No problem, Nicolae and something tells me that you'll be a little surprised about the new K30D. And maybe we will have some new lenses too

Numai bine!
Radu

[nicolaie]

all the pictures are shot with the DL, but the first one is shot with the D80, you can probably see what i was going for (it wa a goal :P ).





best regards.

[stevebrot]

You're welcome Steve and I should add that here is already over 3 A.M. so maybe we're a bit tired and impulsive Unfortunatelly here (and in general in the EU) prices are not as good for Canon or Nikon like in the States (fact which made my choice in 2006 to become a Pentaxian easier)!

Regards,
Radu

Yes, as I was typing, I was thinking about both the time difference and the issues of pricing and availability between the Pacific coast of North America and eastern Europe. I work for a company that is headquartered in central Europe and whenever we get visitors from the home office, they always buy photo equipment and usually Nikon. New camera equipment is so expensive in Europe.

I know a number of Romanians here in the Vancouver/Portland area and have come to admire them in many ways. Your countrymen are a remarkable people. Someday I intend to visit...perhaps when I am old and rich...

Steve

[alexgn]

Carl Zeiss made some fantastic lenses for Sony. The range is small but the lenses are far better than those of Canon and Nikon. The colours the lenses render are very pleasing. These are AF lenses and optically are very good. The only problem with the lenses is the price.

Some of the lenses that have been tested by photozone:

Zeiss ZA Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 SSM (Sony SAL-2470Z) Review / Test
Zeiss ZA Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ( Sony SAL-85F14Z ) - Review / Test Report
Zeiss ZA Sonnar T* 135mm f/1.8 ( Sony SAL-135F18Z) - Review / Test Report

[stevebrot]

all the pictures are shot with the DL, but the first one is shot with the D80, you can probably see what i was going for (it wa a goal :P ).


best regards.

Excellent work! I like the look of all of them, but the last one best of all.

Steve

[nostatic]

Among all the factors I considered, these things were really not part of the equation:

• State-of-the-art AF speed
• Frames per second
• Availability of incredible lenses that I could not afford

(BTW...If I were shopping today, it would be hard to choose between the K20D, the D300, and 40D. All three are very nice and all three have their strengths.)

For me that list adds:

• flash support
• scene modes
• super zooms

But the biggest thing for me is feel. If I don't like the way the camera and lens feel, then I'm not going to like working with it. To the extent that photos are highly personal communication, the relationship with the camera also can be highly personal. For some, knowing that the AF will work faster than anything else gives them the warm fuzzy to make the shot. Or knowing that their brand has the highest market share of "pro" photographers. Or knowing that the online reviews are the best. Or that their friends shoot it. There are any number of reasons.

For me the feel of a limited lens is part of the magic. Same with a Voigtlander/Zeiss. It just feels right. Similarly the K20d body has the buttons in the right place. And the combination of that body with a small prime give me a camera that I *want* to pick up and shoot with. And results in a file that I can work with a print large.

Some people likely don't care about the "feel" of the camera or lens. Some pros probably don't. So that aspect of it isn't a factor. But with any tool, you will find people who gravitate in certain directions, and have subtle or obvious preferences. And a person who just wants a camera to get a shot to sell is no better or worse than someone who wants a camera that has a certain feel and vibe that influences their overall experience.

It is just different.

[nicolaie]

thank you, i never made a compilation of my best pentax shots, now i realise it's a shame. the DL served me well, there is a shot here with the K10 i think, but the requirements were low and when i started workind in low light the AF and fast moving subjects it was the show stopper, even with the spotbeam assist on the 360. here are some more pentax shots, last post.











sigma 10-20, SMC 18-55, takumar 50 4 macro, revue 80-210 2.8-4, K10 with tamron 90 2.8 macro.


ciao.

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Last edited by nicolaie; 01-11-2009 at 06:51 PM.

[Sharkonwheels]

Carl Zeiss made some fantastic lenses for Sony. The range is small but the lenses are far better than those of Canon and Nikon. The colours the lenses render are very pleasing. These are AF lenses and optically are very good. The only problem with the lenses is the price.

Funny you bring that up...
Somewhere else here on pf, I was linked to zeiss.com.
I went to look at the Z* series, and noticed that the best compatibility/support, is provided
for the Pentax K-Mount, the Zeiss ZK series.

Anyone else notice that?

K10D/K20D/K100D/K200D, full support across the board:
Manual Exposure
Aperture Priority
Shutter Priority
Automatic Exposure

Nikon series, only Manual Exposure is "partially compatible," Canon, half the lenses aren't even available.

Guess Zeiss knows something?




Nicolaie: I love that pic with the water dripping - is that a spigot?
Nice!

Tony

[nostatic]

Funny you bring that up...
Somewhere else here on pf, I was linked to zeiss.com.
I went to look at the Z* series, and noticed that the best compatibility/support, is provided
for the Pentax K-Mount, the Zeiss ZK series.

Anyone else notice that?

Yup. And Voigtlander as well with the SLII lenses (currently 40/2 and 58/1.4). That makes sense as both are made by Cosina in Japan.

[joele]

Nikon series, only Manual Exposure is "partially compatible,"

Stop down metering with D40-D90... Full with D200+ (Nikons fault really)

Voigtlander SL2 is full with all nikon...

Not sure why they put ships for full camera support in the voigtlanders but not zeiss.. funny...

[Sharkonwheels]

Ah yes...missed that...
Full manual and Aperture Priority for D300, D3, D200, D700 or D2-Series, but no shutter priority or full automatic exposure.

