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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-07-2024, 03:47 AM
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Option 7:
Yawn. I don't care until I see something official.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-09-2024, 11:48 PM
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My option isn't listed... I may buy the new Pentax 35mm compact depending on the lens, features, build quality and price. I want to support Ricoh Imaging in the development of this and other film cameras, but I can't justify the expenditure if it doesn't represent genuine utility and value-for-money in relation to my own wants and needs...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-06-2024, 06:54 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-20-2023, 01:14 AM
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- The HD Pentax-D FA★ 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW was announced in June 2018 and released in July.
- The HD Pentax-D FA★ 70-200mm f/2.8 ED DC AW was announced in February 2015 and released in March 2016 after a few postponements.
They are not "from 2020 and newer."
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-20-2023, 01:11 AM
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@BigMackCam - roadmap by itself is not really necessary but any idea on what (if at all) Pentax is working can be a good thing in case you are either considering to enter system or switching from. If Pentax is a niche, small, "doomed" :D manufacturer then it is good to give hints that he is still alive and kicking. But that there is no information what Pentax is doing, what it wants to release, no hints, idea, leaks - nothing. It is like Pentax is not working on anything for his DSLRs.
Take a look at Leica rumors. Rumors about this announced, that being in production, Leica is working on this or that, new this or that. Then switch to Pentax and enjoy first new: lens out of production. Then software news and... camera out of production... Rumors about Pentax working on something? None. Leaks about Pentax (or Ricoh) maybe wanting to introduce something - none. And so on.
It really gives a view of doomed system for someone who is not inside.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-25-2023, 04:06 AM
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Pentaxforums and DPR are at two extremes of a scale. At one end of the scale are the unconditionally pro Pentaxists whatever Pentax does, and at the other end of the scale are the ignorant majority drinking marketing cool aid. The truth is somewhere in the middle of the scale.
Personally, I think K1 monochrome and GR monochrome would have made more sense. After all, the Pentax K3 III monochrome is one of the variants of the K3III, like the Jet black limited edition is, derived from the same platform. They didn't ask the market "what camera model would you like to have in monochrome?". Ricoh surveyed customers but they limited the questions to variants of K3 III, presumably because that's all they currently have in production, along with the KF. It's not bad, but it would it would be better if such variants of camera models are envisioned early, and not just opportunistic. Leica seems to be consistent over time, M10 mono, M11 etc.. which is a good thing. I'm like to see Pentax adopt a philosophy and stick to it, e.g full frame color body, full frame monochrome body.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-26-2023, 10:46 AM
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Sarcasm is your own negative interpretation. Did I need to write a flat sentence such as "Pentax team is working on another digital camera after engineers were released from the Pentax K-3 III monochrome project"? (because obviously there shouldn't be much firmware in a film camera). I suggest a desensitization therapy, but I don't don't know how to do it. I need to make sure I hammer only bold positive comments to avoid being badly interpreted.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
04-13-2023, 05:39 PM
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Welcome to the club! :D As you say, it's all about the journey, and doing something different. You won't find many "real" camera lenses that render like that Triplet, and when you make your own adapters, you can take extra pride in any pictures you get.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-27-2022, 04:19 AM
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Thank you !
Here more recent shots :)
PENTAX K-1 • FF Mode • 100 ISO • Heidosmat 2.8/85mm MC Projector lens
PENTAX K-1 • FF Mode • 400 ISO • Heidosmat 2.8/85mm MC Projector lens • Kenko Pz-AF UniPlus Tube 25
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-25-2022, 03:13 AM
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Forgot to post here for some time :)
PENTAX K-5 II s • 80 ISO • Heidosmat 2.8/85mm MC projector lens • Metz Flash 48 AF-1 Digital with softbox
Without flash
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-06-2023, 12:15 PM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-20-2022, 02:21 PM
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I found that copying slides and negatives with my K-1 produces far better results than a scanner, and it consumes less time.
So, back on topic, should Ricoh move forward and produce a new film camera, I might be interested. Nearly all my lenses are film era ones, so I’m ready.
Now if they would just bring Kodachrome back . . . . . .
