[Class A]

I wonder whether it's worth one or more of us writing a letter to CRK explaining that we feel we're badly served by the local distributor, but notice their NZ business has pretty decent service and prices as a Sigma distributor....

I would wholeheartedly support such an initiative. It is probably a good idea to address CRK rather than Pentax. CRK may use our voices to suggest something to Pentax or direct us to the right place to file the suggestion, but if we just sent a letter to a random person at Pentax they might just ignore it.

[Class A]

Hi Pete,

whenever I look at the K-7, I cannot help but think it has your name written on it, doesn't it?



There is something about it, which I think you (and I) also appreciate in classic lenses.

A small consolation, for both of us, for not being able to get it immediately, is that our K100Ds are more lookalikes (not only in terms of size) than the K20D.

[Class A]

Hi Arpe,

have you read this about the K-7 beating the Nikon D90 in terms of focus speed? The post refers to SDM focus but the following also mention screw-drive AF acceleration.

chasing light...: Initial Impressions of the Pentax K7

I have tried the K-7 [Page 1]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[Transit]

Hi Pete,

whenever I look at the K-7, I cannot help but think it has your name written on it, doesn't it?

There is something about it, which I think you (and I) also appreciate in classic lenses.

A small consolation, for both of us, for not being able to get it immediately, is that our K100Ds are more lookalikes (not only in terms of size) than the K20D.

True, sadly true
I can see the DA40 tucked on that baby too!

[zkarj]

I've tossed up whether to mention this on here or not. Bugger it, I will.

I'm not getting much/any traction yet with this, but I just posted something there on depth of field which might be of interest to all here.

If you are interested in aviation photography at all, please join and contribute. I don't know what it is going to take to reach critical mass, but it's worth a crack.

[cpopham]

Okay, so, a couple of weeks ago I posted about having received something in the mail.... I finally got to do a little bit of a walkaround with the...... DA 21 Limited!

It's a .... reasonably capable lens for landscapes.... (little bit of CA)





Hrmm not too much distortion though....




And a nice close minimum focussing distance.... wait, what?




But wait, what's that in the distance?




Note to self, 1/125 is not fast enough for a train....




Pretty damn impressive with its flare resistance for a WA though....








And just in case we needed a reminder of how awesome the DA 40 is...




So, some thoughts in general about the DA 21. It's significantly larger than the DA 40, although still nice and compact. It's definitely nice and sharp, and my copy seems to focus okay. The focussing ring is a nice size, and there is enough throw to let you focus manually quite easily. The full depth of field scale is an added bonus here. Most of the evening shots were manual focus. My take on it is that it has the same bonus the DA 40 has - people don't seem to find the camera threatening with either lens fitted, indeed, they barely seem to even consider that they might be in the shot.

Conclusion.... I think I want the DA 70....

[Class A]

I've tossed up whether to mention this on here or not.

Why not? You may want to post it somewhere more prominently on the forum?

I just posted something there on depth of field which might be of interest to all here.

You say that "focal length makes a massive difference to DOF". That isn't true. The total depth of field is virtually* constant with focal length. What DOF really depends on (next to aperture), it is easy to confuse this with focal length, is focal distance. The farther away the subject, the more DOF. That's why you don't have trouble with your planes, not because you are using long lenses.

If you are interested in aviation photography at all, please join and contribute.

It is very hard to add anything to what you have been doing, but if I get a postworthy image one day, I'll add it.

[zkarj]

You say that "focal length makes a massive difference to DOF". That isn't true. The total depth of field is virtually* constant with focal length. What DOF really depends on (next to aperture), it is easy to confuse this with focal length, is focal distance. The farther away the subject, the more DOF. That's why you don't have trouble with your planes, not because you are using long lenses.

Mmmmm. I had a quick read of that. I think I see what they're saying, but it's a qualified statement. The statement is true for a constant magnification. In my photography, the constant is usually me - i.e. where I am standing.

As a plane goes past, it starts off distant at a front 3/4 angle, then gets closer until side on and then further away again to a rear 3/4. The apparent size of the aircraft (i.e. filling the frame) is something I try to keep constant, but unless I am a VERY fast runner, that will always involve a change of magnification. Therefore, I am using the zoom capability to alter magnification and this change of focal length changes the depth of field.

