Best old Pentax fixed lens for K100?

One mustn't forget the stunning portraits that can be captured
with a 50/1.4 or 50/1.7. These are classic lenses that don't cost
too much and yet have stunning bokehs. eBay's prices for these
manual focus lenses have started to drop, so you might be able to
get a bargain.

On 22 May 2007 18:45:04 -0400, Charles Gillen
gillen@hisdotcom wrote:
Anyhow, autofocus with "fast" lenses isn't as reliable as one would hope,
since the autofocus sensor doesn't really look at the focus screen... but
your eye does. I have an expensive autofocus Pentax F/1.4 which is not
at all reliable at portrait distances. Autofocus seems more accurate
with lenses of F/3.5 or slower.

Although it's not obvious you have to remember that the AF
system is "seeing" the wide-open image and trying to assess
maximum edge contrast, so it's not how bright a lens is but
how sharp/contrasy it is *wide open* that determines how
well the AF will work.

The Pentax 50/1.4 is a lovely lens at f/2.8 and beyond, but
it's wide open performance is pretty dismal so no surprises
that it's AF is not as reliable as a slower but sharper
lens.

Same applies to zoom lenses, probably even more so because
many are both slow and have poor sharpness wide-open - worst
of both worlds.

--
John Bean

"Charles Gillen" gillen@hisdotcom wrote in message
...


For persons on a tight budget, a "good
enough" lens in the hand is worth a dozen one lusts for but can't afford.
Thanks to digital processing, even a no-name optical "dog" can usually be
enhanced enough to justify its low cost until one can afford better.



35 years ago, I employed that same argument to add cheap wide angle and
telephoto lenses to my arsenal. I immediately noticed just how bad their
results were, in comparison to my SMC Takumar normal lens.

I still have those "Lentar," "Samigon" and "Mark IV" lenses, but I haven't
shot with them in over three decades.

I've since acquired 19 more SMC Takumar prime lenses (this over a period of
33 years), and I have come to the conclusion that I'd rather have only one
excellent lens, rather than a bag full of junk.

The cost of making photos is the same, regardless of whether one uses
excellent equipment and technique or uses mediocre equipment and poor
technique.

"Mr Ashraf Saleh" wrote in message
...
One mustn't forget the stunning portraits that can be captured
with a 50/1.4 or 50/1.7. These are classic lenses that don't cost
too much and yet have stunning bokehs. eBay's prices for these
manual focus lenses have started to drop, so you might be able to
get a bargain.

They were a bargain even when they were new, because they were mass-produced
and often the manufacturers took a loss on them, as they were their flagship
lenses.

Asahi Pentax is purported to have sold every one of their 50mm f/1.4 SMC
Takumars at a loss, because they were competing with Zeiss and they wanted
to show off their quality to as many buyers as possible.

I am a big fan of normal lenses. I have 7 of them. Their natural
perspective, fast speed and excellent descriptive power make them my
favorite of all focal lengths.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/co...02-11-24.shtml

D.M. Procida wrote:

The new Pentax lenses seem to cost a fortune (relative to what I can
justfy spending) so I'd like to go the cheap route and buy an old lens
instead.

What would you suggest?

Thanks for the excellent and helpful responses.

A follow-up question - from further reading I understand that the K100
has a version of the K mount which can't read aperture settings from
certain lenses; it can only do so from lenses with an A-setting - is
this correct?

So for example, would this lens's aperture be readable (when set by the
aperture ring) and controllable (when the camera is in auto-exposure
mode) by the camera:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SMC-PENTAX-A-2...-for-K100D-K10
D-ist_W0QQitemZ110128159582QQihZ001QQcategoryZ4688QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ
1QQcmdZViewItem

Daniele

On Wed, 23 May 2007 22:42:24 +0100,
(D.M. Procida)
wrote:
A follow-up question - from further reading I understand that the K100
has a version of the K mount which can't read aperture settings from
certain lenses; it can only do so from lenses with an A-setting - is
this correct?

Yes. The "crippled" KAF2 mount used in some of the later
film bodies.

So for example, would this lens's aperture be readable (when set by the
aperture ring) and controllable (when the camera is in auto-exposure
mode) by the camera:

If the lens aperture ring is not set to "A" then it becomes
unknown and can be used only in manual mode with stop-down
metering, as can any non-A lens.


--
John Bean

D.M. Procida wrote:

D.M. Procida wrote:

The new Pentax lenses seem to cost a fortune (relative to what I can
justfy spending) so I'd like to go the cheap route and buy an old lens
instead.

What would you suggest?

Thanks for the excellent and helpful responses.

