Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 25, 2010, at 7:36 AM, Doug Franklin wrote: On 2010-09-24 21:47, Larry Colen wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:40 PM, Doug Franklin wrote: There's a corollary in racing: a bad car offers the driver a lot more opportunities to learn, but it's a lot less likely to win any given race. Most of what I learned was that I needed a better car. /A/ bad car, Larry, not necessarily /your/ bad car (or /mine/ for that matter). :-) For many years I campaigned a '68 Cortina in ITC. It put about 55 hp to the ground, versus close to 100 for the Datsun 510s. My suspension development on it was rudimentary at best. I had some great races to not finish in last place. And while they were great races, it was still last place. During my first shift of it's last race I realized that I was taking turn 4 at Sears Point with both inside wheels slightly off the ground. During my second shift (it was a four hour enduro and I drove first and last), I found that with a bit more speed, I'd just drift the two wheels on the ground. I needed a better car, there's only so much that you can learn from the back of the pack. The handling problem from the misfitted sway bar didn't cause it to crash though, someone spun in front of me and I zigged when I should have zagged. I collected some of my stories of it here: http://www.red4est.com/lrc/foocarstories.txt I did eventually get a better car, and racing was a lot more enjoyable. Another corollary in amateur racing: Going faster often just means hitting the wall harder. ;-) That's pretty much what I'd tell people signing up for track day schools. Just drive some slow POS on street rubber. You learn more and aren't going as fast when you make a mistake. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
From: Brian Walters On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:39 -0400, P. J. Alling webstertwenty...@gmail.com wrote: On 9/25/2010 6:58 AM, John Sessoms wrote: From: Jeffery Smith I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar Paid $50 for a SMC-A 24f/2.8 ... 1980ish. Have to admit that at the time I didn't know any more than the guy at the pawn shop. Ignorance is sometimes an asset, if you;d know what it was he might of sensed it and refused to sell... It's often worth checking out pawn shops. A few years ago our local Cash Converters stocked a bit of interesting camera gear, usually at an inflated price. On one occasion I noticed a Tamron ES adapter for the Adaptall system for $25. As I'd been looking for that adapter and the price was a bit less than what they bought on EBay on the rare occasions that they appeared there, I was interested. When I had a closer look, I found the adapter was attached to a Tamron SP 1:3.5-3.8 24-48mm zoom - at which point I paid my $25 and walked out of the shop as quickly as possible I still look around in them occasionally, but don't often find any good deals. I got an Auto 110 Super with flash, motor, 18, 24, 50, 70 lens from a pawnshop for $125 a couple years after I found that 24mm lens - different pawnshop, mid-80s. Got a 1965 Fender blackface Vibrolux Reverb amp for $300 from a pawnshop one time - around 1990 or so. Turned it on and it started whistling. Pawnshop guy says he's GOT to have $300 for it, 'cause that's what I got in it; took it to my VCR guy and he says get what you can; it's all tubes and they're obsolete. So, I *reluctantly* paid him the $300 and took it off to a repair guy I know, who did a $50 cap job on it, and it was beautiful. Not a happy ending though, because I eventually let a musician friend talk me into selling it to him. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
From: Jeffery Smith I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar Paid $50 for a SMC-A 24f/2.8 ... 1980ish. Have to admit that at the time I didn't know any more than the guy at the pawn shop. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 2010-09-24 21:47, Larry Colen wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:40 PM, Doug Franklin wrote: There's a corollary in racing: a bad car offers the driver a lot more opportunities to learn, but it's a lot less likely to win any given race. Most of what I learned was that I needed a better car. /A/ bad car, Larry, not necessarily /your/ bad car (or /mine/ for that matter). :-) Another corollary in amateur racing: Going faster often just means hitting the wall harder. ;-) -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 9/25/2010 6:58 AM, John Sessoms wrote: From: Jeffery Smith I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar Paid $50 for a SMC-A 24f/2.8 ... 1980ish. Have to admit that at the time I didn't know any more than the guy at the pawn shop. Ignorance is sometimes an asset, if you;d know what it was he might of sensed it and refused to sell... -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 06:47:05PM -0700, Larry Colen wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:40 PM, Doug Franklin wrote: On 2010-09-24 19:42, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: A rotten lens builds character and thoughtful technique; it also takes rotten pictures. There's a corollary in racing: a bad car offers the driver a lot more opportunities to learn, but it's a lot less likely to win any given race. Most of what I learned was that I needed a better car. In my experience the most expensive experience comes the first time you get your hands on a better car/lens/whatever. The most expensive lens purchase I ever made was my first piece of good glass. Not because the lens itself was very expensive, but because it showed me that on some occasions I was limited by the equipment I was using. This started me on the slippery slope to ever more expensive lenses. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sat, 25 Sep 2010 13:39 -0400, P. J. Alling webstertwenty...@gmail.com wrote: On 9/25/2010 6:58 AM, John Sessoms wrote: From: Jeffery Smith I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar Paid $50 for a SMC-A 24f/2.8 ... 1980ish. Have to admit that at the time I didn't know any more than the guy at the pawn shop. Ignorance is sometimes an asset, if you;d know what it was he might of sensed it and refused to sell... It's often worth checking out pawn shops. A few years ago our local Cash Converters stocked a bit of interesting camera gear, usually at an inflated price. On one occasion I noticed a Tamron ES adapter for the Adaptall system for $25. As I'd been looking for that adapter and the price was a bit less than what they bought on EBay on the rare occasions that they appeared there, I was interested. When I had a closer look, I found the adapter was attached to a Tamron SP 1:3.5-3.8 24-48mm zoom - at which point I paid my $25 and walked out of the shop as quickly as possible Cheers Brian ++ Brian Walters Western Sydney Australia http://members.westnet.com.au/brianwal/SL/ -- -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Or how I learned to stop worrying and love email again -- 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.
