Hi Tim that Tokina sounds like a good solution, I'm looking forward to seeing the results :-)
I will try bird photography again using the "crappy" Soligor M42 350mm 5.6 this time "in the field", the mirror lens is just too slow for animal photography under most circumstances without the help of a massive flash. On the other side I made some decent shots of landscapes with it. Yesterday I went to the Zoo in Zurich to take some shots for future prospects for my friend Gabriela at www.bestofswitzerlandtours.ch and her Zurich and surrounding bus tour which includes a visit at the Zoo. I carried the SFXn and the Pentax A 70-210mm zoom and a Braun TTL 38M flash and the Tamron macro 90mm and Pentax 50mm 1.7 (for fish/snake aquarium shots) and Pentax A 24mm on the ME Super for some outside overview and people shots with me. For the aquariums a tripod is really needed, the monopod was not sufficient for the speeds I got with ISO 400 film and I could not use the slave flash from above. The use of a polarizer helps for the window reflections but makes the light situation even worse. I will try that again but you really need more than one day for the Zoo and I have to focus on one kind of "animal type" at the time. I carried too much lenses for a 3 hours visit, my body and brain told me that in the evening :-) I did not use the macro lens at all but would have been glad for more reach of about 400mm for the wolves, penguins, apes and wildcats and some lovely stork nest. 210mm was too short for real close up portraits. I made some test shots a week before with the Pentax M 200mm + Ax2S extender but did not like the results and the handling so I did not take it with me. greetings Markus >>-----Original Message----- >>From: Tim Øsleby [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 2:12 PM >>To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net >>Subject: RE: PESO:Route 66 car and shop in Switzerland >> >> >>I wasn't totally clear in my comment. I think I _did_ get the >>"idea". But I >>kept thinking that a different angle would be better for that idea. A step >>or two to the right, _might_ be better. As presented, it was too mixed for >>me. >> >>I'm also working on the birds. And I do believe I am getting >>somewhere. The >>technical quality is improving. To steps down, the long beast performs >>acceptably well. But, I _do_ need to get closer, to shoot something worth >>showing. >>I have also got another lens somewhere in the mail. A Tokina AT-X >>100-300/4 >>SD. If I really get close, this is most likely a much better >>tool. I'm also >>hoping it will work with my AF 1,7x TC. If that combo and performs ok, it >>will open up a lot of new possibilities at an affordable price. >> >> >>Tim >>Mostly harmless (just plain Norwegian) >> >>Never underestimate the power of stupidity in large crowds >>(Very freely after Arthur C. Clarke, or some other clever guy) >> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Markus Maurer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Sent: 8. april 2006 07:07 >>> To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net >>> Subject: RE: PESO:Route 66 car and shop in Switzerland >>> >>> Hi Tim >>> A shop like this is special for a small village in Switzerland. >>> Honestly, I sometimes take pictures like that to give them as present to >>> the >>> shop owners as "appetizers" to let me later >>> take the "really interesting" photos inside the shop. That trick worked >>> with >>> churches before ;-) >>> He has some wonderful jukeboxes and petrol pumps and other >>colorful stuff >>> I >>> would like to photograph. >>> >>> I understand your comment very well, "something" indeed seems to be >>> missing >>> here or maybe it is just a "static" >>> shot as discussed recently ;-) >>> >>> I like photos of old cars somehow despite they do not really "move" me >>> too, >>> maybe one has to be a "car guy" >>> like Paul for that? Maybe that comes from the fact that I drove a very >>> nice >>> race Mini Cooper S years ago... >>> >>> thanks for the comment and btw my "crappy lens competition bird photos" >>> are >>> far from good yet. >>> >>> greetings >>> Markus >>> >>> >>> >>-----Original Message----- >>> >>From: Tim Øsleby [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 2:54 AM >>> >>To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net >>> >>Subject: RE: PESO:Route 66 car and shop in Switzerland >>> >> >>> >> >>> >>I don't know Markus. >>> >>There is lot to like in this image. There are some beautiful >>> >>details in the >>> >>wooden wall, some interesting signs, and a real beauty of a car, >>> >>and so on. >>> >>But still, it does not move me much. What did you actually photograph, >>> the >>> >>front of the car, the picturesque wall, days of the past, or what? >>> >> >>> >> >>> >>Tim >>> >>Mostly harmless (just plain Norwegian) >>> >> >>> >>Never underestimate the power of stupidity in large crowds >>> >>(Very freely after Arthur C. Clarke, or some other clever guy) >>> >> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> >>> From: Markus Maurer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> >>> Sent: 6. april 2006 21:05 >>> >>> To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net >>> >>> Subject: PESO:Route 66 car and shop in Switzerland >>> >>> >>> >>> Hi Pentaxians >>> >>> on my way home on the first bright sunday here I crossed >>this Route 66 >>> >>> shop >>> >>> and used the wonderful Pentax A 24mm again on the SFXn and Fuji >>> Superia >>> >>> 100 >>> >>> film : >>> >>> >>> >>> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=4304222&size=lg >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> I'm still experimenting for "the crappy lens competition" but this >>> lens >>> >>> would definitly not fit that category :-) >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> greetings >>> >>> Markus >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >> >> >>
