oops

I think I just made a biiiiiiig mistake


I just tried putting the Pentax D-FA 50mm F2.8 macro which I bought for my research lab on my personal K10D.

It has just taken all of my will power to take it off again.

Want One NOW!!!!

more accurately I want the 100mm version assuming it is built to the same standard. It's a good thing I got the 50mm for work or I might be on the run with it right now.

The focusing clutch works both ways so the ring doesn't rotate when it autofocuses, the whole thing is just a masterpiece!


Let this be a lesson to all of you, never try out a lens you can't afford!

PS thanks to Chris@SRS for great service and a fantastic product, I just hope I can bring myself to keep it in the lab!

I'm sure the lab won't miss it at weekends
I'm hoping one of the many new lenses Pentax are talking about is a 150mm macro. Having tried the Sigma 150mm Macro on a C%^&n at the weekend I would love one, but Sigma don't make it with a Pentax fitting.

They will if Pentax are producing one.

Didn't Chris of SRS fame mention a while back that Sigma were going to be expanding their PKAF range somewhat in the near future?

I can't remember exactly which lenses he said would be included, I remember the 50-150 F2.8 was one of them because that one interests me if it becomes apparent that I will never be able to afford/justify a DA* 50-135

Your right - Aprilish, well it is now Mayish and no sign yet. Fingers crossed it comes out soon. It will be interesting to see if it has power zoom. If it does can I still use it with a Ds or not? I see they have an even longer Macro promised too.

when you say power zoom, do you mean HSM focus motors? (these are not the same thing)

The Pentax SDM lenses will be able to be driven from the screw drive, but I'm not sure about hypothetical future Sigma HSM lenses. In any case, last I heared Sigma don't think there are enough SDM/HSM capable Pentax bodys out here to bother with it yet.

Also since Sigma always reverse engineer everything, they wont be able to bring out HSM in PK mount until a month or so after they can get their grubby mits on a Pentax lens with SDM.

Perhaps that's why the new batch of sigma lenses are delayed? they are waiting for a DA* lens to copy?

Pentax Power Zoom lenses will use the AF motor to drive the zooming action. Only a few bodies support this feature. It allowed some interesting effects such as the ability to track an object and keep its size constant in the frame, but by and large was dropped.

Power Zoom lenses can be used in Manual Zoom mode on all Pentax bodies.

All this has nothing to do with focusing motors in lenses.

yes but the lens he's talking about is a Prime, therefore cannot have power zoom, I have heard people make the mistake of referring to SDM/HSM as Power Zoom before hence my question.

not to mention I don't think anyone has produced a new lens with Power Zoom in best part of 10 years.

Power Zoom was basically a dead end in terms of development. It never really caught on, although it is very familiar to users of current compact and bridge cameras where it is universally used.

There are still a few Power Zoom lenses around on eBay and they can be used manually anyway so are a perfectly viable purchase.

The HSM lenses are not here yet, so I guess Sigma will be waiting to pull one apart in due course.

Ffordes have the FA 100mm version for sale at £199 if that helps

It won't help - that's the f/3.5 version (which I believe was a badged Cosina?)

You won't want anything less than the Pentax f/2.8 versions (I got my SMC-F 100mm for £199 from LCEGroup a couple of years back)
Matt

AHA - thank you. I'm surprised Pentax bothered with rebadging this one. They have existing good lenses?

The 100mm f3.5 Macro was indeed a Cosina in Pentax guise, remarkably crudely made for a pentax lens, but nevertheless capable of very good results.

Not as good as the 100mm f2.8 though, which is a superb lens.