The f4 M75-150mm came in the mail today from KEH. Nice, not-too-heavy, old timey lens. Easy to operate on my ZX-M. Smooth and easy push-pull zoom and focus with one hand... Center weight AE metering... No blemishes on either outside covering or glass, aperture ring clicks as smooth as butter, and it was classified as a "bargain"! ($53.00 -Wow!) View through it is bright and clear, will see how it does its intended work better after current snowstorm passes here in NJ. (I still find it hard to believe that such good equipment can be obtained so inexpensively today...) This 75-150 lens may well replace my Tamron 2x, FA50mm f1.4 combo for outside use, although the 2x 50 is still great for interior, low light conditions. Used this combo (with my ZX-M) to photograph kids playing basketball in a gym; only four pictures out of focus, out of total 27. Pretty good for manual focusing of sports action. (Before AF, this was the way it HAD to be done.) (But I still will spring for an AF camera, as the FA50 and the 2x will operate that way also. And I want them ALL to be in focus...!!) Comparing the FA50 with the FA50 2x TC.... Naturally the light was harder to work with the 2x on, as the lens then became an f2.8. Big difference for ambient light work. Big difference! But I was also surprised to learn that the focusing became more "delicate", with seemingly less leeway in lens movement as to focusing it down sharp. (My imagination here?) Got some good night shots (with 2x) of an antique shop's interior showcase thru the window, (rubber lens hood is great for this,) almost macro type stuff of backlit glasses on shelves. F2.8 100mm is great for close-ups in low light, even when done via 2x TC. But when I continued on to shoot a wider rainy night scene of this same street it was a relief to then take the TC off and use the 50mm's full potential. (Got one beautiful, PUG worthy shot here...) One big drawback with F1.4 for close-ups though, is limited DOF wide open. Not as noticable when focusing on infinity, but with close-up of shelves, glasses are in focus up front, glasses a foot behind are not... I don't understand why people complain about, or put up with, flare in lenses? Rubber lens hoods are great way to eliminate this (at aprox $5 per), and can usually be put on any lens in place of extending the lens's (too short) built-in hood. They also fold back when not in use to make great additional protection for the lens. Am thinking about getting a used PZ1 body for my AF camera. KEH price for one in "excellent" condition is aprox the same as a new ZX5n body at BH. I really don't like the way the PZ's look (like a kid's fake camera, or a plastic beach toy), and I hate the way people say they eat (expensive) batteries, but I am intrigued by what they can do... (Especially with the hyper-program and hyper-manual modes. Although I see no real reason to ever shoot over 1/2000th sec, since only 1/500th is capable of stopping almost any damn thing.) But the PZ's do seem to have some interesting features that the ZX's lack. And if KEH's "bargain" stuff is so good (as per my "new" M75-150mm), then I can imagine what their "excellent" must be like... Don't like the manual VF on my ZX-M. The center focusing-aid ring shines too bright in the middle of the matte glass when camera is stopped down, or when DOF option is used, and is quite distracting. I think the clear matte screens on the AF cameras would probably be even better for manual focusing than this silly VF that is designed for it... Enough ramblings. My woman is missing my presence. (Nice, this...). Pentaxia is closed for the night. Skip - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
