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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-23-2014, 02:08 AM
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I bought a few of those three section collapsible rubber hoods for about $4 each and use them on all my lenses. My 43ltd really loves the hood. Like you I am not keen on the original hood, it's fiddly and spendy if lost...I mount the rubber hood which has filter threads as well and use a pinch type lens cap then never take it off unless I'm using Cokin style filters.
It might not be as "protective" as the original metal hood but I've never had an issue. Anyway just my solution to the same dilema.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-22-2014, 05:22 PM
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MAP = Minimum Advertised Price -- this allows the MFG not the retailer to control the advertised price allowed. It's why you see "add to cart to see price" or similar language in online listings or a "Call for Price" in print ads. Basically it stops retailers from using a loss leader or otherwise controlling prices of the things they are selling. Have you ever wondered why lenses are pretty much the same price everywhere you look? It's because the maker is setting the lower limits retailers can use in ads.
It gets messy from here and deserves it's own thread, I don't wanna pollute this one. But if you Google "MAP agreement" there is a fair amount of info.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-22-2014, 04:50 PM
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hahaha, ya sure you betcha!
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-22-2014, 03:28 PM
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you bet...those old "catalog"/"back-of-the-magazine" retailers have been affected by the web, for the better because they no longer need to do a lot of upselling and CC companies keep them very honest. Too easy to start a chargeback and win. So why put an already good profit at risk.
Of course you have to stick to the larger retailers and since there are enough of them still, they do compete on price pretty well. Won't get into the fact that MAP agreements being legal these days have raised prices for consumers...that one makes me too cranky. haha! ;)
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Forum: Sold Items
09-22-2014, 02:50 PM
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PM sent...thanks & sorry you needed to switch but it makes sense for how you shoot. Pentax needs to KEEP folks like you not chase them away....sigh, but what do we know, right?
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-21-2014, 02:48 AM
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I've bought from 47th St a number of times over the years and like all the NY/east coast camera stores once upon a time, they were sketchy but I always had a good transaction. Today they are fine to deal with...remember you use a credit card, you're covered either way, same with using PayPal.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-15-2014, 07:34 PM
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yes, with brightness down the sky looks like there is a very slight magenta cast but it's slight, Asus PA249Q aRGB calibrated display, checked in aRGB and sRGB modes.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
09-11-2014, 01:54 PM
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Consider the Case Logic SLRC-205 SLR Camera Sling
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ISXBFI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Great bag for what you describe needing/wanting. I fit any combo of 2-4 of the lenses you mention into the bag. You can also attach a tripod to make it easier to carry on a hike to your favorite spot. Room for filters and other accessories plus a nice small compartment on the shoulder strap for memory cards and an extra battery.
I chose this bag originally because of the very wide shoulder strap and I wanted a simple sling bag not a backpack or even a messenger bag. Also for $38 it's a nice value. I've used mine for 3yrs now and have always like it except when I forget it's for a fast light kit not to try and carry everything; I have other bags for the kitchen sink. ;)
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-22-2014, 02:58 AM
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Stearn's Wharf - Santa Barbara 2014 (K5, 77ltd, F9, 30s, ISO80, Formatt-Hitech IRND 10-Stop, Singh-Ray Gold-Blue CPL)
---------- Post added 08-22-14 at 03:04 AM ----------
Just a snapshot kinda landscape:
 flickr-coastal-santa barbara-2014-0003 K5, 43ltd, f5.6, 1/200, ISO80 - On Flickr |
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-22-2014, 01:35 AM
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kd:
I do really like that sling bag. I have RA and love the extra wide top part of the strap where it rests on the shoulder. But I hear your about bag efficiency. I have the LARGEST National Geographic Expedition backpack. I can carry a small village in there with my 17" laptop and a tablet or two. These days I use it as my staging/storage bag and the sling bag as the grab and go always packed bag.
My plan for these Tamrac's is as storage when traveling I doubt I will actually carry one around. I figured for the $12/ea after shipping (did not notice the seller gave free shipping after the first bag, cooler yet) it would be a nice bag to have. I plan on using one for filters and maybe the other for flashes and related gear. Worst case they can get stuffed into the NattyG bag to make everything neat and tidy.
I sense we all got a nice deal on a few useful bags. I get so tired of people adding the word camera or photography to the name or description and doubling the price. for years I got by with a basic backpack with some custom foam inserts and zippered accessory bags that cost about $40 total. Bags today are amazingly expensive...if I want to pay that much I'll grab another Tom Bihn bag with his camera insert and some more accessory bags. Made in USA (at a living wage) and guaranteed for life. I have one Tom Bihn bag that is at least 20yrs old and still works fantastically.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-21-2014, 09:56 PM
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that's all great news...mine are do tomorrow just in time for my mini vacation this weekend.
