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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-01-2018, 10:45 PM
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Photo taken in Duluth, Minnesota.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-05-2014, 05:45 PM
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With the weight of 39 pounds and minimum focus distance of sixty-five feet, this lens has little or no practical value for the vast majority of serious users. I had the Pentax 1000mm f8 straight lens, and it was a learning experience at eleven pounds, thirty inches long, and minimum focus of one hundred feet. It now has a good home on display in California!!!:)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-18-2013, 07:21 PM
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I got one of these lenses some months back and have been very happy with it in general. It is well balanced and easy to work with when following moving subjects and became intuitive quickly, at least for me. The interchangeable mounts I believe were called Soligor US mounts, and they are not easy to find. Getting the mount lined up and attached properly takes a couple minutes and while the diaphragm linkage is not the absolute best, is nonetheless sufficiently constructed and caused no problems for me while spending whole days at Lincoln Park and Brookfield zoos in Chicago. The size isn't really huge considering the range, and for the $150 I spent on this lens, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Attached is a picture of a rhinoceros that has been reduced so it will not show the full resolution, but it was certainly a good lens for the price in my opinion.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
06-18-2013, 06:41 PM
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Thanks again for your responses. After a little experience and a lot of consideration, the lens is now in a collection along with a ton of other Pentax lenses. I learned a great deal from having it for a few short months about lens supports, atmospheric conditions, and many other practical aspects of photography I never considered before. While it will be a long time before I buy another lens with that kind of weight and size, I feel much better prepared to take on new projects with a fresh eye for the experience!
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
05-22-2013, 02:28 PM
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Thank you for that insight. It is always good when someone has hands-on experience in deciding just how much to invest on any experiment.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
05-21-2013, 08:02 PM
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I am wondering if anyone has actual experience with the Telemore 2X teleconverter in M42 mount and if, like many such add-ons, degrades images quality so as to make it unusable, or if it is a respectable item for serious photography. I know of the Telemore95 and the Telemore95 II, and that this company also produced such converters for well known medium format cameras. Any information appreciated, thank you, James
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
05-21-2013, 07:17 PM
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Through trial and error I have learned a lot about tripods. The head I like best is a Slik older model, most likely an SH-909. It is a much beefier version of the simplest of heads and allows taking advantage of both threaded holes on the lens. This had always been the main problem, somehow eliminating the single-point support. Of course it is still necessary to use the long lens support along with the self timer, but finally this is an entirely stable solution and a picture will be attached to show how it looks. You will notice a handle has been attached to the lens that with pads that prevent connecting anything to the lens while making it much easier to work with. Also is attached a test image of street signs. The street signs are of no great interest, but keep in mind that this was taken from a block away and actually shows the texture of the paint. I challenge any other lens to top what this lens can do when used in the right light, mainly overcast probably being the best bet.
I don't know if this is a practical lens for me, since I do not really have a setup to take proper advantage of it. I am on the fence right now on that.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
05-21-2013, 04:42 PM
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It has been sometime, and your responses are greatly appreciated. It took quite a bit of research and planning to use this lens, i.e., assembling proper supports and so on. What I have learned is this- a lens like this requires a serious commitment and it for the most part best suited to stationary subjects. If you shoot animals at a zoo, it will work with animals that do not move around a lot, and other animals while they are resting. As for moving subjects, the lack of mobility simply will not allow enough response time for objects in motion. Once you learn the limits of this lens it is possible to get outstanding results within those limits, but they are narrow when compared with the freedom of movement afforded by mirror lenses. That being said, the majority of 1000mm lenses out there offer optical quality that is practically on par with that of a video surveillance camera at f11 or f13.5. In other words, to be blunt, most of them are junk with the depth of field of a sheet of paper, and a thin sheet at that. This lens does have the fine optics that Pentax is known for, and can produce awesome results, but plan on investing some serious time if you want to get those results.
I don't know if I will keep this piece since I have to travel by train, but that is not Pentax's fault. It is still superior in my opinion to a lot of modern equivalents selling for ten times the price. I will post a reduced version of a great shot from my recent trip, and although not made with this lens, I hope you enjoy it.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
12-12-2012, 06:06 PM
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Having read some of the posts on this forum it is clear there are some very experienced and serious users. I am looking for the best support for working with the old school Pentax Tele-Takumar f/8 1000mm lens. This is not a mirror lens, but a straight lens almost thirty inches in length weighing just under twelve pounds, with a front filter diameter around 134mm. After a little research I have found of course the Wimberley WH-200 as well as a cradle-style support made by Bogen. This lens is something I haven't had long, so any information would be appreciated. To give an accurate idea of the size of this piece a picture is attached.
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