A follow-up question - from further reading I understand that the K100
has a version of the K mount which can't read aperture settings from
certain lenses; it can only do so from lenses with an A-setting - is
this correct?

Yes and no. The camera can't figure out the aperture setting from the
ring on the lens, but that doesn't make the lens useless with the
camera. You just have to do manual stop-down metering. So switch to
'M'anual mode and then press 'ae-lock' to meter the scene.

Here's an article I wrote about it. I wrote it for the *ist DS, but it
should still apply to the K100/K10 series:
http://www.mile23.com/node/26

So for example, would this lens's aperture be readable (when set by the
aperture ring) and controllable (when the camera is in auto-exposure mode)
by the camera:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SMC-PENTAX-A-2...-for-K100D-K10
D-ist_W0QQitemZ110128159582QQihZ001QQcategoryZ4688QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ
1QQcmdZViewItem

That lens is an A-series lens, so you'd want to set the aperture ring to
the 'A' setting. Then the camera can do all the automatic stuff you
want, except auto-focus.

--
http://www.xoverboard.com/cartoons/2..._argument.html

(D.M. Procida) wrote:

So for example, would this lens's aperture be readable (when set by the
aperture ring) and controllable (when the camera is in auto-exposure
mode) by the camera:

Daniele, you are on the right track. An A-mount lens will do everything
you want except autofocus. The older K or PK lenses can also be used
easily, but with them you have to first adjust the aperture manually on
the lens, then push a button on the camera so it can set the appropriate
shutter speed.

NOTE: if this will be your first lens-buying experience on eBay, be aware
that for desirable lenses, the bidding may rise sharply in the final few
minutes... and very often the lens is won by a "sniper" who made no
previous bids at all but waits until the last few seconds. Good luck, but
do not become addicted to eBay :^)

"Charles Gillen" gillen@hisdotcom schreef in bericht
...
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

So for example, would this lens's aperture be readable (when set by the
aperture ring) and controllable (when the camera is in auto-exposure
mode) by the camera:

Daniele, you are on the right track. An A-mount lens will do everything
you want except autofocus. The older K or PK lenses can also be used
easily, but with them you have to first adjust the aperture manually on
the lens, then push a button on the camera so it can set the appropriate
shutter speed.

NOTE: if this will be your first lens-buying experience on eBay, be aware
that for desirable lenses, the bidding may rise sharply in the final few
minutes... and very often the lens is won by a "sniper" who made no
previous bids at all but waits until the last few seconds. Good luck, but
do not become addicted to eBay :^)


A small warning: I use several older prime lensen on a Pentax K10d (no
A-mount). The metering is not always accurate. If you change the aperture
setting, the indicated shutter speed doesn't change accordingly sometimes
(e.g., change aperture from 5.6 to 8, indicated shutter speed changes from
1/125 to 1/30 instead of 1/60). I therefore always make a test shot and
check the histogram. Nothing for the hurried photographer, no problem in
cases where the scene permits this way of acting.
The A-mount lenses behave as described in various posts.

On Thu, 24 May 2007 20:56:21 +0200, "Han Schutten"
wrote:


"Charles Gillen" gillen@hisdotcom schreef in bericht
...
(D.M. Procida) wrote:

So for example, would this lens's aperture be readable (when set by the
aperture ring) and controllable (when the camera is in auto-exposure
mode) by the camera:

Daniele, you are on the right track. An A-mount lens will do everything
you want except autofocus. The older K or PK lenses can also be used
easily, but with them you have to first adjust the aperture manually on
the lens, then push a button on the camera so it can set the appropriate
shutter speed.

NOTE: if this will be your first lens-buying experience on eBay, be aware
that for desirable lenses, the bidding may rise sharply in the final few
minutes... and very often the lens is won by a "sniper" who made no
previous bids at all but waits until the last few seconds. Good luck, but
do not become addicted to eBay :^)


A small warning: I use several older prime lensen on a Pentax K10d (no
A-mount). The metering is not always accurate. If you change the aperture
setting, the indicated shutter speed doesn't change accordingly sometimes
(e.g., change aperture from 5.6 to 8, indicated shutter speed changes from
1/125 to 1/30 instead of 1/60). I therefore always make a test shot and
check the histogram. Nothing for the hurried photographer, no problem in
cases where the scene permits this way of acting.
The A-mount lenses behave as described in various posts.


You're right, the K10D has a "bright" screen that causes
metering problems with non-A lenses.

However the query here was about the K100D which has no such
issue, and if you wish you can swap your K10D screen for one
from the *istD/DS to cure the metering problem with non-A
lenses on the K10D too.

--
John Bean