Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[graywolf]

I would say that a film camera will be usable about as long as a current 
digital camera .

For what it is worth there are still quite a few folks on this list who 
continue to use film. Including a few who have returned to film after 
the new wore off their digital cameras. The Analog Photography Users 
Group  seems to still have a few posts on it.

-- 
graywolf
http://www.graywolfphoto.com
http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf
"Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof"
---


Toralf Lund wrote:

>>
> Or maybe you could make that "any camera is not a future purchase" these 
> days...

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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[graywolf]

I have never much liked 28mm, preferring a 24mm (on 35mm film). But then 
35mm has always been my standard lens. If I could only have one I would 
take the 35mm. If I could have two it would be the 35mm and 100mm. In 
fact, with my digicam I shoot 90% of my shots at the short and long end 
of the zoom which is the visual equivalent of that 35 and 100, so I am 
pretty consistent with this preference.

-- 
graywolf
http://www.graywolfphoto.com
http://webpages.charter.net/graywolf
"Idiot Proof" <==> "Expert Proof"
---


Mark Roberts wrote:

> 
> It's a good thing there are so many different opinions on favorite
> focal lengths. Otherwise the camera manufacturers wouldn't make nearly
> so many lenses! :)
> 
> I often used the 28mm as my standard lens on film. Don't use it as
> much on digital.
>  

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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Toralf Lund]

Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:

>Any film camera is not a future purchase at this point in time. 
>
Or maybe you could make that "any camera is not a future purchase" these 
days...

- T



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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Mark Roberts]

Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote:

>28mm with the *ist DS is a wonderful wide-normal focal length, the  
>equivalent of what I used to love in a 40mm lens on film. I use the  
>focal length a LOT with the FA20-35 lens, and keep debating over  
>buying an FA28/2.8 as well. I really should... !
>
>I just was never really happy with the field of view of a 28mm on  
>film. I preferred either 35mm or wider. I know a lot of folks find  
>28mm perfect!

It's a good thing there are so many different opinions on favorite
focal lengths. Otherwise the camera manufacturers wouldn't make nearly
so many lenses! :)

I often used the 28mm as my standard lens on film. Don't use it as
much on digital.
 
-- 
Mark Roberts Photography & Multimedia
www.robertstech.com
412-687-2835

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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Godfrey DiGiorgi]

On Jun 30, 2006, at 2:10 PM, Don Sanderson wrote:

> Well put Godfrey, I would have said nearly the exact same things.
> Only difference is I do like the 28mm, both on film and digi.
> Extension tubes are awesome things, I have 3 true macro lenses
> and still wouldn't part with my tubes.

28mm with the *ist DS is a wonderful wide-normal focal length, the  
equivalent of what I used to love in a 40mm lens on film. I use the  
focal length a LOT with the FA20-35 lens, and keep debating over  
buying an FA28/2.8 as well. I really should... !

I just was never really happy with the field of view of a 28mm on  
film. I preferred either 35mm or wider. I know a lot of folks find  
28mm perfect!

Godfrey

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RE: bought an MX - need some advice

[Don Sanderson]

Well put Godfrey, I would have said nearly the exact same things.
Only difference is I do like the 28mm, both on film and digi.
Extension tubes are awesome things, I have 3 true macro lenses
and still wouldn't part with my tubes.

