matt_bevers

Why not get a pentax *ist-D and the limited lens set (31/1.8, 43/1.9, 77/1.8)?

 

Honestly, I don't have an *ist-D or any Pentax limited lenses, but since you're looking

for some unique qualities in lenses and don't have an apparent manufacturer

preference, you might want to look into your third option. Pentax also makes a 24/2,

35/2, and 85/1.4 that are generally well regarded.

 

May as well consider all possibilities ;-)

"Also using TTL flash systems indoors is a waste of time for a variety of reasons"

 

Care to expand on those reasons for those of us who can't immediately guess what

you're thinking? Seriously, I'm curious to know what you mean.

The slow aperture is the cause of the overexposing. The same thing happened to me

with an old M 28/2.8. I would recommend using the same solution I did - buy a new

one. The 35/2.8 typically isn't considered one of the greatest pentax lenses (not that

it's bad in any way either), so you can probably find a replacement cheaper than you

can have it fixed.

I'll second the ME Super recommendation. It will give her aperture priority in addition

to manual, but the manual shutter selection is via push-butto. If she wants to stay

with something more traditional, you might take a look at the MX. Fully mechanical

like the K1000, but with some nice features like DOF preview and the aperture visible

in the finder. I own both the MX and ME Super (as well as the Super Program) and

they are both very capable cameras. Go with the MX if she prefers to shoot in manual,

the ME Super if she'd like something with some automation.

I just looked at the 28-80 lens you mentioned. That's an auto focus lens and so it

might be less than ideal for use on a manual focus body. It will work fine, but if you

don't win the auction you might want to look out for an older manual focus model.

Again, look at that link I gave you to get an idea what's out there.

 

-matt

I would maybe avoid that Takumar lens. Pentax K-mount lenses labeled

takumar are generally of lesser quality (not true for screw mount lenses, but that's

not what you need). I would look at one of the following lenses

 

Pentax SMC-M 80-200 f4.5

 

or

 

Pentax SMC-A 70-210 f4

 

The latter is probably better, but the former is probably a bit cheaper. For more info

on pentax lenses in general, take a look at this page:

 

http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp

 

-Matt

This particular Pentax forum has only been open for about a week now...that's why

there aren't many questions. Perhaps you're thinking of the Pentax medium format

forum here or the PDML (www.pdml.net)?

 

As for survival, Pentax seems to be making plenty of money selling digital P&S

cameras. They recently released a new 35mm SLR and their digital SLR can already be

ordered and should be in the hands of early purchasers any day now.

 

Don't switch brands because you're worried about Pentax's health, switch brands if

there's something you need that Pentax can't give you and someone else can.

I asked a while ago about good 400ASA color negative film for scanning. The

consensus seemed to be in favor of Porta 400 UC or NC. I just got the first roll of UC

back, and I'm having some trouble with colors - everything looks a little too blue-

green for my taste. In vuescan's color settings I used portra 400VC for the film and

white balance for the color balance settings. Anyone know of any options that might

work better than this?

 

If I get a chance, I'll upload a photo tomorrow when I get back to my other computer.

I have both of these and they're both wonderful cameras in their own right. More on

point, the ME Super <b>does</b> require batteries to fire the shutter at any speed

other than 1/125 (sync speed). The MX will fire at any speed without batteries.

Admittedly, I tend to skim over the mac/pc posts in this forum, but I feel like I've

seen more than one post which was started just to say "Ha - apple is lying, the G5

isn't going to be fast or really 64-bit anyway, why don't you all buy PCs." It also

seems

like I often see support for this statement in the form of "Yeah, and I deploy lots of

cheap, fast windows servers, so I don't know why anyone would buy a Mac for any

reason at all, I mean really, if Apple can make an enterprise-level database server can

their computers be any good for anything?"

<p>

A side point: Apple's ads show people blaming problems on "Windows

PCs" that is, both the hardware and the software. Their argument is that by making

both, Apple makes things easier. This is true for some people, and not for others,

but I don't think Apple is trying to imply that Microsoft builds PCs.

<p>

I use a Mac most of the time these days, and I have to say I can't stand blind

Microsoft bashing/excessive Mac evangelism anymore than anyone else can. I also

don't see much reason to spend hours debating benchmarks. What I don't get

though, is why Windows users always get so defensive when someone is happy about

using a Mac or when someone posts a question asking if they should consider a Mac

for their next purchase. It's a valid topic, because there are differences, and people

should be informed. I think the attitude that we should all use Windows because it's

cheaper and more commonly used is just as dangerous as the attitude that we

shouldn't use Windows because Microsoft is an evil monopoly. People should be

given the info they need to evaluate things based on the merits.

<p>

Scott, I think you make good contributions here, but I sometimes get the feeling from

a your posts on this topic that you would be happier if there simply was no discussion

of the Mac at all. I think that's about as fair as saying that we shouldn't discuss

anything photographed with Minolta or Pentax since "pros only use Nikon or Canon".

Is there any option for Macintosh users?

I haven't shot color negative film in quite a while because I was never happy with the

results I got from scanning it. I'm happy with using Provia 100F for most things, but I

don't love the way it makes skin look and I need some extra speed every now and

then. So, I'm wondering if anyone has had success with scanning some of the newer

negative films. Subject will mostly be people, so good skin tones are my highest

priority. I'd be specifically interested in anyone's experience with good film for the

Minolta Scan Dual used with Vuescan. I've searched the archives, but most info I've

been able to find is somewhat out-of-date. If anyone knows of a good thread I might

have missed, please point me to it. I'm obviously going to test a few things myself,

I'd just like some suggestions for where to start.

That lens is supposedly a Tamron 28-200 with a Pentax name slapped on it. While I

haven't used one, it is probably one of the worst lenses Pentax sells. The MZ-5n is a

good body, and while Canon does make some better bodies, you aren't going to see

an improvement over the 5n until you spend some serious money. As for lenses,

Pentax primes and more expensive lenses are just as good as Canon's, Canon does

have a little better selection. The same goes in reverse, Canon's cheap lenses are

probably just as bad as those that Pentax sells. Your best bet would be to get a

Pentax FA 50mm f1.7 or 50mm f1.4 and see if that improves things before you spend

a lot of money to switch brands.

Those are the "Amana Colonies" outside of Iowa City which are more like old German

settlements than Amish. There is also a town called Kalona, which is in an area with a

lot of Amish. These two things aren't the same and would both be interesting. Bear

in mind that the Amish typically object quite strongly to having their photo taken so it

would be best not to try.

 

There is also some interesting architecture at the University in Iowa City and some

nice rolling hills and cornfields just outside of town. Best of all, Iowa City is just of I-

80, making a stop pretty easy if you're heading west.

Here's the link to the article on viewfinders, might be of interest: <a href="http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column6/index.html">http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column6/index.html</a>.

<p>

You really might want to consider the Pentax ZX-5n or MZ-S, as you could keep using your lenses

Pentax plans to release the *ist D digital SLR in July, I believe.

Where I used to work we got several systems through motherboards express. Their prices were a little high, but we never had any trouble with them and all the systems worked fine. For wintel boxes, that is ;)