FA 28mm f2.8 AL Test Shot

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I know I should feel guilty but I'm not. My ebay-bought 28mm just arrived and

I'm very pleased with it. Quick sharp and compact, it fills the gap between the

Sigma 10-20mm (which I suspect I will rarely take on the road) and the 43mm

limited.

 

Sorry to bore you with yet another peony shot but a wide-angle was just the

ticket to close out the series.<div></div>

[jgredline]

Dave, You nailed it. It could not be better...

[miserere_mei]

Just because I have to criticise, I'll recommend increasing the contrast a bit. Or better still, applying some curves. Other than that, it looks great to a non-flower person such as myself :-)

 

Dave, I hope you bought the lens before Hin and Rosie's curfew began.

[mountainvisions]

After the fact I cannot disagree with Miserere but before the fact, a simple reflector disk, or even fill flash (off camera) would have done the trick. Check ebay for small circular reflectors. they don't take up much space and do wonders. reducing contrast is key at the time of the shot no matter how you do it.

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That 28mm looks like a great lens. Although my 28mm Ebay vivitar is off to tennessee for repair. I have tested it indoors and some outdoors at 2.0 (the only aperture it can achieve in it's oily state) and I have not seen flare or ghosting. The bokeh is top notch and the long focus throw of the barrel makes DOF scales extremely useful. So to me it's worth $65 to have it repaired. And it's well built, compact and a stop faster than the pentax, or 1.5 stops faster than the Pentax 28mm 3.5 and nearly as sharp.

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BTW, nice lens setup...looks a lot like mine. 10-20, 21mm, 28mm, 43 and 55mm or 70mm (don't yet own) or 70-300mm. Last weekend on a hike I went with just the 21/43 combo and the lightness and compact nature of the setup was amazing. Oh, I used the ist D as well, making things even smaller. I find I like the 10-20 best between 10-15 so I feel a bit better about the 21mm not duplicating lenses.

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Here is one of Bumps Pond in the Adirondacks from this past weekend. The dog got up and in the way of my 3 shot bracket so I had to crop him out of the bottom of the frame. This resulted in less foreground, but in light of the dreary state of early spring, I really didn't miss much...just a hey, I was there this weekend shot.

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Ist D, 21mm @ hyperfocal f/11 ISO 200.

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<a title="Bumps Pond - Lake George Wild Forest" href=" ><img src="http://static.flickr.com/3196/2435406775_6738ee58d2_d.jpg" border="0"/></a>

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Oh, absolutely, Mis, the transaction was consummated before the ban went into effect (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

 

As far as contrast, I tend to play it conservative but it looks pretty pop-y to me--what with all that sunshine we've had since you left the area ;>) I suspect Abe would agree with you, though--he and I bicker about whose monitor needs adjustment while the Spyder2Express we bought together gathers dust, unopened, on my bookshelf.

[mountainvisions]

Yeah, I was going to mention calibration, the contrast situation we are seeing could be a non calibrated monitor.

 

Trust me, you will be shocked at just the difference in before and after (most calibration softare have a before and after button).

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Looks like a nice place to have been this week-end , Justin. Is that ice at the far end of the pond? I'd say the photo looks a bit dark to me but that would only give Abe more ammunition.

 

Do you take the 10-20 on your hikes much? I tend to leave it home when traveling because it's so big & heavy. I know the 28mm is not all that wide but it'll have to do until I can afford the 21mm. Anyway, I've tended to favor longer FLs to date but that may change as I give this new toy a work-out--shooting the peony wide was a nice change of pace after a steady diet of macro.

[jgredline]

Looking at it through my calibrated monitor, it really looks nice, so I am sticking with my original observation. :)

[michael_kuhne]

I also tend to like it as is. A touch of contrast will be better for making a print, though. Seems like that is always true! This is really a fine lens. I love mine. It was my second AF lens after the "F" 50mm f/1.7 bought with my Pentax SF-1n camera back in 1990. It was this lens that was responsible for my buying the PZ-1p camera, as I was frustrated that the built-in flash on the SF-1n would not fire with any AF or "A" lens wider than 35mm. So I owe this lens a lot!

 

The lens is great with film or DSLR, where it is a semi wide, or wide normal. This is a handier view and more versatile than the regular normal view. Like the 43mm Limited with film. And yes it it very compact, nearly like a Limited.

 

Justin, there was a time when I was saying I can hardly wait for the day you fit a 43mm Limited onto your *ist-D, and then take it out along with the 21mm Limited (an all metal mighty mouse). That day has finally come, and it is indeed a fantastic combo! I'll bet you'll find it very nice with your Program Plus too.

