All Forum Comments
Comment by Frogfish posted on Visiting Chester at 22/06/2011 - 11:09
Some cracking shots in there ! Always loved Puffins and some of these show them off beautifully.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Puffins (Farnes) at 22/06/2011 - 10:39
fritzthedog wrote:
Thanks for the tips guys - and sorry to have missed you Dave
Have just duscivered it is ladies night at Chester races on Thursday so that may be a possibility too
Carl
Be aware that the Races (as in any town) attracts a surfeit of very talented professional pickpockets - going back a few years my wife had a valuable watch taken off her wrist without her knowing (and it had a slip on bracelet !) - guy bumped into her and the watch had a new home. So watch your gear, and your pockets, very closely as you will be an obvious target being otherwise occupied with shooting.Thanks for the tips guys - and sorry to have missed you Dave
Have just duscivered it is ladies night at Chester races on Thursday so that may be a possibility too
Carl
Comment by Frogfish posted on Visiting Chester at 22/06/2011 - 10:32
I'm running a survey on PF link similar to the one I ran here (results) : link
On PF I've had over a 100 responses and to date the DA15 is the 2nd most used lense to the variants of 50/1.4s. If I broke those down into their various constituent lenses then the DA15 is THE most used lenses by Pentax users on PF. I think that tells you all you need to know about the lense. Buy it.
On PF I've had over a 100 responses and to date the DA15 is the 2nd most used lense to the variants of 50/1.4s. If I broke those down into their various constituent lenses then the DA15 is THE most used lenses by Pentax users on PF. I think that tells you all you need to know about the lense. Buy it.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Lens for Street Photography at 22/06/2011 - 06:55
You can take a walk on the old Roman wall which used to encompass the city - it's still there and you can walk all the way around (see the Roman amphitheatre) - it no longer encompasses the city of course There are many places you can climb up and down as you spot something.
The river may provide some opportunities too and a stroll with the centre provides lots of street ops (entertainers) and the black & whites facades and old Roman buildings.
The river may provide some opportunities too and a stroll with the centre provides lots of street ops (entertainers) and the black & whites facades and old Roman buildings.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Visiting Chester at 21/06/2011 - 21:02
Dangermouse wrote:
Well, I bought it from SRS via ebay so I get two years guarantee. I'd imagine it will fail within two years if it's going to fail!
I'm really not that worried about SDM. I know there were problems but I just don't seem to see as many complaints now as I used to. Pentax aren't daft, they know that warranty claims cost them twice (in the actual repairs and also in goodwill/PR). I strongly suspect they've upgraded the design. If it fails after those two years I've seen instructions for a DIY repair, which basically involved unscrewing the lens mount and twiddling the motor. The theory seemed to be that the motor can stick, thereby making the lens inoperable.
Further conjecture - I've now seen two places selling the 50-135mm for the price I paid, which is little more than half RRP. Are Pentax planning a replacement and selling off stock of the old lens?
Price over here is £660 - 710 so it seems like a global thing. Maybe you are right and they plan to introduce a replacement lense ? *Mildly excited* !Well, I bought it from SRS via ebay so I get two years guarantee. I'd imagine it will fail within two years if it's going to fail!
I'm really not that worried about SDM. I know there were problems but I just don't seem to see as many complaints now as I used to. Pentax aren't daft, they know that warranty claims cost them twice (in the actual repairs and also in goodwill/PR). I strongly suspect they've upgraded the design. If it fails after those two years I've seen instructions for a DIY repair, which basically involved unscrewing the lens mount and twiddling the motor. The theory seemed to be that the motor can stick, thereby making the lens inoperable.
Further conjecture - I've now seen two places selling the 50-135mm for the price I paid, which is little more than half RRP. Are Pentax planning a replacement and selling off stock of the old lens?
Comment by Frogfish posted on Pentax DA* 50-135mm or Sigma/Tamron 70-200mm f2.8? at 21/06/2011 - 12:05
Anvh wrote:
They have updated the SDM in the DA*16-50 and the DA*50-135 a bit more then a year ago, hopefully that helps...
Really ? Don't remember any announcement .. just a lot of conjecture They have updated the SDM in the DA*16-50 and the DA*50-135 a bit more then a year ago, hopefully that helps...
Comment by Frogfish posted on Pentax DA* 50-135mm or Sigma/Tamron 70-200mm f2.8? at 20/06/2011 - 19:28
Pentaxophile wrote:
Gorgeous dog, lovely rich colours in those shots.
Thank you ! The SMC Tak 50/1.4 is a superb lense - although I hit auto curves in Aperture 3 it did virtually nothing to the shots - I had to flick back and forth (before/after) to find any difference at all, so they are virtually as they were straight out of the camera.Gorgeous dog, lovely rich colours in those shots.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Stormy Day during the Plum Rains at 20/06/2011 - 19:03
Another consideration should be the SDM Matt. I know people will come out and say 'but mine has never missed a beat', however it's a fact that the 16-50 & 50-135 are the two lenses most prone to SDM issues. Primes are far less suspect.
Make sure you buy an extended warranty (comes as standard with Tamron and Sigma who give between 3 and 7 years depending on where you live in the world) !
Make sure you buy an extended warranty (comes as standard with Tamron and Sigma who give between 3 and 7 years depending on where you live in the world) !
Comment by Frogfish posted on Pentax DA* 50-135mm or Sigma/Tamron 70-200mm f2.8? at 20/06/2011 - 18:59
Since quietness is not going to be an issue for you I'd go for the added sharpness of the Tamron 70-200/2.8 over the Sigma, even though the Sigma's AF is a little faster I found that the Tamron AF, despite what has been written (I guess those people haven't been hands on) was no slouch even on a door sign at the end of a dim interior of a 40m long Chinese corridor - outside in daylight it was great.
The 50-135/2.8, whilst a wonderful lense for the right subjects, is possibly (along with the *55 from reports) the slowest focusing SDM lense in Pentax's line-up.
The 50-135/2.8, whilst a wonderful lense for the right subjects, is possibly (along with the *55 from reports) the slowest focusing SDM lense in Pentax's line-up.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Pentax DA* 50-135mm or Sigma/Tamron 70-200mm f2.8? at 20/06/2011 - 14:49
Be aware that the Races (as in any town) attracts a surfeit of very talented professional pickpockets