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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 10-11-2023, 01:56 AM  
ZhongYi Mitakon APO 200mm F4 MACRO Aperture Priority exposure problem
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 10
Views: 836
By default, Pentax cameras don't release the shutter if no lens is detected. For users of lenses like the Mitakon or other fully manual lenses that can't be detected by the camera, you need to change this default behaviour. Given that you appear to have used other fully manual lenses, it's likely that you already changed this setting. But this should not affect exposure metering.

A possible fix could be tapping the shutter button or the green button for re-metering each time after changing the aperture. It's possible that the camera is set up to retain the metered values even after changing the aperture, and only measures when the buttons are pressed. Then you might find that the camera does not compensate for the reduced light when you stop down the lens.

However, aperture-dependent exposure is an issue with many fully manual lenses I have used. For some reason, light transmission appears to change for some lenses when stopping down, leading to exposure differences. Usually, this affects bigger apertures, e.g. changing from f2.4 to 3.5. The only thing that helps in these cases is dealing in the exposure compensation.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 12-06-2022, 02:49 PM  
Diaphragm blades stopped working - Pentacon auto 2.8 29mm
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 6
Views: 1,202
The old Pentacon lenses are notorious for sticky apertures due to oil residue on the aperture blades. Medex and Bob 256 already gave hints that will help you diagnose the problem. If you still experience problems and the aperture does not close even if you press the pin, this might be the cause.

If so, this is relatively easy to fix. you need to disassemble the lens until you get to the aperture blades. The following video gives you a good idea about how to proceed:
















You Tube




You need some cotton buds and 99.X% alcohol.

The most minimal surgery requires disassembly until you get to the aperture blades, e.g. until 4:07 mins. Whether you disassemble the front or the back doesn't matter. It's best to remove both sides of the lens assembly, so you don't dirtify the lenses as you clean, but sometimes it's easier to use the most minimally invasive technique if you are not experienced in disassembling lenses. Then you dip your cotton buds into the alcohol and carefully drip it onto the aperture diaphragm. This should be enough to enable the aperture blades to open whilst the alcohol is has not evaporated, but you still need to clean off the oil. Then you use alcohol-dipped cotton buds to carefully, gently, clean off the oil off the blades. Open and close the blades carefully as you clean the lens, make sure they don't jam, replacing the cotton buds when the get too dirty. Keep doing this until the cotton buds remain relatively clean, making sure you dislodge the oil on the other side as well. Use dry cotton buds to wipe off any excess alcohol that doesn't evaporate and to check that you removed the oil and the blades are functioning again. Once you are happy with the result, check that the lens elements are clean and you can reassemble the lens and use it for many more years.

Of course, it would be better to fully disassemble the lens aperture blades, and give them a proper soak and clean, but if you haven't disassembled lenses and aperture blades before, there are too many things that could go wrong and can be incredibly fiddly. The above method tends to work well with old East German lenses that are not worth enough to warrant sending off to a proper repair facility.
Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 08-28-2022, 05:01 AM  
thinking about a father/son trip to Scotland in 2023 any thoughts or suggestions
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 63
Views: 2,814
I lived in Glasgow and Edinburgh a few years ago. I’ve not attended the Tattoo because it’s not my cup of tea, but I highly recommend going up Arthur’s Seat in the early hours of the morning. Also go to Glasgow and go through the West End and up the Necropolis.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 01-05-2022, 05:33 PM  
Pentacon 200/4 missing mount
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 15
Views: 1,097
The Meyer/Pentacon 135 and 200mm lenses are quite fun. I have attached a k-mount that focuses slightly further than infinity using an extension ring set, like these:



Using only the camera mount and one or two of the middle pieces provides a snug fit that provides a more secure attachment than the M42/Pentax-K adapters.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 06-02-2021, 01:21 AM  
Merging the optics from an A50 mm F1.7 to a M50 mm F1.7?
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 15
Views: 1,178
The A50/1.7 has a common fault with the aperuture mechanism, as @sfkazierczak pointed out. I had one in the past with said problem and it was a very easy fix with some epoxy glue. So I agree that that would probably the easier solution if there's nothing else wrong with the A50.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 04-17-2021, 05:53 AM  
New Firmware Released
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 305
Views: 28,973
I did a quick before/after comparison and I can confirm - the autofocus of the my SMC-Pentax FA77 seems to be much snappier and locks on better to the subjects. I haven't had the lens for long enough to take it on a proper shoot, but when I took it on a walk I always felt it was a little unreliable and indecisive when focussing. That seems to have changed now.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 04-08-2021, 02:26 PM  
K2000 af
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 3
Views: 468
The contacts on the camera lens mount might be dirty. You could try cleaning them with a soft cloth.
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 03-17-2021, 02:31 AM  
UK prices ratcheting up ?
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 7
Views: 1,000
I think there's a bunch of contributing factors here - inflation, the £'s loss in value due to Brexit and Ricos price policies.

