I was about to sell my new Tokina/Kenko branded Pz-AF 2x Teleplus MC7 converter. I bought it new about $90.00 and I used it last with some reasonable moon shots with Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5. I don't have a reliable setup of tripod and ball-head and I test the same setup further in a birding tour with Don Edwards SF wildlife refuge. I brought along the setup and before I knew it, a Pelican fly by filling big part of my view finder and I take few shots hoping for a reasonable shot to convince myself to keep the TC.








Impressions & Notes

• Not the best in IQ but very much hand-holdable setup that I can shoot without a tripod
• If you expect AF to work reliably, don't buy this TC as you may get disappointed. Though it has the power zoom contacts that look like the SDM contacts, it is not found to work with Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 in auto-focus.
  
• Though the TC worked with F* 300mm with AF, the motor noise and AF seem to take a long time to travel to focal point, I ended up shooting all birds flying shots in manual focus mode along with TAv where I set the shutter speed to a fast shutter as in 1/1600 sec and set Av to f/6.3, probably the lowest that is allowed after the TC is mounted.
  
• Unlike the time that I shot the moon with this set up, the manual focusing seem to work better than AF as I can get more responsive to the birds movement in MF. With the moon, the AF pretty much stay about the same spot not changing. With the birds, things around the birds as well as panning their movement kept the focusing to re-focus and somehow make the shot more difficult to do in AF than MF. Shame, I don't know how to explain it well, it is an odd feeling why MF works better than AF in this difficult shooting scenes with the birds.
  
• I had similar bad experience with AF on the F* 300mm f/4.5 without the TC that I divide my shots to have a balance between AF and MF subject to the scene and shooting conditions. There are many times that the AF foul up on me especially with AF.C and panning birds with distracting backgrounds or background with low contrast. And I can hardly rely on the semi-working AF for panning the birds movement.
  
• I am going to keep the TC as I find it worth keeping for $90 to bring my 300mm into a workable 600mm lens. Of course, there are many cons that go with the TC approach in degradation of IQ. My approach in assessing the usefulness on the TC is making the shot with compromises and the TC does let me stay at a good distance in not disturbing the wildlife.
  

Related:

• Tokina/Kenko branded Pz-AF 2x Teleplus MC7
• Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5
• Pentax 400mm f/5.6 choices
• Tokina 400mm f/5.6 SD
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I have several versions of the Vivitar 70-150mm f/3.8 made by Kiron and I like the two touch zoom the best out the three that I have owned in the past. I sold all but kept the last one in M42 mount in 2 touch zoom design as I like Av mode with M42 lens without the extra step in stop-down metering.

• Vivitar 70-150mm f/3.8 in K mount -- one touch zoom
• Vivitar 70-150mm f/3.8 in K mount -- two touch zoom
• Viviar 70-150mm f/3.8 in M42 mount -- two touch zoom is my current one

It is relatively smaller and should not be considered as a big lens when compared to the DA* zoom or the Vivitar series 1 zoom. It covers a useful range for portrait and candid shots that require a longer reach. Combined with the 2x Kiron multiplier, you have a range of 70-150 in f/3.8 and 140 to 300mm with lost of 2 stops close to f/6.3 to f/7.1. I have not used the multiplier on this lens as I find the focal length 70-150mm really fit my needs as in DA* zoom. It is smaller and lighter than DA* making it an easy candidate to bring along.

I tried it out over the weekend with some candid shots in f/3.8 indoor, results are quite reasonable and when stopped down to f/5.6 and more, the lens is really sharp and the 1:4 close up in the 70mm is quite useful for flowers











Impressions & Notes

• Lens is relatively small with a good focal range from 70-150mm.
• With multiplier, it can go to 140 to 300mm
  
• Constant aperture in f/3.8 is quite useful
• Wide open aperture is a touch soft but which lens is NOT at wide aperture. With the candid test shots on my boys, I am very impressed already, more use will tell.
  
