On Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 12:05 PM, Graydon <o...@uniserve.com> wrote: > On Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 07:14:34AM -0600, William Robb scripsit: >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thibouille" >>> The 55/1.4 id known to a bit slow to focus, although it is very >>> precisewhen it locks. >>> >>> At the same time, this is supposed to be a portrait lens, so I'd say >>> I'd better have it AF well rather than fast. >>> Still, could be faster, indeed. >> >> I hate to say it, but the big boys in the sandbox seem to be able to get >> fast and accurate out of their AF systems. > > Generally at the cost of the manual focus, though, and so far as I can > tell (never having had my hands on one), the 55/1.4 is effectively a > manual focus lens with a very long focus throw that happens to have had > an SDM auto-focus motor included. > > Which is one of those design decisions you could certainly wish they > publicized more. > > -- Graydon (or it's just the SDM motor is one size too small...)
If that's the case, bravo for Pentax in doing this with a lens that will get a lot of MF use. One of the biggest problems with using AF lenses in manual is the short focus throws. That's one major reason why I'm slowly replacing my last few AF Nikkors with MF equivalents. -- M. Adam Maas http://www.mawz.ca Explorations of the City Around Us. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
