hi all,

i'm looking for a lens with better close-up abilities for some indoor abstract work. i reckon the 35mm da ltd would hit the spot, but i can't afford to have both the 40mm and 35mm in my line-up.

my 40mm is in great condition, with original box, case, receipt and everything.

is there anyone out there that wants to trade their 35mm da limited for my 40mm? i'll balance the deal with cash.

pm me if interested.

whoa that was quick.

i'm interested in one if anyone else has one going.

i was toying around with the idea of swapping from the 40/2.8 da limited to a 40/2 voigtlander.

after researching more, i've decided against it. the voigtlander bokeh is significantly clumpier, to me at least, than the pentax.

i can understand the lure of sony. i came to pentax because of the da limiteds. plus, a 200/2.8 was on my list, but i could have tracked down an old minolta for the same price as a new da* if i wanted one badly. if i wanted f/1.4 optics, i'd have stuck with them.

the k7 offers much more customisation. TAv is certainly very very welcome, autofocus correction is welcome, but not as necessary as i thought it would be. customising the dials is great. there is more customisation over how to configure the wheels, which is really nice.

sensor-wise, i have to be a bit blunt: i preferred the a700 sensor. my feeling is that it was cleaner than the k7 sensor. i don't miss it much, though, because i generally shoot low isos, and i'm happy to use a strobe in hard-lighting conditions. not really noticed much of a difference in dynamic range.

glass-wise, it's hard to compare, because i've just traded in optics with one set of compromises for optics with another set of compromise. just one note: i see much less purple fringing than i used to. i wonder whether this is a k7 trait, or a glass trait, or a combination.

autofocus on the k7 is much nicer than the a700. reliably keeping subjects off centre and nailing the focus is great. i had some issues with the off-centre points on my a700. now, it must feel weird for you guys seeing someone praise a pentax autofocus system, right?

i'm really fond of my pentax stuff, and i suspect i'll carry a k7 and 3 (maybe 4, since the da limited case can hold three, plus one on camera) da limiteds almost everywhere i go from now, the 200/2.8 will come out on special occasions.

i meant crucial for me, not for a camera.

I use it in two scenarios:

1) action, when i know what shutter speed will freeze motion, and what depth of field i want to be able to nail the focus.

2) low light, when I want to call the shots on how slow i can hand hold and what aperture i want.

but i'm in aperture priority most of the time.

just realised that it doesn't have TAv, which i've grown to consider a crucial feature.

i'm surprised by the af-correction ability being included. i see that as a top-model only feature, and it being included into a non-flagship model is heartening for those on a budget.

Is anyone else toying around with the idea of changing to this from the k7? I'll wait for the k5 specs before i decide anything.

but the k-r seems to be the k-7 with better high iso, but lacking weather sealing, and cheaper.

or perhaps i should just concentrate on taking photos, and buy a new camera in a couple of years...

thanks. i always thought that this forum was less actuve than it actually is, but it's nice to see so many uk pentax shooters. certainly makes advice, buying, selling and trading much much easier.

just to answer James's questions a bit more: i've had my k7 for a couple of months now. i want to get into abstract photography in a more serious manner, but, as with most photographers, a bit of landscape and people photos has to happen.

hi all,

i've just jumped ship to pentax from sony for the da limiteds.

i got rid of a decent sony set up (a700, sigma 10-20/4-5.6, sigma 30/1.4, minolta 85/1.4, tamron 90/2.8, sony 70-300g) in favour of a portable pentax set up (k7, 15/4, 40/2.8, 70/2.4, 200/2.. i've shot quite a bit with my k7, and i don't regret it one bit.

hello.

another pm sent regarding limited case...

...oops! i'm a new member, and i'm not allowed to send pms in my first month. but i'm very interested in the da limited case. perhaps pm me your email address if you'd like to discuss it?

cheers!