• Very sharp overall for this lens
• A great street performer that is not intimidating and heavy to bring as an alternative to bigger lens as in DA* 50-135mm.
• Close up focus happens in 70mm end and it is roughly 1:4
• Filter size is 52mm
• The built in hood is not nice but I find it too small to be reall useful
  
• Color tend to have a blue cold tone
• I like the two touch zoom design, as any focusing will less likely move the zoom position
• Very nice and decent lens to get on a budget
  
• Best strength in this lens is all the sharpness and smooth and quick focusing ring that is good with fast action shot. I would love to get back focus trap, I will experiment on slipping a piece of aluminum foil in between the K-mount and the lens rear to enable focus trap
• A value and inexpensive lens not to be missed

Related:

• Kiron 2x matched multiplier
• Vivitar 70-150mm f/3.8 in m42 mount initial test shots -- 2-touch zoom
  
• Vivitar 70-150mm f/3.8 in K-mount -- 1-touch zoom
  
• Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8
• Genuine Pentax M42 adapter
• Hin's Camear Gear
  

You will hear a lot of different opinion on one lens solution. Please don't take it personal from my negative opinion towards one single lens solution as I normally don't agree on one lens solution as I don't think that is the right idea to have in a dSLR system where you buy it to have the flexibility of using different lens designed for different specific purposes. But I will see the needs in traveling with less lens and minimal to zero lens change while in certain segments in traveling plan, weight reduction and easier usage with family as well as functional and quality compromises to have all-in-one zoom lenses

My version of 1 lens solution involves few combination to make the best use of my system with both zooms and primes

1. Weekend walk-around

I like to spend quality time with my family where I compromise on focal range in using a range that I use mostly for candid, portrait and landscape

• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 for Walk-around
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 in South Lake Tahoe
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 in Japanese Garden
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 in Phillips Ranch
  

2. For vacation that compromise towards 1 lens solution

I will take three lens to cover range with 2 zooms and make up the miss of speed and IQ with 1 fast prime

• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 (e.g South Lake Tahoe) or Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
• A tele-photo zoom such as Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6. An ideal candidate will be Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4.0-5.8 followed by Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4.0-5.6
• A fast prime for nighttime or indoor such as Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4 or the 43mm f/1.9

3. For the absolute elite travel with limited primes

I will bring a trio or quad of limited or fast primes and bring two at a time. Plenty to choose form subject to your own liking and how you see fit.

Prime trio samples -- You have to bust the prime in Pentax world as they offer the best and unique choices of primes

• #1: 21mm/40mm/70mm -- the most compact one due to Pentax pancake design
• #2: 15mm/35mm/77mm -- almost the widest range except with DA 14mm f/2.8
• #3: 21mm/35mm/40mm/50mm/77mm -- Hin's current limited trio/quad that key on functional in landscape, macro, and portrait in traveling, add 50mm for nighttime and need of fast speed.
• #4: 12-24mm/43mm/70mm -- ok, one zoom which is more versatile in landscape shots
• #5: 21mm/43mm/77mm -- a safe bet for a balance between FF and APS-C

Only carry two primes at a time to get close to 1-lens compromise while leaving the unlikely used prime in the car or hotel.

• Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 limited, DA 40mm f/2.8 or FA 35mm f/2.0 as a catch all lens
• Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited or 14mm or 15mm limited for wide angle
• Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 or DA 70mm f/2.4 for portraits
• A fast normal such as 43mm limited and FA 50mm f/1.2 for the need of speed

4. Popular 1-lens do it all lenses

• Pentax or Tamron 18-250mm
• Sigma 18-250mm
• older variants of Tamron or Pentax 28-300mm

I have seen a lot of outstanding shots from both Pentax and Tamron 18-250mm. It is one lens that is not to be missed in consideration if the strict criteria of 1 lens with no lens change is of utmost importance to you and that you don't mind lower speed and heavier lens to carry for the entire trip among other compromises in 1-lens do it all approach.

