Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-24-2006, 04:24 AM
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This is A* lens and it has been one of my "walk around" lenses ever since it has arrived in my posession. Believe it or not. This lens is addictive... I bought it as a demo item from US. Construction
This lens is definitely short, sturdy and compact. It weighs 3.2 kg (apparently same as Fa 600mm f4 - how come??) and is attached with a tripod mount. There is a built-in lens hood, sliding back and forth with a small screw to lock in. Apparently over-use of the lens hood sliding back and forth would produce inevitable scratch to contribute paint loss...
It accompanies a aluminium silver box that I left it at home most of the time. A UV filter of 49mm can be inserted into a drawer close to lens mount - I had not yet bothered that at all. Specifications
Mount: Bayonet
Lens Construction: 8 groups 8 elements
Angle of View: 8.2 degrees
Diaphragm: Fully Automatic
Min Aperture: 32
Min Focus Distance: 9.8 ft.
Filter Diameter: 49mm (rear)
Size Max Diameter Length: 5.2 x 9.3"
Weight: 104.8 oz.
Filter Size: 49mm (rear)
Lens Hood: Built-in
Lens Case: Trunk Case Image Quality
With this lens, I have been using it in very dark environment. Aperture wide open has such a narrow depth of field, the subject needs to have the whole plane exactly parallel to the camera sensor in order to have sharp image all over. Using this lens wide open really requires a lot of technique as many of you maye be aware of how poor lighting can really give you little details in an image.
The images are sharp at all apertures (if i could focus accurately with my clumpsy hands). Image is really sharp after f4.
The bokeh quality does vary! Sometimes it shows up sigma style tubular matrix type bokeh sometimes it shows up 31mm style bokeh. It does not have 77mm bokeh CA - luckily. I personally like its bokeh most of the time.
Here are a few examples of images: (Forgive my lack of talent)
1/1000s f/3.5 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif
1/1000s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif
1/350s f/6.7 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif
1/180s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif
1/500s f/3.5 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif
1/125s f/2.8 at 300.0mm iso100 full exif
1/180s f/2.8 at 300.0mm iso800 full exif
1/350s f/2.8 at 300.0mm iso800 full exif
1/750s f/8.0 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif
1/3000s f/4.0 at 300.0mm iso400 full exif Handibility
Thanks to k10d VR feature, I could use this lens just with a monopod attached (with the tripod head loosely tightened). This definitely improves my ability to maneuvre camera together with the lens for various angles at ease. While using this lens to track agile birds, the monopod can be easily adjusted with its height and move around easily locating spot for the monopod. I know using this lens is quite tough but this has been quite an addictive thing for me now. While I hike, I could use the monopod as a stick to frighten away the snakes. Tom Lusk might get annoyed with this as he wanted me to photograph these snakes if I saw them...
Tripod is a no no for this lens. It kills the whole purpose of getting this lens as the weight is just unbearable. Hard to go through the bushes up and down with branches coming out of everywhere. The height adjustment of the tripod would take decades to accomplish and miss million of shots altogether. Conclusion
Great lens (too bad that I already bought it; I had to like it anyway). The only issue would be its weight and price. I think manual focus is not that bad once you got the hang of it. If you can find this lens, I would go and get it to do protraits and other low light environment shots.
I am getting my Pentax Rear converter 2X very soon and hopefully it would give me 600mm f5.6 to play around with. I will post my humble opinions regarding this combination later on.
James
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-01-2009, 03:34 AM
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Nikon D200 sensor is tweaked better in terms of dynamic range comparing to k10d. D200 also trumps k10d in having faster autofocus and accuracy. The only setback is the price difference, of course. Different leagues.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
02-04-2022, 08:14 PM
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It has been so long since visiting this forum. If a former pal hasnt messaged me here, I would not know how much has changed here!
Sony A7RIV |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-31-2009, 02:50 PM
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This set of images look like a set of pictorials in a photography journal.
Very impressive work, Jack :)
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
02-20-2009, 10:32 PM
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Welcome to the forum and great to see pentaxian in India!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-30-2015, 11:30 PM
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Fire work shot is definitely a winner.
Dockland would have been so windy as usual. Da* 50-135 is a hunting lens despite nice warm bokeh it is capable of producing. Looks like a good day out
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-09-2015, 10:03 PM
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This is quite artistic. A look of fine grain and texture.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-12-2014, 03:34 PM
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It has been a while since I use this lens. Maple Leaves
Colour of Autumn
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-31-2006, 11:32 PM
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This is one of three pentax limited series. It is supposedly designed for protrait use and it is quite a sought after lens across the globe.
This lens has attracted quite a substantial controversy over the years as it is often being compared to Pentax Fa* or A* 85mm f1.4 or Da 70mm f2.4 limited. Other competition brand fanboys often regard this lens as an enemy number one as popular photography magazine and other websites did rate this lens better than the rest of competition brands using various subjective testing and parametres.
