|
Forum: Lens Clubs
06-11-2020, 05:04 PM
|
| |
... 2.5mm long ant. A matter of perspective.
Raynox 250 hand-held in front of a beaten Diaplan 100mm f/2.8 hand-held in front of an 8mm hole in roll film backing paper as aperture in front of fully extended K-Bellows and small extension tube for a 3:1 magnification, cropped to ~5mm field of view.
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
05-18-2020, 01:06 PM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Lens Sample Photo Archive
06-18-2020, 04:08 AM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Lens Sample Photo Archive
06-18-2020, 04:06 AM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-13-2020, 11:33 AM
|
| |
Nice thread and great reading of the replies.
Interesting find on the response to your lenses vs composition.
From what I've experienced, the camera only captures, the lens adds our (the photographers) personal touch while the composition is what ultimately appeals to the viewers personal taste.
If someone doesn't like the composition, rarely will they give an image a second glance to discern if they like the bokeh, sharp detail or anything else.
If the image captures them, then they start to say they like the way an aspect created by the photography works or doesn't for they're own taste.
---------- Post added 06-13-20 at 11:40 AM ----------
How true. As my photography teacher used to say - you can make a bad print from a great negative but you can't put detail into a print from a negative that doesn't have any.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-12-2020, 05:42 PM
|
| |
Op is right, composition is a big part of getting an Explore or at least it is with me. If I'm cropping for a Flickr upload, rule of thirds all the way. Lens plays a part too I think, my must successful is a Leitz Weitzlar (Leica) 65/2.8, followed by FA50 Macro, then 43, and A100/2.8 Macro. I only post to Flickr when I'm joining the Ladies & Gentlemen in the Singles-In challenges and I've oftened wondered if that group has a dispositionally high Explore rate :)
The other observation I would make is that when I was picking up Explores more regularly, I was more in tune with my photography, a new lens here and there always helped as you were trying different stuff to figure it out. Know your camera and its strength and weaknesses so it's operation is intuitive, Flickr seems to like the older style rendering on one hand, but getting close in with a macro seems to help too.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-13-2020, 07:48 AM
|
| |
OK - I did it - I sat here and made the list of explores and the lenses that captured each image....
totals were easy - 143 explores, made with 55 different lenses...
breaking down those numbers produced some interesting results, however:
Top Explored Lenses - five or more explores, with a couple of ties:
1. Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 SL II
1. Auto Chinon MCM 55mm f1.7 Macro
3. Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 II APO HSM
4. Tamron Adaptall-2 SP 72B
4. Pentax SMC A 20mm f2.8
4. DA 21mm f3.2 Limited
4. DA 40mm f2.8 Limited
4. Tamron Adaptall-2 012BB
4. Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG
4. Cosina 55mm f1.2
Lenses Used on the Top-Five-Explored Photos
1. Vivitar (Cosina) 100mm f3.5 Macro
2. Auto Chinon MCM 55mm f1.7 Macro
3. Pentax SMC 35mm f2
4. Pentax FA* 300mm f4.5 ED IF
5. Cosina 55mm f1.2
Lenses Used on the Top-Five-Viewed Photos - not just explored or even faved, but just viewed
1. Cosina 55mm f1.2
2. Pentax SMC 35mm f2
3. Auto Chinon MCM 55mm f1.7 Macro
4. Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG
5. Vivitar (Cosina) 100mm f3.5 Macro
hmm...
a couple of thoughts on these shots - a large majority are from my participation in the Single In and the Daily Challenges, which mean I shoot every day, day in and day out, so I am uploading at least a couple of shots per day to flickr
additionally, it would appear that shots (of mine) that hit explore are just about anything with sky in it, dogs, or glass with light reflections...
as far as composition vs gear - the newest body I use is a K-3 and you can see not too many 'expensive' or 'exotic' lenses in my collection of explores, but more along the lines of what I would consider 'standard' lenses for Pentax shooters....
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-12-2020, 04:42 AM
|
| |
cripes, man, I was told there would be no math......
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-12-2020, 05:00 AM
|
| |
The best gear in the world cannot fix a bad composition but bad gear (or the wrong gear) can sometimes ruin a good composition. Thus the photographer needs both the right gear and the right composition. Moreover, focal length and aperture play an integral role in composition -- if a photographer only as a 50mm f/2.8 lens, there's a world of great compositions that they will miss because the composition requires wider angle, more telephoto point-of-view, or shallower DoF.