So the actual statement should be that depth of field remains constant with focal length for a given composition. But even then, the composition will be markedly different from a close-up wide angle than a distant telephoto as the angle of view of the closer shot will alter what you can see in the background. Unless you're taking photos of paintings on walls I guess, but then you'll get distortion.

[Class A]

In a hurry right now, but before I forget:

Mr K started addressing me directly as i had wondered about a warranty.

Could you contact him and tell him that we want him to take over from IRL?

Went to Harvey Norman yesterday and asked for Pentax products. They don't stock them because the manager thinks they are too expensive. And this with a D90 on offer with a hefty price tag on it.

I guess the manager has a point about IRL being too expensive. Perhaps if CRK took over, even Harvey Norman would stock Pentax? I bet a lot more sales happen in Harvey Norman than in "You pay through the nose here"-WPS.

[Transit]

Okay, so, a couple of weeks ago I posted about having received something in the mail.... I finally got to do a little bit of a walkaround with the...... DA 21 Limited!

......
Conclusion.... I think I want the DA 70....

Awww I want that lens !
good choice, congratulations
Interesting how that angle of view sort of looks right like the DA40
aussie inport for did you help bailout the US ?
Pete

[Arpe]

Hi Arpe,

have you read this about the K-7 beating the Nikon D90 in terms of focus speed? The post refers to SDM focus but the following also mention screw-drive AF acceleration.

chasing light...: Initial Impressions of the Pentax K7

I have tried the K-7 [Page 1]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Will do, thanks.

In a hurry right now, but before I forget:
Could you contact him and tell him that we want him to take over from IRL?

Went to Harvey Norman yesterday and asked for Pentax products. They don't stock them because the manager thinks they are too expensive. And this with a D90 on offer with a hefty price tag on it.

I guess the manager has a point about IRL being too expensive. Perhaps if CRK took over, even Harvey Norman would stock Pentax? I bet a lot more sales happen in Harvey Norman than in "You pay through the nose here"-WPS.

I go into HN every now and then to do that too, just to remind them of what they are missing. Don't do it too often though, otherwise they'll dismiss me as a nutter!

Another thanks to Pentax for weather sealing after this weekend! (Also thanks to the people that make the polyprop underwear!)

Like that bldg pic above. Good work.

[cpopham]

Went to Harvey Norman yesterday and asked for Pentax products. They don't stock them because the manager thinks they are too expensive. And this with a D90 on offer with a hefty price tag on it.

I mean, he's right. As I said I was recently talking to the owner of my local camera store and he said IRL apparently says "people who want Pentax have to be prepared to pay for it"...

Awww I want that lens !
good choice, congratulations
Interesting how that angle of view sort of looks right like the DA40
aussie inport for did you help bailout the US ?
Pete

It's a TM import job from HK. Even has the HK warranty paperwork in the box. I think the guy must have purchased it before our dollar tanked, so I decided to pick it up. One gotcha I discovered with it is that although there is enough space on the base of the lens to grip it while taking a shot, I have a tendency to catch my pinky in the top left of the frame. So a bit later, I started using my left hand to hold the left grip of the camera - takes a bit of getting used to, but it keeps my finger out of the shot!

Oh, one cool thing, it also has an awesome lens hood. In this case it's a little bayonet mount job made of metal, which has a rectangular cutout for the actual shot. Like I said, steer clear... it's made me want the DA 70.... avoid at all costs!

[Class A]

Just want to let you know that I think CRK Australia totally rocks. I've sent them an email and received a reply immediately!

Still waiting for replies from I.R. Little w.r.t. to my emails from October 2008.

[Class A]

Did you notice that the last of the Japan K-7 sample shots shows the "Church of the Good Shepherd" at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand?

Here's my proof.



It's where I did <shameless plug begin> my shot of the Southern Cross <shameless plug end>.

Now fess up! Who of you got to play with the K-7 and went to the South Island?

[Arpe]

Well spotted, I hadn't bothered looking at them.
This one looks very Kiwi too, though may not be, actually all those on that page could be
Edit - links removed as large images slow. Just go to http://www.pentax.jp/japan/imaging/digital/slr/k-7/ex.html

(Good ol' Telecom and their slow internet)