Hin's Photo Corner

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
  

I look for a diffuser to be used with the Pentax AF540 flash. I am pretty new to using flash but I find flash a necessity to make the shot clean. I like natural looking picture and hence I long for an easy to use bouncer and diffuser. Also as an amateur to flash, I experiment on using flash bouncing light with light color wall and roof. The caveat that I found in flash bouncing is in not finding a nearby light color wall and roof. And I found this gadget with Spectra Light comes in handy. Its design and look is intuitive and easy to experiment and learn with.

I don't have in-depth experience with other diffuser such as Gary Fong Lightsphere and hence I don't quite know how it compares. But one thing is for sure, the Spectra Light is inexpensive to get as I paid roughly $15.00 in ebay. And I used it in first shooting with my niece graduation and it helps the newbie strobist in me, giving me more confidence into fill-flash with a natural looking pictures.


Spectra Light Diffuser comes with five panels and a pocket holder:

• The translucent panel is used for flash bounce and diffuser
• The golden panel is used as a warming reflector. It comes with a sticky label on back that one can peel out and attach to the solid white panel.
  
• The silver panel is used as an intensify reflector. It comes with a sticky label on back that one can peel out and attach to the solid white panel.
• The two solid white panels can be used for bounce serving as a 4x4 solid panel redirecting light as a nearby wall or roof. Unlike the translucent panel, no light will go through the pane.
  
• Depending on your choices, I learn from Russel to attach the gold label to one side of the solid white panel and attach the silver label to the 2nd solid white panel. In that arrangement, I can have an alternate white panel to go with a colored panel in silver and gold color. Sweet arrangement for multiple strobes.
  

And I kind of like the design in the ball-head that allow me to move the panel quite freely in the vertical and horizontally.

I have used the gadget as a diffuser and bouncer using the translucent panel in my niece graduation ceremony. So far, I am quite satisfied with the assistance that Spectra Light offers to help bounce and diffuse light from my flash. Results seems consistent as if no flash is used.

I am in full blown LBA buying modes. I don't need a long glass as I do have a Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro that cover my need in 300mm and with the Pentax F-1.7x AF TC and Tamron Pz-AF 1.4x TC, I can go to 340mm and 510mm the expensive of losing 1.5 and 1 aperture full stops.

When I see the combined sale from another Pentaxian with Pentax F-1.7x AF TC, I went for this 300mm, which many have called the good 300mm on the budget minded. I bought way too many lens that I can afford to explore. It is such a shame that I only tested this lens on Veteran day where I can't ship out the lens to a wonderful buyer. Test shots from far away objects are amazing sharp, even wide open in f/4.0 aperture. It is a heavy lens and it has a long length and without tripod colar but I still find it very useable in hand-holding for far distance in the 1/2 mile range. I find myself looking for bracing the hands in taking the shot. All test shots are done hand-held fashion with some bracing on a rail. Ideally, I look for a flat wall to back me up for my preference in bracing shots at ease of my back.



Test Photos:

All test shots are done hand-held and the views go through a glass window which may hamper the sharpness in the test shots.






Impressions & Notes:

• Very dependable long tele
• Pictures are amazingly sharp wide open
• Really prime quality as compared to my consumer zoom lens in Tamron 70-300 Di LD
• Lens is manual focus and metering but that does not bother me
• Focusing is quite good for this long and heavy lens
• Still possible to do hand-holding. I am surprised! Though a bit tired, but bracing and proper standing with nearby objects can support the shot taking with this heavy lens
• Lens don't come with tripod collar, I see people using self made tele lens support
• PF is not easily found in test shots
• Lens has a built in lens hood which is excellent
• Lens has a good build quality of good old K version of Pentax lens
• Highly recommended and I would buy again if I manage to trim other lens in the next round

Related:

• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro
• Komine 200mm f/3.5 in K
  
• Pentax M 200mm f/4.0
• Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f/3.5 Tokina
• Pentax F-1.7x AF TC
• Tamron Pz-AF 1.4x AF TC
• Carl Zeiss 180mm f/2.8 (m42)
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I bought this item brand new from ebay store Wolfes-Camera and the price I paid was fairly decent for $69.99. I doubt initially if the AF would work at all when I purchased this item. And I tried it on both of my Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 and Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro and auto focus works though there is more obvious focus hunting for the long Tamron zoom in the long end


The TC has all the 7 electrical contacts on the rim outside along with two golden SDM contacts inside. It has 4 groups with 4 elements and it has MC coating as noted in the specification.

Auto focus is slower than the Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF MC4 TC. Perhaps the field of view is narrow at 510mm, a busy surrounding and low light will have it hunt for focus. Once target is in focus, it is not as bad. And I am more than thrilled to have a 510mm for bird photos from a good distance. Some test shots with Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro in ISO 400 and mostly f/8.0.








Impressions & Notes:

• AF obviously works and I have tried it successfully on Tamron 70-300 Di LD and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
• AF is slower in Promaster 1.7x as compared to Tamron 1.4x TC
• I am extremely surprised that PF/CA are not seen yet with the TC. I shot the similar locations when the bird is resting with backlighting branches, Tamron 1.4x TC all end up in purple tree but not so with the Promaster 1.7x. I am hopeful that this TC works better with PF/CA control.
  