Don

> -Original Message-
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of
> Godfrey DiGiorgi
> Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 2:53 PM
> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> Subject: Re: bought an MX - need some advice
> 
> 
> Any film camera is not a future purchase at this point in time. The  
> MX is a wonderful camera, reminds me a lot of the Nikon FM I used for  
> 20 years, but it's not something for which to consider a future.
> 
> That said, if you enjoy working with film, stock up on your favorite  
> emulsions and go for it. Be aware that at some point, you'll likely  
> *need* do learn how to do your own processing as film and  
> photofinishers start disappearing.
> 
> > If I buy extra lenses, will they have
> > any market value in the near future?
> 
> The good news is that nearly any lenses you buy for the MX will also  
> work on a Pentax DSLR. Try to buy Pentax-A series or later lenses,  
> the DSLRs can use them with more options/features.
> 
> > Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro.
> > Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
> > suited for neither...
> 
> Not true, a 50mm lens is very good for both. The Pentax 50/1.7 is a  
> very good lens for macro with extension tubes, and is also great at  
> street work.
> 
> My favorite for street work is a 35mm or 40mm lens. The Pentax-M 40mm  
> f/2.8 is a very compact pancake design that works very well for this,  
> and the current series Pentax-FA35/2 is superb. For me, 28 was never  
> a great lens on 35mm ... a little too wide in one case, not quite  
> wide enough in another. I preferred a large step between 35 and, say,  
> a 20-24mm for ultrawide.
> 
> > As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take  
> > close up
> > pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I  
> > need a
> > macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> > distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
> > of view at such close distances.
> 
> Get a copy of the book "Closeups In Nature" by John Shaw. Until you  
> know more specifically what you want to shoot and what's required,  
> use extension tubes and your 50mm lens to learn with.
> 
> Godfrey
> 
> 
> -- 
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> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
> 

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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Godfrey DiGiorgi]

Any film camera is not a future purchase at this point in time. The  
MX is a wonderful camera, reminds me a lot of the Nikon FM I used for  
20 years, but it's not something for which to consider a future.

That said, if you enjoy working with film, stock up on your favorite  
emulsions and go for it. Be aware that at some point, you'll likely  
*need* do learn how to do your own processing as film and  
photofinishers start disappearing.

> If I buy extra lenses, will they have
> any market value in the near future?

The good news is that nearly any lenses you buy for the MX will also  
work on a Pentax DSLR. Try to buy Pentax-A series or later lenses,  
the DSLRs can use them with more options/features.

> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro.
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
> suited for neither...

Not true, a 50mm lens is very good for both. The Pentax 50/1.7 is a  
very good lens for macro with extension tubes, and is also great at  
street work.

My favorite for street work is a 35mm or 40mm lens. The Pentax-M 40mm  
f/2.8 is a very compact pancake design that works very well for this,  
and the current series Pentax-FA35/2 is superb. For me, 28 was never  
a great lens on 35mm ... a little too wide in one case, not quite  
wide enough in another. I preferred a large step between 35 and, say,  
a 20-24mm for ultrawide.

> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take  
> close up
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I  
> need a
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
> of view at such close distances.

Get a copy of the book "Closeups In Nature" by John Shaw. Until you  
know more specifically what you want to shoot and what's required,  
use extension tubes and your 50mm lens to learn with.

Godfrey


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RE: bought an MX - need some advice

[Bob W]

> -Original Message-
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On 
> Behalf Of Juan Buhler
> Sent: 30 June 2006 08:50
> To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> Subject: Re: bought an MX - need some advice
> 
> The MX is a great camera, probably y favorite Pentax of all times.
> 
> Also, the 50mm 1.7 lens you have is not only an excellent lens, but
it
> is definitely suited for street photography. It's actually my
> preferred focal length for that, but don't take my word for it: HCB
is
> said to have used 50mm lenses almost exclusively
> 

Yes, but I'll bet he secretly hankered after a Sigma 14-600 f16-32
zoom.

Bob



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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[cbwaters]

Boy Pedro, have you come to the right place...

If it makes you feel any better, I have the *ist D so I'm well into the 
digital world but I also recently bought an MX for very little.  I've since 
bought a couple Pentax M-series lenses on Ebay or this list (28,35&50MM).
So, You're not alone on your path.

Cory Waters
Atlanta,GA

- Original Message - 
From: "Pedro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 5:15 PM
Subject: bought an MX - need some advice


> Hi,
>
> I'm glad to have stumbled across such an active mailing list... I've
> always had a big interest in photography - though I never went further
> than taking snapshots with point and shoot cameras. So, when I recently
> was offered an old Pentax MX for next to nothing, I bought the thing on
> an impulse. Now, I never owned an SRL before, let alone an all manual
> camera, and I'm really enjoying learning to use it. I do, however, have
> a few questions and concerns with which I hope you can help me.
>
> With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a complete
> dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get service
> and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they have
> any market value in the near future? I'm not complaining for the time
> being, since I bought the thing really cheap from a friend, but I'm a
> bit reluctant to put any more money on it if will be of no use in an
> year or two.
>
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro.
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
> suited for neither...
>
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
> of view at such close distances.
>
> Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street photos.
> 28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but feel
> free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second
> hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good
> price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?
>
> Thank you for your time,
> pedro
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
>
>
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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Toralf Lund]

