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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-01-2010, 09:49 AM
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the 16-50 is my go-to lens, and consistently delivers exactly what I want - though it's had the obligatory warranty repair, the photos keep my regrets in check.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-08-2010, 07:35 PM
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certainly, forgive the quick and dirty shots as I am not much into product photography, but I am curious about this thing - I very much enjoyed shooting it today. It's got standard markings up front, "Beck f=135mm 1:2.8" and the serial "No.98505".
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-08-2010, 12:30 PM
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Going through some old camera bags at my folk's house, I found a Beck 135 f/2.8. Amazing! Found it the same day my beloved 50-135 f/2.8 is off to the service center, the imaging gods obviously want my telephoto needs covered. Build is solid, tight fitting and all metal, with nice dampening on the long-throw focus ring. Sharpness seems good, colors are ok (good in strong light, I had to desaturate the outdoor photos a bit) and bokeh seems reasonably smooth for 6 blades. I can't find anything about a lens manufacturer called Beck on the web, there are a few similar examples selling cheaply though the lens seems fairly nice. Infinity focus seems a bit fussy, but overall it seems like a winner. Anyone else run across one of these guys?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-12-2010, 02:51 PM
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I've got a SMC Pentax-M 100mm f/4 that does a fine job on a K20, and cost around a hundred bucks. It's only a 1:2, but it's excellent resolution affords some cropping. It's build quality alone makes it a joy to use.
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Forum: General Talk
02-07-2010, 11:32 AM
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great thread, it makes sense that any kind of creation is appealing to an artist - I've played violin since I was around 10 years old, shortly before I started into photography. From there I moved into guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, and a little piano. I currently play guitar in an experimental punk/metal band and have just gotten a crude home project studio going, which is adding some electronic elements to my music as well as spurring my song writing for the band.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-07-2010, 11:09 AM
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add me to the vocal minority (long time lurker but rare poster) - The day before it's year warranty expired, my 16-50 stopped focusing. After messing with it awhile, it started working again though with a scary new chirping sound. I called Pentax and sent the lens to CRIS, who replaced the SDM motor under warranty. I just got it back and it's working great like before....but now my 50-135 is doing the exact same thing! It's only 8 months old, and really hasn't been used much. How extremely frustrating, now I've got almost 2 grand tied up in gear which may or may not function for a year at a time without repair - this is not the Pentax I signed up with. My 20 year old M series 100mm macro still works wonderfully, even my old heavily used DA 18-55 I kit lens is more reliable, loose focus ring and all. I should mention that I'm extremely cautious with my equipment, borderline neurotic when it comes to packing stuff securely and handling it carefully. At this point, I'm going to wait until the end of my warranty period to send in the 50-135, hopefully the replacement motor will give me at least one more year of use. I'm not expecting more at this point.
I love my Pentax camera bodies (K20, K100, K110) and most of my lenses, and will continue shooting them, but my event work is too fast paced to mess with changing primes...so I've been pricing out an addition of another system. Pentax pulled me in with the best value around, however if I can pay more for a lens that won't fail inside a year then I certainly will.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
02-15-2009, 11:32 AM
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hey thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words!
One thing I like about photography is that every little bit I learn seems to lead to a bunch more stuff I need to learn about - it's a potentially endless cycle, and one I'm happy to be caught in. To that end, I enjoy reading this forum, as there seem to be many experienced folks here that are nice enough to dispense their knowledge for free!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
02-10-2009, 03:40 PM
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Hello gang, long time listener first time caller here - I've been enjoying the boards here for a while, so I figured I'd finally register and attempt to contribute. This site has been an invaluable source of knowledge for me - I've been shooting with Pentax gear semi-professionally (I'm kind of a part-timer) and if I'm looking for lens reviews and the like I stop in here first.
My first camera was an 35mm Ricoh K1000 clone which is still up and running, and it gave me hours of dark room pleasure. A string of small apartments ruled out me having my own facility however, so I let my photography lapse for a few years. During that time I went to graphic design school and learned the dark art of photoshop and worked in various restaurant kitchens. Luckily, a friend was dumping his K110 and switching to Canon, and I had always secretly wanted a DSLR, so one sweet deal later I was having a blast shooting again. I shot a few events for friends and did some volunteer work for a non-profit, and pretty soon I realized "Hey, maybe I could make money doing something I really like...". I picked up a K100 Super so I'd never miss an opportunity to shoot, and started working in a portrait studio.
Now, a couple of years later, I freelance for TSS Photography as a photographer, trainer, and supervisor, and I get a variety of event and custom family portrait gigs. I've recently acquired a K20 (LOVE IT) and a shiny new DA* 16-50 (LOVE IT TOO) and I couldn't be happier with my shooting. I ditched the portrait studio job in favor of selling cameras part time at a local shop, and it brings great printing benefits with it. I continue to be amazed and thankful that more than half my income actually comes from taking photos, something I'd gladly do for free!
Anyways, thanks for reading if you made it this far, and I'll see you on the boards. Oh, here are some photos, since that is what we do here :lol:
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My favorite non-profit to work with is a local pitbull rescue group, I did a calender for them last December -
(the last little monster is mine!)
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