RE: More help for a novice
Bit late on this one Eric (crap computer repair cost me two days without reading emails), but if you are still thinking of a medium range zoom either of the Pentax 28-105 mm zooms(PZ or FA, but not Takumar) will do an excellent job. I had the PZ version, it got damaged beyond repair in a fall and the insurance paid for the newer FA, which I find very good on both film and digital. You can manually focus either, but I tend to the view that having the ability to autofocus if you wish to can't be bad, and there are definitely some circumstances where it will be a plus. If, on the other hand, you are heading more to a prime lens, why not stay with your SMC-A 28? HTH John Coyle Brisbane, Australia -Original Message- From: pdml-boun...@pdml.net [mailto:pdml-boun...@pdml.net] On Behalf Of Eric Weir Sent: Thursday, 23 September 2010 3:41 AM To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List Subject: More help for a novice To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Thanks in advance, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 8:38 PM, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: . [I've got the *ist DS and an a 28 2.8. Also an m 50 1.7 and an m 100 f4 macro. Might change those for a versions if I get the opportunity. But I'll sticking with just one for a while. Maybe the 28, and just hold off on everything else altogether for a while.] Sincerely, I have the A 28 f2.8 and use it a fair amount. It works well on the istD and K10D. Dave -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- Documenting Life in Rural Ontario. www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ York Region, Ontario, Canada -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 23, 2010, at 9:21 PM, frank theriault wrote: I'm guessing you may have looked at a few of my PESOs, but if you haven't, the blog can be found here: http://knarfdummyblog.blogspot.com/ Oh yeah, I loved the last one. And the monarchs, too. Believe me, if you will be focusing manually, you want a manual focus lens. Your life will be s much easier... I wouldn't have known -- as I said, I've never actually even held an autofocus lens -- so I appreciate the heads uo. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 1:13 AM, Jeffery Smith wrote: What is your chosen genre of photograhy as of this moment? If it is buildings or people, a 28 on a digitial with a 1.5x factor is splendid. When I bought my K1000 back in 1990 I thought it would be landscape/wildlifle/nature. I was surprised to find myself interested in architecture. Not so surprised at people on the street, but it wasn't where I thought I was headed. At the moment my work brings me into contact with kids doing sports, e.g., refugee kids playing baseball for the first time in their lives. And the Olmsted Linear Parks that I mentioned in a recent post are bugging me. I'd like to learn how to photograph them. This weekend I'm headed up to North Georgia for a ForestWatch retreat. Recent surgery will keep me from getting out in the woods, so I imagine it will be mostly people there. [Faces interest me, especially interesting faces. [And who wouldn't be interested in interesting faces??]] But driving back Saturday evening I might get the opportunity to get in a few landscape shots. Probably not the best thing to attempt with a 28 or 50 mm lens, but following Stan's advice, that's what I'll be taking. Bottom line? I guess I don't really have a genre yet. Any of the above are starting places. But I'm open. Regards, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 3:52 AM, John Coyle wrote: . . . . if you are still thinking of a medium range zoom either of the Pentax 28-105 mm zooms(PZ or FA, but not Takumar) will do an excellent job. I had the PZ version, it got damaged beyond repair in a fall and the insurance paid for the newer FA, which I find very good on both film and digital. You can manually focus either, but I tend to the view that having the ability to autofocus if you wish to can't be bad, and there are definitely some circumstances where it will be a plus. I can see that -- in the future. Wanna learn how to do photography first. Then I might know when it would be a plus. If, on the other hand, you are heading more to a prime lens, why not stay with your SMC-A 28? That's where I'm headed. That or the 50mm f1.7 a I hope is still on sale at KEH. Thanks, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:22 AM, David J Brooks wrote: I have the A 28 f2.8 and use it a fair amount. It works well on the istD and K10D. Thanks, David. It's on my camera now. Maybe it'll stay there a while. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
The 50 has a focal length = 75mm if you were using film (good for faces), and the 28 has a focal length = 42 if you were using film. I think that 43mm is what is considered to be 1:1 with your eye (that is, it is not being magnified nor is it wide angle), so a 28 and a 50 should cover most of your architecture and portrait needs. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 10:59 AM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 1:13 AM, Jeffery Smith wrote: What is your chosen genre of photograhy as of this moment? If it is buildings or people, a 28 on a digitial with a 1.5x factor is splendid. When I bought my K1000 back in 1990 I thought it would be landscape/wildlifle/nature. I was surprised to find myself interested in architecture. Not so surprised at people on the street, but it wasn't where I thought I was headed. At the moment my work brings me into contact with kids doing sports, e.g., refugee kids playing baseball for the first time in their lives. And the Olmsted Linear Parks that I mentioned in a recent post are bugging me. I'd like to learn how to photograph them. This weekend I'm headed up to North Georgia for a ForestWatch retreat. Recent surgery will keep me from getting out in the woods, so I imagine it will be mostly people there. [Faces interest me, especially interesting faces. [And who wouldn't be interested in interesting faces??]] But driving back Saturday evening I might get the opportunity to get in a few landscape shots. Probably not the best thing to attempt with a 28 or 50 mm lens, but following Stan's advice, that's what I'll be taking. Bottom line? I guess I don't really have a genre yet. Any of the above are starting places. But I'm open. Regards, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 2:33 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: The 50 has a focal length = 75mm if you were using film (good for faces), and the 28 has a focal length = 42 if you were using film. I think that 43mm is what is considered to be 1:1 with your eye (that is, it is not being magnified nor is it wide angle), so a 28 and a 50 should cover most of your architecture and portrait needs. Thanks, Jeffrey. I guess I'm well set. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
RE: More help for a novice
In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. -- J.C. O'Connell (mailto:hifis...@gate.net) Join the CD PLAYER DISC Discussions : http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cdplayers/ http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/cdsound/ -Original Message- From: pdml-boun...@pdml.net [mailto:pdml-boun...@pdml.net] On Behalf Of Eric Weir Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 5:01 PM To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 24, 2010, at 2:33 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: The 50 has a focal length = 75mm if you were using film (good for faces), and the 28 has a focal length = 42 if you were using film. I think that 43mm is what is considered to be 1:1 with your eye (that is, it is not being magnified nor is it wide angle), so a 28 and a 50 should cover most of your architecture and portrait needs. Thanks, Jeffrey. I guess I'm well set. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:10 PM, J.C. O'Connell wrote: In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. Thanks, J.C. Actually I do have a 135mm. But I gather it's not a very good one. It's an Albinar. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
A very long time ago I used to sell them. They weren't horrible, but they made better ashtrays. On 9/24/2010 6:40 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:10 PM, J.C. O'Connell wrote: In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. Thanks, J.C. Actually I do have a 135mm. But I gather it's not a very good one. It's an Albinar. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:47 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: On 9/24/2010 6:40 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:10 PM, J.C. O'Connell wrote: In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. Thanks, J.C. Actually I do have a 135mm. But I gather it's not a very good one. It's an Albinar. A very long time ago I used to sell them. They weren't horrible, but they made better ashtrays. I did have a clue. The price was $19.95. I figured what the hell. Back then I coulda afforded a lot better. Don't know what I was thinking of. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