Pedro wrote:
> Hi,
>
> [ ... ]
>
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro. 
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially 
> suited for neither...
>   
I happen to have a "2X Macro Focusing Teleconverter" that I intend to 
sell (but I haven't tried very hard to do it), since I now also own a 
real macro lens. This will effectively turn your 50mm (which is quite 
well suited for extension rings or this kind of converter, by the way) 
into a poor-man's (but the picture quality is not that poor, really) 
100mm 1:1 macro (see below.) Let me know if you are interested.
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up 
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a 
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal 
> distance do I need? 
Depends on the focal length of the lens, I guess, but the minimum focus 
distance of the Pentax 100mm 1:1 macros is 31cm.

The focusing capability of macro lenses is generally expressed as a 
ratio - between the size of a subject's depiction on the film and the 
actual size of that subject, at the minimum focusing distance. A "true" 
macro lens can do at least 1:1, meaning that when you focus as close as 
possible, you get a life-size image on the film (which means it will be 
larger than life on a typical print, of course.) Low-cost "macros" will 
usually give you 1:2, while zooms with a macro function offer something 
like 1:3.

- Toralf


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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Juan Buhler]

The MX is a great camera, probably y favorite Pentax of all times.

Also, the 50mm 1.7 lens you have is not only an excellent lens, but it
is definitely suited for street photography. It's actually my
preferred focal length for that, but don't take my word for it: HCB is
said to have used 50mm lenses almost exclusively

Enjoy your camera!

j

On 6/29/06, Pedro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm glad to have stumbled across such an active mailing list... I've
> always had a big interest in photography - though I never went further
> than taking snapshots with point and shoot cameras. So, when I recently
> was offered an old Pentax MX for next to nothing, I bought the thing on
> an impulse. Now, I never owned an SRL before, let alone an all manual
> camera, and I'm really enjoying learning to use it. I do, however, have
> a few questions and concerns with which I hope you can help me.
>
> With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a complete
> dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get service
> and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they have
> any market value in the near future? I'm not complaining for the time
> being, since I bought the thing really cheap from a friend, but I'm a
> bit reluctant to put any more money on it if will be of no use in an
> year or two.
>
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro.
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
> suited for neither...
>
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
> of view at such close distances.
>
> Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street photos.
> 28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but feel
> free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second
> hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good
> price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?
>
> Thank you for your time,
> pedro
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> PDML@pdml.net
> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
>


-- 
Juan Buhler
Check out my book: http://www.jbuhler.com/book.html
Water Molotov: http://photoblog.jbuhler.com
Slippery Slope: http://color.jbuhler.com

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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Lucas Rijnders]

Op Thu, 29 Jun 2006 23:15:21 +0200 schreef Pedro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:

Hi Pedro,



> With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a complete
> dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get service
> and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they have

The MX is all mechanical: I think there will be people around for a while  
that can fix it, if need be.



> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
> of view at such close distances.

I can heartily recommend the Tamron SP90/2.5 for macro and portrait use.  
In general, there does not seem to be a bad macro prime around. If you're  
interested in extension tubes, contact me off-list: I have some (very  
basic ones) for sale...

> Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street photos.
> 28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but feel
> free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second
> hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good
> price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?

Check http://stans-photography.info/ for opinions on lenses. Check  
http://www.jcolwell.ca/photography/x-arc/_SPLOSdb/ for the 2004 prices.  
Between those two sites, you should be able to find the 'value for money'  
lenses.

Hope this helps,
-- 
Regards, Lucas


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RE: bought an MX - need some advice

[Jens Bladt]

Noting is dead end as long as film is a vailable you can use it
successfully.
A 50mm M-1.7 is a very sharp and good lens.
Get an inverter ring to allow you to mount the lens - putting the filter
ring closest to the camera. This turns you 50mm into a very fine macro lens.
You may find one for 10-15 USD at www.ebay.com

A simple option (which will still allow you to use the
spring-aperture-mechanism in the camera - as opposed to the inverter ring -
is to buy a small set of close up lenses (+1 +2 + 4) to screw int the filter
ring (49mm, right?)

