It is not a bad lens - there simply are better ones. I used to own
one - its central definition and contrast is very good but edges are
quite poor until you stop the lens down to about f/11 - which is not
a good result for a lens that is relatively slow - by contemporary
standards. Wide open it also vignettes badly. I would say it
represents quality of good amateur lenses. Lack of a tripod mount is
a drawback - especially on bodies you consider to use with that lens.
I don't know the Manfrotto accessory you mentioned but the lens does
not extend at all and the only part where you should not mount hte
accessory is the focusing ring - since it needs to be accessed
easily. For AF shooting you can "shift" the focosing ring to AF
position and then it becomes disabled - it does not rotate during
autofocusing.
Inner focusing signifies that an internal group of lens elements is
being moved inside the objective to change focus insetad of
traditional method where the whole optical formula or the front of
the lens was moved to achieve focus. The advantages are numerous: the
lens does not extend, the front does rotate and - since only the
small, lighweight lens elements are shifted - autofocusing is faster
and more efficient with less drain on the motor and batteries. By the
way, this particular Pentax lens uses a variety of inner focusing
which is called rear focusing - a rear group of lens elements is
shifted - which is really less advantageous than movement of an
internal group of lens elements.
> Hi all,
>
> After following the digest version of this mailinglist I finally
decided to
> join! Glad to be able to get all valuable information, and possibly
later on
> to share some myself!
>
> And so my questions: I am looking at a used example of the FA*
300/4.5
> ED(IF) which seems to be a good lens, although lacking a tripod
mount. Three
> questions:
>
> 1. How does it balance together with a MZ-3 (or MZ-5N/ZX-5N)? I
have the FG
> battery pack almost permanently mounted.
>
> 2. What does IF mean? The reason I ask is that there is a separate
telephoto
> support from Manfrotto (art. no. 293), that sort of straps on the
front end
> of the lens (a little hard to describe, but you can see it on
> www.manfrotto.com, select photo tripods and heads/accessories/arms
and
> brackets...). I guess this support would work best mounted
somewhere on the
> lens that doesn't move (rotate or extend). What about this lens?
Does IF
> mean that all lens movements for focusing is internal and that the
exterior
> of the lens doesn't extend or retract when focusing? In that case
this
> support would probably work fine. Otherwise you would have to focus
first,
> and then mount the support.
>
> 3. Is there any other useful accessory?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Erik
> (new member from Sweden)
> -
> 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 .
>
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Duża dawka najlepszego jazzu - Gdynia Summer Jazz Days < http://abc.wp.pl/gsjd >
-
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 .
