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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-15-2012, 09:57 AM
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Eddie, I have an A50mm f1.7 as well - always thought it was a fantastic lens. Some people prefer it over the M1.4, whereas a few prefer the 1.4's bokeh. I just wanted to see what all the debate was about. Luckily, got it for a bargain and a half...:)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-15-2012, 09:52 AM
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Dear All, thanks a lot for all of your helpful replies. I took the lens in today, and it was indeed the aperture ring inside the lens which had not properly been placed. It's a relief I have successfully protected my 4 dollar investment; the lens is working just fine now, and sanity has returned to the universe. Now to take some photos. By the by Eddie, you are right, the lens is quite horrible.....it somehow takes pics in extremely low light when all I want is a shadowy fudge to show up on my sd card...;)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-15-2012, 09:47 AM
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Sorry Giklab, I somehow missed your first comment altogether....
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 01:58 PM
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Thats what the green button is set for, but the viewfinder never darkens. It stays the same for all apertures, and the shutter speed also stays the same for all apertures, ie the one corresponding to f1.4. The green button itself meters ok, sets the desired shutter speed e.g. 1/6 sec, but when i press the shutter, the speed changes in the viewfinder, it takes a second or two for the shutter to "take the pic" which never materialises....
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 01:35 PM
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Yeah bluestinger, first thing tomorrow morning..Hopefully it wud only need a minor little tweek. The optics on the lens itself are beautiful - no fungus, no scratches, and now no dust. I notice that when i half screw the lens into the body, the aperture ring stays steady, and it then allows me to use M mode and take pics. When I screw it all the way in though, the iris opens all the way up to 1.4 and M mode becomes inaccessible. So, ure probably right, something is amiss with the aperture ring....:(
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 01:19 PM
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Yeah, everything is fine with other lenses, and even with this lens in Av mode. But in M mode, no picture ever gets taken even though the shutter fires over a period of a few seconds...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 01:05 PM
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VonBaloney, it fires ok, but no images get saved, and it doesnt fire within the stipulated shutter speed I select for it in M mode... all the things u talked about are as they shud be, it even gives me a focus beep when I hit focus. In Av mode, it actually saves the pics after having selected the appropriate shutter speed, but the problem occurs in M mode, and when changing aperture once the lens is mounted. Aperture ring works fine, but the iris remains wide open....
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 12:18 PM
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This is a k-x VanBaloney...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 12:17 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 12:05 PM
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Eddie, it wont let me take ANY pics in M mode, regardless of how fast or slow I keep the shutter speed. In Av mode it obviously wont let me change the shutter speed..
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 12:03 PM
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Alphanerd, when I hold the lens in my hand and change the aperture, the iris responds. However, when it is mounted on the camera, the iris stays wide open.. Switching to MF does not help, and changing the aperture does no affect the iris, i.e. shutter speed and view finder both remain bright
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 11:42 AM
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Thanks Eddie for the reply...now I know how to recycle my lenses..:) Yes I have read these great articles, and despite the fact that the camera meters when i push the green button, the shutter speed changes when I take the actual shot. Once the shutter is fully depressed, no images get taken. However, in Av mode, the camera meters itself to the exact same exposure as the green button in M mode. Somehow, its working great on Av mode, even though its an M lens and should not be doing so....
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 11:37 AM
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Thanks for the reply RioRico. Yes indeed, the iris closes up when i open the aperture up...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-14-2012, 11:31 AM
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Hi all,
After reading some great reviews of the captioned lens, I could not pass up the opportunity of buying one for 4 dollars. I took a couple of sample shots from it in M mode, and then gave the lens in or cleaning, as it was quite dusty. Upon getting it back, I notice that I cant take pics with it in M mode, but it works fine in Aperture Priority...!! However, it is not working on any shutter speed I select in M mode, and once the shutter releases, no images are saved to the memory card...
Can anyone tell me what went wrong? Any remedies?? Thanks for your replies..:)
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Forum: Sold Items
05-02-2012, 04:03 AM
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-14-2011, 05:06 AM
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Thanks RioRico for the tip - I turned off SR and noticed an improvement straight away :) Also, it was the first time I cud really use long shutter speeds on my camera, and am beginning to understand all the fuss about 'exposure', so I guess I am on my way here...