A rotten lens builds character and thoughtful technique; it also takes rotten pictures. -Original Message- From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:05:11 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:47 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: On 9/24/2010 6:40 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:10 PM, J.C. O'Connell wrote: In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. Thanks, J.C. Actually I do have a 135mm. But I gather it's not a very good one. It's an Albinar. A very long time ago I used to sell them. They weren't horrible, but they made better ashtrays. I did have a clue. The price was $19.95. I figured what the hell. Back then I coulda afforded a lot better. Don't know what I was thinking of. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smith jsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Over the past 42 years, my progression of SLR brands has been Mamiya - Pentax - Nkon - Contax - Olympus - Pentax. I could have saved a lot of money by sticking with the Pentax. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smith jsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- 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. -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Super Takumar? or Takumar Bayonet the Super in m42 mount was probably, thought I have no direct experience, head and shoulders above the Takumar Bayonet as a picture taker. On 9/24/2010 8:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smithjsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I think that SMC Takumars were M42 and they changed the name to SMC Pentax with the K mount. On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:38 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: Super Takumar? or Takumar Bayonet the Super in m42 mount was probably, thought I have no direct experience, head and shoulders above the Takumar Bayonet as a picture taker. On 9/24/2010 8:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smithjsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Prior the SMC was the Super Takumar line, which I think was dual coated. Then the Auto Takumars and the Plane ol' Takumars and prior to the m42 mount lenses there were the m37 Asahi Kogaku Takumar lenses for the Asahiflex. On 9/24/2010 8:44 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: I think that SMC Takumars were M42 and they changed the name to SMC Pentax with the K mount. On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:38 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: Super Takumar? or Takumar Bayonet the Super in m42 mount was probably, thought I have no direct experience, head and shoulders above the Takumar Bayonet as a picture taker. On 9/24/2010 8:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smithjsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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. -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:15 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: Over the past 42 years, my progression of SLR brands has been Mamiya - Pentax - Nkon - Contax - Olympus - Pentax. I could have saved a lot of money by sticking with the Pentax. These days the biggest difference in performance between brands is when you buy the body. The K-x has high ISO performance that exceeds flagship models of just a few years ago. In a few years, iPhones will have performance that exceeds that. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. I did a fair amount of shooting last weekend with the k-mount 135/2.5. I don't think that it's quite as sharp as the 135/3.5 but that extra stop really helps. You can pick the Pentax 135s up on fleabay for about $70. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smith jsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- 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. -- 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. -- 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. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 4:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: A rotten lens builds character and thoughtful technique; it also takes rotten pictures. someone has to Mark this. -Original Message- From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:05:11 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:47 PM, P. J. Alling wrote: On 9/24/2010 6:40 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:10 PM, J.C. O'Connell wrote: In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. Thanks, J.C. Actually I do have a 135mm. But I gather it's not a very good one. It's an Albinar. A very long time ago I used to sell them. They weren't horrible, but they made better ashtrays. I did have a clue. The price was $19.95. I figured what the hell. Back then I coulda afforded a lot better. Don't know what I was thinking of. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 9/24/2010 8:56 PM, Larry Colen wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:15 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: Over the past 42 years, my progression of SLR brands has been Mamiya - Pentax - Nkon - Contax - Olympus - Pentax. I could have saved a lot of money by sticking with the Pentax. These days the biggest difference in performance between brands is when you buy the body. The K-x has high ISO performance that exceeds flagship models of just a few years ago. In a few years, iPhones will have performance that exceeds that. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. I did a fair amount of shooting last weekend with the k-mount 135/2.5. I don't think that it's quite as sharp as the 135/3.5 but that extra stop really helps. You can pick the Pentax 135s up on fleabay for about $70. If you can get the SMC- Pentax [K] 135 f2.5 for $70.00 you've gotten quite a bargain. If you pay that much for the Takumar Bayonet 135mm f2.5 you've been rooked. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smithjsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- 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. -- 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. -- 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. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- His lack of education is more than compensated for by his keenly developed moral bankruptcy. -Woody Allen -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I shot a play last night with the 77/1.8. It is a wonderful lens that performed very well in low light on my recently-acquired K-x. I will never regret getting the 31, 43, and 77 Pentax lenses. They have served me very well. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:56 PM, Larry Colen wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:15 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: Over the past 42 years, my progression of SLR brands has been Mamiya - Pentax - Nkon - Contax - Olympus - Pentax. I could have saved a lot of money by sticking with the Pentax. These days the biggest difference in performance between brands is when you buy the body. The K-x has high ISO performance that exceeds flagship models of just a few years ago. In a few years, iPhones will have performance that exceeds that. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:10 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Oooh! Let's talk about the Super Takumar 135 f2.5. That's always fun. I did a fair amount of shooting last weekend with the k-mount 135/2.5. I don't think that it's quite as sharp as the 135/3.5 but that extra stop really helps. You can pick the Pentax 135s up on fleabay for about $70. -Original Message- From: Jeffery Smith jsmith...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:45:18 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice I paid $35 for a Soligor 135, but that was in 1968. Jeffery On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: Albinar -- 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. -- 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. -- 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. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Larry Colen wrote: On Sep 24, 2010, at 4:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: A rotten lens builds character and thoughtful technique; it also takes rotten pictures. someone has to Mark this. Oh contraire. When a quotation as good as that one comes up no one needs to Mark it. :) -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:13 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: I shot a play last night with the 77/1.8. It is a wonderful lens that performed very well in low light on my recently-acquired K-x. I will never regret getting the 31, 43, and 77 Pentax lenses. They have served me very well. It seems that every time I look through my 77, it makes me smile. It is beyond a doubt my favorite lens. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 2010-09-24 19:42, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: A rotten lens builds character and thoughtful technique; it also takes rotten pictures. There's a corollary in racing: a bad car offers the driver a lot more opportunities to learn, but it's a lot less likely to win any given race. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 24, 2010, at 6:40 PM, Doug Franklin wrote: On 2010-09-24 19:42, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: A rotten lens builds character and thoughtful technique; it also takes rotten pictures. There's a corollary in racing: a bad car offers the driver a lot more opportunities to learn, but it's a lot less likely to win any given race. Most of what I learned was that I needed a better car. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 5:10 PM, J.C. O'Connell hifis...@gate.net wrote: In the old days it was a 28mm, 50mm, and a 135mm three lens set, all primes. you can do a lot with that set and if you can afford another, I would lean towards a 20mm for true wideangle work. A good 20mm isnt going to be cheap though. Cartier-Bresson was mentioned earlier in this thread I think. His kit was 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, with the majority of his photos shot with the first two. Once in a very rare while he shot with a 135mm. He managed okay with those few lenses. ;-) cheers, frank ps: the above information came from his longtime developer, Pierre Gassmann. HCB didn't talk much about his equipment AFAIK. -ft -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 10-09-22 5:50 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:58 PM, Cotty wrote: On 22/9/10, Eric Weir, discombobulated, unleashed: I don't have plans. I'm a novice. A RANK novice You should have 2 items and two items only in your kit. An MX and a 50mm f/1.4. That's it. For one year. If you're learning, this is what you need to learn with. No zooms, no pixels. Interesting. That's exactly where I was headed when I encountered this list. I have a K1000 SE, but there's something in the finder that I'm told will cost more than a replacement used camera to fix. I have a P3 and just bought a P3n today. [The film rewind mechanism on the former doesn't work properly; and I know that P3n's are not a fully mechanical, but they are a lot cheaper than MX's.] That said, at the risk of insubordination, from where I stand now the cost of film and processing, and especially the disconnect between what I do and the results I get make me hesitant about going back to film completely, even temporarily. That does not mean I am not open to guidance regarding this. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net P.S. I forgot to say that I have an Olympus XA which I was using exclusively until I got the ist* DS. My pattern was to shoot several rolls of film before getting them processed, by which time I had no idea what I'd done when I shot the pictures. Back in the day (mid 1970's), I had a 35mm Praktica LTL (pretty much a Spotmatic clone afaict) and a 50mm f/1.8. Within a few years I became seriously bored with the whole film processing and waiting thing and completely lost interest in photography. Some many years later, after dabbling with a couple of digital PS's, I got a K100Ds and my interest in photography was reignited in a big way. The ability to get instant feedback and do post-processing and printing in the digital domain means everything to me. Film was what had killed my interest completely. So I'd say for some the film SLR + 50mm prime is fine advice, but not for all. There's no reason you can't slap that old 50mm f/1.4 + $20 adapter onto your *istDS and learn just fine with that. Far as I'm concerned film is obsolescent and unimportant except historically -- and good riddance. But learning the basics using a stripped-down kit is still useful and a good idea. -bmw -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Keep checking KEH, they show up often. I wonder about that Tak lens too. Any experience out there ? Kenneth Waller http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller - Original Message - From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:08 PM, Ken Waller wrote: For my $44 USD (from KEH) you can't get a finer, more versatile lens in the 28-80mm range than the Pentax SMC F 1:3.5-4.5. Thanks, Ken. Nothing at KEH. They have a 28-80 F3.5-4.5 Takumar F Macro and a 28-80 F3.5-4.7 SMC FA, but I take it neither is the lens you're talking about. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
