deaner66

<p>It's nice that Costco even sells a Pentax DSLR. No other big box store does.</p>

<p>But it be much sweeter if come July they were selling the K7.</p>

<p>I think it might be worth considering some pointers about how the M42 lens work and relate on a DSLR. I'm still learning. I spent a weekend with my Takumars when I first got them, not knowing that the aperture was wide open because I had the lenses set to AUTO on my K10D. So no matter what I set the aperture to, it stayed wide open.</p>

<p>So all of my shots were not bad, just kind of soft. I was almost ready write these lenses off. But I figured out to keep them set to MANUAL(MAN). That's when I saw how good the image quality looked.</p>

<p>Someone who has some experience with M42 should chime in with some tips and advice. I have an authentic Asahi adapter and honestly, it ain't the easiest thing in the world to get on and off. It's not a major problem, but it seems to take me a time or two to get it off.</p>

<p>Come to think of it, I seem to remember Justin and some others talking about gluing adapters to the lenses, so maybe it's not just me.</p>

<p>You could make a pretty good argument that one of the advantages of a manual focus lens and an aperture ring is you have to think about your shot. It can't hurt to take a major portion of the decision making away from the camera.</p>

<p>Either way, there are many superb M42 lenses out there. I'd like to try the Schneider to compare against my Asahis.</p>

<p>I'm game. I have an ever-growing collection of M42 Takumars and I'm really impressed with these old lenses. Aside from recording f/stops and manual focusing, these lens give nothing up to newer lenses.</p>

<p>Count me in!</p>

<p>Orlando: I was talking about keeping the camera still enough for handheld shots. I didn't have focusing errors. I could see through viewfinder every tiny movement I made. And I have a steady hand. I was just saying this lens would be much sharper with proper support. It is a very nice lens.</p>

<p>Andrew: Full power was fine for what I was trying to do. But since I had the lens set on AUTO, it stayed wide open no matter what aperture I selected. So even though it was nearly dark, and my wife was ten to fifteen feet away, every shot was blown out. My wife looked like a ghost.</p>

<p>Garry: The water drop pictures were really easy. If you have an off-camera flash set up, this is pretty quick and easy. It doesn't take that much to get going. Then you take a lot of shots and eventually you will get some keepers. Read this:<br>

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-photograph-water-drops-with-one.html<br>

to learn more.</p>

<p>Auto Takumar 55mm f/1.8</p>

<p>This lens works better for these water shots, since you have manually focus on the drops anyway.</p><div></div>

<p>Super Takumar 200mm f/4</p><div></div>

<p>I've been doing quite a bit of shopping for older Pentax lenses lately. The M-Series lenses I've got are excellent. I bought a OEM screw mount adapter for my K10d and bought a few Takumar lenses. I got a 55mm Auto Takumar f/1.8 and a 200mm Super Takumar f/4. Both were in great shape and both were cheap. I got the 55 for $23 and the 200 was $60. They are both built the ages, literally. Focus on both is very solid and deliberate--some say too deliberate. And the 200 is a tough lens to use without a tripod.It's heavy.</p>

<p>All of that is typical of older Pentax glass, but the shots from both lenses seemed kind of soft no matter what aperture I used. They seemed a step below what I had been used to with my other SMC lenses.</p>

<p>My "Eureka" moment came when I was trying to get a quick shot of my wife using the pop-up flash. Every shot I took, all through the aperture, was completely over-exposed. I had the lens set to AUTO instead of MAN. Since I grew up on the K1000 and the bayonet mount, I never used a M42 lens. I figured AUTO would work. Now I know better.</p>

<p>Once I figured out how to change the aperture, the lenses really shined. These are as fine as my SMC-M lenses. Like most lenses, they are soft wide open. And when you can't change them from wide open, they rightfully seemed soft on the whole. And for the K10D, anyway, that's what happens when you have a screw mount lens set to AUTO.</p>

<p>Luckily, I eventually right my wrongs. These are great lenses for the money. Unrivaled, really. And knocked down a few stops, these lenses are as sharp as anything I have in my bag. The 200mm really needs to be on a tripod to see its potential, but the 55mm is a nice walk around lens. It is the lens I used on my two water drop shots in yesterdays' POW.</p>

<p>This week I'm going to pick up the 50mm f/1.4 Takumar that I've read so much good stuff about. They can be had in good shape for $50 to $100 on Ebay.</p><div></div>

<p>The water drops are an assignment from The Strobist web page. One flash off the camera, pointed at a colored reflector or a gel on the flash.</p><div></div>

<p>I've kept my Auto-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 stuck to my K10D. It took me a while to figure out the MAN/AUTO switch. I kept it on AUTO and wondered why my two Takumar lenses looked soft. On the K10D, it needs to stay on MAN to use the aperture...otherwise it stays wide open no matter what you have it set on.</p>

<p>Anyway, these Taks are great, great lenses if you can get over manual focus.</p><div></div>

<p>I'd get as much light as possible, be that sun light or flashes. You can always work down from there.</p>

<p>3, yo. It's been my lucky number since time immemorial.</p>

<p>BTW, I paid about $30 US for my radio transmitter and 3 recievers two years ago. These were the 16 channel models.</p>

