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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-03-2019, 08:26 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-03-2019, 07:31 AM
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I've always deferred to Klaus at photozone on CA, when he says CA is only really noticeable over 0.7 pixels. I've never found lenses rated for that kind of CA to cause problems.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-02-2019, 10:56 AM
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Here we go.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6aqlA5UWzAM?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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It's all about the images. .... which doesn't happen to be what Donkey Pee Review is about.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-03-2019, 05:05 AM
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For a guy like myself, who gets images no one else gets lugging my gear to places no one else goes, probably not. My Sigma 8-16 is a great lens, but it often gets left home even when it might be needed. Just not enough room in the camera bag.
A lens like that requires commitment to use on the part of the purchaser. That being done, it produces stellar images. That can be your niche. It's special enough you could commit to that and a few other lenses.
But, you certainly aren't locked out of the smooth bokeh genre just because you don't have one. You might have to work a little harder though.
K-1 and 100 macro. But you're simply not going to match those transitions. Those are unique among the lenses I've seen. The image you posted being a case in point. Soft feathery out of focus features that are dreamy in character.
 2018-05-23-yard-flowers-10 by Norm Head, on Flickr
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-03-2019, 04:54 AM
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There is a noticeable advantage to the DFA* 50 1.4, always has been. The question is, is it worth $500, double the weight and size in the camera bag to you?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-26-2019, 06:09 AM
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If you want smooth bokeh....
 2018-03-12-Forest-walks8 by Norm Head, on Flickr
K-1 and F 70-210 ar 210mm and f-5.6.
K-3 and DA 18-135, ƒ8
 2018-03-12-Forest-walks6 by Norm Head, on Flickr
K-1 and DA 55 at 55mm at ƒ2.
 2019-02-25-Calender-walk-3 by Norm Head, on Flickr
The round christmas tree lights in the back ground are definitely round, because they are circles of confusion, and circles of confusion are round. Take your simple magnifying glass out and produce a circle of confusion on the side walk. The circle of confusion will have sharp well defined edges. The only thing that might soften them up bit that I know of would be chromatic aberration. So it could be argued the DA 50 1.4 is smoother in the brighter out of focus areas would be it's notedly high CA values wide open. But the trade off with higher CA is less resolution.
K-1 and DA* 55 1.4 ƒ1.4
 2019-02-25-Calender-walk-12 by Norm Head, on Flickr
So yes all these things are subjective. But folks need to be aware that it's a sliding scale. You aren't just getting something, you're also losing something.
Just comparing the FA 50 macro and the new DFA 1.4, the DFA 50 1.4 has really good bokeh, but the FA 50 macro is sharper on the edges.gI'm not saying you need to apologize for liking one or the other. But you do need to realize, you're making a trade off. As above, looking at the F 70-210 image, the smoothest bokeh is from the softest lens.
The person shooting the 50 macro is saying "I prefer consistent edge to edge flat plane performance more than smooth out of focus areas."
The guys shooting the DFA*50 1.4 are saying, I prefer smooth out of focus rendering to consistent edge to edge performance.
The strength of the DFA 50 1.4 is it goes all in on the trade off. For smooth out of focus areas it's as good as it gets. And it's classic Pentax design like the 31 and 77. The FA 50 macro will remain the best edge to edge lens, although the edge resolution means the bokeh will get real sloppy really quick. People are going to pick a point on the sliding scale that suits them. Or buy all of them. Every individual lens defines a unique set of trade offs. None are the best for every purpose. But it might be the best set of compromises for the shot you're taking today.
Even with the DFA 50 1.4, better for you doesn't mean better for everyone.
It's sad that those who compare these lenses don't have comparative images to make their point. There are some somewhere posted on the forum, and the difference between the out of focus rendering of the DFA* 50 1.4 and DA* 55 1.4 was clear, but minimal. I studied those images carefully before opting for the DA*55 1.4. For some the little bit of extra smoothness is easily worth an extra $500, for others, not worth an extra dollar. The other advantages of the DA*55 , weight, volume of camera bag occupied and cost make it an un-appealing choice for the marginally better out of focus areas IMHO. The DA*55 is darn good, just not the absolute best at anything. But a very good and well thought out set of compromises.
Some people are going to prefer it.
It didn't get it's DA* designation by accident.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-28-2019, 11:11 AM
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Aberrations are strong compared to what?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-05-2018, 08:06 AM
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I will make sure Tess never sees this post. :D
Who's side are you on here? :D
But I agree, just because my 28-105 is set to 50mm, doesn't mean i would actually take it off the camera and put this 50 on, and the only 50 I carry regularly is the 50 macro. It's so big. It's the same weight as my DA*60-250, and that suggests it would rarely be with me. I often leave the 60-250 home and take the 55-300 PLM to save weight. I'm not trying to be reasonable here, I'm putting forward aa case for a lens I seriously don't need, just because I'd like to have one to play with.
But don't tell anyone. This is classified information. :D
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-04-2018, 06:24 PM
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hmmmm... 10% of my images are between 45mm and 55mm. That's pretty high percentage. The highest for any one FL range is 12% I can actually make a pretty good argument I would make good use of this lens. But I can I get an allocation from the House Appropriations Committee?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-04-2018, 11:56 AM
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It took the first generation SDM lenses 10 years to drop in price. They were at the highest they've ever been year ago when my DA*60-250 was selling for a higher price than Paid for it. If the 60-250 is any indication, it will go up before it goes down. Typically, the price doesn't fall on lenses until a new generation is released. These lenses will be close to this price for at least 5 or 6 years, probably more.