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-20-2022, 02:10 PM
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Like this?
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ilBbVpgLP_0?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-19-2022, 06:48 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-14-2022, 07:06 PM
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I finally got my hands on a Schneider Super Cinelux, a series which I believe was released around the same time as ISCO's Ultra Star Plus line (circa 2000), despite what I may have written before. The lenses between 60mm and 100mm were a very minor tweak of the orignal Ultra Cinelux line from 1978, still a 6/6 double-Gauss:
They are also still extremely small. I didn't take a picture of the lens itself, but it looks almost identical to my 65mm Ultra Cinelux, but with a more yellowish matte finish vs. the Ultra's brushed brass.
The range was also expanded to cover wider focal lengths as multiplexes continued to add smaller theaters. Lenses between 42.5mm and 57.5mm got a new 7-element formula, and even wider lenses got a new 8-element design, but those new designs were strictly for the Super-35 format and will not cover a full-frame camera sensor. I've seen some tests on another forum confirming this.
Technically my 60mm lens was also only meant for super-35 film, but it covers full-frame digital without issue. Actually, there is even less vignetting than with my 65mm Ultra.
After trying it out for a bit, I'd say it renders slightly more smoothly than the Cinelux-Ultra, but not as buttery as the ISCO Ultra Star Plus. There's still some character here, plus a bit more contrast than the ISCO lenses.
I wanted to try out a few more things with this lens than my usual dog park pictures, so I braved the 110° heat and went to a Saturday-evening car show over Labor Day weekend. I love seeing old machines up close and in detail.
 
The next morning, I joined the sweat parade on a short, steep hike up in the north part of town. Again, it's a really small lens, not much of a burden to carry up 1,200 feet into the air over sharp rocks. Relatively speaking.
60mm isn't an obvious choice for hiking pictures, but I like to force myself find new ways to frame things.
It was nice to get out and enjoy the morning smog.
Good stuff.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-14-2022, 10:28 AM
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They are remarkable lenses, for sure. I really do like them, I just like the Cinelux-Ultra a little more, and that's not saying much when the Cinelux is my current Favorite Lens Ever. You can still find them once in a while for less than $100, sometimes a lot less. I expect the original Ultra Star (without Plus) series would also give very similar rendering.
Painting might solve the translucency issue, but the easiest solution for me would be to re-print that piece with a better filament, if I get tired of the electrical tape. It was the only red filament I had at the moment, and I wanted it to still match my bike. :lol:
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-13-2022, 03:22 PM
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Thanks for your reply, those results are sincerely outstanding. Awesome explanation and impressive to see you carried it from concept to such results, really inspirational. I find the Bokeh of those shots outstanding, kind of ideal. Have you thought of spray coating instead of tape? maybe something like duracoat or just multi-coating with a matte black paint to solve the light issue?, just a thought. Either way, I for one genuinely appreciate seeing that.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-13-2022, 12:38 PM
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Thank you very much! I've seen others re-using the mounts, helicoids, and sometimes even the apertures of old lenses to adapt projector lenses. Seems like a good solution as long as you have one that fits.
I don't have any lenses I'd like to sacrifice, so I design and 3D print my adapters. I have a standard design that works pretty well, just changing the dimensions according to the lens. I print two pieces. One press-fits over the lens and includes a grip area and a spiral running along the outside. The second piece has a matching spiral groove on the inside and an M42 thread on the end. The focusing isn't quite as smooth as a real brass helicoid, but it's functional. I buy an actual metal M42 adapter to thread my printed part into, since threads are easier to print than a bayonet, and I'm not confident a printed bayonet would be strong enough.
I'm adapting to mirrorless (Sony), which is the only option for most shorter projector lenses. Their back focal length is too short to work on DSLRs.
Here's what they look like in real life, with the 70mm lens I used for all the pictures in the last post on the left. The electrical tape is to block light; I discovered that the red plastic I was using was not completely opaque, so that was a quick fix. On the right is a 50mm version I found early this year. The blue filament I used there happens to be perfectly opaque, even though it's a lighter color.
