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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-16-2012, 07:38 AM
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Here's another of the same Willow, but this time at f4 and macro at 1:5 (softest). The snow and ice have gone so it's a slightly different look. It's slightly sharper than f2.8 in the focussed area, but still glows quite well. Go above f4 and you get the sharpness in the centre, but gain extra depth of field so lose blur and glow!. Still don't have a tripod, so might get better.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-14-2012, 11:39 PM
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I love the first shot of the ice (glass?). The second shot looks like mine wide open and with 1:5. Mine is sharp out of the macro zone, but I haven't managed to get it as sharp as your ice one with macro, though I've used it pretty much just wide open so far. As you say, it needs a fair bit of experimentation and each subject looks like it will need a different approach.
I've just bought some macro tubes to try to get a bit closer than 4ft.....
Somewhere there is going to be a lovely sharp image in the focus area with the soft glow and unfocussed area all around it!
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-14-2012, 03:05 PM
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Thanks. Beginner's luck, probably and I did discard about 40 other shots that didn't really work.
Ideally I'd like to have got the main bit in focus in both pictures a little sharper, but the macro mode really softens everything and makes the dof very critical. I'm hopefully getting a tripod soon, so will see if that makes a difference
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-13-2012, 05:39 AM
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Thanks - let me see if I have got this right, then.
With only manual tubes if I set the aperture on the ring to f16, say, the aperture on the lens will immediately close to f16 leaving the image dark in the viewfinder. If I get a set of auto tubes (with manual aperture linkage) then setting the aperture ring to f16 will leave the aperture wide open to focus and compose. At what point will the aperture close to f16, when I use the green button to stop down meter or when I take the photo? ie. when will the image in viewfinder go dark?
At the moment with my manual lenses I set the aperture on the ring, focus and compose, use the green button to meter, recompose and focus, take the picture. With a set of tubes with aperture linkage I can still do this, with a manual set I need to work wide open or do as you suggest above?
Is that right??? Sorry for being thick!
So basically the manual tubes aren't much use unless I shoot fairly wide open all the time? Should have said I have a K-r if that makes any difference.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-13-2012, 04:41 AM
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Sorry if this question has been asked before - I'm sure it has, but I'm getting lost with the conflicting information I've found.
I have 2 fully manual lenses I would like to use with extension tubes, one Pentax and another 3rd party lens. Neither have the 'A' setting on the aperture ring.
I'm used to using manual lenses with stop down metering so no problems there. Where I'm confused is whether or not I can use fully manual extension tubes or whether I need to get ones with a mechanical aperture linkage. I've found a decent set of Pentax branded tubes, but these are fully manual with no aperture lever on the mount.
I assumed that these would be o.k., but have read a number of articles that imply that these won't work properly even with M lenses.
Can someone let me have an idiot's guide to what I can or can't do with manual tubes and what, if anything, would be gained by getting a set with aperture linkage.
Thanks very much
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-12-2012, 01:22 AM
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Managed to get out for a couple of hours (at -11C!) with my new Sears 135mm macro and K-r. Certainly takes some getting used to, but early results are encouraging. I'm sure I'll get better with it and need a tripod really to get it properly sharp, but here are a couple attempting to get that glow/soft focus. Any comments and suggestions for imrpovement welcomed. They are both straight off the camera with no processing. I tried a few of my usual improvements in photoshop with a copy of the file, but nothing beat the original! Both at the 1:6 setting on macro - the depth of field certainly takes some getting used to, especially handheld. We have a competition on one of the UK forums with this fortnight's theme as 'bokeh' so was aiming towards an entry for that. The first one isn't camera shake - just lots of branches!
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-10-2012, 09:08 AM
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Just bought a 135mm macro in a PK fitting here in the U.K. for around $33 dollars (£21). Absolutely mint in perfect condition. Very hard to get in the U.K. and I've been looking for a while since seeing the pictures on here. First play with it looks promising. Would it work with extension tubes? Presumably I don't need anything with electrical contacts so just a cheap manual set would do?
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Forum: Pentax K-r
08-15-2011, 02:21 AM
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Thanks - took a few goes experimenting with different settings, but I guess that's what new cameras are for!!
A couple more
This was F8, 1/160, ISO 200 at 48mm
This was F5.6, 1/15, ISO 800 at 50mm. Super quality for ISO 800. Hopefully will be even better with the prime.
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Forum: Pentax K-r
08-15-2011, 12:40 AM
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Got a new K-r a few days back and very impressed so far with the quality of the kit lens considering how cheap it is. I have a FA 50mm 1.7 on the way so it will be interesting to compare.
This photo at F8, 1/200, ISO 100, 48mm with pattern metering. Shrunk to 1.5MB to fit with forum rules.
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