Hin's Photo Corner

It is my irony that I frequently go for zoom in traveling instead of having primes for less lens change. I have recently pushed myself in bringing two primes in short weekend trips with Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited and Pentax DA 70mm f/2.4 limited. It is a surprise for me that I have gotten used to using the 21mm for both landscape and portraits. I see more in the background. And that is a welcoming thought that I have grown to love with the 21mm. It is a dependable limited pancake in traveling. It is not in the extreme wide angle but I find it very capable and dependable in traveling. I love the color and wonderful flare control that I can depend upon.











Impressions & Notes

• Its close up is at 0.2 meters. Not sure on filter size as I see 43mm on the lens hood. The cap between the 70 and 21 are not interchangeable. Yes, one can still mount a 49mm on the lens but the hood will not fit. The lens hood that comes with the 21mm limited has inner thread that is likely to fit a 43mm filter.
  
• Color is outstanding. I can't say it is the sharpest among all limited lens. It is quite good but I find other limited lens to be sharper than my 21mm.
  
• Flare control is outstanding. I especially love its thin lens hood. The lens hood provides great protection to the lens that I don't find the need to put an optical filter for protection.
  
• I am surprised to find its good use in portraits to blend in with great landscape on the background. You see more in the background.
  
• Great pancake for traveling for sure. It is not an extreme wide angle but it has its pancake uniqueness to be much liked for its excellent build and compactness.

Related:

• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited Purchase
• zPizza with Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited
• Pentax K-x and DA Limited lenses
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited in FF film bodies
• Hin's Camera Gear

Yes, I know, everyone says it is not compatible. The imaging circle has been trimmed in 5 seconds with some traces on the side due to operator error.

I am totally naive on film! Specifically, I don't know what my 1st roll of b&w will happen with my SuperProgram using DA 21mm f/3.2 limited. Magically, it seems to meter in Program Auto mode when I tried it earlier. When I tried two shots using the DA 21mm on the SuperProgram, the Programmed Auto mode picks up f/3.5 in ASA 400 iso film in a indoor setting with shutter speed of 1/30 to 1/60 sec. And I don't see the vignetting around the corners.




MX not metering with DA primes

I am asking around on potential known issues that I will run into. And I mounted my DA 40mm f/2.8 limited onto my MX that I just received from impulse purchase but I don't have the batteries to try out the metering. Once I mounted the pancake DA prime lens, they look appealing and fits into the form factor of a small SLR. The bad news from others are that the MX won't be able to meter without the aperture ring. It does not have the Av, Sv or the important one and only P mode that can work on the SuperProgram. It is not ideal as the camera picks out the aperture for you.

After spending my money on a nice used copy of Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 that works well in my K20D and the white K-x that are coming in a few days, I can hardly find the reason to get an Pentax M 40mm f/2.8 unless I can find one that is around $100.00. Last year, I bought a used copy of Pentax M 40mm f/2.8 for cheap around $75.0 with a reason in probably separation of element that look like watercolor in reflection upon close examination. I sold it later for $50.00 with full disclosures, the thing is a beauty in the past and present. I really wish the DA to have an aperture ring and it will fit perfectly with the MX. And I really like the form factor of Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 and it is a good thing to be shorter than 50mm for normal lens, good close up at 0.4 meters similar to FA 50mm f/1.4 and fast AF.


After a test roll of film, I may go about asking a quote on fixing the light sealing from Eric. Or the other alternative is to learn to do the sealing myself.

I am NAIVE on film, I really like my SuperProgram, can someone clue me in why I should fall in love with the MX. I know the viewfinder is bigger but the SuperProgram has so much to offer with Av, M, Tv, B mode and I especially love the extra grip in SuperProgram for better ergonomics in the field. Yes, the Tv mode works in M with two buttons to adjust shutter as mentioned by Steve, very nice to have. The viewfinder in SuperProrgram is about 0.82 magnification [92 % coverage] which is small compared to MX 0.97 magnification [95% coverage]. Please feel free to tell me more what you like most about MX besides the viewfinder. The MX only works in M mode, that is harder for me to get used to after using digital Av and TAv mode for a while.


