Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Johan, all my M lenses work perfectly on the MZ-5, which is good because I still have more M lenses than A or later! John Coyle Brisbane, Australia - Original Message - From: Johan Uiterwijk Winkel [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2004 5:56 PM Subject: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M. Hello. Currently I'm using a 50mm 1.7 A, an I like that lens. I'm looking for a second 50mm lens because one lens can not sit on both bodies (ist and MZ-5) at the same time. (And I hate swapping lenses.). I know an M lens won't function properly on the ist, but how does an M lens function on the MZ-5 ? Is there a big difference in quality between the 50mm M and 50mm A lenses ? (There is a big difference in price :-) ) Thanx. Johan.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
The M lens will work fine on an MZ-5, just no auto aperture or program modes. You'll haveto shoot full manual or aperture priority. I've used both the M50/1.7 and the A50/1.7. Both are excellent lenses, especially for the price. Some may complain about the focusing feel on the A lenses, but mine actually feels better than the M50/1.7. -Mat On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 09:56:59 +0200, Johan Uiterwijk Winkel [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Currently I'm using a 50mm 1.7 A, an I like that lens. I'm looking for a second 50mm lens because one lens can not sit on both bodies (ist and MZ-5) at the same time. (And I hate swapping lenses.). I know an M lens won't function properly on the ist, but how does an M lens function on the MZ-5 ? Is there a big difference in quality between the 50mm M and 50mm A lenses ? (There is a big difference in price :-) )
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
You'll lose the aperture information in the viewfinder with the M lens, (but then you didn't have it in manual mode anyway). Some extremely picky people on this list think there's a huge difference between the M and A versions. But they are the same optical design, the coatings are similar, the only difference you're likely to notice is the superior build quality of the M lens, (if you get another 1.7). I'd stay away from the M 50 f2.0, but that's just me. Johan Uiterwijk Winkel wrote: Hello. Currently I'm using a 50mm 1.7 A, an I like that lens. I'm looking for a second 50mm lens because one lens can not sit on both bodies (ist and MZ-5) at the same time. (And I hate swapping lenses.). I know an M lens won't function properly on the ist, but how does an M lens function on the MZ-5 ? Is there a big difference in quality between the 50mm M and 50mm A lenses ? (There is a big difference in price :-) ) Thanx. Johan. -- Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs. P. J. O'Rourke
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Aren't both the M and A 50/1.7 lenses about the cheapest Pentax lenses you can find, aside from the 50mm f/2 lenses? Since they're both wonderfully compact and very sharp, they're also great values. But don't both of them sell for anywhere from $20 to $40, tops? They're often the free body caps that come with camera bodies on eBay! What's the big difference in price? Joe Is there a big difference in quality between the 50mm M and 50mm A lenses ? (There is a big difference in price :-) )
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Original From: Peter J. Alling Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 07:02:16 -0700 --- You'll lose the aperture information in the viewfinder with the M lens, (but then you didn't have it in manual mode anyway). Some extremely picky people on this list think there's a huge difference between the M and A versions. But they are the same optical design, the coatings are similar, the only difference you're likely to notice is the superior build quality of the M lens, (if you get another 1.7). I'd stay away from the M 50 f2.0, but that's just me. Original Yes, the M mechanics appear better. But the deeper blue/purple coatins of the A provide a cooler, crisper, more contrasy result. I've compared M A before and personally find the difference is meaningful. YMMV. F FA lenses tend to be a pleasant mix. Sort of a brown/purple cast. (My F50/1.7 and the FA43/1.9 are this way as is my son's F100-300.) Good contrast and a little more warmpth. M50/1.7 lenses often sell for $25-$45 and A50/1.7 units sell $40-$60. Either is a real bargain. Sincerely and without bullocks (What's a bullock, anyway?), C. Brendemuehl - 'Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols.' -- John Calvin (1509-64) ___ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