It also appear to me that Ricoh bumps up prices when a batch of a lens is low. I think that's behind the previous high cost of lenses such as the SMC35/2.0 and the SMC-Limiteds. With the introduction of the HD versions and a new batch being made, the price of the revised lenses was lower than the old stock ones. I wonder whether something similar might be going on with lenses like the DA300/4 and similar.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-25-2021, 08:03 AM  
New K-Mount Roadmap - Feb 2021
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 16
Views: 4,328
Curiously, the ~70~300 D-FA lens is listed before the D-FA 21 limited - does that suggest it's going to be released earlier?
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 12-10-2020, 06:44 AM  
Help choosing longer lens, on a budget.
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 75
Views: 3,812
Just to throw in another suggestion that's not been mentioned:

I have the Tokina AF 80-400mm f/4,5-5,6 AT-X, which doesn't get you all the way to 500-600mm. For the price I paid, it is very good and given the focal range and that it's full frame, it is very lightweight. Unfortunately it loses contrast towards the longer end and I'm not sure how much better it is than the 55-300 PLM + cropping.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 11-08-2020, 04:02 AM  
K-1 Portrait Lens
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 46
Views: 3,974
Can I throw the DA70 into the mix? Glorious colours, smooth backgrounds - less fringing than the FA77. At 2.4 the aperture isn't the widest but usually sufficient. The lens is tiny and designed for APS-C, but unless the hood is fully pulled out I had no issues for portraits on the K1. I have taken some of my favourite portraits with it.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-27-2020, 04:51 AM  
Why do large files look pixelated
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 7
Views: 1,153
Is this potentially related to the preview image embedded in the RAW file? Pentax cameras put a low resolution JPEG into the RAW so that the file can be previewed quickly without loading the entire file.

When I load my RAWs into Aperture (bless, it still works...) it first loads up the preview image with similar issues as you describe. Once it has processed the file, it creates a new preview in its library with better quality.

I wonder whether Silkypix is doing something similar but might not create a high quality image on older computers. Maybe there's a setting for that, too.
Forum: Pentax Price Watch 10-26-2020, 10:31 AM  
Voigtlander Nokton 58/1.4 SL II Pentax KA on ebay.de
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 3
Views: 881
Noooo.... I was hoping this would fly under the radar :-)

To be honest, it's not a lens I need, but the itch is there...
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 08-22-2020, 03:59 AM  
Revuenon 55 1.2 worth it?
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 25
Views: 2,635
The Revuenon is said to be much better than the Porst lens of same vintage/specifications. It was made by Cosina and also sold under that name, and probably others, too. So you can read five more reviews of the Cosina, too.

It looks like it's a great lens, but In Germany it can frequently be found for €200, so $370 isn't exactly a bargain. But depending on where you live, it might be the only price available.

---------- Post added Aug 22nd, 2020 at 04:06 ----------

It looks like Cosina also made the Porst version of the lens that's optically much weaker than the Revuenon. Key distinguishing features are the black anodised lens mount for the Porst and the overall shape of the lenses.

It looks like both Vivitar and Ricoh rebadged the Cosina/Revuenon lens.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 07-10-2020, 12:19 AM  
Recommend a long, cheap telephoto please
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 36
Views: 2,312
Be aware there are different versions of the Soligors around. I actually had a Soligor/Sunagor 400/5.6 a while ago, and I wasn't impressed with its performance. Mine was not very sharp, had a lot of CAs (more than the SIGMA 300/4.5) and wide open very little contrast, so that I actually preferred cropping from the 300mm. That's why I wonder whether the APO-SIGMA 400/5.6 might be a better choice.

The Soligor 400/6.3 looks like a "Wundertüte" ("a bag of wonders"), which has the reputation of being better than one would think it should be.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 07-09-2020, 06:35 PM  
Recommend a long, cheap telephoto please
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 36
Views: 2,312
I have the Tokina AT-X 80-400 and the a Ricoh XR Rikenon APO 300mm/4.5, which is a rebadged Sigma. Both lenses are quite nice and can be found for little money if patient. Sigma also has a 400mm/5.6, of which the APO versions are said to be usable.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-03-2020, 02:54 AM  
(New K-mount lenses) The return of the revenge: Meyer Optik Görlitz by OPC Optics
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 84
Views: 14,836
The Lydith is not a bad lens and has a lot of character. The original lens can be had for €50 or less in this part of the world and comes in either M42 or EXA mount, in Pentacon and Meyer branding. Sure, these old lenses may not be mechanically perfect, often have wear and tear, and misaligned elements are also reported. But at that price you could buy a few and still have plenty of money left...

The story's a bit different for the Trioplans and Primoplans, especially the 75mm version, which are much pricier and harder to come by. If I was in the market for a Primoplan 75/1.9 for €1000 used in ok-ish condition and the brand new Meyer version, I would certainly choose the latter. Or maybe just get the Pentax FA77...