If I ever have accumulated enough fund, I would venture to get a used copy of either Pentax 18-250mm or the Tamron 18-250mm. And I wonder if Tamron 18-270mm will be made available for Pentax mount as that may change my LBA decision for the Pentax 1-lens selection.

With input from Street_Vision and RiceHigh in the comments to this article, I research more into both Tamron 18-250mm and Pentax DA 18-250mm. For a long time, I get the impressions that they are the same lens and re-badged in Pentax for the DA lens. When money suffice, I will invest on a used copy of either lens for 1-lens do it all purpose lens for traveling and weekend needs. My very admired friend in PentaxForums by the name of Robert Fortson often highly recommend this lens and so is this article from http://dchome.net that is mentioned by RiceHigh in his valuable inputs in the comment of this blog post. Thanks to RH for the eye-opening link for great photos that one can do with this popular 1-lens do it all zoom lens.

http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=761396

Very impressive to say the least.


5. Your manual focus primes

And last but not the least is in not forgetting your manual focus primes. They can easily rival the best and the latest. With careful planning to mix new primes with old primes, new zooms with old primes, you can achieve dynamic setup that the 1-lens do it all options will lack behind by a bigger margin in terms of quality, weight in carrying one lens at a time, and gain of speed and characters with the old charms. Use your creativity to make lens change to be functional segment in the day. For instance, morning indoor breakfast and late night dinner with a fast prime that adds wonder to your charming vacation.

• Spiratone 20mm f/2.8 in K-mount -- I should have kept it
• Cosina 24mm f/2.8 in K-mount -- my nighttime go-to lens in travel
• Cosina 55mm f/1.2 in Kmount -- your fast lens at f/1.2 on a budget
• SuperTakumar 35mm f/3.5 in M42 -- very small prime like a pancake
• Pentax SuperTakumar 105mm f/2.8 in M42 -- likely the smallest 105mm that I have seen
• Jupiter 9 85mm f/2.0 -- the cult russian classic
• Kiron 70-150mm f/3.8 with 2x matched multiplier -- very sharp zoom on a budget
• Pentax M 40mm f/2.8 -- the MF pancake that can rivals the latest with DA 40mm f/2.8
• Pentax A 50mm f/1.7 -- actually all the Pentax 50mm with SMC coatings, they all tend to be small, sweet and with character for a different kind of metal charm.
  
• Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f/2 in M42 -- the zeiss glass is amazingly cute and surprisingly wonderful to use.
  

You are not bound with rules in the mixing. The good old glass are not the limited lens that cost you a bundle and make you a cry baby if you drop or lose them. And the old prime may serve better as a thief deterrent scheme in both its appearance in disguise of its value and most have sheer solid metal body that can induce injury when you throw it to your harm's way.


Related

• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 for Walk-around
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 in Traveling
• Articles tagged for Pentax Limited
  
• Pentax K-7 Videos from Stanchiou with 14mm, 35mm, and 70-200mm.
  
• Pentax FA 28-105mm f/3.2-4.5
• Tamron SP 28-135mm f/4.0-4.5 Adaptall-2 28A
• Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4
• Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 in traveling
• Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4.0-5.6
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I bought this adapter from my good friend Alex in http://forum.mslenses.com/ and I asked Alex to charge me the regular he charges for his other clients. I got it shipped for $17.00 from Hong Kong, similarly priced like other 3rd party adapters.

This 3rd party adapter has an important function that is not found in all adapters that I have used. Not even the genuine adapter has the added feature: it works with M42 lens that does not have the A/M switch. When one uses an M42 lens, one has to switch the Auto/Manual diaphragm to manual so that the pin on rear is depressed while allowing the blades and diaphragm to close down for the stop-down metering to work in Pentax dSLR or the other K-mount in SLR cameras.

