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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-02-2015, 07:08 AM
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-02-2015, 07:07 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-26-2015, 08:38 AM
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The San Antonio parks department helpfully provided this municipal reflector, and my kiddo finally found a water fountain he can drink from without a boost.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-19-2015, 06:25 AM
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I've been using the 16-45 DA for infamy and toddler shots. The autofocus is still noisy, but very fast. And the minimum focusing distance is close enough that I can get a good photo even if he comes at me once he hears the camera.
The image quality is also much nicer than the kit lens, IMO.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-18-2015, 05:38 PM
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Howdy, I'm a fellow forum member and Pentax user here in San Antonio. It's a fun city for photography!
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Forum: General Photography
01-18-2015, 11:42 AM
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I'm not sure that this would recommend the camera shop experience any more than a pushy salesperson. I'd also argue that the shrinking number of brick and mortar stores is good evidence that a lot of people are moving away from that purchase experience and toward buying online (or at least researching online).
I did research online, both to decide what to buy and also where. When I looked at the leading local camera store as an option, which does sell Pentax equipment, I found prices 50-75% higher than the same item brand new online. Add to that the fact that I was already on those ecommerce sites doing my research, with a buy button beckoning.
That's not a comment on Pentax's future, just that future market share may not be so tightly tied to shelf space in a brick and mortar store.
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Forum: General Photography
01-18-2015, 10:13 AM
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I'm a younger Pentax user. I chose my gear because it was the best quality with the most options within my price range.
As for camera stores - I've never set foot in one. I bought online, for far less than MSRP. As far as I can tell, that's the norm for younger folks making large purchases. You get a better price, and have access to far more information about your purchase. You also get to avoid pushy salespersons.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-17-2015, 02:39 PM
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There are no visible screw threads. Looking at some photos, this metal portion does look like photos I see online of M42 adaptors. And the inner portion does look like an M42 mount, with some of the features of the mount covered by what could be an adaptor.
In the M setting, the pin is just floppy and does nothing. In the A setting, the pin pushes in, but at no aperture setting will it make the blades close down.
Thanks very much, I'll dig a little more and see if I find instructions on removing adaptors that might shed more light on this.
---------- Post added 01-17-15 at 04:04 PM ----------
Thanks promacjoe, that did it.
I was able to get the adaptor off easily enough once I found the right lens cap - it's in very nice shape, and labeled "Asahi Pentax Japan". Looks like the adaptor alone was worth at least what I paid for the lens (:
I was able to get the aperture to close by pushing in the pin a bit further than the apartor allowed. The blades close verrrry slowly. They snap back open quickly, but won't close back down without my holding the pin in place for a few seconds. There is some visible lubricant on the edges of the blades when they close down a bit.
Worst case, I've got a lens that can only shoot at 2.8. I can live with that - I got this on impulse so that I could take portrait shots in low light where my 50-200 f4 gets a little murky.
Thanks again, this is a big help and I appreciate everyone's time.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-17-2015, 01:59 PM
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Eek! Sorry - had a brower glitch there. The post is updated with a photo. You can see the red alignment dot reflected in the metal mount on the bottom side there, and the pin at about 1 o'clock on the inner ring of the mount.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-17-2015, 01:36 PM
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I picked up this lens for pocket change on ebay, sold as a K-Mount - but it's not. It's a Beck 135mm f2.8 Auto (58mm filter thread).
It does have a pin, but the pin is on the inner portion of the mount, not along the outer portion where the Ricoh pin photos demonstrate, so this seems to be something else.
There is no aperture lever that I can see, and nothing projecting out from the lens other than the small pin. There is a ring just below the aperture ring with an M and an A setting, which either locks the pin in place pointing out, or else allows it to slide in and out of it's small pinhole freely.
The lens lines up and mounts to my K-50, but can only shoot wide open. The aperture ring doesn't open or close the blades, whether on or off the camera, and whether in the "M" or the "A" setting.
I've looked at a number of lens identification guides for different mounts trying to ID this, but no luck. Any help is very much appreciated.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
01-16-2015, 08:15 AM
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Walking through downtown Athens, Ohio while traveling for work. If you look at the right moment, there's a quaint little town hiding behind the drunken college kids.
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Forum: Photo Critique
01-12-2015, 09:23 PM
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I like the first photo quite a bit, especially the balance, and the contrast in texture between the water and rocks.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-10-2015, 10:43 PM
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South Texas is in the 30s right now, and mockingbirds have turned to the prickly pear for food.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
01-07-2015, 04:01 PM
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Happy 2015! Here's a small moment documenting the end of the 2014 holidays. This was meant to test a new Pentax 35mm f2.4 AL lense, to see how it would do wide open and close up.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-06-2015, 01:59 PM
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I'm a fan of the twigs in the image - the closest ones offer a nice sharp contrast with the water, and the varying angles of them keep my eyes moving around within the falls.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-05-2015, 02:36 PM
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I've been using my K-50 for about four months now, after upgrading from an older Pentax, and I love it. My budget doesn't leave a lot of room for gear, but the image quality and handling of this camera are amazing, especially for the price I paid!
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
01-05-2015, 02:20 PM
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At Balmorhea State Park, western Texas.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-05-2015, 12:30 PM
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Howdy,
I've been using the lens reviews on the forums for some time now, and wanted to go ahead and set up an account to participate! I live in San Antonio, TX, and also travel around the US and Canada for work with my camera in tow.
I use a K50, and have also owned a K10D and a K2000. I've got a motley handful of lenses. I tend to do a lot of nature photography and lower light photography, as well as occasional portraits.
I'm looking forward to sharing some photos, and adding some lens reviews!
-DM
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