Hin's Photo Corner

This is my heaviest lens that I have ever handled. When I grab it with two hands, I am thinking of a football with touch down. It weighs about 3.5 lb and filter size is 95mm and lens cap size is 119mm. It is huge.


When I place the Zeiss German glass along with my Pentax K 300mm f/4.0 and Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 from Tokina, my other bigger lens appear to be small and slim. I am very excited to test this Zebra lens that has a distinct pattern of zebra black and white strips. This lens first come with the Pentacon 6 mount and it probably works with Praktica camera in the past. The lens that I get is fitted with M42 mount and I have to use the Genuine Pentax M42 to K adapter as the size is so big and any mishaps from a 3rd party adapter will likely damage my K10D body


With the lens hood mounted, the lens cap is 119mm in size and it is the biggest of all lens cap that I have seen. The filter and lens size of my biggest lens used to be 77mm and they all seem so small as compared to the Zeiss 180mm. I place a 49mm lens cap on top of the giant 119mm lens cap and you see the relative size in comparison.

You can knock someone who attempts to steal your gear with this football lens. The only problem that I see is that it will take you longer time to dismount this lens.


Related:

• Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180mm f/2.8 Test Shots
• Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180mm f/2.8 2nd copy
  
• Carl Zeiss Jena 135mm f/3.5 (M42)
• Genuine Pentax M42 to K Adapter
• Warning on 3rd party adapter
• Schnieder 135mm f/3.5 (M42)
• Jupiter 9 85mm f/2.8 (M42)
• Prakitca MTL5
• Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 from Tokina
• Ultimate Film Camera
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

After Pentax M 50mm f/1.7, I have been trying to get a good copy of Pentax A 50mm f/1.7. For one, my Kenko 2x Macro Teleconverter does not work well with M lens as it meters wide open aperture. I got my A 50mm f/1.7 along with a broken body in Pentax Program Plus.

The Program Plus camera body seems to be mint cosmetic condition but it misses the focusing screen. And I tested the A 50 f/1.7 one evening in dining out in Niko Sushi. The size of A 50 mm f/1.7 is very similar to the M 50mm f/1.7 but they look cosmetically very different.


Test Shots:









Impressions & Notes

• The magical TC turns my A 50 f/1.7 into a partial AF 85mm f/2.8.
• Bokeh is not bad at all
• 85mm is too long a focal length for food shot but the A 50 mm f/1.7 does very well for indoor. Pictures are sharp even when the TC is added and color and contrast are still good in the combination. I expect better color contrast and CA when the Pentax F-1.7x TC is not used
• The combo works out quite well for me with partial AF, I call it my FA 85mm f/2.8
• Many others have noted the better sharpness in 50mm f/1.7 as compared to f/1.4, I tested all test photos in f/2.8 and sharpness are quite good even in indoor setting.

Related:

• Pentax F-1.7x AF TC
• Pentax M 50mm f/1.7 -- pancake clones
• Pentax FA 50 mm f/1.4
• Sushi Lens
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

It is such a charm to finally get a copy of Pentax pancake lens with Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited. I don't have a picture of the lens but a few test shots over the weekend while visiting Palo Alto Medical group for flu shots for the boys. So far the lens does extremely well for me for outdoor in replacing my Spiratone 20mm f/2.8.


Related:

• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited In Traveling
  
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited on FF bodies (results)
• Zpizza in Fremont with DA 21mm limited
  
• Pentax Pancake Clones
• Spiratone 20mm f/2.8
  
• Tokina 19-35mm f/3.5-4.5
• Pentax DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 fish-eye
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

After trying out the first two versions of Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zooms recommended by Mark Robert, I found a good copy of the 3rd version made by Komine. The komine copy of the vivitar zoom looks so much like the Tokina copy. In appearance, v2 from Tokina and v3 from Komine almost look identical, but there is the red line in lens' front distinguishing it from v1 and v2. I will have a difficult time to decide which one to keep. The Komine copy has the best advantage with 'A' settings and the f/2.8 in the 70mm and it has macro at 1:2.5 magnification ratio.