In the K-mount with KAF2 on Pentax K20D or something similar, what is missing is a mechanism to hold the auto-mount diaphragm governing pin in place for the blades to close down in stop-down metering. And this adapter has the extra ring on the back that is designed to depress the pin down, effectively serve as an M switch in a normal Auto/Manual diaphragm switch. I was quite pleased to try it out on a recent LBA purchase of a Lentar 200mm f/3.5 auto-mount m42 lens. You see the pin on the end in photos next to this paragraph. I have another auto-mount m42 lens that is exactly like this with a pin that all of my Pentax K-mount bodies can't handle the stop-down metering without alternation. There are several ways to do the alternation and the most prominent one has been using tube to place under the pin to shorten the pin which allow the diaphragm to go freely upon stop-down metering.

The new adapter from Alex works extremely well for the auto-mount lens that I have just purchased. There is no known label on the adapter and I will share my experience with the adapter when time allow. So far, it has work quite well for me when I mount it on 2 lens: one lighter with a 35mm f/2.8 and one quite heavy with my new Lentar 200mm auto-mount M42 lens. The later one misses the switch for Auto/Manual diaphragm switch. And the adapter comes in handy for my use.


Impressions & Notes

• Mounting is exactly the same mechanics as the genuine and 3rd party adapters
  
  
• The extra inner ring is designed to work with auto-mount diaphragm m42 lens without the Auto/Manual (A/M) switch that are found in most M42 lens. Some older version of M42 lens seem not to have the A/M switch and by default they go into Auto-diaphragm which will yield problems for Pentax dSLR with KAF2 mount.
  
  
• The adapter comes with dismount or removal tool similar to Bower or other 3rd party adapter
  
  
• The machining on the adapter can be improved. I will communicate to Alex to see if the machining on the metal edges on the adapter can smoothed out with finer edges.
  
  
• Though the adapter comes with removal tool, I found myself very surprised that I can actually dismount the adapter using my two fingers as shown in next picture. This is a big feature not to be missed for those auto-only m42 lens that don't have the A/M switch for auto and manual diaphragm settings.
  
  
  I can dismount with two fingers
  similar to genuine m42 adapter
  
  
• I need to test it more. But as of my first impression, the adapter works beautifully for two m42 lenses that I tried. It work well with the auto-mount m42 lens

Links:

• m42 adapter with inner flange -- mflenses forum member hk300
• alexcwyuen@hotmail.com -- email contact
• Disclaimer: I don't endorse the product as I generally recommend the use of genuine Pentax m42 adapter. This adapter has one unique feature with the inner flange that helps to work with auto-mount m42 lenses that lack the A/M switch. The inner flange depresses the aperture pin making it manual diaphragm as in switching to M in the A/M switch.
  

Related:

• Articles labeled M42 Adapter
  
• How to mount and dismount genuine adapter
  
• Pentax M42 Adapters
• Warning on 3rd party adapter
• How to convert M42 lens to K mount lens
• Custom settings on M42 lens
• Informative M42 mounting YouTube video
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

"Very few PF members have followed my blogs like they do with RH blogs. I wrote the Nikon Dark Force story a while ago when I got tempted with Nikon D90.

Excerpt from my fictional writing on Sept 15, 2008
about one year ago when D90 tempted me

"Originally Posted by TechTheMan Blog post

Nikon Dark Forces with D90 -- Yoda Training

What did Yoda say to Luke Skywalker when he switched from Nikon to Pentax?

"Your VR lenses, you will need them not."

"Don't be too tempted by the Dark Side, may the Pentax SR forces be with you"

With the continued temptations. Luke SkyWalker tried to borrow the stick from Master Yoda and made a monopod out of the good old stick from Master Yod. And he asks Master Yoda to teach him to shoot with steady hand without VR. And Luke compromises on his 1/4th second hand holding shutter limit capability and intend to stay strong with the Nikon dark forces of marketing.

Temptation still runs strong and Luke comes to Master Yoda for better advice. Master Yoda snaps him on the face and quickly grab back his stick. He then pads on Luke and say, "Luke, are you nuts! I need my stick for the movie. I look old and I can't do without my stick. The hellwith your Nikon dark forces." And Luke replied, "my Master Yoda, you look younger without the stick, you may find girlfriend easier. No need to hide in a movie." And Master Yoda thinks for a moment and kicked Luke from the bottom, "What girlfriend, there isn't any of my kind." Luke pointed to Wall-E and Master Yoda is furious and hit Luke harder and completely whack him from top to bottom. His Nikon thoughts vanishes in a sub-zero second rate but the misery remains.