On 2 Sep 2004 at 10:10, Peter J. Alling wrote: You'll lose the aperture information in the viewfinder with the M lens, (but then you didn't have it in manual mode anyway). Some extremely picky people on this list think there's a huge difference between the M and A versions. But they are the same optical design, the coatings are similar, the only difference you're likely to notice is the superior build quality of the M lens, (if you get another 1.7). I'd stay away from the M 50 f2.0, but that's just me. There was a big difference WRT flare and contrast between my A50/1.4 and M50/1.4, the results can be seen in the lens test pages. http://plg.komkon.org/a50_14/a50_14.html http://plg.komkon.org/m50_14/M50_14.html I noted a similar performance deficit between my A50/1.2 and K50/1.2 lenses. Rob Studdert HURSTVILLE AUSTRALIA Tel +61-2-9554-4110 UTC(GMT) +10 Hours [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://members.ozemail.com.au/~distudio/publications/ Pentax user since 1986, PDMLer since 1998
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
CRB wrote: Original From: Peter J. Alling Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 07:02:16 -0700 --- You'll lose the aperture information in the viewfinder with the M lens, (but then you didn't have it in manual mode anyway). Some extremely picky people on this list think there's a huge difference between the M and A versions. But they are the same optical design, the coatings are similar, the only difference you're likely to notice is the superior build quality of the M lens, (if you get another 1.7). I'd stay away from the M 50 f2.0, but that's just me. Original Yes, the M mechanics appear better. But the deeper blue/purple coatins of the A provide a cooler, crisper, more contrasy result. I've compared M A before and personally find the difference is meaningful. YMMV. F FA lenses tend to be a pleasant mix. Sort of a brown/purple cast. (My F50/1.7 and the FA43/1.9 are this way as is my son's F100-300.) Good contrast and a little more warmpth. M50/1.7 lenses often sell for $25-$45 and A50/1.7 units sell $40-$60. Either is a real bargain. Sincerely and without bullocks (What's a bullock, anyway?), bullock noun [C] a young male cow that has had its testicles removed C. Brendemuehl - 'Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols.' -- John Calvin (1509-64) ___ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web! -- Toralf Lund [EMAIL PROTECTED] +47 66 85 51 22 ProCaptura AS +47 66 85 51 00 (switchboard) http://www.procaptura.com/~toralf +47 66 85 51 01 (fax)
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
keller.schaefer wrote: M lenses will work just fine on the MZ-5 (in M or aperture priority mode) - because the MZ-5 has the aperture coupler that tells the body how much the lens has been stopped down. Even if you don't like doing that ;-) I recommend you take the lenses off both cameras and compare the mount. The MZ-5 has a small tab on the inside of the bajonet that is moved by a corresponding tab on the lens. The ist does not have that tab. I know, before the *ist was on the market, I contacted pentax benelux and asked the if the camera had a crippled lens interface. They told me that that wasn't the case. So, during a short holiday I ran into an *ist in Germany with a very nice price, and bought it. A vey weeks later I spotted a nice 'M' lens, and put it on the camera. You can imagine the disappointment. I contacted Pentax benelux to get some compensation for there incorrect information, but they would not take any responsibility because I bought the camera in Germany. So, I almost switched to Nikon :-) Both lenses share the same optical formula. A-lenses are said to have an improved coating although both are designated SMC. I have both lenses and have not been able to actually see any difference. Sven Thanx for the information. Now they only reason not to get an 'M' lens is the 'Pentax *ist D junior'. Are there any wizards who can tell me if that one will have a crippled lens interface :-) Bye. Johan.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Alan Chan wrote:
I know an M lens won't function properly on the ist, but how does an
M lens function on the MZ-5 ?
Will work fine. You can even mask the lens mount so that the
multi-segment meter will work. However, I have found my Z-1p
overexpose with any pre-F lenses. For instance, M135/3.5 A70-210/4
will overexpose by 2/3EV ('A' setting by 1/3EV), while K15/3.5 will
overexpose 1EV. It means almost nothing for colour negatives, but
should do some tests when shooting slides.
