Hin's Photo Corner: f/2.5

Showing posts with label f/2.5. Show all posts

Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) on Pier with Twilight

2013-01-28 Posted by Hin Man

I am cheap-o lens fanatics and as usual, I have strange shots with the Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) just to see the off focus rendering that includes ring lights. I like to see how the lens renders. My previous post on Seeing Lights At Night with Pentax K-5 was using the FA 43mm limited in f/2.2 and close distance ring lights all show hexagon shapes. And I personally prefer a round ring lights, the closer to a circular shape, the more pleasing that I find. Distance play a factor as the farther it goes, the hexagon shaped ringed lights from the FA 43 will turn closer to a circular rings. The following two shots were taken purposely off-focus a bit at f/2.8 with the Tamron prime

The background is a pier in Cayucos beach where I found myself alive, well and grateful for photo opportunities while enjoying the scenes and togetherness with family.

tamron adaptll-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) on pier with twilight color using Pentax K-5

Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) and Pentax K-5 on Pier with Twilight

Around the same twilight color time zone, this is also an odd time to take portraits. But it can be rewarding if I use flash. I ain't a strobist and I certainly dislike the use of built-in flash. In traveling, I seldom find myself carrying an external flash. Whenever I come to a decision to filling a slot in my Kata bag, I always end up choosing an extra lens instead of the flash -- the flash is just too bulky and heavy. I ran into professional photog like shooting in the beach in a couple of occasions with serious flash shooting takes place after sunset while the background is the dimming twilight after sunset.

With lack of strobing gear, I used the built in flash and I normally try to dial in negative 1/3, 2/3 or even 1 stop in flash adjustment. But with the 135mm and a far distance, the flash compensation can be moot.

I wish in 2013 to make a change and bring a flash instead. At the minimal, I am trying to find a trustworthy diffuser that I can count on. I am looking to this built-in flash diffuser in Amazon. I tried film cartridge but I am not finding satisfactory results. If you have tips with a smaller flash that is easy to carry in traveling, please clue me in. I have bought this Neewer slave flash from Amazon for my use with Sony NEX and I will try it with Pentax built-in flash but I need a light blocker to shield the built-in flash as a master for the optical slave.

Similar twilight color shots happen on an earlier day on the Cayucos pier. Not as dramatic color but the blue, orange and red varies as time gets deeper into the evening.

Cayucos Beach Pier

with FA 43mm f/1.9 limited

My model on far end on the pier

with FA 43mm f/1.9 limited

And this is the parting shot where my model dodges to my right and I pan right and miss my original framing on the fishing poles on left. I did not clean up the noise, shot in 1600 straight out of K-5 and FA 43mm f/1.9 @ f/2.5.

I don't know if it is the AWB picked up by the camera, there are times that the same scene will come as more red and yellow while a slight change of angle will have all the bluish tint in the background.

Parting Scene On Cayucos Beach Pier

with FA 43mm f/1.9 limited

Related:

Seeing Lights At Night with Pentax K-5

Hin's Camera Gear

Twilight Color After Sunset with Pentax K-5

2013-01-26 Posted by Hin Man

I shot this one about 30 minutes after sunset. I often find the mystic colors right after sunset magical. As usual, my older boy does his best in running away from my camera and I can only shoot him in a distance with a longer focal length. I have my K-5 with Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B). Picture was taken in Pismo Beach over the long weekend.

Twilight Color After Sunset with Pentax K-5, Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

K-5 and Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

And about 30 minutes earlier, I missed the sunset shots for late arrival to the beach I mange to get this one in focus for the last few seconds of rim light from the sunset

K-5 and Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

And the not-in-focus shot earlier

K-5 and Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

A forum discussion mentions about the wonderful work of J M W Turner's seascapes using beautiful watercolor in his sesscapes paintings. It is an inspiration and fascinating work to study from the great artist. Here is another shot of my running boy in the twilight color

I found the mystic colors usually about 15 to 45 minutes right after sunset. I usually see the glow of red and orange as the residual light from sunset. And bluish tint comes along when the darkness approaches the lighting scenes gradually and quickly. It is a suite of magical colors in red, orange and blue and the mix varies upon angles and how much darkness looms over the residual light from the sun.

