XT-1 thinking that EVF may be better than just the back screen. Or maybe mirrorless isn't for me after all.

---------- Post added 03-28-19 at 06:51 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by c.a.m Quote
@IgorZ, I'm afraid that I don't have any clear suggestions for you, but I understand your dilemma exactly!

Amongst my treasured vintage lenses, I have an Angénieux P1 90mm f/1.8 in an uncommon M42 mount, which was made in the mid-1950s. Like your lenses, I got it at a low price quite by chance. I use it occasionally, and think it's an amazing lens -- sharp, great colours, smooth out-of-focus transitions, bokeh to swoon over, and so on. However, it's not one of my more-often used lenses, and I actually tend to prefer my S-M-C Takumar 85/1.8. So, I debate whether to sell it: one day, sure let's put 'er on eBay; the next day, ummm, no, if I sell it, I'll never get another one. Today, I think I'm at 75% sell, 25% keep. Haha.

I have a K-3 II and a fairly good lens kit and other gear, so I'm pretty well outfitted and happy with my pictures. I don't have a driving desire to get a K-1 right now so I'm not desperate to sell the Angénieux. On the other hand, having some cash in the 'camera kitty' would be nice should I decide later to get a new camera or whatever.

- Craig
I was 90% sell, 10% keep this morning, but reading all your guys' feedback makes me doubt it...
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