|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-10-2019, 06:30 PM
|
| |
I had one of these back in the day. It is quite sharp - given a couple of caveats. First, like a 600/4, it's a long heavy lens and needs to be used with a very sturdy tripod and some effort needs to be exerted to reduce vibration. Long lens use is a fairly steep and surprisingly long learning curve. You can't expect to buy a long lens, mount it up, and shoot like Art Wolfe or Franz Lanting right off the bat. Second, this lens uses a rather simple 4 element optical design that is not anywhere near apochromatic. It is barely anchromatic which tells you it was designed for B&W use. In color, areas just off it's razor thin depth of focus are subject to CA which will give the effect of softness before you can see color separation. You'll get best performance using it to shoot in B&W with good quality mono-chromatic filters. Heed both these and you will get great images with it.
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
12-27-2019, 08:44 PM
|
| |
I have not bought a brand new Pentax lens since 1996. Even then the models I bought (FA* 600/4 & A* 200/4 macro) had been on the market for some years. I have everything I need and much I don't. The only thing I have been thinking about (for some time now) is selling the 600 & the 200 macro and my Tamron 300/2.8 and replacing those 3 lenses with a F* 250-600 (for convenience and versatility in the field) and an FA* 200/4 macro (for AF) - but they are not new lenses. However, they are better than anything that Ricoh currently make in their classes.
If Ricoh were to change the mount and bring out a full line of new lenses to cover the needs of everyone from the casual snap shooter to the pro they would still not sell me a new lens. At my age, I'm not going to build another full set of equipment, and if for some strange reason I did, I'd go with whoever had what I needed ready to go - the name on the equipment in that case would be the least of my worries, but doubt it would be "Pentax".
Since I do own K-mount lenses, I am interested in new bodies I can use with them. Since I shoot mostly wildlife I am mostly interested in APSC format. I'm looking forward to the (hopefully) upcoming APSC flagship - but if it does not improve substantially on the K-3 II Ricoh will have likely lost any opportunity to do business with me again. I'll just dip into the used market until they are shoveling dirt over my coffin.
Pentax are not the only kid in the game as far as lenses go either. While not a full-time pro, I have made a good deal of money with my camera. Most of that was using a Tokina ATX Pro 28-70/2.6-2.8 to shoot motorcycle racing. It has paid for itself 100's of times over. I bought that lens over the FA* 28-80/2.8 because I needed a lens right away and it was both more available and fit my budget at the moment. Sure, the Pentax lens is(was) better, but would I have earned more using it? But let me tell you, the build quality on that Tokina is awe inspiring. The punishment it has endured over the years has been tremendous and it barely shows signs of use. Don't use it much any more as I no longer do that kind of photography, but it has earned my respect and a place in my showcase.
I have pretty much every Pentax item I have ever bought since the mid '70s. I love the stuff, but since THK took over, and then Ricoh, things on the lens side have just not inspired me. Yeah, I know some isolated nice stuff has been produced, but none of it nice enough for me to toss what I have in favor of them.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-21-2019, 06:50 PM
|
| |
I'm getting older (62+) and carting around my 600/4, 300/2.8, 300/4.5, 80-200/2.8, 200/4 macro, etc... is getting harder. However, I knew what I was getting into when I bought these. I knew what they could do for me, and my research told me what they weighed ... and I bought them regardless and have been using them for years. Big, quality glass cannot be made as light as a crappy kit lens, even if you make the barrels out of carbon fiber. That might save a few ounces, but would increase costs dramatically and reduce robustness.
So, given that intro, why do so many folk complain about the weight of their best lenses? Did the weight really come as a surprise to them? I see in many of the reviews that weight is listed as a con. I mean, how can you hold it against a thing just because it has to be a certain way? Do folks really expect a 300/4 to weight 1/2 a pound?
It just seems so silly to me that someone would buy a 600/4 and whine that it weighs a lot. It is what it is, and if that is too much, then pass it on to someone that can appreciate that it's qualities come with a price.
Or am I totally off base here?
Happy Holidays!!!!
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-01
12-16-2019, 03:22 PM
|
| |
Why did the K-01 not succeed? I like some of the features coming out in mirrorless cameras, but I have no desire to start a new collection of lenses, or give up things like auto focus and exposure or open aperture metering. It would have been swell if the K-01 started a series that carried on with newer models.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-10-2019, 06:46 PM
|
| |
Sure you can. It's a standard thread 6mm screw. The depth of the thread in the collar is not that deep, so you want to make sure the screw thread is long enough to make full use of available collar depth without hitting bottom. Also, the stock screw is held captive with a circlip. Be careful removing it and don't loose it!