Thanx, I will keep that in mind when shooting the first film.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
One thing that everyone seems to be missing is that the M and the A lenses may provide different results wrt color. That may be an issue for some people under some circumstances, such as photographing the same subject using the different lenses. IOW, the benefit of using one series or another may outweigh whatever benefit there is to using both. Personally, I like the idea of all my lenses, at least for a particular photo session, to behave similarly. Shel Belinkoff People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life. From: Toralf Lund Yes, the M mechanics appear better. But the deeper blue/purple coatins of the A provide a cooler, crisper, more contrasy result. I've compared M A before and personally find the difference is meaningful. YMMV.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Johan Uiterwijk Winkel wrote: keller.schaefer wrote: M lenses will work just fine on the MZ-5 (in M or aperture priority mode) - because the MZ-5 has the aperture coupler that tells the body how much the lens has been stopped down. Even if you don't like doing that ;-) I recommend you take the lenses off both cameras and compare the mount. The MZ-5 has a small tab on the inside of the bajonet that is moved by a corresponding tab on the lens. The ist does not have that tab. [ ... ] Thanx for the information. Now they only reason not to get an 'M' lens is the 'Pentax *ist D junior'. Are there any wizards who can tell me if that one will have a crippled lens interface :-) No. I have, however, been lead to believe that 'M' lenses are quite usable on the *istD even though it does have a crippled mount, as there is also a stop-down metering function (if you use the latest firmware.) - T
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Joe Wilensky wrote: Aren't both the M and A 50/1.7 lenses about the cheapest Pentax lenses you can find, aside from the 50mm f/2 lenses? Since they're both wonderfully compact and very sharp, they're also great values. But don't both of them sell for anywhere from $20 to $40, tops? They're often the free body caps that come with camera bodies on eBay! What's the big difference in price? Joe The price for a A 1.7 is about 40 to 50 euro, the M's are selling for 20 to 30 euro's. Autofocus are very hard to find :-| And yes, sometimes it is cheaper to sell a camera with 'bodycap' than the single lens, but most if the times I'm too late to react on the bids. Bye. Johan.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Thanx for the information. Now they only reason not to get an 'M' lens is the 'Pentax *ist D junior'. Are there any wizards who can tell me if that one will have a crippled lens interface :-) No. I have, however, been lead to believe that 'M' lenses are quite usable on the *istD even though it does have a crippled mount, as there is also a stop-down metering function (if you use the latest firmware.) H'mm, didn't know that. How does this function work ? Thanx. Johan.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
On 2/9/04, Toralf Lund, discombobulated, unleashed: Sincerely and without bullocks (What's a bullock, anyway?), bullock noun [C] a young male cow that has had its testicles removed bollock noun [C] one of those testicles Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=|www.macads.co.uk/snaps _
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
original - From: Shel Belinkoff Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 08:04:31 -0700 - One thing that everyone seems to be missing is that the M and the A lenses may provide different results wrt color. That may be an issue for some people under some circumstances, such as photographing the same subject using the different lenses. IOW, the benefit of using one series or another may outweigh whatever benefit there is to using both. Personally, I like the idea of all my lenses, at least for a particular photo session, to behave similarly. Shel Belinkoff original - Good point. One should also judge lab results in this combination as well. Even among pro labs, some print warmer than others. Sincerely, C. Brendemuehl - We call it a steer -- John Calvin (1509-64) ___ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
The f2.0's are free body caps, the f1.7's especially the A's and later can get to be quite expensive. Joe Wilensky wrote: Aren't both the M and A 50/1.7 lenses about the cheapest Pentax lenses you can find, aside from the 50mm f/2 lenses? Since they're both wonderfully compact and very sharp, they're also great values. But don't both of them sell for anywhere from $20 to $40, tops? They're often the free body caps that come with camera bodies on eBay! What's the big difference in price? Joe Is there a big difference in quality between the 50mm M and 50mm A lenses ? (There is a big difference in price :-) ) -- Politicians are interested in people. Not that this is a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs. P. J. O'Rourke
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
As a rule, anytime you have two lenses that are similar in focal length, it's useful to differentiate them to add flexibility. For example, I use two normal lenses: 1. f/2 to f/4: Rikenon 50/2P 2. f/5.6 to f/16: Pentax SMC 55/1.8K I prefer the Rikenon for available light; otherwise, I prefer the colors and corner sharpness of the Pentax. However, when I'm not sure whether I'll be using flash, it's often difficult to decide which lens to take. in an effort to streamline my lens set, I am seriously considering selling both and getting a Pentax 50/1.4 PKA. I used to own one--it was my first prime--but I sold it after two years. Now I look over the beautiful shots I took with the 50/1.4 PKA in all conditions, and I ask myself, What was I thinking? Have you considered making your second lens a 50mm of 55mmm macro, such as the lightweight Pentax 50/2.8 PKA? Henry's in Canada is listing two in Condition 8 for $38.61 (US) each. Get your free email account at mail2go.com today! Click here http://www.mail2go.com to open your account.