And I will encourage everyone not to shy away from a scene that looks unusually dark to our naked eyes. The timing is right around 30 minutes after sunset. That was the time that you think that the AF or MF will hamper your shooting in focusing. Sure enough, I have my share of troubles in focusing as my eyes are aged. But my enthusiasm and fascination of the dark scenes take over the handicap. The K-5 ups two notches and pick up the slack with great metering and AWB. I would have an easier job if I have my favorite zoom with Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8. But the traveling light criteria takes over in the decision to bring my Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) instead. I fault in a lot of focusing errors but that manual 135mm prime excels with lighter weight and compact form factor in traveling.

Here is a shot that is less dramatic but I like it as my wife darts with joy in catching up with my boy

Tamron SP 90mm f/2.5 1:2 Macro adaptall-2 (52BB)

2009-03-04 Posted by Hin Man

52BB

1.3 feet at 1:2 macro ratio

This is quite a 1:2 macro lens to get. I sold it due to overlapping with my other macro lens with Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Ex DG Macro and Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 non-Di. I sold the lens together with the 1:2 extension tube for a low cost.

I can only find the 52B model in adaptall-2 site index and from the site and others, I learned that 52BB only differs from 52B in cosmetics. Filter size on 52BB is 55mm whereas 52B is 52mm. Looking at the cosmetic, I personally like 52BB better and it reminds me of the current model of Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro easily.

The focusing ring is quite outstanding in close up work and it is easy to handle for precision and fine adjustment.

Test Shots

@ 1:2 close up

@ 1:1 with extension tube
my bad in blurry shot

Product shot with
Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited

Impressions & Notes

An easy favorite for SP adaptall-2 lens
Well built and easy to handle
Cosmetic look better than 52B in my opinion
macro 1:2 ratio at 1.3 feet
1:1 macro can be achieved with the extension tube. Adaptall-2 site claims the use of 2x TC can achieve similar though I prefer extension tube to avoid added glass element.

Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 from Kiron

2008-03-19 Posted by Hin Man

I bought this Vivitar lens from a good friend of mine and I know that the K mount won't fit into the KAF2 mount in my K100D. The lens is in superb condition and inexpensive price for a dinner lure me to get this lens without a 2nd thought. And it turns out the lens, with the base (baffle) removed, I can use it on my K100D body without any noticeable problems. All that is needed is to remove three tiny screws on the lens base plate and once the baffle is off, I have no problems using the lens as is.

I later used my Christmas toy with Dremel to modify the extra flange that make the lens incompatible with my K100D body. With the Dremel tool, I manage to grind down the obstructing flange area and painted it black with a black marker.

Dremel tool to alter Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 from Kiron

And here are few test shots:

I have not formed conclusive opinions on the lens but so far I like the fast aperture at f/2.5 and the construction of the lens from Kiron is quite solid. The focusing ring is well suited for manual focusing. Sharpness at wide open aperture is reasonable though I am not certain as I do find lack of detail in the test shots that I made with the lens. With more testing, I would need to decide if I should keep this lens or find something better such as the Pentax A 28mm f/2.8 or the Pentax F/FA 28mm f/2.8 with autofocus.

Impressions & Notes:

Filter size is huge, it is 67mm
Front element is unusually big and it is likely prone to flare and I later added in a matching lens hood.
The lens is an odd ball in bokeh. Sometime very nice and sometime mediocre and I thought one reason may come from flare seen in the bokeh. When flare does happens in the bokeh, it takes out the fine detail.
This is one of my lens with circular ringed lights in the bokeh. With the addition of lens hood, I am hoping the flare is reduced in the bokeh.
Manual focusing ring is smooth, precise and large over half of a circle.
Minimum focusing distance is small as I recall it, roughly 0.3 meter, I need to check to confirm
Manual focusing is best with this lens
Lens is well constructed and built with metal in barrel
I prefer this Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 from Kiron over my Pentax M 28mm f/2.8 though my preference might have changed had my Pentax M 28mm f/2.8 been free of fungus. The pentax has an edge in color when compared to the Kiron Vivitar. In terms of sharpness, build quality and focus ring design and the overall feel, my preference definitely goes to the Kiron.

Hin's Photo Corner

Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) on Pier with Twilight

Twilight Color After Sunset with Pentax K-5

Tamron SP 90mm f/2.5 1:2 Macro adaptall-2 (52BB)

Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 from Kiron

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