MattB.Net

Oops, yes, it's a 30, not a 35. I think it's supposed to give 180* on 645 film but I have not tried it.

My widest lens before this was the Pentax-A 35/3.5 and it's considerably wider (and fishier) than that on my 645D.

I don't think Rokinon makes one to cover 67 film that I'm aware of. Their lenses are good for the money but would't suit your needs with a too-small image circle.

There are a couple of "SMC PENTAX 67 FISH-EYE 35mm F4.5 Lens for Pentax 67" on that big auction site that would do the trick for you. Or maybe an Arsat 35/3.5 if you could get the right mount but that also might have too small an image circle for 67. I have one I use on 645 and it's pretty good for the money.

SF - Chinatown

1961

 

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Heiland Pentax H2, 55 ,f/1.8 Kodachrome

I really like that! Thanks for sharing.

You know, I was disappointed in the KP when it was sort of announced as the K-3II successor. I'm still hoping it isn't and waiting to see. That said, over time, I've sort of discovered that the KP might be the camera I wanted from Pentax. So, I'll wait a bit longer to see if a K-3IIs or something is released or announced, but I'm actually thinking the KP and K-5IIs will be perfect for me, with the KP getting the bulk of the use when I'm lugging gear somewhere.

 

Nice shots, btw. I really enjoyed the Yosemite series.

I kind of feel the same way but my K-3 is holding up ok for now so I'm going to wait and see. I'm sure it's a good camera and I didn't mind the smaller batteries most of the time on my K-S2 (RIP). Based on what a good adventure camera the K-S2 was, I imagine the KP would also be good. But the K-70 might be just as good, slightly smaller, and considerably cheaper.

Stormy skies and rising water

645D & A 35

IMGP0799-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Spring ski tour with a friend last weekend.

K-3 & 18-135

IMGP0934-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Creek walk last night

K-1 & Tamron 28-75

IMGP1023-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

I use it regularly when landscape shooting. Especially if I'm in challenging light for looking at the screen. If I'm in the dark or in very bright conditions, it's hard to tell on the screen if I might be over or underexposing. The histogram will show me this quickly without the results being affected by the amount of ambient light.

I don;t look every shot, but I like to give it a peek just to be saure my exposure is optimal.

Skied my last lift-served day of the season Saturday. They have this event, the Slush Huck closing weekend which is fun to watch!

K-3 & 18-135

IMGP0619 by Matt Burt, on Flickr

IMGP0606 by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Yesterday my wife and I drove down into the San Luis Valley to find dry dirt for mountain biking.

K-3 & 18-135

IMGP0659-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

IMGP0655 by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Glad to hear that your recovery is going well. Way back in 1992 I was playing football at an Army base and injured *something* in my right knee. Never did have it looked at - I had no insurance - and eventually it healed up. Took a long time. Whatever it was, it flares up now and again. And that time is now. I'm hobbled and unable to do my normal runs in the morning.I now appreciate escalators.

That might be a torn meniscus. Mine has a little tear too but it doesn't really bother me. If it gets worse I'll get it fixed but it's been ok for a couple of years with a little tear. I feel mine mostly in the morning as a little click in the range of motion when I bend. If it's not too painful this is usually much less of a problem than a torn ligament.

I have heard mostly good things about the 24-70 but I don't own it myself.

I have the Tamron 28-75 for that range and it's been very nice. Its biggest flaw is it flares easily if you shoot into the sun.

The FA Limited primes are very highly regarded and I can verify the 77 is a wonderful lens. The other FA Limiteds like the 31 and 43 might suit you well for landscape work. They are not recent designs so some correction of CA may be needed and AF isn't great.

If you like the shoot wide the 15-30/2.8 is a great lens. Resistant to flare, sharp, and quick to focus. Its only flaw is its bulk.

The Rokinon 14/2.8 is also very nice, especially for the money. No AF but the DOF is typically deep enough to be pretty forgiving. Their other lenses have been well received too.

For longer shots I use a ff mod DA* 60-250 which has been great but my AF just quit on mine for the second time and I just sent it off today. So that lens is great once modified if the AF holds up. That may be too many caveats for some. I wish I could just convert it to screw drive.