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
From: paul . stregevsky Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 10:35:03 -0700 Henry's in Canada is listing two in Condition 8 for $38.61 (US) each. That's a great price! Don't hesitate a minute! Run! Sincerely, C. Brendemuehl - 'Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols.' -- John Calvin (1509-64) ___ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
Hi Johan, I had the M and the A50/1.4 and the M50/1.7. I can't really tell the optical difference between both 1.4-lenses, but the M has a better feeling for me (sold the M/1.7 and the A/1.4). One thing wasn't said yet: The M-lenses don't allow matrix-metering on the MZ5-N, and I think it is the same on the MZ5. So if you are thinking of getting digital (so am I) I would recommend to take an A-lens. Best, Bernd www.bienenbernd.de
Re: Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.
You are right. But there are exceptions: IMHO limited lenses work fine together with K-lenses. For example the FA77/1.8 together with K30/2.8 - wonderful results on this years island holidays ... Best, Bernd original message-- a.. From: Shel Belinkoff b.. Subject: Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M. c.. Date: Thu, 02 Sep 2004 08:04:31 -0700 One thing that everyone seems to be missing is that the M and the A lenses may provide different results wrt color. That may be an issue for some people under some circumstances, such as photographing the same subject using the different lenses. IOW, the benefit of using one series or another may outweigh whatever benefit there is to using both. Personally, I like the idea of all my lenses, at least for a particular photo session, to behave similarly. Shel Belinkoff People that hate cats will come back as mice in their next life.
lens coloration (was: Re: Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.)
Shel wrote: One thing that everyone seems to be missing is that the M and the A lenses may provide different results wrt color. That may be an issue for some people under some circumstances, such as photographing the same subject using the different lenses. True enough, but the lack of consistent coloration doesn't bother this bargain hunter. My eight lenses come from seven manufacturers (Sigma, Carl Zeiss Jena, Pentax, Ricoh, Tokina, Tamron, and Vivitar). I guess I should get a Cosina, Zenitar, and Soligor to round things out Get your free email account at mail2go.com today! Click here http://www.mail2go.com to open your account.
Re: lens coloration (was: Re: Re: Difference between 50mm A and 50 mm M.)
Wanna buy a Chinon? [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Shel wrote: One thing that everyone seems to be missing is that the M and the A lenses may provide different results wrt color. That may be an issue for some people under some circumstances, such as photographing the same subject using the different lenses. True enough, but the lack of consistent coloration doesn't bother this bargain hunter. My eight lenses come from seven manufacturers (Sigma, Carl Zeiss Jena, Pentax, Ricoh, Tokina, Tamron, and Vivitar). I guess I should get a Cosina, Zenitar, and Soligor to round things out Get your free email account at mail2go.com today! Click here http://www.mail2go.com to open your account.