Test Pictures:




Impressions & Notes:

The komine v3 copy does much better in close up as I see a lot of ghosting in the 1:4 close up with the Tokina, something noticed by others too when I discussed the lens in forum. I should look for a lens hood for the Series 1 as I do have run into glare in the late afternoon washing out some color in the shots.

• serial number starts with 28
• the only version among the three that has 'A' settings
• weight is middle tier in 860g in between 710g Tokina and the 879g Kiron
• perhaps the barrel are not as big, I feel similar handling to the Tokina
• close up is found pretty decent at 1:2.5
• I still prefer the color and contrast from Kiron but I will give the Komine slightly better than Tokina
• sharpness is middle as 2nd runner after Tokina
• best overall due to the 'A' setting, faster speed in f/2.8 in the shorter end.
• cost more than twice of v1 and v2, recent sale goes about $160 to $180 in both ebay and Marketplace.
• More frequent use of the zoom has shown CA in shots with high contrast area. Not as severe as shown in Tamron 70-300mm Di LD but noticeable.
  

Related:

• Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5, v1 from Kiron (v1)
  
• Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5, v2 from Tokina (v2)
  
• Comparing Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zooms
• Tamron SP 70-210mm f/3.5 adaptall-2 (19AH)
• Tokina AT-X 80-200mm SD f/2.8
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I heard so much from others on the ability of this Pentax F-1.7x AF TC that can turn a manual focus lens into a auto focus lens. It is partly true when I test it. The manual focus has the ability to partial focus when the focusing target is close to the focal point. When the current focal point is farther away from the target, I only see blinking from the focus lock confirmation that requires intervention on my part to turn focusing ring to close to target to get the AF in the TC to engage.





Impressions & Notes:

• This is a magical TC to get if price is reasonable. It cost twice more than Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF TC but for the ability for it to turn a manual focus lens to have the ability to AF at close target, it is something I am willing to pay money for
• When used with my Komine 200mm f/3.5 manual focus lens, I can use the combination to photo hummingbirds in flight. The AF part comes as a great tool when it comes to birds.
• There are times I find the partial focusing doubtful and I need to train myself to refrain from hitting the shutter fast but rather check to confirm is focus is nailed.
  
• PF and CA seems to be a concern as I see more CA in using Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF.

Related:

• Fleetweek Air Show
  
• Komine 200mm f/3.5
• Pentax A 50 f/1.7 + Pentax F-1.7x AF TC
• Photosniper Tair-3 PhS 300mm + Pentax-F 1.7x AFA
• Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF TC
• Promaster Spectrum 1.7x AF TC
• Kenko 2x 1:1 Macro Teleplus MC7
• Hin's Camera Gear

I have been Komine focus when I look for lens. After having been blessed with Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Close Focusing lens, I am intrigued to see a copy of Komine 200mm f/3.5 in K mount. This 200mm looks very much like my 135mm in the build and design. I especially like the lens with a built in lens hood. When I test the lens with Pentax F-1.7x AF TC that turns this manual focus lens into partial auto focus, I can see the lens quite sharp in the test pictures. I will test it more when I find time.

Test Shots with F-1.7x AF TC:








Impressions & Notes:

• Lens is reasonably sharp wide open
  
• With Pentax F-1.7x AF TC, this lens has been a good 340mm tele that I can use to picture on Hummingbirds and the combined tele-lens is very much hand-holdable
  
• Focusing ring is smooth and provide great precisiion and damping for manual focusing
• Built in lens hood come in veyr handy
• I find it a bit heavier than the similar Pentax M 200mm f/4.0 but for the Komine Frenzy that I am in, I prefer this 200mm. In fairness, the Pentax M 200mm f/4.0 is very close in IQ to this lens, both are sharp wide open but I think the Pentax may do better in terms of color and contrast.
  