<p>Some lens smoke these tests and some may fail miserably, but it is cool to be able to find that diamond in the rough on our cutting edge DSLR's.</p>

<p>How does 10 FPS, or smooth 6400 compare to that?</p>

<p>I like where we stand.</p>

<p>You need to find your own comfort zone in the Strobist world. Read up, fill your equipment holes and shoot, shoot, shoot.</p>

<p>Two years on, I still struggle with some aspects of off-camera flash photography. But I feel I get better every time out.</p>

<p>I have a K10D, a Vivitar 285HV and a Nikon SB-26. All connected by a second generation Cactus radio trigger. All of my Cactus gear has been re-soldered and I added an antenna to my transmitter to increase its range to about 150 feet.</p>

<p>With all that, I have no misfires with my cheap equipment. None.</p>

<p>If something doesn't fire, I know to check other things, like making sure the channels are linked, and power switches are activated. When all of that is going, I never have problems.</p>

<p>I still make mistakes, but not because of equipment issues.</p>

<p>The point is, you can get around nicely with cheap gear. It SHOULD be modified, otherwise you roll the dice with each shoot. But with modifications, you can make this cheap stuff do a standard job.</p>

<p>It is well worth your troubles or dollars. It can open up a whole new wing to your photography.</p>

<p>A slight under exposure.</p><div></div>

<p>As you can see from these shots, the colors are very vivid. But check out the bokeh of this shot. It is wide open and appears to me to be distracting and nervous. And in the 100% view, the plant is actually pretty sharp. But those circles bug me.</p><div></div>

<p>My dog.</p><div></div>

<p>Sunny blue day. Saturday.</p><div></div>

<p>Looking SE</p><div></div>

<p>In my quest to find the good, bad and ugly of older Pentax glass, I give you one person's critique of this 55mm 1.8 screw-mount lens. I bought for $22 US on EBay. It is in excellent condition. Looking through the lens in bright light, the elements appear very clear. The aperture is crisp and snappy. The manual focus on this lens is perfect. The focus is quick, precise and never-ending.</p>

<p>I used this on my K10D. Everyone knows Pentax makes many small lenses. This lens falls in that category. It is noticeably smaller than my FA50mm f/1.4 on my camera. I've never held a high-quality rangefinder camera in my hands. But I have an idea of their size. This lens looks and feels like a lens that might fit a Leica.</p>

<p>Like most older Asahi lenses, it is made of metal and is very sturdy. It's age and current condition speak clearly to it's build quality.</p>

<p>And all of that is nice, but how does it look?</p>

<p>Not bad, really. Pretty good, really, with conditions. This lens is a curveball of sorts.</p>

<p>First, it isn't real sharp. Pentax has many, many lenses sharper than this. But that isn't to write the 55mm off. It definitely has redeeming qualities. With its softness, it has a creamy, dreamy effect. For all it lacks in sharpness, it makes up for with it's saturated colors.</p>

<p>Second, the bokeh of this lens is a mixed bag. Wide-open, the blur is distracting, in my eye. It seems to me very busy. Stopped down it eases, but it could argued that f/1.8-2.8 are a write-off. Viewer discretion. It just seems with a softer lens, the bokeh should match that, not contrast it. But that's just me.</p>

<p>Overall, for $22, this is very much worth having. It's probably worth 5 to 10 times more. There are ups and downs. Don't expect a superb lens, 'cause you won't get it. But this a quality lens. I think I'll try the 50mm f/1.4 Takumar. I've heard great things about it and it would frame this 55mm lens even better.</p><div></div>

<p>My dog, acting tough. Key word, acting.</p>

<p>This is the DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 zoom. Great lens.</p><div></div>

<p>The greatest lens for the money, the FA 50mm f/1.4.</p>

<p>SWEET!</p><div></div>

<p>This thing gets earlier and earlier every week. Used to be Sunday, now it's Saturday.</p>

<p>So here goes:</p><div></div>

<p>Maria, you're thinking of the Liberty Memorial. This is hidden behind the rear parking lot at Swope Memorial golf course. It sits on top of the cliff, above the KC Zoo. It faces west so it is ideal at sunset. And it is safe.</p>

<p>And I wasn't really sure about the water falling off the fountain. It was interesting effect, but also a bit distracting. I think it can work, just not for me yet.</p>

<p>My two cents: image quality is top notch. From what I can tell, this lens is flawless through the aperture. The shots I get with this lens look professional.</p>

<p>It is built like a brick turd house. It is nice to feel comfortable taking pictures in heavy rain. On a weather-sealed camera, like my K10D, you can do that.</p>

<p>And price for a similar Canikon lens would run $1500-2000. And with this lens, you get the same or better shots from Pentax, at half the price. The 50-135mm range sounds odd, but with the APS sensor, it is a 70-202mm zoom.</p>

<p>Maybe it's me, maybe the lens, but on occasion, mine misses the focus. And again, it could be me. But I have tested it on a focus chart and it was spot on. So maybe it is me. I always use spot focusing, so it's possible I miss...but it doesn't happen with any of my other lenses.</p>

<p>And I can't completely say I'm sold on SDM focusing. It doesn't seem any faster than the older AF.</p>

<p>In my experience, I wouldn't hesitate to buy this again. The shots are that good.</p>

<p> </p>