Twitch, thanks for the input. Indeed, I find that what you are saying is very true. All the pictures I have shot, that I like the most, are the ones that have managed to capture some personality, unique trait, or the mood of the moment. However, I have also realized when looking at slideshows, or looking at people's pics whom I consider 'photogenic', all seem to be adept at falling somewhere along the intersections of the rule of thirds grid.
Jatrax, that's a deep bow mate!! And well deserved too, for I had heard of puss in boots (really want to watch it btw, any reviews?) but this is a first!!! However, I am deeply respectful of RioRico since he strikes me as a guy who is completely self-aware and someone who doesn't seem to take the small things in life that really matter for granted.
BTW, are you guys in the habit of using gray cards? Seems to be a nice way for getting the WB right....
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-13-2011, 10:45 AM
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Thanks eddie1960 - will keep that in mind and take a few more snaps, though come to think of it the 2 sec delay did turn the image stabilization off. But, will try and make sure....:)
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-13-2011, 10:40 AM
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Yes RickParkhurst - image stabilization is on, and the tripod is quite sturdy. It has two bubble indicators, and I took snaps using the 2 second timer delay as well, but still the pics are not sharp. I only have 3 or 4 usable pics from a batch of 26-28 pics I took, that's why the concern.......
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-13-2011, 10:02 AM
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That sounds very Japanese RioRico - watching grass grow and ants scurry... I guess I have to come to grips with patience - or the lack thereof, and find what way works with me. God knows, I need it at this point in my life. That's why I reckon I am taking up photography as an outlet to vent my frustrations.
Speaking of which, I am getting quite impatient with my AF!!! :o Just got a tripod today, and none of my lenses is giving me sharp focus. The image is always a bit blurred, regardless of the f-stop. While I will certainly be trying out the hyperfocal and zoning techniques, I just figure that the K-x is not reputed to miss too many shots. By and large, people who have used it tend to be satisfied with the results they get even with the 18-55 kit lens. Using focus assist with my smc A50mm is also giving me the same sort of results - almost one in 5 or greater pics are blurry:( Any ideas on how to fix this??
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-12-2011, 09:17 AM
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Thanx for the comments VanBaloney and RioRico!! Seems to me that hyperfocal focusing is the way to go with landscape photography - I saw a couple of videos on youtube, though I am still a bit confused about reading the markings on my sms 50mm prime lens. In the same vein, I would imagine that shallow depth of field may also be achieved through 'zone focusing' if I have been able to understand the concept at all. Anyhow, I think I can now use the 50mm for landscapes using this technique, instead of relying exclusively on my 50-200mm kit lens. Thanks for teaching me something new guys - its always a nice high!!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-11-2011, 04:49 AM
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Dear All,
What a great website and what a marvelous community!! Thank you heaps for your kind replies, and for showing me the way here. I will certainly try both ways - 'recomposing' to see whether I can still get sharp images, and also RioRico's advise of cropping later (without being shy!). I guess this just provides me an excuse to take another couple of hundred shots!!
VonBaloney/Patrick9: my switch is turned to AF, and I have recently found that rather than using the shutter button pressed half-way, I just press the AE/AF button once. The indicator in my view finder comes on whenever I have focus, which is a lot easier than the other way around. I dont fully know the utility of this button and my settings have AE lock disabled...
reeftool: I realized early the focus points were not really my cup of tea either, for the reason you mentioned in your post..:)
Also, I notice that I dont get good results with my 18-55 mm kit lens - the image is always a bit soft and slightly blurred, even though I use center focus (AF mode). However, the smc A50mm (which I picked up for only 60 pounds off ebay) is razor sharp - I like using an aperture of f2.8, though I am still too raw to get perfect exposure on a consistent basis. O well, will get there!! Anyhow, any comments would be most welcome, and many thanks once again for the help.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-10-2011, 05:33 PM
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Sorry for the dumb question folks..:) Was wondering how to apply the rule of thirds using manual lenses (for instance my smc a50mm f1.7 lens) for portrait photography?? That is to say, how can I manually focus on a subject not in the middle of the screen?? I am sorry, but I have just entered the magical realm of photography and cud do with some tips here...:))
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