• When used with Pentax F-1.7x TC, PF/CA is seen in some of the test shots
  

Related:

• Pentax M 200mm f/4.0
• Komine 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Close Focusing
• Pentax F 1.7x AF TC
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I get impressed with this petite zoom mounted along with a used Pentax ME Super body. It is not my intention to get this lens but I have a broken ME Super body to fix and hence the buying of the used body that get mounted with this manual focus zoom from Sigma. I much prefer this Sigma MF zoom than few other consumer AF zooms as the manual focus is lose and allow fast focusing with smooth turn and the zoom lens comes with 1:5 close up. Focal range is good for walk around and I especially like it as a kit's lens for walk around

Test Shots:







Impressions & Notes:

• zoom lens quite good for walkaround
• I favor this zoom range to 105mm as a kit lens for walk around purpose,
• focal range very good for portraits
• a good MF lens to practice manual focusing with strength in fast focusing
• zoom lens is best in its small size and fast focusing ring
• close up in 1:5 is not too impressive, a convenient feature with the zoom but shaprness can be better
• very cute MF zoom from Sigma with reasonable good speed in f/3.5-4.5
• while tested good in K10D, I think this lens will go well on a film body such as in K1000, Super Program, ME Super and the like

Related:

• Pentax DA 18-55 f/3.5-5.6
• Pentax FA 28-80 f/3.5-4.7 Power Zoom
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

Here is a quick light traveling kit if you ask me. No pancakes, no limited but pure lighter gear from Pentax

1. Pentax M (better with A) 28mm f/2.8: $45 ($60 for A)
2. Pentax M (better with A) 50mm f/1.7: $45 ($65 for A)
   
3. Pentax DA 50-200 f/4.0-5.6 ($110)

And for traveling with 3 lens that either look like a pancake and zoom to 200mm, that is a very smart kit for traveling in my book. And it totals about $200.00, you can save that $200 with 2 weekends staying home for home meals. And of course, one can do away with the M version of pancake with

• Pentax M 40mm f/2.8: $120
  

I have this lens on my 1st flim camera tucked away in my old camera bag for years. In one spontaneous weekend, I took it out for workout with my previous dSLR with Pentax K100D.

I thought I would never use this lens as the focusing ring is very slippery and the focus throw is quite short. But the short and slippery focusing ring actually comes in handy for those seagulls moving in fast speed as I have little time to get it accurate, I just shoot best efforts in focusing and hope for a few to come out okay. Overall, I am very surprised with this M42 lens. I find the focal range in 28-70 working out more useful than my kit's lens for candid and walk around purposes. I make quite a number of mistakes in fast movements, shaky shots not with sharp focus. In Av mode, I find underexposure by a full stop to +1.7 Ev compensation. In the shooting, I used stop-down metering with adjustment for shutter speed for 1/3 of a stop.

Impressions & Notes

• This is a rare M42 lens that work with Praktica camera. The Praktica cameras share the same M42 mount before evolving into Praktica Bayonet mount
• Praktica cameras were made in the past from East Germany but this lens may have been manufactured in Japan
  
• The lens focus throw, though short about 1/4 turn, is very loose and I find it great for fast focusing. I used this lens successfully in shooting birds in fly with seagulls. The smooth and loose focusing ring help in the fast focusing needed to track the birds in manual focus.
• The lens is in petite size, smaller than the Pentax DA 18-55 kit's lens
• Macro is believed to be in 1:4 in the 70mm end ratio though I have not test macro on this M42 lens
• Filter size is 52mm
• This M42 is in a 2 touch zoom design with separate zoom and focusing rings.

Related:

• My 1st film camera with Praktica MTL5
• Genuine Pentax M42 to K Adapter
• Pentacon 50mm f/1.8 in M42
  
• Schneider 135mm f/3.5 (M42)
  
• Hin's Camera Gear