----- Original Message ----- From: TM Subject: New lister and some questions (long- sorry)
> Hi, > I just wanted to say hello, as a brand-new subscriber to the list. > > Being a Pentax user from day one (my father has Pentax SLRs that > I've kind of inherited), I'm looking to add to my current equipment so > that I can effectively use what I have available to me as well as > increase my equipment. > > My primary SLR is a Pentax Super-A, but I only have one lens for it- > a 35-70 SMC-A f/4. I obviously need some more lenses- a wide angle and > a telephoto to start off with and could use some help in selecting > lenses. > > I'm not a serious photographer, so please bear with me and the > newbie/idiot > questions. Are you a frivolous photographer? > > What would be a good 24mm wide angle lens that isn't ultra-expensive? > I'm > on a budget and would like to keep the lens at $200 or less, if > possible, > used, in excellent condition. I don't know if this is possible at that > budget. I bet K and A 24mm lenses get pricey<G>. Tamron makes a nice manual focus 24mm, as does Sigma. I don't think Sigmas are as well built as Tamrons. Something to consider if you are tough on equipment. > > Also, I'm looking for something like a 80-200mm zoom or 100-300mm. Any > suggestions > for a decent inexpensive zoom, again hopefully under $200? SMCP-A 80-200 f/4 is very good. Might be reasonable price. The Takumar version is to be laid down and avoided. Tamron 80-210 f/3.8, like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1343689187 are quite good. This one looks a bit beaten on. > > I couldn't find a whole lot of info on winders, but seeing that I could > use > either the Motor Drive A or the Winder ME-II w/ the Super-A, which one > would > you suggest I try to find and purchase and why? My primary interest is > motorsports > photography, which is why I'd like the motor drive as my conception is > that the > motor drive will allow me to shoot more photographs more quickly than by > manually > winding each frame. The motor will do an extra frame and a bit per second. > > Another thing I'm not too clear on is whether I need to purchase a > battery pack > separately from the Motor Drive or whether that is included as it would > seem to > me that you need a power source for the motor drive, right? An 8AA battery pack should be included with the drive. The winder has a built in battery compartment. > > I'd also like to get a TTL flash and am thinking about getting the > AF280- is > that a good choice or should I look at something else? Anything I should > be careful > of in terms of compatibility- it seems as though this flash should work, > but I'm > not sure if there were variations in the model over the years. AF 280 is a very good flash. If you want to get away from the deer caught in the headlights effect, consider a separate flash gun, such as the AF400T, or a Metz 45 or 60 series. The Metz 60 has the advantage of being able to compete with the sun for light output. > > One last thing- I have an old screw-mount Spotmatic that doesn't work > properly- > the shutter speed is inaccurate. The local camera shop said it's not > worth fixing, > as it could cost quite a bit to fix and that doesn't guarantee that it > will last- > he mentioned that the meters on these cameras go bad quite often and > that the batteries > that power the meter are no longer made and the new equivalent doesn't > work as well? > I'm thinking that if it's no good to repair, I'll just retire the > Spotmatic and > use the screw mount adapter on my Super A, possibly buy another Super A > or something > similar as a backup body so I can use the nice screwmount lenses that I > already > have. Or I could get a new ZX-M to use, but I'm not sure if that's > a good choice, considering that something like a ZX-5n or ZX-L isn't > that expensive. > The autofocus isn't critical for me as I'm used to manual-focus cameras > and AF in > the cheaper cameras doesn't always work well, IME. Get a second opinion on the Spotmatic. Your repair guy is correct about the batteries. Have you tested the shutter for linearity? Don't get an MZ-5 with the idea of using manual focus. The viewfinder and screen are OK for framing, but terrible for focusing. I would hope the ZX-M has a better screen. Don't overlook a nice Program Plus also. They are a pretty nice little camera. They don't seem as bouncy as the Super Program, but I haven't formally tested that theory. Where I am, there are about a dozen ME-Supers for sale. They aren't all that expensive. William Robb - 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 .