KEH has a bargain A 50 1.7 for $79. Given the quality that Bargain means for KEH, this is an absolute steal. It's a wonderful piece of glass for next to nothing and will meter just fine on the Pentax digital bodies. On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 2:26 PM, Ken Waller kwal...@peoplepc.com wrote: Keep checking KEH, they show up often. I wonder about that Tak lens too. Any experience out there ? Kenneth Waller http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller - Original Message - From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:08 PM, Ken Waller wrote: For my $44 USD (from KEH) you can't get a finer, more versatile lens in the 28-80mm range than the Pentax SMC F 1:3.5-4.5. Thanks, Ken. Nothing at KEH. They have a 28-80 F3.5-4.5 Takumar F Macro and a 28-80 F3.5-4.7 SMC FA, but I take it neither is the lens you're talking about. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- Steve Desjardins -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 9:48 PM, Stan Halpin s...@stans-photography.info wrote: When I came back to photography after a several year hiatus and some flirtation with video, I moved from a ME-Super to a PZ-1p very fine autofocus capable 35mm camera. The one new lens I bought was the PZ FA 28-105. It was/is a very good lens. If/when you actually need a lens with a broad zoom range, this is one to consider. Don't be put off by the gimmickry. After the first day I never used any of the special modes others have described, and seldom used the Power zoom feature. You can ignore all of that added stuff, don't bypass such a quality lens if you you ever see one for a decent price. Like i said.:-) Dave stan -- Documenting Life in Rural Ontario. www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ York Region, Ontario, Canada -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:22 PM, John Sessoms wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? Not if you don't want to. Who's going to make you? Thanks, John. I didn't think anybody'd make me, but being a rank amateur, who to the best of his ability cannot remember ever even holding an autofocus lens in his hand, I thought maybe it might be mechanically impossible. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:22 PM, Collin Brendemuehl wrote: Between the 35-70 and the 35-105 -- well ... Neither. Some of the new DA DAL lenses are both sharper and AF. And in the same price class. But if it must be one, the 35-105 would be my choice. Thanks, Collin. I hear you. For now, though, I think I'm gonna take the advice, which I'm disposed to anyone, to keep the technology as simple as possible. Perhaps in the future I'll be able to tell a good lens from a not so good one myself. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:30 PM, frank theriault wrote: On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 9:22 PM, John Sessoms jsessoms...@nc.rr.com wrote: From: Eric Weir On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? Not if you don't want to. Who's going to make you? Well, yeah, but if you want to manual focus, get a manual focus lens. I've manually focused AF lenses (usually in low light) and it's not the preferred way of doing things. MF lenses are nicely damped and because they have longer throws (if that's the word - I'm trying to say you have to rotate the rings more from one end of the focus range to the other) you can be much more precise. Thanks very much, Frank. For now I think I want to focus manually. So this bit of information is helpful. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:38 PM, Stan Halpin wrote: Concentrate on the photography, not on the lenses for now. Choose a single lens, preferably a fixed focal length lens. . . . use that single lens for 5-10,000 images. Periodically review your images in Lightroom. Don't just look at the good shots! Look at your rejects. Are you rejecting many images because the composition is just too tight, because the FOV was not wide enough to capture enough of the scene to tell the story you wanted to tell? Then get a wider lens. Or are you rejecting images because the (flower, football player, child playing, whatever) that was the subject of your image is just too small within the overall image? Then get a longer lens. Try to resist zoom lenses unless (a) you have physical problems that keep you from easily moving your body as needed to change the composition; or (b) you pay close conscious attention to the focal length you are zooming to on each shot, and you take the opportunity to learn something about your own preferences. Thanks very much Stan. This, and the rest of your message, sits well with me. I really appreciate the wisdom. As you noted, I already have a few decent lenses to choose from. I may take the opportunity to change my m 50mm f1.7 and m 100mm f4 macro for a versions if they arise. Other than that I'll wait to see what what you recommend teaches me. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:48 PM, Stan Halpin wrote: When I came back to photography after a several year hiatus and some flirtation with video, I moved from a ME-Super to a PZ-1p very fine autofocus capable 35mm camera. The one new lens I bought was the PZ FA 28-105. It was/is a very good lens. If/when you actually need a lens with a broad zoom range, this is one to consider. Don't be put off by the gimmickry. After the first day I never used any of the special modes others have described, and seldom used the Power zoom feature. You can ignore all of that added stuff, don't bypass such a quality lens if you you ever see one for a decent price. Thanks, Stan. But per your previous recommendation, I think I'll wait till I actually need it. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:51 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: It's very difficult to find a better value, better versatility, better optics, and better distortion control than a 50mm lens. Inasmuch as it becomes the same view as a 75mm lens on a digital SLR, a 28-35 mm is the next best thing. Look at the photos by Henri Cartier Bresson and Robert Capa, and you'll how much can be done with a single focal length. Get to know one focal length well, and you can do miracles with it. Thanks, Jeffrey. Things are coming together for me here. I'm leaning in the direction you suggest. I really appreciate all the responses, though. They've all contributed to the clarification. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 10:42 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: MHO: get a cheap pentax digital body like an *istD or DS and an A50, maybe a 1.7. These are cheap and good lenses. Shoot lots of images. Look at them all, decide which ones you like and think about why. Then decide what went wrong with each pic and how you might fix it. You can learn more formally later. It's better and more fun to be active at first. You'll have plenty of time later to be picky. I like your HO. Thanks. [I've got the *ist DS and an a 28 2.8. Also an m 50 1.7 and an m 100 f4 macro. Might change those for a versions if I get the opportunity. But I'll sticking with just one for a while. Maybe the 28, and just hold off on everything else altogether for a while.] Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 8:48 PM, Stan Halpin s...@stans-photography.info wrote: When I came back to photography after a several year hiatus and some flirtation with video, I moved from a ME-Super to a PZ-1p very fine autofocus capable 35mm camera. The one new lens I bought was the PZ FA 28-105. It was/is a very good lens. If/when you actually need a lens with a broad zoom range, this is one to consider. Don't be put off by the gimmickry. After the first day I never used any of the special modes others have described, and seldom used the Power zoom feature. You can ignore all of that added stuff, don't bypass such a quality lens if you you ever see one for a decent price. On Sep 22, 2010, at 11:27 PM, Bob Sullivan wrote: I'm with Stan on this. When I bought a PZ-1, it came with a crappy PZ FA28-80. I quickly gave up using it and went back to prime lenses. 3 or so years ago, I got the PZ FA28-105 and was very pleased. It's a good lens. I wish that I would have bought the more expensive FA28-105 originally. It would have improved my results considerably. Yes, the old lens had a power zoom feature. Forget about it and just use the manual zoom. Thanks, Bob. I'll keep it in mind. For now, I'll be taking Stan's other advice. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 23, 2010, at 1:05 PM, Bruce Walker wrote: So I'd say for some the film SLR + 50mm prime is fine advice, but not for all. There's no reason you can't slap that old 50mm f/1.4 + $20 adapter onto your *istDS and learn just fine with that. Thanks, Bruce. I want to keep it as simple as possible, and to learn as much as possible, but I confess to being spoiled by the relatively immediate feedback -- plus the data you get on each shot -- of digital photography. It wasn't where I started back last December. I was gonna stick with film! Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