You may find these at ebay as well.
A 24 or 28mm is a good choise,
Find one at ebay.

So , I guess ebay is the answer to almost all your questions :-)

Regards

Jens Bladt
http://www.jensbladt.dk
+45 56 63 77 11
+45 23 43 85 77
Skype: jensbladt248

-Oprindelig meddelelse-
Fra: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] vegne af Pedro
Sendt: 29. juni 2006 23:15
Til: PDML@pdml.net
Emne: bought an MX - need some advice


Hi,

I'm glad to have stumbled across such an active mailing list... I've
always had a big interest in photography - though I never went further
than taking snapshots with point and shoot cameras. So, when I recently
was offered an old Pentax MX for next to nothing, I bought the thing on
an impulse. Now, I never owned an SRL before, let alone an all manual
camera, and I'm really enjoying learning to use it. I do, however, have
a few questions and concerns with which I hope you can help me.

With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a complete
dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get service
and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they have
any market value in the near future? I'm not complaining for the time
being, since I bought the thing really cheap from a friend, but I'm a
bit reluctant to put any more money on it if will be of no use in an
year or two.

Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro.
Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
suited for neither...

As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up
pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a
macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
of view at such close distances.

Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street photos.
28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but feel
free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second
hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good
price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?

Thank you for your time,
pedro


















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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[William Robb]

- Original Message - 
From: "Pedro"
Subject: bought an MX - need some advice


> Hi,
>
> I'm glad to have stumbled across such an active mailing list... I've
> always had a big interest in photography - though I never went further
> than taking snapshots with point and shoot cameras. So, when I recently
> was offered an old Pentax MX for next to nothing, I bought the thing on
> an impulse. Now, I never owned an SRL before, let alone an all manual
> camera, and I'm really enjoying learning to use it. I do, however, have
> a few questions and concerns with which I hope you can help me.
>
> With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a complete
> dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get service
> and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they have
> any market value in the near future? I'm not complaining for the time
> being, since I bought the thing really cheap from a friend, but I'm a
> bit reluctant to put any more money on it if will be of no use in an
> year or two.
>
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro.
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
> suited for neither...
>
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the field
> of view at such close distances.
>
> Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street photos.
> 28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but feel
> free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second
> hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good
> price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?
>
> Thank you for your time,

Film is pretty much a dead end, but enjoy it while it is still available. 
The MX is a wonderful little camera.
Your 50/1.7 mounted on a set of extension tubes will work quite well for 
general purpose macro work. If you decide to buy a dedicated macro lens, try 
something longer, in the 100mm range.
It's hard to go wrong with any macro lens, they are all quite good, no 
matter who makes it.
(note, macro zooms are a different animal completely, and are generally not 
so good when compared to a real macro lens).
I don't have much use for the 28mm focal length on film. It has always 
seemed to be wide enough to have all the difficulties that wide angles 
introduce, with none of the wide angle advantages.
I'd look for a 24mm.
Pentax has done a very good job of maintaining backwards compatability with 
their lenses, so don't hesitate to pick up whatever tickles your fancy, it 
will still be usable on digital SLR bodies if you decide to buy a Pentax 
DSLR.

Welcome aboard.

William Robb 



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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Jostein]

Welcome to the List, Pedro.

The MX is a nice little camera, but it is running out of parts in 
Europe. Some of the parts are still obtainable, others are not.

Re: macro lenses;
there are 50mm, 100mm and 200mm macro lenses. If you are on a low 
budget, forget about the 200mm, they are expensive. In my opinion, a 
100mm is a good option. Better working distance than the 50mm, and 
could double as a portrait lens too. There is an SMC-M 100mm f/4 which 
is quite nice for a budget option.

Re: wide-angles;
The SMC-M 28mm f/2.8 is an easily obtainable lens. Over the last two 
weeks I think 15-20 of them have passed through eBay, often at a very 
pleasant price (for the buyer). Watch out for sticky aperture blades 
on this model. If it has been stored at high temperatures, the grease 
in the focusing mechanism tend to creep onto the aperture blades.

