chasg

I got a similar K-mount lens on eBay for $49 and it was marked simply "Takumar (Bayonet) 1:2.5 135mm 5560002 Asahi Optical Co." I believe the "bayonet" may indicate mine is quite an old version, but can assure you this lens is beautifully sharp and contrasty, a real gem on my Pentax *ist-DS where it effectively is 200mm. Don't worry about Super or not, or some Takumars being called inferior... this is a good lens.

From what I've seen on WWW and my experience with TWO Tokina RMC lenses (500mm and 35mm-105mm zoom), these older manual focus lenses are rather heavy, well made and the optical quality is very satisfactory. "RMC" merely means the Tokina lens multi-coating.

 

Tokina lenses are usually regarded as in the "better" class along with Tamron and Kiron. So, is your 80-200mm lens a good one? It's probably better than many similar lenses on eBay from less reputable manufacturers.

 

A price close to $40 would be attractive: cheaper than a similar used lens manufactured by Pentax but almost similar in overall quality. Be aware that many sellers have inflated ideas of what such a lens is worth. I bought similar zooms -- Tamron and Quantaray -- on eBay for $25 and $40 respectively (plus shipping) and both are very good.

 

Don't pay too much; one on-line dealer wants $125 for this used lens :^(

If you're talking about PENTAX screwmount lenses, the *istDS is easier... besides being better, cheaper, and perfect to use in a full manual mode if you don't like bells and whistles.

 

I tried a 350D but it died in one day... replaced it with the *istDS and am ***very*** happy I did.

 

Disclaimer: I am using no screwmounts, but have a wide variety of old T-mount, A-mount and K-mount lenses which function just fine.

Hot pixels are no big deal, I sometimes find one or two. They become more evident in very long exposures or at high ISO speeds, so it is wise to turn on the menu option which removes them. To test, take a long (10-second) exposure with the lens cap on... you may be shocked at what you see without the above option... I found about 10.

 

Of course Pentax must have a spec on allowable hot pixels... but they'll never tell us! If you demanded a perfect sensor, the camera cost would skyrocket. Dead pixels are more serious, but a free test program from the Internet found none on my *ist-DS.

Try the Zenitar 16mm F/2.8 semi-fisheye, which can be corrected via software to a true linear wideangle. Sharpness wide open is usable, and it gets very sharp a few stops down. A fantastic lens, considering mine cost $115 shipped from Moscow. I'm very pleased with it. Despite the 1.5 crop factor, it seems MUCH wider than the equivalent of 24mm. Depth of field is so extensive, you can just leave it at infinity most of the time.

 

Here it is compared to the kit lens:<div></div>

Yes, the drain plunger is "Pentax Rubber Eyecup M for LX, LX Super, M Program & K1000 Cameras" still available from B&H... but are you confirming that it might fit the *ist-D/DS cameras?

Has anyone with an old film Pentax collection tried to fit a better

eyecup on the *ist-D/DS? The supplied model is just an eyeglass

bumper without much depth. Older Pentax eyecup versions resembled a

round drain plunger or an elongated teardrop shape like a bicycle

helmet.

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Yes, I really am this old :^)<div></div>

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The A lenses are more useful in the DSLR's many modes, while M lenses work only in full manual mode, but still easy to use. For 50mm I have both the M-1.7 and the A-2.0. I never understood what all the fuss about "bokeh" was until recently when I shot a grandson nearly wide open with the 1.7... truly beautiful blurred background :^)

 

I use a Pentax-A 28mm F/2.8 as my "normal" lens, not liking the sheer bulk of the kit lens.<div></div>

I had no Adaptall 2 or Pentax experience before I bought my *ist-DS and began shopping eBay for lenses. A Tamron 70-210 zoom (K mount) would stop down past F/16 on order, but in the camera's manual mode I was unable to increase the exposure appropriately. To my surprise, a similar A-mount Quantaray (don't laugh) lens was even sharper than the Tamron wide open. Adaptall 2 seems a rather awkward, confusing mount and I will stick to "real" A-mount lenses in future.