I also have a A* 300/4 which is good for it's age and size but again it's manual focus and not as sharp as more modern lenses. It's small for what it is and IQ is often good enough so it gets a bit of use on my K-1, especially when the 60-250 is in the shop.

Douglas, if you are posting from Flickr you just need to copy the BBCode instead of the embed code like we did before. You also don't have to delete from the code like before either.

I caught a couple of good sunsets this week.

K-1 & 15-30

IMGP2704-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

K-1 & Rokinon 14/2.8

IMGP2774-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Warm skate skiing on the local trails this morning. Also, off the trails since the crust is very supportive. You can ski anywhere!

IMGP8345-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

I don't have any of the lenses you mentioned besides the DA 15 which you already have. I love mine.

I've thought the 20-40 was an interesting lens and would get one if I didn't already have the DA 40, DA* 16-50, and 18-135 which all cover that range. I'm sure it would be nicer quality than the 18-135 and of course is more versatile than the 40 and much smaller (and possible higher IQ) than the 16-50.

A K-3 kit with the 15, 20-40, and FA 77 would make a great compact kit with very good IQ. Today I have the K-3/15/40/77 kit with me.

I was hopeful for clear skies for the full moon last week. With the penumbral eclipse happening on Friday there might be a chance for a really special photo like I have gotten under similar conditions before. The day before the full moon yielded this one.

K-1 & ff mod 60-250

IMGP2540-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

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I went out Friday even though the sky was getting cloudier and cloudier but was unable to see the moonrise at all. So I got this shot of town while I was up XC skiing on the trails at Hartman Rocks and I like it but I was a little disappointed I couldn't see the moon. Oh, well!

K-1 & Tamron 27-75/2.8

IMGP2610-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

I did a morning of backcountry skiing with some friends on Saturday. It's been very warm for almost a week now and the snowpack has suffered from it. We were hoping to find some light powder but had to settle for heavier snow. Skiable snow was extra hard to find but we managed some turns. Hopefully winter will come back here soon! It's been a strange year so far.

K-3 & 18-135

IMGP7992-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

I shoot in such a variety of places and situations I have many combinations of wraps, bags, packs, and a carry-on sized otter box.

If I'm shooting close to the car I can take my 645 kit which I usually put in a backpack (with a CF tripod) but I also have a wheeling Otter box if I'm going to fly with it or just have it on hand at the car.

Next is my K-1 kit, typically with 3 medium to large zooms (15-30, 28-75, 60-250). It goes in a backpack or sling bag (depending on the length of the walk). I can also carry it on a short XC ski or snowshoe if necessary but it doesn't leave a lot of room for other potentially necessary gear if I'm going far.

Then I have a crop kit with a K-3 and a sealed 18-135 zoom and maybe a couple of primes to supplement that (for more width, length, or speed). I'll just carry it in my jacket pocket for Alpine skiing, Alpine touring, or longer Nordic tours or wrapped in a neoprene wrap in my ski or bike pack. Travel tripod if necessary but for daytime in the snow I don't usually bring one because there is usually plenty of light for fast shutter speeds. I also have an Ultrapod II I take mountain biking a lot for low light and/or "selfies" if I don't have a model handy.

I realize that is a lot of gear but I use it all pretty regularly for landscape and other subjects with a kit that is always changing depending on where I'm going and what I'm shooting.

IMGP6456-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

IMGP8332-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

I love mine!

I admit I was already in the Pentax camp but this is their best (small format) camera yet!

Hey look the site is alive again. ITS ALIIIIVEEE!!! ;)

Ooh, it uses BBCode markup now too. Much nicer than before.

I spent the week in Michigan helping parents out. My dad is disabled and my mom fell and broke her arm so they needed help. We had to move dad into a home (it was time) which made it kind an emotionally hard week. All for the best I think but it was tough.

Anyway, I wasn't taking portraits of my ailing parents. I would just shoot when I was able to slip away for a little walk in the Michigan woods from time to time.