Although this is a limited lens, there are certainly plenty of them around. Sure this is not as limited as it sounds in terms of quantity produced. There are many great protrait photographers like Scott Rylance (Geelong Australia), Darren (Pro Canadian in Taiwan) owning this lens and I know they are really busy to put up a review. Please offer your criticism and point out my mistakes without hesitance. Appearance:
There are two colour finish: silver and black
Black colour is often preferred rather than silver as its re-sell value is higher on ebay. Silver colour is often regarded as more resistant to "paint loss". I own a silver one and I love it. It does not look odd to me having a silver lens on a black k10d body. Specifications:
Focal length 77mm
Max aperture f/1.8
Filter size 49mm
Mounts Pentax K SMC-FA
Weight 270g
Dimensions 48mm x 64mm
Angle of view 32°
Min aperture f/22
Focusing type AF
Minimum focus 70cm
Filter size 49mm
Stabilised No
Blades 9
Elements 7
Groups 6
Mounts Pentax K SMC-FA
Construction: FREE (Fixed Rear Element Extension) design All metal construction. Contrary to the common belief, polycarbonate is more thermally stable than metal so the metal consutrction is not really an advantage to Fa 77 ltd compared to other Fa plastic contruction. Its AF accuracy is superb in deed but it does hunt a little in low light. Manual focus ring is smooth and firm. A beautiful finish from top to bottom. Really classic. Sluggish AF speed though. Image quality:
Definitely sharp wide open, little difference in resolution with increasing aperture. Sharpness extends to the edge equally even wide open. One of the fantastic thing about pentax limited is this edge sharpness superior to other brands. In fact, the sharpness is never the reason why I use pentax lenses. It is the colour, bokeh and overall impact that pentax lenses render on the final images printed out on papers that makes me do the switch.
My personal experience of owning this lens tells me that fa77 ltd suffers lack of details and softening of images in harsh lighting with colour temperature > 5000K; Fa 77 ltd works the best in ambient lighting as it does enhance image colour so much more that it gives vividness and prosperity to the final images - I call it the touch of pentax baptism hehe Bokeh
The common criticism of this lens is the bokeh CA, usually a problem with background highlights. Otherwise its bokeh is just impeccable against other lenes unless macro lenses are to be included in the comparison. (I want to own A* 85mm f1.4)
I have canon 85mm f1.2L and 135mm f2L. I prefer Fa 77 f1.8 because of its ease to use, compact size and light weight. Pentax limited lenses always keep its market value while canon lenses can only go down in values in 2nd hand market. 1) Semi-macro (1:4 roughly)
Used on floral shots, this lens is my favorite. Given there is a huge range of variety of Pentax macros available, this lens's floral shot might not be on the same par of these macros. Here are a few examples ...
Close up filters can be used to 1:2 macro. It is not a bad combination.
1/500s f/4.0 at 77.0mm iso200 full exif
1/250s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso200 full exif
An example of Bokeh CA,
1/1000s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso200 full exif 2) Low light shooting
I love to use this lens to do art abstract with a playful intent. Always aperture wide open and use this lens to paint with light - hence photography.
Examples,
1/60s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso400 full exif
1/90s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso200 full exif
1/90s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso400 full exif
1/90s f/2.0 at 77.0mm iso100 full exif 3) Landscape
With ambient lighting, this lens renders green colour very well. As long as no harsh lighting within the frame, the images will not dissapoint you.
1/4s f/22.0 at 77.0mm iso200 full exif
1/8s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso400 full exif 4) Protraits
This is my weak area and I hope someone will post their outstanding shots to back up the beauty of this lens. The skin tone is always natural like Fuji Reala film skin colour rendition. I cannot capture people's subtle expressions well.
This lens is really sharp; my mum's protrait photo was full of wrinkles even with aperture wide open. Sometimes being too sharp might not be a good thing...
Few shots here
1/4000s f/1.8 at 77.0mm iso200 full exif
1/180s f/4.5 at 200.0mm iso400 full exif Handibility:
The cap falls off all the time because I screw on a B & W filter on for protective purpose. The paint loss risk is high as a result of this.
Small and light weight. At work, I whack this lens on the k100d body, snapping away people's X rays as records. Very handy! Conclusion
Great buy if you can get one.
Contrary to what everyone thinks, the price is not a weakness at all. To get a similar lens like this in other brands would cost at least twice as much plus depreciation of value over time.
The only thing I might dislike this lens is the minimum focusing distance of 0.7 metre. This limits the indoor use of this lens ... Pentax 31mm f1.8 Ltd would be more useful in that kind of situation in deed.
Call me biased but I love this lens!
Other fellow pentax users who owns this lens. Welcome to post your winning protrait shots :)
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-01-2008, 01:04 AM
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I will join this too. Da 10-17mm FE
For boring scenery, this lens adds a little interet
Symmetry of a temple posts - Names of various Taoism figures and words like "silence" "quiet" "Solemn"
Greek Church - Fringeholic!
The beach light
Temple of Shogun
Tori Gate
Burglar decorated by autumn colour
Not sure what I was up with this one...
Twisted waterfall
Bamboo forest abstract
Castle
If you use FE zoom like this one, GO FOR 10mm!!!!
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