In the M series there is also a 24-35 zoom that some people on this 
list are very fond of. Another zoom with high verdict is the FA 20-35 
f/4, which is actually a pretty modern lens. Could be a bit pricey for 
your budget, though...

In general, though, all the lenses you can buy for your MX will fit 
today's digital wondercameras too, so your investment in good lenses 
will not be wasted if you wish to go digital later.

The lenses you can't use with MX are labelled FAJ or DA. Those lens 
series do not have an aperture ring. They require a modern camera that 
can control aperture electronically.

hope this helps,
Jostein

- Original Message - 
From: "Pedro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 11:15 PM
Subject: bought an MX - need some advice


> Hi,
>
> I'm glad to have stumbled across such an active mailing list... I've
> always had a big interest in photography - though I never went 
> further
> than taking snapshots with point and shoot cameras. So, when I 
> recently
> was offered an old Pentax MX for next to nothing, I bought the thing 
> on
> an impulse. Now, I never owned an SRL before, let alone an all 
> manual
> camera, and I'm really enjoying learning to use it. I do, however, 
> have
> a few questions and concerns with which I hope you can help me.
>
> With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a 
> complete
> dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get 
> service
> and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they 
> have
> any market value in the near future? I'm not complaining for the 
> time
> being, since I bought the thing really cheap from a friend, but I'm 
> a
> bit reluctant to put any more money on it if will be of no use in an
> year or two.
>
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and 
> macro.
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially
> suited for neither...
>
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close 
> up
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I 
> need a
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the 
> field
> of view at such close distances.
>
> Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street 
> photos.
> 28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but 
> feel
> free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second
> hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good
> price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?
>
> Thank you for your time,
> pedro
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> PDML@pdml.net
> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net 


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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[John Francis]

On Thu, Jun 29, 2006 at 10:15:21PM +0100, Pedro wrote:
> 
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and macro. 
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially 
> suited for neither...
> 
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close up 
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I need a 
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal 
> distance do I need?

Start off with just a set of extension tubes (cheap) and your 50mm lens.

> I really have a difficult time picturing the field 
> of view at such close distances.

Try it a few times - what you see through the viewfinder is what
you'll end up with on the film.


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Re: bought an MX - need some advice

[Jack Davis]

You will have endless choices offered with each shop or web site you
visit.
As a beginning, I'd suggest a 28~80 and a set of close-up filters.

Jack

--- Pedro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I'm glad to have stumbled across such an active mailing list... I've 
> always had a big interest in photography - though I never went
> further 
> than taking snapshots with point and shoot cameras. So, when I
> recently 
> was offered an old Pentax MX for next to nothing, I bought the thing
> on 
> an impulse. Now, I never owned an SRL before, let alone an all manual
> 
> camera, and I'm really enjoying learning to use it. I do, however,
> have 
> a few questions and concerns with which I hope you can help me.
> 
> With digital photography taking over the market, is the MX a complete
> 
> dead end? If anything goes wrong, will it still possible to get
> service 
> and replacement parts in Europe? If I buy extra lenses, will they
> have 
> any market value in the near future? I'm not complaining for the time
> 
> being, since I bought the thing really cheap from a friend, but I'm a
> 
> bit reluctant to put any more money on it if will be of no use in an 
> year or two.
> 
> Anyway, I am mostly interested in trying street photography and
> macro. 
> Currently I have a basic 50mm lens (f1.7), which is not especially 
> suited for neither...
> 
> As for macro, I must say I'm somewhat confused. I want to take close
> up 
> pictures of bugs and flowers and that sort of stuff, and I know I
> need a 
> macro lens to be able to focus real close, but what kind of focal 
> distance do I need? I really have a difficult time picturing the
> field 
> of view at such close distances.
> 
> Regardless of the macro issue, I'll need a wide angle for street
> photos. 
> 28mm, 35mm, wide angle zoom... I'm leaning towards a 28 prime, but
> feel 
> free to convince me otherwise. Budget is limited, so I'll buy second 
> hand. Can you recommend me any particular model featuring a good 
> price/quality relation, and not too hard to find?
> 
> Thank you for your time,
> pedro
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
> PDML@pdml.net
> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
> 


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