Stream across the street

K-1 & 15-30/2.8

IMGP2331-Edit.jpg by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Old church

K-1 & Tamron 28-75/2.8

IMGP2377-Edit.jpg by Matt Burt, on Flickr

Sunrise in the woods

K-1 & 15-30/2.8

IMGP2409-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

<p>With all the snow we have been skiing the mountain next to town that doesn't usually get enough snow. Plenty this year! This was my wife's first trip up and down "W Mountain" on skis and she had a blast!<br>

I got a replacement 18-135 on eBay from Japan for a great price and I'm happy to have my ski lens back. <br>

K-3 & DA* 18-135<br>

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I'm helping my parents in Michigan this week so on my way to the town with cheaper airfare than mine I stopped by the Black Canyon for a sunrise ski and shoot. Accidentally shot this in jpeg but it seemed to come out ok. Some of my shots had some blown out sky that probably could have been recovered from a raw file but I was happy to get some decent images.<br>

K-1 & 15-30<br>

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One from here in Mi yesterday. Getting some snow here too!<br>

K-1 & 15-30<br>

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<p>Hin, being a part time pro is as far as I have taken my photography career so far. I think it has gone reasonably well and I no longer spend money I didn't make with photography on photo gear or photo-specific travel. <br>

Really the challenge is to find a client who believes in you to get yourself established. For me it was a local gallery that wanted to have some of my work hanging that was the catalyst. Once I was in the gallery and pieces started to sell (still not an everyday occurrence) that got my name out. <br>

From there I started shooting bike races and posting the photos on my own site for riders to buy. That got me better known and also brought be to the attention of some companies in the industry (bike and nutrition companies). I also got in with our city administration and they bought shots (at a pretty low rate) from time to time to use for marketing. I feel like I don't really need them at the rate they pay anymore so I haven't submitted in a while. If they ask I'll take the opportunity to try and renegotiate price. <br>

The work is still not exactly pouring in but it is enough to fund my operation plus to buy bikes and skis I use to get to and around locations. I also still enjoy it.<br>

I still have hope I might get a big break one day that will make me considering quitting my day job but I also realize that may never happen and I can accept that. My photo jobs are gradually getting bigger and for bigger clients so I feel like the direction is a positive one. If nothing else maybe when I retire from software it could be some supplemental income. <br>

So if there may be a market for your photos then by all means give it a try. I found it easier to sell existing shots than perform under pressure for a shoot, so that was how I started. Now I do shoots on a semi-regular basis and feel pretty comfortable doing them. <br>

I specialized in events I know and understand (bike/ski racing) so I can add more value than another photographer without my knowledge. <br>

I hope some of this info helps!</p>

<p>@Hin I'd be happy to once I secure a sponsor. Are you interested? ;)<br>

I don't think the value is there for me at this price point. If we have to pay for styling then in a lot of cases I want the ugly one. </p>

<p>Nice photos Hin and good commentary too. <br>

I have been shooting with my 16-50 more lately and I agree it's a good lens with some flaws. Flare is one as you mentioned but I don't mind the 16mm distortion and sharpness and use it wide quite a lot. I mostly shoot it stopped down a bit unless it is a 50mm portrait. <br>

It was our only option for a wide WR zoom when I bought mine. I'd strongly consider the 16-85 now if I was going to do it again mostly for size considerations. <br>

The 20-40 looks interesting too. On a small body like the K-S2 or even the K-5 it would be a great little package. <br>

The 15-30/2.8 is also a fine lens but it is huge. Not one to walk around with in most cases.</p>

<p>I shoot a little 120 in my 645 now and then. I develop with Darkroom.com also. <br>

Velvia 50, Tri-X 400, and Porta 400 is what I have laying around. I also have an old Voigtlander Bessa folder that takes 120 and can be fun to shoot. A real conversation piece too. <br>

But I shot all modern cameras this week. :)<br>

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Town from the nearby trails we are currently skiing on. They are bike trails in summer. I liked how the town lights were reflecting off the clouds. <br>

K-1 & Tamron 28-75<br>

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Skiing some backcountry powder with my wife. <br>

K-3 & 16-50<br>

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Our kitty Astro in low light<br>

K-1 & FA 77<br>

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