[mcmanamey]

Well, I can't say anything about the lens, but I'll let you know Dave, that you are making me

wish the peonies were still coming up in my Gma's acre of (former) garden. I think the years

of neglect & overgrowing finally did em in. Or maybe I should just scoot down there and look

before the ticks come out....

[jgredline]

Justin, That Image is gorgeous. It did not come up on my screen the first time. Love the reflection off the water...

[michael_kuhne]

I agree, I like Justin's shot very much! Anyone else having that *ist-D/43mm/21mm LTDs metal mighty mouse setup knows exactly what Justin is saying.

[daniel_tong1]

Dave Hollander,

 

Congrat on your new small lens which is very underrated as per Mark Robert's input even though it is less glamorous than the 31mm Ltd , 20mm and 24mm

 

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=588039&forum_id=94&jump_to=867100#p867100

 

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=584746&forum_id=94&jump_to=844540#p844540

 

Daniel, Toronto

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Maria, this is a "tree peony" my dad gave us--gorgeous but no fragrance. The fragrant ones are about a month away.

 

Justin, it's probably no coincidence that our lens collections bear some resemblance--I've been guided to a great extent by commentary here from you Michael and others--it's been very helpful.

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Thanks, Daniel, I'm really pleased with this purchase. It's also very handy that it takes a 49mm filter like the 43mm, 77mm and my 135mm.

 

My only question is about a hood: it didn't come with one. Is there aspecific one for this lens &/or is there a 'generic' option?

[michael_kuhne]

Dave, since the FOV on a DSLR is identical to the 43mm Limited on film, using its lens hood should do fine.

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Thanks Michael! You're right--it's just a threaded hood. Thats pretty nifty but, still, I might pick up one specifically for this lens (I see they're available at B&H.) I can imagine getting tripped up if I depend on a hood-sharing arrangement. There are people who could pull that off--I'm not one of them.

[michael_kuhne]

Yeah, when it comes to DSLR use, I just switch, lens cap and all. For film, however, that is a different matter.

[daniel_tong1]

=========Dave: My only question is about a hood: it didn't come with one. Is there aspecific one for this lens &/or is there a 'generic' option?===========

 

Dave,

 

Anyone of those flexi hood of 49mm will do. I have several crappy brownish and pinkish 49mm filters. I broke all the glass and use that in my 28mm & F50mmF1.7. Not quite as long as hood. But the lens is very resistant for flare. You may not need that

 

=========Michael: It was my second AF lens after the "F" 50mm f/1.7 bought with my Pentax SF-1n camera back in 1990.===========

 

I have the same set up. I love the lens . But SF1 is gettting dust though

 

Daniel, Toronto

[mountainvisions]

Dave Hollander, Apr 25, 2008; 02:07 p.m.

"Do you take the 10-20 on your hikes much? I tend to leave it home when traveling because it's so big & heavy. I know the 28mm is not all that wide but it'll have to do until I can afford the 21mm. Anyway, I've tended to favor longer FLs to date but that may change as I give this new toy a work-out--shooting the peony wide was a nice change of pace after a steady diet of macro."

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I haven't used the 10-20 a great deal hiking. In the eastern US we don't generally have a large landscape. What I mean is super wides work well out west for mountain scenics because the lanscape tends to be more open. I don't know if that makes any sense but there is a valid point inspite of my lack of explanation.

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However, the one place we do have openess is on the water and that is largely what I got the lens for. During paddling season it's "the lens" since I got it last July.

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The other place I'd find it useful it technical climbing (rock/ice, mountain routes). I haven't done much climbing this year, none with a SLR, so I haven't used it for that.

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But generally I find the 21mm wide enough for most uses and often too wide. The 28mm range is pretty good as a general lens, as is the 43mm.

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<a title="The Sky Is Falling - Osgood River" href=" ><img src="http://static.flickr.com/1438/1200571446_c127843ce8_d.jpg" border="0"/></a>

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Although I'd think it a bit cumbersome in rock climbing, I can understand how the possibilities might make it worth the effort. I have a fear of heights but open water possibilities are another matter.

 

That's a nice shot, btw--you've posted it before, I think, but I don't recall that it had such dynamic range.

[mountainvisions]

yeah, the lighting and reflection make the shot...as does the tree that will one day fall into the water. That was essentially straight from the camera, even amazed me that the lighting was so even. However, that weekend just had a lot of good shots, very rare to have a weekend with such vivid clear blue skies and perfect cloud cover.

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Just make sure you're not under that tree when it decides to recline, Justin. My uncle had that stoke of bad luck on the Potomac: he survived but the guide didn't.