Impressions & Notes

• Both DA 21 and DA 40 seem to meter reasonably well in the Programed Auto mode in SuperProgram
• With consultation from others, MX can't meter with the DA lens
• I don't see the vignetting in DA 40mm f/2.8 limited for sure. When I tried DA 21mm f/3.2 on SuperProgram, the wide angle view is wonderful and I don't see the obvious vignetting from viewing the view-finder corners. Unlike the time that I play with DA 18-55mm kit's lens, I can see obvious darker corners in the wider ends of the DA kit's lens
• All are to be confirmed when I develop my 1st film roll using both DA 21 and DA 40 with Pentax SuperProgram
• I so desire more on lenses with an aperture ring so that I can choose to share with the nostalgic find in the film world. My DA lenses will envy my primes with FA 50mm f/1.4, FA 77mm f/1.8 limited, Cosina 55mm f/1.2 along with all of my Tamron Adaptall-2 lenses that have a aperture rings with AE for AutoExposures when I couple the lens with adaptall-2 P/K-A adapter
  

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)
  
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited
• Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 limited
• Pentax M 40mm f/2.8
• Pentax pancake clones with M lenses
• Design compact dSLR with Crumpler 2 MDB
• Pentax Limited Trio in Traveling
• Hin's Camera Lens
  

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
  

My family dined out in Zpizza in Fremont last Friday. This place is a a great alternative to Round Table and Pizza Hut since they offer pizza in lighter toppings with less meat. And their variety of toppings and salad are unusually healthy as compared to other places that my family have visited.

My boys and I really enjoyed our 2nd visit to the Zpizza in Fremont and it will become one of our favorite places to go and they have take out delivery that we are yet to try out. The owner of Zpizza in Fremont allowed me to take as many pictures as I desired and after the meal, I showed them a few pictures with my Pentax K20D and Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited, and they are thrilled with the results they requested me to send to them. I will do that later on. This is a small business franchise and I won't charge them for anything. I hope they link back my page if they ever use my pictures for testimonial.

I used Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited for the shooting. I found few pictures off focus a bit under the tungsten lighting and I learned it from others that AF in tungsten may suffer from accuracy under tungsten lighting condition. I will take it as an important learning experience to observe the distance as well as going for manual focus when results seems off in preview.








Impressions & Notes

• Zpizza is interesting pizza place in Fremont not to be missed. Service is great and the owner are friendly to picture taking. My kids love dining out occasionally and I love food pictures. I highly recommend dinning out in Zpizza and remember to bring your camera with you and ask permission to take fun shots on your boys and the pizza.
  
  
• Always ask for permission first for courtesy as a photographer as picture taking may bother privacy of patrons and the restaurant.
  
  
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 can do reasonably well in close up. Not that it is the best, but its close focusing is surprisingly good.
  
  
• AF seems to hunt a bit and under tungsten lighting, it may be better off to attempt manual focusing. A lightweight tripod may come in handy though it is more likely to bother people along your path of picture taking. Be courteous with a smile. People understand and may enjoy your enthusiasm with food on the table. With my camera, food do taste better as your visual and photo senses can enhance both the tasting and aroma with the pizza
  
  
• I forget one important adjustment in the shooting. I forgot to raise the pizza at an angle on the back to create a better view on the pizza.
  
  
• While DA 21mm is not a close focus lens, it serves the indoor purpose shot on food quite well and the wider view with good bokeh shows interesting background quite well. I leverage the street lighting on the background on some of the pizza shot
  

Related:

• Zpizza in Fremont
• Pizza with Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited In Traveling
  
• Sushi wit Pentax FA 50 f/1.4
• Pentax DA 21mm f/3.2 limited
• Cosina 55mm f/1.2 with +4 close up
• 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