Tony

[alexgn]

Funny you bring that up...
Somewhere else here on pf, I was linked to zeiss.com.
I went to look at the Z* series, and noticed that the best compatibility/support, is provided
for the Pentax K-Mount, the Zeiss ZK series.

Anyone else notice that?

K10D/K20D/K100D/K200D, full support across the board:
Manual Exposure
Aperture Priority
Shutter Priority
Automatic Exposure

Nikon series, only Manual Exposure is "partially compatible," Canon, half the lenses aren't even available.

Guess Zeiss knows something?




Nicolaie: I love that pic with the water dripping - is that a spigot?
Nice!

Tony

I am not sure about Pentax. But for Sony Zeiss makes lenses with AF.

[joele]

Ah yes...missed that...
Full manual and Aperture Priority for D300, D3, D200, D700 or D2-Series, but no shutter priority or full automatic exposure.

Tony

ahh yeah your right full Av mode, I only ever use Av (or manual) so to me if that is fully supported its fully supported to me ;-)

I am not sure about Pentax. But for Sony Zeiss makes lenses with AF.

I think that is a different thing, we were talking about the classic Zeiss designs lenses (though manufactured by Cosina) the sony ones are a bit like Lieca putting its name on Panasonic lenses, there is not such a clear picture of what level of involvement Zeiss actually has in the design of these lenses!

[dylansalt]

well, i'm quite happy with my purchase thank you, and have been for quite some time. the only reason i picked up the D80 instead of a D200 or even a D300 was, predictably, the glass that i could buy with the leftover cash. i invite you to view just a fraction of my work with the D80, i'm just starting to really catch on:
some wedding shots with D80


i want to make it clear that i would not and have not recommended the D80 over the K20D, as i previously stated, they aren't even in the same market zone. my argument was that tha AF in the K20D might not be a better choice instead of the "cheaper" AF in the D80, especially in low-light.

and then came the thing with pentax having the best glass, which is simply not true, considering the offerings from the competition.

i still have frinds shooting pentax, it;s not like i would be the only one in the bunch. however, i stoped recommending entry level Pentax to folks after i kinda lost a friend who was really unhappy with a K200 and F(A) 50 1.4 that i might have pushed him into (while being a happy nikon user myself) reccomended (low light hunting and noise levels).

i just had to buy some stuff for professional use and i picked a nikon that met my minimum demands, but with some really decent glass, and i only begin to feel the advantages of a mature system.

the reason why i started posting in the first place was the not-very realistic considerations made by (possibly unexperienced) pentax users, when comparing various pentax products with the competition.

sorry about the DPR quotes, i had to sustain my claims in some kind of way, without wasting too much of my time.

honestly speaking, would you really prefere the K20 instead of the D300 ?? i don;t really buy that, but i guess it better suits your needs. what about the D700 then, would you trade that in for a K20D ? not likely this one, not if you are truly into photography. sorry , as ever, anyone disputing Olympus or Pentax versus CaNikon is just waisting time.

i wasn't really trying to save souls, but rather share some knowledge. the end result - quite simply - is always the same.


for joele: i was talking about legendary lenses, not ones you cand buy off the shelf right now. i worked with a guy owning a 20 1,4 and it simply is a gem, and a nearby store features a 50 1.2 lens wich is, all things said, a very good lens.

they might not work on the D40-D90 range, but a 3000 $ lens is not the first choice for someone buying a 700 $ body

Bud

Sorry to be cruel, I could have achieved those type of shots with a decent bridge camera and with ANY camera from any system.

During my younger years I covered over 400 paid for weddings as have others on this forum - I used Minolta, Nikon, Contax all with prime lenses - all did their jobs - fortunately I have never suffered brand loyalty.

Please get this into your head - everyone of us CHOSE the Pentax over the other brands for a reason - most of us here are affluent enough to purchase at ease a Nikon/Canon.

Please take your Nikon arguments over to a Canon forum where they will much more appreciated.

D

[nicolaie]

well, to be technically exact, you also could strap a mast and some sails to the roof of your car and drive your way around without even needing to stop at any petrol station.

the significance of wedding photography and the results achievable changed pretty much with the introduction of Photoshop, autofocus, wireless lighting and such.
i thought it was clear that i attached those 4-5 pics of that wedding to make a point on sharpness and "crappy pictures taken with a 3 year old CCD". if you will be kind enough to watch the whole youtube video pasted earlier (i also thought it would be quite clear why i provided only a youtube link), you will notice some action shots, some tricky lighting schemes, some limited amounts of ambient light, some limited amounts of ambient light with the interdiction to use flash, and some other things that are well over the possibilities of your average bridge camera or whatever. a wedding isn't just 20 formal shots in the park, you surely realised that in your 400 paid weddings.

now that i think about it you are right, us professional photographers (i can barely call myself professional..) get too much hung up on our equipment, i think i will email some of these guys: 1 2 3 and others i know and ask them why do they need all of those 1DMK III, D2X, 5D, D3's. why don't they just pick up some old F2 or a MX with a 50 f/2 lens, a bunch of TriX's and a Sunpack 383 and get the job done ? they are artists right, they could shoot a wedding with pretty much anything.

also, i think it is a little strange you should ask me and other canikonians to leave the discution since the thread title sais "Pentax vs. Canon vs. Nikon AF"

was this supposed to be another one of those feel-good threads where someone would just point out in the end that you don't actually really need AF at all? you say you are not commited to any brand, but your post dissagrees with you.