• Color and contrast are a bit flat but reasonable in the shot
• 510mm is very achievable with the TC and IQ are yet to be confirmed with more use
• I am happy as a clam to get a 510mm rig with this TC
• The Promaster weighs 4 oz and it is not that much bigger than the Tamron 1.4x TC and hand-holding with Tamron long zoom is very feasible. Though SR stays at 300mm for the long end and my short trial seem to have reasonable sharpness.
  
• Most of my initial test shots range from 10 to 15 feet away from the birds, a longer distance testing will help to judge the TC.
• IQ with shots in close range shorter than 30 feet seems very good, SR at 300mm in long end still helps in shorter distance shooting.
  
• IQ at full extension to 510mm with subjects at far distance seem to have more problems with blur images.
• In all testing, AF works effectively in good lighting condition.
  

Related:

• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro on Birds
  
• Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
  
• Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF MC4 TC
• Tamron-F 2X KR MC4 TC
• Kenko 2x Macro Teleplus MC7
• Hin's Camera Gear

Attempts & Approaches:

• I try to have both eyes open to track the bee movement
• Whenever I move, I point camera into bee's direction to get AF close in range to the bee
• When the bee stops, I turn to get an angle to the bee
• I try to shoot less and practice on accuracy instead of shotgunning the bee
• Avoid wasted pictures when the bees are erratic in the eating. This may be impossible as the bees are always erratic in the eating
• Tried both AF.C and manual, it is much harder to do manual on Tamron as it does not have quick-shift feature
• Try panning upon bee leaving and entering the scene
• In manual focus, I pre-focus object on same plane as the bee and the flower
  

Related:

• Going Green in Blogging
  
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro f/4.0-5.6
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro on Flowers
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro on Birds
  
• Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

I have tried to shoot birds in flight (BIF) with Tamron 70-300 Di LD. All are cropped to get closer to the birds.

1/800 sec, f/8.0, 300mm, iso 400, 0 Ev

1/1250 sec, f/8.0, 160mm, iso 400, 0 Ev

1/1250 sec, f/8.0, 300mm, iso 400, 0 EvFlickr Slideshow

Focus & Meter:

• I use the default multi-segment metering
• I use AF.C exclusively
• I normally use the selective AF with focal point in center but for the BIF, I turn to the complete AF with multiple focal points, I let the AF system work while I pan the movement hoping the AF system find the closest focal point to match the bird
• I use ISO 400 and Av mode on f/8.0 and half press to check the shutter to be at least 1/500 sec
• I should have tried Tv mode with 1/1000 sec but I don't trust the Tamron on anything lesser than f/8.0 in the longer end
• I pan all shot in moving along with the bird and let the multiple AF point and AF.C work with the bird in the frame
• I pan the bird to be in the frame and adjust zoom from 300mm down for better sharpness and hopefully better IQ if bird is not too far

Teleconverters:

And I am gathering inputs for a TC that maintain AF and metering, I am basically looking at two choices

• Tamron 1.4x AF (no longer manufactured by Tamron)
  
• Kenko 1.5x AF (available in various places)
• Promaster Spectrum 7 1.7x AF TC

Related:

• Going Green in Blogging
  
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro f/4.0-5.6
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro on Flowers
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro on Bees
• Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro on Portraits
  
• Purple Fringe with Tamron 70-300 Di LD Macro
• Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
• Tamron 1.4x Pz-AF MC4 Teleconverter Pentax
• Promaster Spectrum 7 1.7x AF TC
• Hin's Camera Gear

My 1st copy has softness issues even at small apertures in daytime shooting and I returned it for an exchange. I love my 2nd copy of FA 50 f/1.4, I have procrastinated on all the front/back focusing tests that I set out to do when I got my 2nd copy.

The formal testing on my 2nd FA 50 f/1.4 may never happen as I already fall in love with my new lens. The more that I use my FA 50 f/1.4, the more I love the lens. I love it not for the sharpness obviously. I love it for the great color, contrast, wonderful 3D look with narrow dof when I get lucky. And it is a funny term that I use, the picture looks creamy and sometime it sure looks better than the actual scene through my eyes. I have many pictures done at home and I always have the messy feeling about my home and the narrow DOF correct that and my home is as pretty as I can dream about :-)

Okay, back to the softness testing, I find it soft until f/2.0+ for me for indoor portraits -- this is not a definite as I no longer pixel peep to continue the formal part of my testing. For shooting on fine print, I would have guessed it to be sharp at f/2.8 and beyond. For portraits, the creamy look, color and contrast offset the softness that I see. Maybe the softness help in disguise. If you do plan to purchase FA 50 f.14, please do test your copy with some pixel peeping especially for daylight pictures at small apertures such as f/4.0. In my 1st copy of FA 50 f/1.4, it has very unusual softness compared to my 2nd copy and hence I returned for an exchange. Few pictures from my 2nd copy that I am pretty proud, all done hand held