- Original Message - From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:08 PM, Ken Waller wrote: For my $44 USD (from KEH) you can't get a finer, more versatile lens in the 28-80mm range than the Pentax SMC F 1:3.5-4.5. Thanks, Ken. Nothing at KEH. They have a 28-80 F3.5-4.5 Takumar F Macro and a 28-80 F3.5-4.7 SMC FA, but I take it neither is the lens you're talking about. On Sep 23, 2010, at 2:26 PM, Ken Waller wrote: Keep checking KEH, they show up often. Thanks, Ken. For now I'm gonna go with Stan's suggestion of picking a lens -- a prime lens -- and sticking with it for a while. But I'm flagging your recommendation. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 23, 2010, at 4:55 PM, Steven Desjardins wrote: KEH has a bargain A 50 1.7 for $79. Given the quality that Bargain means for KEH, this is an absolute steal. It's a wonderful piece of glass for next to nothing and will meter just fine on the Pentax digital bodies. I may go for it, Steven. Thanks. Maybe I can get something for me M 50 1.7. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
The *istDS is a camera near and dear to my heart. Went many places with me and always worked. BTW, I'm the drd1135-Steve Desjardins person. My computer and my phone can't agree on how to send my name. -Original Message- From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:55:24 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Sep 23, 2010, at 4:55 PM, Steven Desjardins wrote: KEH has a bargain A 50 1.7 for $79. Given the quality that Bargain means for KEH, this is an absolute steal. It's a wonderful piece of glass for next to nothing and will meter just fine on the Pentax digital bodies. I may go for it, Steven. Thanks. Maybe I can get something for me M 50 1.7. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 8:10 PM, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: Thanks very much, Frank. For now I think I want to focus manually. So this bit of information is helpful. I manual focus all the time with my *istD. Virtually all (if not actually all) of my nature shots on my colour blog were shot with manual focus lenses: Pentax M 200mm f4.0, Tokina 80-200mm f2.8 zoom Sigma 50-200mm f3.5 zoom Tamron SP 90mm f2.5 macro I'm guessing you may have looked at a few of my PESOs, but if you haven't, the blog can be found here: http://knarfdummyblog.blogspot.com/ Believe me, if you will be focusing manually, you want a manual focus lens. Your life will be s much easier... ;-) cheers, frank -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 23, 2010, at 9:05 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: The *istDS is a camera near and dear to my heart. Went many places with me and always worked. I think I might become as fond of mine as I was of my K1000. It less than 4000 images on it when I got it for not quite $180. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
That's a wonderful sentiment, Frank, especially given your signature ;-). Seriously, I have noticed that particular aspect of your work has changed in recent years. Henri is no doubt gyrating in his crypt. -Original Message- From: frank theriault knarftheria...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 21:21:26 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 8:10 PM, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: Thanks very much, Frank. For now I think I want to focus manually. So this bit of information is helpful. I manual focus all the time with my *istD. Virtually all (if not actually all) of my nature shots on my colour blog were shot with manual focus lenses: Pentax M 200mm f4.0, Tokina 80-200mm f2.8 zoom Sigma 50-200mm f3.5 zoom Tamron SP 90mm f2.5 macro I'm guessing you may have looked at a few of my PESOs, but if you haven't, the blog can be found here: http://knarfdummyblog.blogspot.com/ Believe me, if you will be focusing manually, you want a manual focus lens. Your life will be s much easier... ;-) cheers, frank -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 9:32 PM, drd1...@gmail.com wrote: That's a wonderful sentiment, Frank, especially given your signature ;-). Seriously, I have noticed that particular aspect of your work has changed in recent years. Henri is no doubt gyrating in his crypt. I think switching to digital was the catalyst of that change. When I shoot film these days, I still get blur. Go figure, eh? cheers, frank -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I just shot 5 gb of a play at the college. Good lens, cheap body. Hope I can salvage some shots. Used a 77/1.8 Pentax, low light. What is your chosen genre of photograhy as of this moment? If it is buildings or people, a 28 on a digitial with a 1.5x factor is splendid. Jeffery On Sep 23, 2010, at 7:34 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 9:51 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: It's very difficult to find a better value, better versatility, better optics, and better distortion control than a 50mm lens. Inasmuch as it becomes the same view as a 75mm lens on a digital SLR, a 28-35 mm is the next best thing. Look at the photos by Henri Cartier Bresson and Robert Capa, and you'll how much can be done with a single focal length. Get to know one focal length well, and you can do miracles with it. Thanks, Jeffrey. Things are coming together for me here. I'm leaning in the direction you suggest. I really appreciate all the responses, though. They've all contributed to the clarification. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
RE: More help for a novice
To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? that's quite a difficult question to answer without knowing how you plan to use them. I used to have a 28/2, the 70-210/4 and the 35-105/3.5. I loved the 70-210/4 - fantastic lens. The 35-105/3.5 was a good performer but weighs a ton and I found that I did not particularly enjoy using it. I'd bought it to bridge that gap (old advertising slogan). I often looked at the A35-70/4 but it felt rather plasticky compared to other lenses in that series, and I didn't particularly like that zoom range. Bob -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
See if you can find the old PZ 28-105. I have one and it worked well on my istd. Dave On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 1:40 PM, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Thanks in advance, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- Documenting Life in Rural Ontario. www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ York Region, Ontario, Canada -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I still have one (and a *ist-D, come to that). It was the main walk-around lens on my *ist-D until it inherited the kit lens that came with my K10D and became my lightweight system (leaving the battery grip at home). If I remember what Godfrey posted correctly, he felt that the later non-PZ 28-105 (f3.2 at the wide end, IIRC) was at least as good an optical performer. As that lens was also IF it might be a better choice - the one thing I disliked about the PZ 28-105 was having to adjust the polariser after changing subject distance. It's bad enough having to do that when switching between portrait landscape orientations; having to do it after focussing as well got to be a pain. On the plus side, though, the 28-105 has a very usable close focus capability, which makes it a good choice for shooting blossoms and the like. On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 01:50:49PM -0400, David J Brooks wrote: See if you can find the old PZ 28-105. I have one and it worked well on my istd. Dave On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 1:40 PM, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Thanks in advance, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA ?USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- Documenting Life in Rural Ontario. www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ York Region, Ontario, Canada -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:50 PM, David J Brooks wrote: . . . PZ . . . You forgot, David. I'm a novice. REALLY a novice. Never encountered PZ before. What is it? Is it on Stan Halpin's list? Thanks, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:47 PM, Bob W wrote: that's quite a difficult question to answer without knowing how you plan to use them. I don't have plans. I'm a novice. A RANK novice. I'm just trying to get a versatile set of lenses to cover whatever I might want to try as inexpensively as possible. At the moment the things that get my attention are action -- mostly little kids playing soccer -- and nature/landscape stuff. We have a string of parks here in Atlanta that were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. I wrote an article about efforts to restore them a while back. [The restoration was just finished this summer.] They include deep woodsy areas and areas that are open with mature trees, sorta savanna-like. I'm drawn to them. I hear people here taking on projects. I might make learning to photograph them a project. Went out at dusk last night to the deep woodsy one -- Deep Dene it's called -- on my first attempt. Haven't had a chance to look at what I got very carefully, yet. Just in the camera's LCD. From that I can see I have a lot to learn about shooting in contrast conditions. But I knew that anyway. The 35-105/3.5 was a good performer but weighs a ton and I found that I did not particularly enjoy using it. Yeah, I see it has a 67mm front lens. I often looked at the A35-70/4 but it felt rather plasticky compared to other lenses in that series, and I didn't particularly like that zoom range. Thanks for that bit of information. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 02:53:41PM -0400, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:50 PM, David J Brooks wrote: . . . PZ . . . You forgot, David. I'm a novice. REALLY a novice. Never encountered PZ before. What is it? Is it on Stan Halpin's list? Power Zoom. A feature (or gimmick) that came out on one series of camera bodies (the PZ-10/20/1) and some of the FA and FA* lenses. Basically there is a motor in the lens that can operate the zoom, so instead of rotating the zoom collar to directly zoom the lens it becomes a multi-position spring-loaded switch that zooms at different speeds depending on how far you twist it. It's handy on long-focal-length zoom lenses, but it's not a feature that would make me decide for or against any lens. There were also a couple of trick modes, and an automatic zoom of the lens to the most compact setting at power off. I think I used one of the trick modes (zooming to maintain a constant image size as the subject distance changed) on a couple of occasions; as best I can recall I never used the zoom during long exposure at all. The most persistent legacy of the PZ lenses is the power contacts on the mount to power the in-lens motor; the same contacts are now used to provide power for the SDM lenses. -- 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.