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-11-2019, 02:33 PM
|
| |
I shoot mainly nature and dirt bike competition. I also have a k3II and don't see it as possessing any real advances over the K3 for what I shoot. What "real advances" am I looking for?
1) Quieter (much) operation both AF and shutter. This is especially for nature. Sometimes I end up at the same place as 3 or 4 other guys (and that's the generic 'guys' not the sexist 'guys') shooting Nikon and Canon and you can hardly hear them focus or shot, then I start up my Pentax, the racket begins and silent reverie is broken. Everybody looks at me. One time a couple of years ago I drove to a provincial park, hiked in several kilometers in the dark so I could set up as the sun was just beginning to rise in order to shoot some beaver. I wait for nearly an hour then the beaver shows up to bolster it's dam. I wait for a nice shot, press the shutter release and ...CLACK! - then the beaver immediately dives for cover and is gone. Hours of driving, hiking and setting up and all I get is one shot. I focused manually so I didn't scare it off before I could get even one shot. I also used a 600/f4 with a 1.4L converter to get as much distance as possible. I was going to go out tomorrow to a new dam I have located, but now remembering that last disaster, I don't think I'll bother. Pentax users are not supposed to photograph beavers I guess.
2) Better focus tracking. Yeah, you might think SAFOX MCXXIV is really slick, but try tracking on a speeding dirt bike or a flying bird coming straight on with Pentax K3 or K3II. I'll guarantee you will not get a single in-focus shot. The guy next to you with a Canon will just about get them all. Been there, seen that. Plus you won't even hear the Canon, but the jerky whining grinding noise from your Pentax AF interspersed with random shutter explosions just might frighten the dirt bike rider. It will certainly have the bird veering off.
3) Sensor dynamic range. The right position for a shot does not always give the best light. It might end up being a bit contrasty and it sure nice to have the dynamic range to be able to do something about it later.
4) AF in video mode. This one is obvious. Personally I don't think Richo's Pentax folk give a gnat's fart about video.
Now don't get me wrong, there is a lot I do like about these cameras, but the above 4 things are a constant disappointment in the kind of shooting I do.
Man - you really have no idea how loud a Pentax is when you and a beaver are the only things up and about deep in the woods at 5:15am. It sounds more like heavy construction equipment that a camera.
These guy's don't mind though: |
|
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-08-2019, 07:11 PM
|
| |
Precisely. Those aspherical elements are deadly!
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-08-2019, 05:18 PM
|
| |
Not sure, but is the KP supposed to replace the K3 II?
If not, have Pentax announced anything that a K3/K3 II user could move smoothly to, and get some real advances all without learning a whole new UI?
Sorry if it sounds like I'm uninformed, it's just that that is exactly the case.:confused:
|
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-04-2019, 08:26 PM
|
| |
I hope you bought this. I hope someone bought this. Every Pentax owner needs to have an LX just to know what the best camera ever made was like.
I still use my LX and it's been going strong since 1983 - that's 36 years. I had one service done on it about 15 years ago.
I consider every camera I bought after that to be disposable. My LX will be buried with me.
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
08-14-2016, 07:45 AM
|
| |
I got my K3 'fixed' 20 months ago and it has not misbehaved since.
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-24-2015, 07:25 AM
|
| |
This has not always been true. They have had, over the years, leading and innovative flash systems. I do agree this is true about the latest PTTL units though, and I really wish they would support plain TTL again so I could go back to my good old AF500FTZ. That, at the time (straight TTL years), was second to none. They also supported in-body flash compensation in the PZ-1p. No other manufacturer ever did that AFAIK.
I suppose there are times when you need that, but to tell the truth I don;t miss it. I've shot action (off-road motorcycles) and nature and my best work is done with manual focus anyway.
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-15-2011, 12:53 PM
|
| |
Maybe some of us are just a little sensitive. Pentax have been a little flaky over the last 10 years or so, so maybe that’s what’s put this mindset out there.
I’m sure it matters little what name is on the equipment or what the details of the specifications are. People took great pictures 40 years ago with equipment we would not use as paperweights today.
It reminds me of a really nice day last spring. My son and I were out riding our dirt bikes in a favourite area. We were just taking a break from trying out a new bike my son had just received. Just then a young guy (the Dude) a few years older than my son rolls up on a fairly new Yamaha YZ125 with racing numbers on it. He asks my son why he was riding a Husqvarna 125. He told us all that magazines say the Yamaha is the fastest 125 made. He goes on to tell us he’s been racing Yamahas at the novice and intermediate level without any problems for years and suggests to my son he should consider moving to the Yamaha.