But if my work depended on these lenses and would make enough income from it to pay for them, I would probably pick a new one that I can rely on. Then I don't have to fiddle with flimsy M42 adapters, uneven focus, oily aperture blades and all the other issues these old lenses are plagued by. If you're in that position, it's good to have the option of getting a new copy of the lens.

As far as I know OPC has retained the same manufacturing process and different small repair shops produce the components and assemble the lenses. It appears to be a mostly small-scale operation with a lot of manual work in a high wage country. My hunch is that the profits per lens aren't that small, but they need to be because otherwise the whole business wouldn't be profitable.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-15-2020, 03:01 AM  
HD Pentax DA * 16-50mm F2.8ED PLM AW is the second one.
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 924
Views: 90,673
I have no interest in the DA16-50, but a refresh was overdue and it's the most needed update in APS-C land. The optical and mechanical performance was simply not up to star level.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-15-2020, 02:24 AM  
HD Pentax-D FA★ 85mm f/1.4 SDM AW
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 1,078
Views: 98,590
The 85 having a concave front element is pretty exciting. I have the Zeiss Ultron 50/1.8 and it's a magical lens, probably the only MF lens that I would consider on par with my 43 limited. Now, I'm sure it takes more than a concave front element but it makes the D-FA stand out a fair bit and I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures from it. It's probably too pricey and I like my DA70 limited so much that so far I haven't even bought a FA 77 limited. The D-FA21 limited however fills a gap in my lineup...
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 05-15-2020, 02:19 AM  
D FA 21 Limited is one of the three.
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 1,748
Views: 145,944
In one on the lens surveys by Ricoh a few years ago, I put the D-FA21 Limited as a top priority on the list. Now it's finally announced, including WR and revised AF. I'm really looking forward to its release, and I just hope it will do starbursts as nicely as the DA15. Then I will be happy. I'm pretty sure my wallet will say no for a while though and my voigtlander 20/3.5 will be very sad. Oh well.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 04-14-2020, 09:53 AM  
(New K-mount lenses) The return of the revenge: Meyer Optik Görlitz by OPC Optics
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 84
Views: 14,836
I do love the Primoplan and hope that will be one of the next lenses they will re-release. I have two original M42 versions, one standard and one in the mini-body. The rendering is something quite special and the lens is a good performer given its age. The mechanics and coatings are not that amazing, particularly with the K-Mount adapter, which other people have mentioned already, so a native K-Mount version would be nice to have. I regret not having picked up the K-Mount version when it was on sale for €450, but I'm not sure I'd be willing to spend €999 on it...

The same holds for the Trioplan 100. It's a speciality lens, and the bokeh can make or break a photo depending on the circumstances. A smooth bokeh is just a stylistic choice, and not every photo will benefit from it. The FA43 ltd can have a harsh OOF rendering, too, but in the right context the background can look like an impressionist painting by Monet or Renoir.

I hope OPC has retained the characteristic rendering (because what's the point otherwise?), but those photos are too early to tell. The original Trioplan doesn't bubble in every photo and for every OOF highlight, but is a bit selective, e.g. bubbles here:

on the cusp by Simon Lambert, on Flickr

compared to a more characteristic example of the Trioplan 100 bokeh:

clover in dew by eric cadreur, on Flickr

The Pentacon/Meyer Orestor 100mm and 135mm lenses have a very different, much smoother image characteristic, but even other triplets don't bubble as much. So even slight changes in design might reduce the bubbles, and if the bubbling characteristic has been reduced it kinda defeats the purpose of the lens. It's a shame that the sample photos provided by OPC don't show the typical Trioplan-bubbles, and I hope that that's just because they picked unrepresentative photos, rather than the lens behaving differently.
Forum: Pentax Full Frame 04-14-2020, 06:00 AM  
pentax k-1 Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4 SL-II
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 13
Views: 2,577
I think £300 is just about reasonable for these Voigtländer lenses. I recently picked up the 20mm version for roughly the same price. They have great IQ and built quality. Mind you, it is a slightly older design and it might be worth getting another vintage lens for similar image quality, e.g. the Takuma 55 1.8 or 50 1.4.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 04-06-2020, 03:16 AM  
SMC Pentax K 20mm f/1.4?
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 121
Views: 16,592
The vignetting seems strong with this one, though. Is it just me, or have the photos been cropped to a different aspect ratio? So maybe vignetting could be even worse... but then this lens is probably more of a collector's item.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 01-07-2020, 08:23 AM  
SMC Pentax K 20mm f/1.4?
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 121
Views: 16,592
OMG wow, this is amazing! I would love to own a lens, or even just see pictures taken with it. On the other hand, I would almost be too scared to take it out of the house.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 06-05-2019, 10:40 AM  
K-1 misreading Tokina lens.
Posted By antipattern
Replies: 11
Views: 1,198
I have a Tokina 80-400 with the same issue. Don't worry about it.
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