RE: More help for a novice
From: Eric Weir To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Neither one of them excites me. I suggest looking at what KEH has to offer. They're right down there in your neck of the woods. A quick look just now shows they're offering a 28-70 F4 SMC FA AL (52) 35MM SLR AUTO FOCUS ZOOM WIDE ANGLE LENS in EX condition for $76.00 The way they list it, you'd probably have to purchase lens caps separately - about another $12.00 They list another 28-70 F4 SMC FA AL (52) *WITH CAPS* 35MM SLR AUTO FOCUS ZOOM WIDE ANGLE LENS - EX for $84.00 I think KEH rates their items VERY conservatively. Every lens I've ever bought from them arrived in a condition I'd have rated them one step higher on their scale, i.e. BGN lenses I bought could have passed for EX, EX lenses could have passed as EX+ or LN-. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 3:37 PM, John Francis wrote: On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 02:53:41PM -0400, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:50 PM, David J Brooks wrote: . . . PZ . . . You forgot, David. I'm a novice. REALLY a novice. Never encountered PZ before. What is it? Is it on Stan Halpin's list? Power Zoom. Thanks for the explanation, John. I can see how some of the trick zooms, like maintaining image size while subject distance changes, would be helpful, but I think I'll pass on this type of lens. I'm trying to keep my equipment set as simple and as close to manual as possible. Aperture priority is about as advanced as I want to get at this point. My first purchase in getting back into photography at the end of last year was a crude Russian Smena Symbol. It was made in the millions during the later Soviet period. It provides five settings each for aperture and shutter speed and nothing else, not even film speed. I liked the way it made me think. A couple months after I bought it I lost it. I replaced it a couple months ago, but haven't done any shooting with it, yet. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:30 PM, John Sessoms wrote: Neither one of them excites me. I suggest looking at what KEH has to offer. They're right down there in your neck of the woods. A quick look just now shows they're offering a 28-70 F4 SMC FA AL (52) 35MM SLR AUTO FOCUS ZOOM WIDE ANGLE LENS in EX condition for $76.00 The way they list it, you'd probably have to purchase lens caps separately - about another $12.00 They list another 28-70 F4 SMC FA AL (52) *WITH CAPS* 35MM SLR AUTO FOCUS ZOOM WIDE ANGLE LENS - EX for $84.00 Thanks, John. I've bought everything so far off eBay, but the prices I quoted were from KEH. I usually don't look at the autofocus lenses. As I explained in my last response, I really am a novice, and I want to use equipment that makes me think about what I'm doing. These are good prices, though, and I guess just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. I'll check them out. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 22/9/10, Eric Weir, discombobulated, unleashed: Is it on Stan Halpin's list? He does lean a bit after a glass of malt -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche -- http://www.cottysnaps.com _ -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 22/9/10, Eric Weir, discombobulated, unleashed: I don't have plans. I'm a novice. A RANK novice You should have 2 items and two items only in your kit. An MX and a 50mm f/1.4. That's it. For one year. If you're learning, this is what you need to learn with. No zooms, no pixels. If you're a good boy, after 6 months you're allowed a battery for the meter... -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche -- http://www.cottysnaps.com _ -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
Ditto on KEH. I've only bought rangefinder cameras/lenses and TLRs from KEH, but they won't sell you a dog unless it is rated as UGLY. Jeffery -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
From: Eric Weir On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:50 PM, David J Brooks wrote: . . . PZ . . . You forgot, David. I'm a novice. REALLY a novice. Never encountered PZ before. What is it? Is it on Stan Halpin's list? The PZ would actually be a FA 28-105 f/4-5.6. They were introduced at about the same time the Z/PZ series bodies were introduced. I think the bodies were Z-series everywhere in the world except the U.S. where they were PZ-series. Same camera, different nomenclature. They're on Stan's list as 28-105 f/4.0-5.6 FA (p), 28-105 f/4.0-5.6 FA (New) 28-105 mm f/3.2-4.5 (Newer) The other source for Pentax K-mount information is Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page - it has pictures of the lenses for you to drool over. http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/ Stan's page has hands-on user reviews, BDimitrov has technical specs. FA 28-105 f/4-5.6: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/short/FA28-105f4-5.6-i.html FA 28-105 f/3.2-4.5 AL [IF]: http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/short/FA28-105f3.2-4.5.html ... that someone else recommended because the front element doesn't rotate while focusing. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 2010-09-22 17:09, Jeffery Smith wrote: Ditto on KEH. I've only bought rangefinder cameras/lenses and TLRs from KEH, but they won't sell you a dog unless it is rated as UGLY. I've had very good experiences with KEH. That's where I got both the FA* 200/2.8 and the F* 300/4.5. The 200 was rated BGN because the hood was a bit scuffed. I never figured out why the 300 was rated BGN, because it was damned near pristine. Well, the painted in lettering on the badge was flaking a little. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:55 PM, Cotty wrote: On 22/9/10, Eric Weir, discombobulated, unleashed: Is it on Stan Halpin's list? He does lean a bit after a glass Thanks for letting me know. I have been taking it as gospel. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:58 PM, Cotty wrote: On 22/9/10, Eric Weir, discombobulated, unleashed: I don't have plans. I'm a novice. A RANK novice You should have 2 items and two items only in your kit. An MX and a 50mm f/1.4. That's it. For one year. If you're learning, this is what you need to learn with. No zooms, no pixels. If you're a good boy, after 6 months you're all Interesting. That's exactly where I was headed when I encountered this list. I have a K1000 SE, but there's something in the finder that I'm told will cost more than a replacement used camera to fix. I have a P3 and just bought a P3n today. [The film rewind mechanism on the former doesn't work properly; and I know that P3n's are not a fully mechanical, but they are a lot cheaper than MX's.] That said, at the risk of insubordination, from where I stand now the cost of film and processing, and especially the disconnect between what I do and the results I get make me hesitant about going back to film completely, even temporarily. That does not mean I am not open to guidance regarding this. Sincerely, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net P.S. I forgot to say that I have an Olympus XA which I was using exclusively until I got the ist* DS. My pattern was to shoot several rolls of film before getting them processed, by which time I had no idea what I'd done when I shot the pictures. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 5:17 PM, Doug Franklin wrote: I've had very good experiences with KEH. That's where I got both the FA* 200/2.8 and the F* 300/4.5. The 200 was rated BGN because the hood was a bit scuffed. I never figured out why the 300 was rated BGN, because it was damned near pristine. Well, the painted in lettering on the badge was flaking a little. Thanks, Doug -- and others who've vouched for KEH. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 4:49 PM, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? Nope, use either way. I find the 28-105 has more CA on the K10D than the istD. Mostly on old barns with tin roofs. Just an fyi Dave -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- Documenting Life in Rural Ontario. www.caughtinmotion.com http://brooksinthecountry.blogspot.com/ York Region, Ontario, Canada -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