Anyway, the conversation goes on for a few more minutes on how great Yamahas are. The Dude then says this was his first time out at this riding area and asks if we know the trails. My son offers to show him a couple of the loops. They take off on my son’s practice loop. About 17 minutes later they come back. The Dude says that was a cool trail and asks my son if he wants to “step it up”. So off they go again at a faster pace, The Dude in the lead. About 10 minutes later my son pulls up. His usual lap time is just over 9 minutes. So we wait another 5 minutes and then The Dude pulls up. “Hey man, you kinda just, like, disappeared after you blew by me over those rocks, man. What have you done with the motor in that Husky?” I tell him we’ve done nothing, that the bike is brand new and we are just breaking it in. I say that I agree with him, the Yamaha is a more powerful bike. I tell him, however, that according to my stopwatch Pat (my son) was taking it easy. The Dude’s not sure how to take that and asks what times he and Pat had. I told him Pat did 10:13 and he did 15:21. So, a little shocked and still not convinced he asks if he can try out the Husqvarna. Okay, so off they go, Pat on the Yamaha and the dude on the Husky. Result - Pat 9:41 the Dude 16:03. Now The Dude is really visibly perturbed. He suggests Pat and him get on their own bikes and try a real race. So, okay. By this time there are enough heat-cool cycles on my son’s bike so I say, “Pat, let it hang out…”. They roll up to the start line and I give them the old ready-set-go! The race comes to an end some 30 minutes later when my son laps The Dude. Result – Pat’s average lap time 9:11 (3 laps), The Dude’s average lap time 14:53 (2 laps).
Now, the moral here is, it’s not the equipment, it’s who’s using it. You see, The Dude was so busy telling us how great his Yamaha was, he forgot to ask us any pertinent questions. Like who my son was. My son happens to be a national Pro-level rider. He rides Husqvarna because they sponsor him to ride them. The Yamaha is actually a more powerful machine, but that makes little difference in reality.
:D
Snowy Egret - Mrazek Pond, Everglades NP - March 13, 2011
Pentax K7 - Pentax FA* 600/F4
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
07-27-2014, 06:17 AM
|
| |
Barry, I understand where your coming from. I had a 35 year career in IT with the last 9 years as VP of development then VP of support for a major software company. All the sh!t landed on my desk.
However, your final comment is not very comforting if the thing eats itself after a couple of years.:(
It needs to be fixed even though this is only a consumer product as it's not so low in cost that it can be considered disposable. Some respect needs to be paid to the sometimes very hard earned money that individuals part with for these products.
Look at it this way. Some folks will put in hundreds of extra hours, scrimping and saving to eke together $1000 dollars for a hobby. They may go through considerable ordeals in attaining that goal. In the end though, that has all been converted to pure equity. The money. That $1000 will work as well as any other $1000 when given to a company like Richo. It wont fail, it wont mirror flap, or lock up. It will do it's job. It is incumbent on RIcho to ensure that the product they trade for that $1000 is just as functional.
A lot of companies these days seem to miss that point or ignore it in favor of their executives driving nice cars.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
03-18-2011, 09:22 AM
|
| |
I've not been around this site very long, but I have noticed a trend. It seems that, in the eyes of many, one's opinion on any particular item (camera, lens, flash, etc...) ain't worth horse pucks unless you own that item.
How many of you agree with that?
For those that do, do you not think that ownership brings with it its own bias: - Presumably you bought it because you like it.
- No one wants to admit they chose a lemon
It seems to me then, logic would dictate that if your opinion on a particular item is not worth anything until you own it, you made the decision to buy based on worthless information! :hmm:
Alternatively maybe everyone is entitled to have an opinion, and perhaps all opinions are equally valid. They are, after all, just opinions.
Further, it seems that one should be able to have and express their opinion in an open forum without having to sustain an attack for it.
That last remark was just my opinion... |
|
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-16-2011, 05:15 PM
|
| |
Well, the next camera I buy from Pentax I'll pay for with money that has issues. When they call me about them, some I'll ignore and some I'll fix only partially. Then after a year or two I'll just tell them that they need to send me another camera to get the latest version of my money. It will have all new issues.
I do not buy the 'all products have issues' rant. If anyone sells a product for $1500 that has specifications that warrant that price, then it better work accordingly. No ifs, ands, or buts. I'm sure the money will work as expected.
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-16-2011, 06:07 PM
|
| |
Unrealistic? Maybe a tad. I'm just fed up of paying good money for crap. I'm 50+ and retired. I hav th eluxury of time, a lifetime of pent up desire to get a fair shake and a fixed income as an incentive.
While I might be (just a little) unrealistic, I am not wrong and will no longer be a pushover in such matters.
Others can be if they want.
|