I added another piece to the front that has standard 49mm filter threads, so I can use regular lens caps. I guess I could just print a cap instead, but I don't like slip-over caps.
No surprise, the 50mm renders pretty much the same as the 70mm, but with a wider field of view.
As I mentioned in the last post, the "Plus" series has a bigger image circle than the original Ultra Stars and Cinelux Ultras. In those other series, 65mm was about the shortest focal length you can use on full-frame without black corners. With the Plus, it looks like all of the lenses of the 7-element type can be used on full frame. On this 50mm, there is strong vignetting, but you can still use the whole frame. The same might be true of the 9-element lenses under 45mm, but I'm unwilling to buy one to find out. They are gigantic.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-12-2022, 04:21 PM
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Info dump time! I want to talk about the ISCO Ultra Star Plus series, the most modern film projector lenses you're likely to be able to find and afford. They're all bright red, easy to identify.
The series was introduced around 1999 as a minor improvement on the Ultra Star series from a decade before. The optical formulas remained very similar, with 7 elements for 45mm and greater lenses, and a much bulkier 9-element design for the wider lenses. No cemented or aspherical elements were used.
This is specifically the 60mm lens formula, but the same basic design applied from 45mm to 100mm (edit: 95mm was the longest available focal length):
Notice how big the rear element is, even bigger than the front! This was the main change from the original "Ultra Star" to "Ultra Star Plus." According to the patents, aperture was increased from f/2.4 to f/1.9, and vignetting at the extreme corners was reduced by 61 to 73%. What they really did was increase the image circle quite a bit - now even the shorter focal lengths can be used on full-frame without cropping.
This is a double-exposure composite of the same lens, front and back, to show how much bigger the glass is in the back vs. the front. The ring on the front can be unscrewed to bring the aperture up to f/1.9, but even then, the front opening is smaller than the back.
This is the same lens compared to the Ultra Cinelux 65mm f/2. The ISCO designs after their split with Schneider were much bulkier than comparable Schneider ones.
Now, on to the pictures it takes. I used it quite a lot late last year, and I have one word for it: smooth. It's hands-down the smoothest lens I've ever used. Sometimes it doesn't even look real, the background is so smooth. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your personal tastes.
Colors are neutral and flexible. Sharpness is very good, but contrast and flare resistance are poor for such a modern lens. Definitely not as much contrast as the Ultra Cinelux I've written much about.
I happen to like red anodized finishes, so the appearance of the lens itself is a plus in my book. :)
While it's bigger than the Cinelux, it's not too big to fit in a saddle bag for bike rides.
Overall, I have to say I don't like it as much as the older Cinelux. The rendering is so smooth that you might even call it boring. I used to think there could be no such thing as too much smoothness, but now I see that maybe there is a line somewhere that this lens has crossed. I like sweet, but cotton candy is a bit much. In today's world, a phone can passably simulate the background blur of a larger sensor, and the kind of blur this lens gives you is very easy to simulate. It lacks that hectic-but-pleasing character many classic lenses have which would be very difficult to fake.
I don't mind having it in my collection, though. Super-smooth is fun once in a while.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-07-2022, 04:59 PM
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I was recently playing with my 110 and lenses and noticed how close in diameter the 50mm was to the inside of the K mount. Here's a shot I took just holding the 110 50mm in place, using live view as the lens is far enough back in the body to block the mirror.
I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked. I've thought a few times that a used m43 or Pentax Q body would be fun to play with using these lenses. I may have to look into it a bit more. Or even just get some 110 film, I'd like to try the little Auto 110 out someday too.
Kristian
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-02-2022, 12:53 PM
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Some great images here: inspirational. In fact, it kept us going during the many months spent building DELTA - an archive aimed at corralling information about using enlarger lenses on digital cameras. Recently we made the decision to enlarge the archive to include more than enlarger lenses. It now includes entries for almost 1700 helicoid-free enlarger, projector, industrial, macro and repro lenses.