Luke disappeared into the dark journey with a fainted heart but a good lesson from Master Yoda. He keeps thinking what he should have done with the mess he has created with his master. Stick no more! His hands now shakes faster than his Nikon can burst in 4.5 shots per second. His head and butt hurts with the physical pain inflicted by the encounter with Master Yoda. His spirit is up though as Master Yoda asks him to clear his mind and conscience with Wall-E to get his thoughts straight. Wall-E follows the honorable request and keeps company with Luke and cheers him up with lots of movie on demand from Wall-E collection. And Luke recovers gradually with his vision, thoughts and senses.

Luke finds peace with Master Yoda walking with a stick like before, and they are coming for a reunion to plan for the Nikon dark forces attack with D90. Luke is with Yoda and stays strong against the Nikon dark forces. He trains himself up with Wall-E who helps him with video and movies in supersonic definition in the latest camyoda format not found in D90. And Wall-E always have great movie capture from 8mm, hi-def to supersonic definition on demand and on-archive.

Life seems not as bad as we thought but the questions remain with others tempted by the latest Nikon dark forces with Nikon D90."

Inspired with discussion in photo.net with Miserere

what
the
f@*k

:lol:"

Be warned! Master Yoda uses his walking stick violently upon bashing and swearing kind of language. He is known in the universe as the true master that whack out the followers with a Pentaxian emblem of "I swear no more, Yoda training 102." Take it from the life victim of 102, HinTheMan, with a 102 emblem sealed on his forehead. I kid you not and I will never ever forget that whacking stick from master Yoda.

Learn it NOT from the master but from the follower who now swears ONLY in the confine of his signal free hijack bedroom stealth storage-rack with dark force knock out look alike nano-console and xPod filled with Yoda game-pad on-demand module NOT allowed by master Yoda. PM me if you are interested in the xPod module that stab and curse our dearest master Yoda at your delight LOL moment with Lol645D time and K-xC mood driven settings. And I ran the bork consortium on Lol645D which currently has two members -- the designer and the richest dude in DeepShiz09 Quandrant D700 Sector 5D.

I remember the outstanding commercial of a faucet company with a name like Kohler or another brand. A valued customer brings in a a wonderful faucet that looks like a piece of art to an architecture company. The valued customer take out and carefully place the valued piece of faucet design on the table and have one single request to the architect -- design your masterpiece around this faucet.

In a similar way of commercial flow of logic and idea, I ask Pentax to design a compact dSLR that is worthy of my beautiful 2 Million Dollar Crumpler Bag which is small, compact, stylish, comfortable, speak volume in its presence for the owner and has a soul of its kind for personal gadget in storage.

Prototype of the camera request is using my Pentax SuperProgram, an excellent 35mm film SLR camera, mounted with Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited, a pancake of thin size lens, for the ideal size of an compact dSLR that will fit my beloved Crumpler small size bag.

Illustration photos were shot with Pentax K20D and Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited

I would hopefully find out soon how the digital DA 21mm work on my SuperProgram without an aperture ring and the mechanics of choosing the aperture as in a digital body as my Pentax K20D. Few has mentioned wide open aperture metering. As soon as I manage to figure out what 400 b&w 35mm films will go well with the test. Please let me know of your favorite b&w film that is inexpensive and easy to try out on a HinTheMan's budget which is starting low and gradually experiment to find that best bang for the bucks.

Update:

• results are reported in Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited on FF bodies (results)
  

Related

• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited on FF bodies (results)
  
• 2 Million Dollar Crumpler Bag
• Pentax SuperProgram
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited
• Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited
  
• Pentax K20D
• Hin's Camear Gear