That said, looking out at the entire world of lenses, cameras, and compositions, it's the good compositions that are harder to find than the good lenses and cameras. Sure, there's some crap lenses and cameras out there. But the percentage of crap compositions is much much much higher.
Most photographers -- myself included -- would do better to invest in their brains than in their gear (but gear is easier to improve with one-click "buy-now" than are brains).
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
06-01-2020, 12:30 PM
|
| |
Was the purple a deliberate choice? I believe that is very close to the owners manual color. It is for the asahi pentax s anyway. It is a very apropriate choice!
Here is the "instruction guide" from the 1958 Asahi Pentax S
 Asahi-Pentax-S by swanlefitte, on Flickr
Here is a photo taken with the Takumar 55 2.2, A lens from dfferent times.
 I-remeber-better-times by swanlefitte, on Flickr
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
06-01-2020, 06:18 AM
|
| |
I used one of several 55/1.8 Super-Multi-Coated Takumars in my collection on my K-r to photograph another classic Takumar.
The Auto-Takumar 55/1.8 'Zebra' was introduced with the Asahi Pentax K in 1958. Both the K and the 55 should date to late 1958 or early 1959 based on the serial numbers. I waited nearly two months for this fairly clean copy of this hard to find lens to arrive from Japan due to COVID19 shipping issues.
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
12-12-2019, 09:48 PM
|
| |
Super-Takumar 135/3.5
 |
|
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
10-05-2019, 08:02 PM
|
| |
A wonderful shot. Shadow, light, much for the eye to absorb... I like it.
|
|
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
10-05-2019, 10:19 AM
|
| |
Would be difficult to say you were late because you couldn’t find the building!
KP + DA20-40
 three by Pam B-Kelley, on Flickr
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
09-10-2019, 01:48 PM
|
| |
Eryngium Maritimum from plage de Kerhillio (Quiberon Erdeven)
Zenitar 16mm K70
---------- Post added 09-10-19 at 08:57 PM ----------
JUPITER 9 85MM F2
Maybe my best portrait lens, unreal touch (at least on my original file) - needs to be closed one or two stops
 |
|
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
09-01-2019, 03:06 AM
|
| |
I have a list of new-ish lenses which I really shouldn't wait to put through the "Single In" wringer, so I think a "Daily In" is sorely needed.
Off the top of my head, the following need some love:
Theta Z1
HD DA 10-17/3.5-4.5
Zenit Mir 20/3.5
C-mount TV 25/1.4
K 28/2.0
FA 50/1.4
Helios 44-2 58/2.0
F 85/2.8 Soft
DA* 50-135/2.8 (just today hacked to screw drive AF)
DA* 60-250
Where's my local LBA Anonymous chapter?
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
08-25-2019, 10:03 PM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
08-25-2019, 09:11 AM
|
| |
Some flowers from a couple of months ago (RBG Ontario). SMC Macro Takumar @ F4.0 IIRC.
Iris siberica by Aaron, on Flickr
|
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
08-15-2019, 07:06 PM
|
| |
I think it's my final or end stage Soviet lens collection.
I think I'm done, but I have thought that before.
There's quite a few odd balls here, like cinema lenses or a few projectors.
My cameras with Soviet lenses.
 |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
07-09-2019, 08:07 PM
|
| |
Some at the dog park with a Jupiter 8 (50mm f/2 rangefinder lens). It's darn good for a ~$35 lens.
 |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
08-15-2019, 05:16 PM
|
| |
Good to see you again, Utak! I was away from the forum completely for a few years. It's good to see many of the old faces (or avatars :p) still around.
Considering your avatar, I hope you post some more in this thread soon. ;) Oh, and the Soviet thread really needs some attention. ;)
Another from the SMC 55/1.8, in downtown Tempe. I think it was some of your posts years ago that convinced me to buy one. :confused:
 |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
08-12-2019, 09:06 PM
|
| |
Super-Takumar 50/1.4
 |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
08-03-2019, 09:10 AM
|
| |
So I've glanced at the forum this afternoon and noticed in the recent reviews box that an individual with a grand total of six posts has given the 300mm/4.0 a rating of 2. I know I really shouldn't be bothered about such trivialities, but I've started feeling a sort of cumulative sense of irritation about this kind of nonsense because it happens again and again.
Honestly, I think there should be a minimum number of posts a new member should have to make before being allowed to do a review. Maybe 25 posts? 50? Just to prove that they have some capacity to contribute meaningfully to the site.
|
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-29-2019, 05:52 PM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Lens Clubs
06-04-2019, 10:18 PM
|
| |
| |