Currently only 45 lenses have been reviewed and ranked, and DELTA (which is in beta) only knows 400 projector lenses, compared to almost 1000 enlarger lenses. I would welcome any involvement from forum members to spot errors and omissions and suggest new lenses, or supply information about lenses already in the database - including serial numbers that let us build a picture of production over time. It's a free resource, and it's important to me that it's not just a big rickety wiki - on the other hand, (editorially supervised) the more knowledgeable contributors, the better the resource will be.
DELTA Version 0.85: Digital Enlarger Lens Test Archive – 16:9
Version 1 will go live on a different platform, and by Version 2 we should have pictures of, and shot with, lenses. Here forum contributions are especially useful.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-21-2022, 10:38 AM
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As a supporter/user of a brand name product that binds us, on this forum, all together; I think you can't sit by and not comment. Regardless of discussions of regional or global impact, there is one thing for certain, change is in the wind. This applies to many of our current lifestyle amenities and not just cameras...so we can't be selfish in that respect.
One thing for certain, what was, isn't anymore. So a few musings to entertain or antagonize:
It is natural for us, to become apprehensive with respect to change. That anxiety and fear related to (the potential) loss of control can be overwhelming. Change happens and tomorrow becomes today and the good characteristic we bring to the scene is that ability to adapt, once we know the rules of the new paradigm.
We've heard this many times, across the spectrum; bricks and mortar cost money and add questionable value to a product. This was a discussion when Amazon arrived on the scene. Today, they have become accepted and provide a store-front for many small businesses (some virtual, some as an addendum to existing). Recently, most of us have had opportunity (sometimes from necessity) to use this method to keep us supplied. In a less than desirable environment (pandemic) these avenues (with their logistics partners) have done remarkably well and dispelled many of the concerns raised in their early days of existence.
As mentioned in several posts, not having or observing a decline in store stock, has been a factor of influence for me for well over a decade now.
I think perhaps Pentax has realized some of these "front-line" representatives may not have been working in Pentax's favour. So, no help is better than bad help. My personal experience had witnessed a considerable decline with respect to overall professionalism and the expected product knowledge to legitimately support the brands (not just Pentax). There is some consideration this approach has been driven by economics as these former stores, struggle to maximize the earning necessary to support the bricks and mortar and inventory carrying costs.
As a hobbyist, a part of my enjoyment is the social interaction. Looking way back, going to a camera store (with knowledgeable professionals...and there are a few left) was an opportunity to have a good discussion about the product(s) as part of the sales process. Every one of those discussions added to my knowledge and overall enjoyment of the hobby. Thankfully, we still have the good people of this Forum to sate that need. Personally, I would rather pay a little extra to deal with someone face to face versus an online robotic entity.
That question raised concerning the approach to production could be a dark horse. Within any operation, there is always the question of economy of scale; would shorter-run or custom production add an overall additional expense not off-set by reduced inventory carrying costs? I realize today, with 3D printers, etc., many of the former overheads associated with industrial production have been outdated. We've got to trust the folks at Ricoh Pentax are close enough to us to know our limits while still providing a quality product.
So the idea of connecting us digitally is intriguing. What if that included supporting this Forum, as an example? Perhaps a dream come true and, there are already a good number of dedicated followers subscribed!
I am a traditionalist and I hope the forward model continues to support the stores that support the product. A factor that had existed and continues to exist is the lack of marketing. Effectively, especially if evolution sees a digital model, existing users become the sales front. This is a challenge we need to take up to ensure the brand survives. I think most people still prefer dealing with people, first hand and, unfortunately some people have views that Pentaxians are a unique breed, with secret handshakes and codes known to meet by the light of the moon (the real reason for the astro-tracer functionality?). Fellow hobbyists I have met usually see a lot of positive aspects of the Pentax line but due to lens collections, etc., they stick with their original brand. Now with the question of mirrorless generally closing the door on lens compatibility, many are re-evaluating their purchase decisions. Perhaps Pentax will be part of that review.
Enough rant, out of breath and need to get back to work. Thanks for enduring. I think there will always be a Pentax (and great users) even if we have to meet under star lit skies.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
12-25-2021, 01:20 PM
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Playing a little fetch in the back yard. Should be snow here by now but as you can see, not so much.
X-Pro3 XF33 f.1.4
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