This was returned to me identified as having been blocked as spam somewhere along the way. Hope it gets through this time. On Sep 22, 2010, at 5:12 PM, John Sessoms wrote: The PZ would actually be a FA 28-105 f/4-5.6. . . . They're on Stan's list as 28-105 f/4.0-5.6 FA (p), 28-105 f/4.0-5.6 FA (New) 28-105 mm f/3.2-4.5 (Newer) The other source for Pentax K-mount information is Bojidar Dimitrov's Pentax K-Mount Page - it has pictures of the lenses for you to drool over. I'm familiar with it. I won't say it's too technical for me -- how will I learn if I turn my back on the kind of information it provides? -- but at this point I'm only able to make limited sense of what it provides. http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/short/FA28-105f3.2-4.5.html ... that someone else recommended because the front element doesn't rotate while focusing. Missed that. I'll check it out. Thanks Joahn. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
For my $44 USD (from KEH) you can't get a finer, more versatile lens in the 28-80mm range than the Pentax SMC F 1:3.5-4.5. I've had one for 22 years and its never let me down. Kenneth Waller http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller - Original Message - From: Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net Subject: More help for a novice To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Thanks in advance, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I wouldn't bother with any short range zoom that only went to 35mm at the short end. It's really only a normal field of view, and the long end of neither lens goes high enough to be worth the effort of changing lenses. I'd be looking for a fast 50mm (even f2 is 1.5 to 2 stops better than the zooms you quoted) or any 85mm lens if you like portraiture or performance from the edge of the stage. If your preference is close-up nature photography then think about a macro lens, some of the older Pentax-M and A series f4 macros must be getting quite cheap now. regards, Anthony Of what use is lens and light to those who lack in mind and sight (Anon) On 23 September 2010 03:40, Eric Weir eew...@bellsouth.net wrote: To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Thanks in advance, -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:08 PM, Ken Waller wrote: For my $44 USD (from KEH) you can't get a finer, more versatile lens in the 28-80mm range than the Pentax SMC F 1:3.5-4.5. Thanks, Ken. Nothing at KEH. They have a 28-80 F3.5-4.5 Takumar F Macro and a 28-80 F3.5-4.7 SMC FA, but I take it neither is the lens you're talking about. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:43 PM, Anthony Farr wrote: I'd be looking for a fast 50mm (even f2 is 1.5 to 2 stops better than the zooms you quoted) or any 85mm lens if you like portraiture or performance from the edge of the stage. If your preference is close-up nature photography then think about a macro lens, some of the older Pentax-M and A series f4 macros must be getting quite cheap now. Thanks, Anthany. Maybe I have all I need for the time being. In addition to the other lenses I mentioned, I have a 50mm f1.7 m and a 100mm f4 macro m. And with the P3n body that I mentioned purchasing today I'll be getting a 50mm f2.0 a. [Both for $40. Perhaps it'll be suggested that the P3n isn't worth it?] -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
It is all due to the slant of the deck. Hard to find good pirate captains these days . . . stan On Sep 22, 2010, at 3:55 PM, Cotty wrote: On 22/9/10, Eric Weir, discombobulated, unleashed: Is it on Stan Halpin's list? He does lean a bit after a glass of malt -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche -- http://www.cottysnaps.com _ -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
To my ist* DS, smc a 28mm f2.8, and smc a 70-210mm f4 I'm contemplating adding either an smc a 35-70mm f4 [$80] or an smc a 35-105 f3.5 [$200], both of which I understand are really good lenses. I'm not exactly rich. [If I hadn't been able to get what I've got for a little over $300 -- and a licensed copy of Lightroom 3 for just under $120 -- I wouldn't be able to afford to get into digital photography.] Which lens would you recommend? Thanks in advance, Between the 35-70 and the 35-105 -- well ... Neither. Some of the new DA DAL lenses are both sharper and AF. And in the same price class. But if it must be one, the 35-105 would be my choice. Sincerely, Collin Brendemuehl He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose -- Jim Elliott -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
From: Eric Weir On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? Not if you don't want to. Who's going to make you? -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 9:22 PM, John Sessoms jsessoms...@nc.rr.com wrote: From: Eric Weir On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? Not if you don't want to. Who's going to make you? Well, yeah, but if you want to manual focus, get a manual focus lens. I've manually focused AF lenses (usually in low light) and it's not the preferred way of doing things. MF lenses are nicely damped and because they have longer throws (if that's the word - I'm trying to say you have to rotate the rings more from one end of the focus range to the other) you can be much more precise. cheers, frank -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:04 PM, Eric Weir wrote: Thanks, Maybe I have all I need for the time being. Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net Amen to that, brother! Cotty's suggestion for an MX plus one 50mm lens is a bit extreme, but has merit. A basic truth in photography is that you can only put one lens on a camera at a time. Even a Pentax camera. A corollary of this truth is that you cannot take pictures with lenses which are not mounted on your camera. So, if you have multiple lenses, you have one mounted on your camera that you can use to take pictures, explore and learn about photography. And you have x others on a shelf at home or in a bag over your shoulder doing nothing but encouraging early signs of shoulder distress. So you see a photo op - do you take the picture, making do with the lens on the camera? Or fumble around trying to find the right lens for the situation? Hopefully the former. Which means that all of the extra lenses are redundant. Concentrate on the photography, not on the lenses for now. Special situations call for special lenses, but most photographic situations you will encounter can be handled with one general purpose lens. Note how many of the really fine photographers on this list have a favored FOV and corresponding lens. Macro photography calls for a macro lens, but you can get very fine close-ups with a 50mm or 85mm lens. Sports photography seems to call for zoom lenses, but a medium-length tele will do just fine most of the time. Choose a single lens, preferably a fixed focal length lens. On the 35mm system, when I was first learning, I had a 50mm and a 105mm lens. I later bought a 135mm to complete the system. Of the 3 lenses, the 105mm was used far more often than the other two combined. Others prefer a 50mm or 35mm FOV. If I had to go with one lens today for use on my Pentax digital, it would be the 21mm, with a FOV close to the 35mm lens on a 35mm film camera. Do just a little experimentation, see what focal range suits YOU best, then use that single lens for 5-10,000 images. Periodically review your images in Lightroom. Don't just look at the good shots! Look at your rejects. Are you rejecting many images because the composition is just too tight, because the FOV was not wide enough to capture enough of the scene to tell the story you wanted to tell? Then get a wider lens. Or are you rejecting images because the (flower, football player, child playing, whatever) that was the subject of your image is just too small within the overall image? Then get a longer lens. Try to resist zoom lenses unless (a) you have physical problems that keep you from easily moving your body as needed to change the composition; or (b) you pay close conscious attention to the focal length you are zooming to on each shot, and you take the opportunity to learn something about your own preferences. I own a bunch of lenses. Some I take with me if I am going to do candid shots in a city, others would be chosen if I were traveling through an unknown countryside. I have a macro kit and a bird watching kit. I can justify this extravagance because I have taken the time to think about and learn what my preferences are. Without that learning process, multiple lenses are just a distraction. An analogy. I am a fairly decent amateur woodworker, with reasonably complicated furniture and cabinetry accomplished over the years. Recently I hired two carpenters to repair wood rot on window sills in my very old house. At one point one of them pulled out his portable selection of drill bits. My first thought was, wow, I need to buy a complete set like that! My second thought was but do I know enough to make effective use of them? Another general principle is that it is a good thing to use the right tool for any given job. Don't pound nails with a wrench, use a hammer. But if you don't know what type of nail you will be driving, don't buy a full range of hammers; get one good general purpose tool, like a 50mm. You'll learn its limitations as you learn your own way of viewing the world, and then you can go buy some more tools. And learn some more. And the cycle never stops. stan -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 2010-09-22 21:38, Stan Halpin wrote: Amen to that, brother! Cotty's suggestion for an MX plus one 50mm lens is a bit extreme, but has merit. In the olden days before digital, my standard response to someone asking Eric's question would have been, don't buy lenses yet, buy film and developing (or darkroom gear) ... you'll learn faster. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
On 2010-09-22 21:38, Stan Halpin wrote: Another general principle is that it is a good thing to use the right tool for any given job. Tools for men are like shoes for women. Sometimes a crimson pump really is the only one that works. :-) -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
When I came back to photography after a several year hiatus and some flirtation with video, I moved from a ME-Super to a PZ-1p very fine autofocus capable 35mm camera. The one new lens I bought was the PZ FA 28-105. It was/is a very good lens. If/when you actually need a lens with a broad zoom range, this is one to consider. Don't be put off by the gimmickry. After the first day I never used any of the special modes others have described, and seldom used the Power zoom feature. You can ignore all of that added stuff, don't bypass such a quality lens if you you ever see one for a decent price. stan On Sep 22, 2010, at 3:41 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 3:37 PM, John Francis wrote: On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 02:53:41PM -0400, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:50 PM, David J Brooks wrote: . . . PZ . . . You forgot, David. I'm a novice. REALLY a novice. Never encountered PZ before. What is it? Is it on Stan Halpin's list? Power Zoom. Thanks for the explanation, John. I can see how some of the trick zooms, like maintaining image size while subject distance changes, would be helpful, but I think I'll pass on this type of lens. I'm trying to keep my equipment set as simple and as close to manual as possible. Aperture priority is about as advanced as I want to get at this point. My first purchase in getting back into photography at the end of last year was a crude Russian Smena Symbol. It was made in the millions during the later Soviet period. It provides five settings each for aperture and shutter speed and nothing else, not even film speed. I liked the way it made me think. A couple months after I bought it I lost it. I replaced it a couple months ago, but haven't done any shooting with it, yet. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
It's very difficult to find a better value, better versatility, better optics, and better distortion control than a 50mm lens. Inasmuch as it becomes the same view as a 75mm lens on a digital SLR, a 28-35 mm is the next best thing. Look at the photos by Henri Cartier Bresson and Robert Capa, and you'll how much can be done with a single focal length. Get to know one focal length well, and you can do miracles with it. Jeffery On Sep 22, 2010, at 8:44 PM, Doug Franklin wrote: On 2010-09-22 21:38, Stan Halpin wrote: Amen to that, brother! Cotty's suggestion for an MX plus one 50mm lens is a bit extreme, but has merit. In the olden days before digital, my standard response to someone asking Eric's question would have been, don't buy lenses yet, buy film and developing (or darkroom gear) ... you'll learn faster. -- Thanks, DougF (KG4LMZ) -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
MHO: get a cheap pentax digital body like an *istD or DS and an A50, maybe a 1.7. These are cheap and good lenses. Shoot lots of images. Look at them all, decide which ones you like and think about why. Then decide what went wrong with each pic and how you might fix it. You can learn more formally later. It's better and more fun to be active at first. You'll have plenty of time later to be picky. -Original Message- From: frank theriault knarftheria...@gmail.com Sender: pdml-boun...@pdml.net Date: Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:30:09 To: Pentax-Discuss Mail Listpdml@pdml.net Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Subject: Re: More help for a novice On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 9:22 PM, John Sessoms jsessoms...@nc.rr.com wrote: From: Eric Weir On Sep 22, 2010, at 4:46 PM, Eric Weir wrote: . . . . just because they're autofocus I don't have to use them as autofocus. Or would I? Not if you don't want to. Who's going to make you? Well, yeah, but if you want to manual focus, get a manual focus lens. I've manually focused AF lenses (usually in low light) and it's not the preferred way of doing things. MF lenses are nicely damped and because they have longer throws (if that's the word - I'm trying to say you have to rotate the rings more from one end of the focus range to the other) you can be much more precise. cheers, frank -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson -- 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. -- 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.
Re: More help for a novice
I'm with Stan on this. When I bought a PZ-1, it came with a crappy PZ FA28-80. I quickly gave up using it and went back to prime lenses. 3 or so years ago, I got the PZ FA28-105 and was very pleased. It's a good lens. I wish that I would have bought the more expensive FA28-105 originally. It would have improved my results considerably. Yes, the old lens had a power zoom feature. Forget about it and just use the manual zoom. Regards, Bob S. On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 8:48 PM, Stan Halpin s...@stans-photography.info wrote: When I came back to photography after a several year hiatus and some flirtation with video, I moved from a ME-Super to a PZ-1p very fine autofocus capable 35mm camera. The one new lens I bought was the PZ FA 28-105. It was/is a very good lens. If/when you actually need a lens with a broad zoom range, this is one to consider. Don't be put off by the gimmickry. After the first day I never used any of the special modes others have described, and seldom used the Power zoom feature. You can ignore all of that added stuff, don't bypass such a quality lens if you you ever see one for a decent price. stan On Sep 22, 2010, at 3:41 PM, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 3:37 PM, John Francis wrote: On Wed, Sep 22, 2010 at 02:53:41PM -0400, Eric Weir wrote: On Sep 22, 2010, at 1:50 PM, David J Brooks wrote: . . . PZ . . . You forgot, David. I'm a novice. REALLY a novice. Never encountered PZ before. What is it? Is it on Stan Halpin's list? Power Zoom. Thanks for the explanation, John. I can see how some of the trick zooms, like maintaining image size while subject distance changes, would be helpful, but I think I'll pass on this type of lens. I'm trying to keep my equipment set as simple and as close to manual as possible. Aperture priority is about as advanced as I want to get at this point. My first purchase in getting back into photography at the end of last year was a crude Russian Smena Symbol. It was made in the millions during the later Soviet period. It provides five settings each for aperture and shutter speed and nothing else, not even film speed. I liked the way it made me think. A couple months after I bought it I lost it. I replaced it a couple months ago, but haven't done any shooting with it, yet. -- Eric Weir Decatur, GA USA eew...@bellsouth.net -- 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. -- 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. -- 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.