---------- Post added 08-21-14 at 10:05 PM ----------
If you are ever looking for a nice sling bag that is compact with room for 2-4 primes (one mounted) and can attach a tripod to I highly recommend this one from Case Logic:
Amazon.com : Case Logic SLRC-205 SLR Camera Sling (Black) : Camera Bag : Camera & Photo
I had my original lost/stolen back in December (the 24th) and just bought a replacement in case these Tamrac's did not arrive or were not quite the right bag for this weekend. Biggest issue I see with sling bags are for women, I don't think I need to go into more detail there. ;) There were about $35 when I ordered the other day I went ahead and popped for the $3.99 for overnight shipping thanks to Amazon Prime....I paid around $60 for my first one.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-21-2014, 09:22 PM
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Wonderful examples of what makes the 31Ltd special yet subtle at the same time.
I could not agree more. While I want to add the 35/1.4 my 31ltd is sublime and while I enjoy the Sigma Art glass it's not the same as what I get from my three Amigos. Sharp across the frame does not make for art nor does the lack of it either, it's the rendering overall. The 31ltd simply renders in a way I like and it's a subtle lens rather than an "inn your face" thing. From my observations the 35/1.4 renders more like the DA Ltd's which is not bad just not the same as the FA Ltd's. I have the 18-35/1.8 as well and while I like it (want it for low light events when changing lenses is not practical and it's GREAT for that).
As for someone's suggestion about the 35ltd Macro or the 31ltd....the macro is just not ever going to deliver the same way as the 31ltd, instead it's going to be similar to the Sigma 35/1.4. Mind my smc35ltd is one of my most used and favorite lenses. But when I want that special look it's the 31/43/77 Ltd I pull out of the bag (or the smc15Ltd.)
---------- Post added 08-21-14 at 09:32 PM ----------
nope...Ricoh did not improve the 15ltd with their HD coatings and change in aperture blades and I venture to guess if they do bring out "improved" versions of the FA Ltd's they will be pretty much the same rendering as the DA family. Don't mess with what we already know is a winner. I would like QS and sealing but the rest can stay the same...if it means a larger lens body I'm good with that...just keep the optics the same.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
08-20-2014, 04:05 PM
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agreed but a caveat those photography greats had TIME to wait or return. In today's 'right now' world there is not that simple yet key ingredient.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-18-2014, 01:51 AM
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i couldn't resist either but expect some knock-off but PP would get the funds back if it's fake. ebay/PP sides with buyer if ad is intentionally misleading as this could be. And if not Amex has my back. but for $12/bag (inc shipping) who cares if its fake as long as it's well made, right?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-16-2014, 12:33 PM
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PC Mag was and always will be the red-headed step-child compared Byte Magazine. Back then it had the worst most biased reviews and it was a rare day when an article actually resulted in real info being imparted to the reader. Today they have even worse articles generally written by people who have no business evaluating tech let alone making recommendations. I remember a recent article, maybe 18-months back where they reviewers paid more attention to the IR remote control feature of the Samsung Note 8.0 and blew off the real selling point, the active stylus which as many here know makes the beastie actually useful. But the two reviewers actually took points off for the active stylus ability but gave it perks for the IR remote feature. I guessed a $400 remote control is far more important than using a device to accomplish something.
Still PC Mag was still better than PC World...YIKES!! A shame we lost Byte Mag which was for a long time the place to go for real tech evaluations which were very non-biased. ANd Jerry Pournelle's monthly column, Chaos Manor, was worth the price of admission all by itself.
So no surprise they slant their ratings to the big money advertisers, even Computer Shopper was full of great articles and a monthly source book for gear, best of both worlds, then again I am talking the early/mid-to-late 80's through the late 90s...
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-07-2014, 01:53 AM
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Great work with the Ultron 40. I've got my 43ltd and it almost never leaves the body. Still I wish I had bought all the Voightander glass when I got beck into shooting, they were quite affordable...then. hahaha...I just love the rendering with these lenses.
I really like those two portraits. Natural and great colors.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-07-2014, 01:12 AM
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A couple more 43ltd portraits I dug out of the archives, OK, I forgot I had them. ;)
Crystal Zombie: The Final Evolution
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-01-2014, 07:32 PM
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@Kayaker-J
try what "mee" suggested. I think Google only bought the company for the tech to movie it into Picasa so they don't care much if it generates much revenue. We'll see when a new version is, if ever, released. If they give it away to existing users then they don't care but if the ding us $49, oh well, still worth it. And so are the tools from Topaz. I think owning several is great but you have to spend time with each to figure out if you really need something more.
