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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways 09-07-2016, 11:10 AM  
PF 10th Anniversary - Pentax K-50 1-Day Giveaway! - Entries closed, winner announced.
Posted By dt54
Replies: 1,825
Views: 90,890
This is a great site. Congratulations on the anniversary!
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 09-15-2011, 10:00 PM  
What have I got? Lense question
Posted By dt54
Replies: 9
Views: 8,669
I know this is an old thread, but I just found it because I picked up an old camera kit on ebay and it contained a copy of exactly this lens. Its optical specs are identical to the Makinon 80-200 f/3.5 lens that one user on this forum reviewed very favorably in the lens review forum. (Wow, look at that butterfly photo!!)

Makinon 80-200 F3.5 Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database

Same multi-coated optics, same constant f/3.5, same 67mm filter thread, same 1:2.55 macro. The only difference seems to be that the Makinon pictured in the lens review looks like a one touch design, while the JCPenney lens is two-touch. It fits right on my digital camera, no chopping needed (unlike some Vivitars I picked up with another kit). I look forward to trying this one out.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 09-11-2011, 01:26 AM  
Old lens adventure, but some won't fit!
Posted By dt54
Replies: 3
Views: 2,447
New to Pentax, I recently picked up a K200d, and then I picked up an old film camera kit. I'm not really interested in shooting film, I just got the kit because it contained a Pentax A 50/1.7, but while I've got the whole kit, why not give the other lenses a try? It seems to be a very unusual kit: some of the lenses aren't even listed in the database here or other places that I could easily find. The owner of this kit must have loved macro photography.

1. JCPenney 28-80 f3.5-4.5. Poorly reviewed here, but an interesting feature is that its closest focus (1:5 macro) comes at the wide end, which seems to allow exceptional depth of field at very short distances.

2. Tamron 35-70 f3.5-4.5. This is an adaptall lens that looks similar, but the one I have is a K mount. The word "macro" doesn't appear but it focuses down to 1:2.8 at 25cm. I used it to photograph the Vivitar lens mounts.

Now is where the problem comes in... the next two lenses don't fit! They have light shields that go a third to half way around the diameter of the inside of the lens, and there isn't enough clearance in my K200d to fit these on the camera. They fit fine on the film camera (Super Program) that they came with. I uploaded pictures of the mounts here. Has anyone seen this before?

3. Vivitar SMS 70-210 f/4.5 MC Macro Focusing Zoom. I found this page describing the "Series 1" 70-210 lenses; it looks like the version 2 described there but it can't be a series 1 because it's f/4.5. It also isn't one of the newer f/4.5-5.6 lenses that the author of that page derides. It's slim, with a 52mm filter thread. Seems to be made by Kobori (serial number begins with 77).

4. Vivitar 75-205 f/3.8 Close focusing auto zoom... with a metal cap! This got surprisingly good reviews here, but unlike those described in the review, the one I have is a two touch zoom but its serial number also begins with 22. The close focus function is reached by zooming out to 75 and continuing.

Will these Vivitar lenses work on another digital camera? I suppose I could get an extension tube and use them for shooting really tiny objects... or maybe they'll work with a TC? Are they fixable? If not, does anyone want to buy a Super Program kit with some pretty good macro lenses? :)
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions 08-28-2011, 08:47 PM  
Hello from Irene - looking for first DSLR
Posted By dt54
Replies: 7
Views: 1,190
Hi all, thanks for the welcome and the tips. The K-r with 18-55 and 55-300 is indeed an attractive package at a good price, but I decided against it because (1) none of it is WR and (2) the DA-L lenses don't support quick-shift. To me, WR is the biggest reason for choosing Pentax in the first place. I want to be able to take this camera hiking, camping, skiing, by the lakefront, around a campfire, and in a canoe.

eaglem: Thanks for pointing out the size. The K200D and K-7 are pretty similar in size, but I hadn't noticed the difference with the K20D. Of course, by the time you add on a battery grip for AA batteries, the K-7 doesn't look small anymore.

The K-5 looks impressive, especially its low light performance. I found one site that gave it poor marks for stabilization; I'm not sure what to make of it, but the methodology looks suspect:

http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Pentax-K-5-Digital-Camera-Review.htm

Anyway, I'm not going to spend that kind of money on a starter camera. If I find myself reaching the limits of the first camera and wanting more, the K-5 is a likely candidate for my first upgrade. I figure that if a K200D allows me to wait a year before buying a K-5, it will have paid for itself, and then I will have a camera that makes a good spare or hand-me-down for my son. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, I'd rather put it into lenses that will be usable for many years to come, such as (perhaps) getting both the 50-200 WR (for general use) and a 55-300 or one of the cheaper FA 300-range zooms (for shooting wildlife in good weather), or maybe a prime lens or one of the higher quality zooms. I looked at the 18-135, but it doesn't seem worth the premium over 18-55 if I'm buying telephoto zooms anyway. Do any of the third party lens makers offer WR lenses?
Forum: Sold Items 08-28-2011, 03:41 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Pentax K200D with grip
Posted By dt54
Replies: 2
Views: 1,925
I'm interested, but I can't send PM as a new user. Please send me a PM if the camera is still available.
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions 08-28-2011, 03:36 PM  
Hello from Irene - looking for first DSLR
Posted By dt54
Replies: 7
Views: 1,190
Posting from metro Boston via my cell phone, as Irene has knocked out phone and internet service!

I'm in the market for my first DSLR. I want something I can take hiking and camping with the boy scouts, so I'm leaning towards Pentax for its line of affordable weather sealed cameras and lenses. Camera-side stabilization seems like a nice feature too; I've seen many suggestions that lens systems are superior at long focal lengths, but then I also haven't seen complaints about poor stabilization performance from Pentax users shooting at 200-300mm, so I'm guessing that it probably works well enough. I also like the quick-shift focus.

The K200D seems like a good starter camera, and I like the fact that it takes AA batteries so I don't have to worry about whether they'll be making batteries for it in a few years. I'd probably go for the K-r if it were weather sealed. I'm considering going a step higher to the K20D or K-7, but $200 for a battery grip to use AA batteries is pretty steep! The 18-55 and 50-200 WR lenses should make a good starter system. My boys have gotten into bird watching so I have my eye on the 55-300, which seems to be quite well regarded for its IQ, but unfortunately there's no WR version of that lens.

I have an SMC PENTAX-M 40-80 f/2.8-4 zoom lens that an older relative found at home; we're not sure why it was there, and it looks almost like new, but after reading the reviews of this lens, I doubt it will be very useful, especially without a proper focus screen. When using a manual focus lens, do these cameras give you an indication of when the AF system thinks you've got it right? I also have access to a few good old Nikon lenses, but I think the advantages of affordable WR and stabilization have me sold on Pentax.

My last SLR was a Konica Autoreflex T3 (made approximately when I was born!) which I loved but it's in need of some repair. Maybe I'll get it fixed some day for the sake of amusement and nostalgia, but it's hard to justify spending money on that because I'm really not shooting film anymore. Too bad there's no digital system for those old Konica lenses!
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