Thanks, Flink,

Not catching all of the reflection was the "if only..."!

With long lenses, you generally want to shoot with a fairly wide aperture to maintain a high shutter speed, and good long lenses should be pretty sharp even wide-open. Using an M or K lens on a DSLR presents metering problems unless you use the lens at full aperture, in which case Av mode works fine. So it's a happy combination.

As for focussing - well you should see how many I threw away! Seriously, the only possibility is to pre-focus and hope the animal goes where you hope it will.

I don't do enough nature photgraphy to justify an AF lens of this focal length, and despite what Mac will tell you, there are limits even to my extravagance. Sadly.

G

Forum seems a bit quiet, so to liven things up, here's a pic that nearly worked, but not quite. Pretty typical of my efforts, really.




Taken in the evening on the Thames at Chiswick. M 400 5.6, hand-held, 1/640, 5.6.

G

Very interesting, and totally logical. Thank you.

G

Do you mean bellows, or a slide copier (or a slide-copier attachment fitted to a bellows)?

Basically, all normal 35mm slide copiers will crop the pictures. However, it is possible to mount a lens on a bellows, then lash up a rig to mount the slide slightly further away, and Bob's your uncle.

G

Mac,

My resolution is effectively a moratorium. And so far I've stuck to it faithfully (well, to the "clarified" version!).

It so happened that a nice person in Canada (aren't they all?) offered me an FA* 1:2.8 200mm at a very reasonable price, and (in the interests of furthering UK-Canadian relations and improving Canada's balance of payments) I accepted with alacrity. You will recall that a 200mm lens was excepted from the resolution.

There was of course also the bit about not letting ridiculous bargains slip away, so that accounted for the nice little 50mm macro, which cost almost nothing.

And that's it! I now trawl Ebay occasionally, but nothing seems to attract my attention. There's clearly nothing for it but to start taking a few pictures.

G

PS: Novoflex lenses have adapters which enable them to be used on both screw-mount and bayonet-mount cameras. You need one, Mac, really you do.

Those looking for a good but cheap(ish) long lens might consider buying a second-hand Novoflex. Before auto-focus, these were the preferred lenses for nature photography. They come attached to a pistol grip, and can be fitted with a stock like a rifle (but much lighter).

The Germans were very keen on them, and many of the ones that come up on Ebay have German sellers.

The focal lengths ranged from 280mm to 800mm, I believe, and the quality of the lenses was superb.

I was on the look-out for one when an M 400mm 5.6 came up for a modest price, and I still might get one when my lens-buying moratorium comes to an end.

G

G

I think that backward compatibility is what keeps long-standing users loyal, but it's much less interesting for potential newcomers who don't have a cupboard full of Pentax lenses, and who think an AF zoom is a much sexier proposition than an MF prime.

I think ergonomics, small size, and the availability of the best possible lenses - Limiteds and FA*s are more compelling arguments. Canon and Nikon have nothing to touch Pentax's AF lens offerings for DSLRs.

G

Good grief, Liam, how tall do you think I am?

G

Your best bet is to try to find a damaged camera on Ebay.

G

I agree. The 280T is an excellent gun.

G