Good luck...
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-01-2014, 11:13 AM
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I don't know if they can do that even here in the US where the corporation is all powerful...that was YOUR property not theirs. Your CC company might be very helpful in getting you a replacement. See they failed to allow you to send it in for service from the manufacturer.
You're right, it smells and feels like the OLD Adorama (or all the old NYC Camera stores) way of business, big time.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-01-2014, 11:08 AM
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Would be more interesting to read a direct comparison with the new masking tools in PS CC as those have been improved a great deal. I think Topaz has some handy tools for specific needs but so does Nik (now a Google company) and whatever the 3rd of the 2nd tier editing suites is called. They all have areas of strength (or dominance) as well as areas where they are lacking...the biggest thing is first learn the tools you have then move to the add-on or supplemental stuff.
For the price I think Topaz Remask is a nice deal and likely worth the price. But then again I have the full Adobe CC and got Nik's suite for free because I had previously bought their app for Android. If you do have any of the Nik tools from the past, you can email them odds are they will grant you a free license to the suite. Have yet to read of anyone denied who legitimately owned any one of their tools.
I actually bought the Topaz package a while back and rarely use it anymore. LR, PS & Nik's tools have me happy enough but I keep wanting to revisit Topaz tools because I found them not so useful in the past but expect it was me not the tools.
Still these "sales" happen all the time so don't let them pressure you into a purchase over a time frame unless you know you need it. All of the suites use the same tactic.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-01-2014, 09:57 AM
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"selfies" are the narcissist version of over done to death HDR....fun for a bit and in tiny doeses but as a full time way of shooting, yaaaaawn.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-01-2014, 09:41 AM
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Maybe a different hood will work? I use those collapsible rubber hoods you find all over eBay and Amazon for $5-$7/ea on all my glass. I tend to use a size larger, ie. use a hood with a 52mm filer size on a 49mm lens or even 58mm filter size hood. My contrast and results are as good or better than the original Pentax hoods on my 31ltd, 43td, 15ltd, 35ltd, 77ltd lenses. I have not had anytime to play with my 18-35/1.8 yet but have 72mm & 77mm hoods for it...just no FF body on which to play. I guess my long winded point is maybe you can salvage a few MM by moving to a tad larger hood, say a 77mm? Plus the hood shape is different so it might even work with a 72mm hood. Worth a shot I would think.
But yeah, the only shortcoming of the 18-35/1.8 I noted when ordering was it is a DC build so APS-C only with the hope that if one is ever released the lens would work on it...then again I have my Amigos and 15ltd primes so no big deal if it didn't.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
07-23-2014, 06:53 PM
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From a few years back:
K20D, 43ltd, f5.6, 1/400
ISO200 |
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
07-16-2014, 09:39 AM
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Same here, once I discovered Marumi (Super DHG models) I have been a very happy camper. I just ordered my first EXUS model Marumi.
Previously I had Hoya MRC Pro1 or some such moniker (near impossible to keep clean) and a B+W. No real complaints on the B+W other than price and even they weren't the easiest to clean. With Marumi cleaning is so fast, consistent and I find I liked the subtle warming of the Super DHG. I think the EXUS is said to be very neutral, which I do need most of the time, I can warm a shot in post, right? Of course vice-a-versa as well.
I also went and bought a set of collapsible rubber hoods for my lenses. Sure they don't offer the protection of a rigid hood but they also screw into the thread on my filters, in the case of a CPL I can rotate the filter w/o need to remove the hood.
The hoods are actually pretty good. I use a size or two larger thread to cover multiple filter thread diameters. For example on 49-58mm I use a hood with a 58mm thread diameter. And for the remainder I use an 82mm thread diameter hood to give me room to grow plus I feel the larger hoods still give me protection from glare but less chances of increased vignetting (never tested this in earnest though, not enough heartbeats in the day to worry spend the time...then again I seem to have time to visit here, right?)
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
07-16-2014, 09:28 AM
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ummm...a small portion of wadded up kleenex works fine if you don't have the eyepiece cover. I have used this forever with all my SLR/DSLR bodies as none have had a nifty eyepiece curtain. Anything that can be used to fill the eyepiece is fine as well, whatever you have that won't damage or scratch the viewfinder window.
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