---------- Post added 08-04-18 at 03:06 PM ----------
With 2 thousand active participants out of 78,000 members, it goes without saying, even among registered users 2 out of 78 is 2.5%.
Just counting non-active forum users, if 10 is 2.5% there are 400 forum umembers with the lens, If franc has #2000 x 40, assuming they are all sold and there are back orders that would be 80,000. If you start guessing based on the number of forum users that have them, you aren't going to get accurate information. There are simply too many unknown factors. Basically, if Pentax doesn't tell us, we will never know. And Pentax never releases actual sales figures. Nor does anyone else.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-27-2018, 10:25 AM
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Cautionary, unless someone in a football game just scored goal. :D
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-27-2018, 07:52 AM
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I guess it would be too much to ask to wait until you have info before telling us what you think might be true. Anything good about Pentax has to have input from the nay sayers. I have to ask does "pretty much sold out" translate to reasonably well for you? We need a your definition of "reasonably well" to understand what you are saying. You could be the kind of guy for whom "sold every copy we have " is doing reasonably well, or you could be a guy for whom selling 1/4 of your stock in a year is doing reasonably well.
I guess you just wanted to say something unreasonably negative, but figured if you put "reasonably" in the phrase you'd sound less so. :D
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-27-2018, 06:13 AM
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The 40XS is "the K-01" lens. It came with the K-01 as kit.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-24-2018, 07:27 AM
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And I've shot with my gear at -30ºC. The battery doesn't last long, but you get your images.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-24-2018, 06:38 AM
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People trying to argue there is something wrong with this lens optically are going to have problems. A few have already badly damaged their reputations as "objective commenters" by trying.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-24-2018, 05:13 AM
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Ya, it was just a quick dirty test hand held under the same circumstances , for all it really indicates is I need more controlled testing, Good enough to say "you should look at this" but not good enough to make any real conclusions.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-23-2018, 06:10 AM
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Trust me, I've seriously considered it. I dropped my 10 year old FA 50 1.7 the other day, and I'm not planing to repair it. It still works if I manually focus it. A decision won't be made until tax time, but the price of the are 50 1.4 is $1600 Canadian. Having stopped shooting images for sale, that's way to much for an amateur. And I actually had a 55 on my first Pentax camera, an SV. It's kind of appealing to end where you started.
However I did a few cheap and dirty comparisons or flower images with my DFA 28-105 @68mm and my DFA 100 macro shot yesterday and the DFA 28-105 was so much further ahead it was visible on 1600 x 1200 viewing. I need a much more controlled test to confirm the results, but preliminary work would suggest, these modern lenses will be visibly better than what's been available before.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-23-2018, 05:52 AM
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Prices are bound to fall. The big spenders will be buying the new 50. So you've taken away the guys who will overpay for a lens just because it's all there is. Once all the status is with the new 50, who's even going to want those older lenses? It's always hard to buy a lens thinking "I could do better if i saved my pennies bit longer."
It would be really nice to see the second hand market prices fall to more reasonable levels.
It seems every second hand lens I look at these days, I'm thinking "stopgap for until Pentax releases a modern version." I paid $100 for my FAJ 18-35 (NiB). Even that seems like a to pay for a stop gap solution. The day a new version comes out, I own't even want it anymore. And probably neither will anyone else.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 04:28 PM
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Just put the 1.4 on it and you have 70mm ƒ22. :D
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 01:55 PM
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There are so few modern lenses, one has to consider each of these lenses for multiple uses. You certainly have to discuss it if the only option. I guess I can wait for a 1.7. What do you think? 10 years, twenty, easy to say but not very practical in the Pentax world. It's the only modern prime, forget about the only modern 50. I
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 09:17 AM
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That's the one.
The DoF guide on my FA 50 shows ƒ16 will keep everything in focus from 8 feet to infinity using a hyperfocal setting. You can get to 6 feet with ƒ22.
You give up close half your resolution to go to f22, it's truly a desperation measure.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 09:12 AM
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Of my last 2700 keepers, not one is taken at ƒ22 or ƒ32.
I have done in the past a few ƒ22 macros, but this isn't a macro lens. Which in away is quite sad, given that this lens appears to be a lot sharper than the 50 macro. You're going to be left with the decision, 50 macro, or shoot with this lens at minimum focusing distance and enlarge.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 08:59 AM
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Is this like "our amps go to 11?"
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 08:41 AM
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I can seriously Iive without ƒ22 or 32 on 50. My Sigma 70 has ƒ32, and the images taken at that f-stop are garbage.I do use ƒ22 from time to time but it's rare.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-22-2018, 06:44 AM
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Only for a certain type of photography. Personally I would be happy with a modern 1.7 for half the cost. I think Pentax knows they may sell some 1.4s to those of us who'd be just as happy with a 1.7, my guess is not providing a cheaper option is both intentional, and part fo the directive to pursue profit margin over market share.
In Canadian dollars, a K-1 and this lens would be over $5000 with tax. That end of the market is not where the majority of Pentax sales come from these days, and not necessarily of interest to the current user base.. This is new ground.
But from a perspective of new users having one of the best 50 1.4s available will be a selling point even for those who don't buy it. Although I suspect the 85 will do more for the brand than a 50.
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