Hi, I just managed to find a SMC A-35-70 f4 Lens at a Bits and pieces marked. It stood there with a label saying $20.-. I bought it and next day tried it. Boy, it makes nice pictures. I am really happy with it. I posted a picture on the Gallery (1st day of Spring).
This lens is a real bargain. I ordered a 58mm lens hood for it, because the diapghragm showed up a couple of times when the sun was coming from about an 45 Deg angle.
Now I am saving for the 77mm f1.8 lens. I already have $315 in my coin box. Only about 500 more to go. This is addictive.

Horst

Hi, I consider the inbuilt flash on my K5 quite unnecessary, where it not for the idea of fill in flash.
However I never really came to grips with this. To be truthful,
I have no Idea how to use it. I read about it and saw pictures with and without it (portraits mainly) but I never found out what to set on my camera (K5). To try and take advantage of it. Is there an automatic flash fill-in in setting?
If anyone can help me, I would appreciate it.

Regards, Horst

I would say the F 35-70 slowly grew in to my favourite lens to take with me.
I love the focal lengt range .
It is light and very easy to use.

And it only cost me $40.- including a SFX which I never use.

Regards, Horst

Thank you for all your good advice. I will take notice and try a few things.

Regards, Horst

Hello,
I am getting interested in portraits. At this moment, I am unable to afford a soft focus lens, like the Pentax 85mm.
How good are the various soft focus filters? If they are any good, what strength soft focus would be good for portraiture? Or should I just try a bot of vaseline on an UV filter?
My Camera is a K5.

Horst

Hi, I love the last pictute, It does not seem as razor sharp and has some all round softness. A really lovable shot.

Horst

Thanks, it's a K5.

Horst

Hi, When I use the screen to compose a picture and press ther shutter halfway to focus the image, the screen display suddenly magnifies the image and then after focussing goes back to normal.
is there any way, that I can disable this momentary enlargement, which is very annoying to me, and have the normal size display with only a small green centre during focussing?

Horst

What Smeggypants says, makes a lot of sense to me.
A few years ago I owned a Canon 50mm f1.2 for my Canon 7 RF camera.
This lens did not get very good reviews. Especially in respect to edge sharpness.

I loved the pictures I made with this lens. All my enlargement where about 15" x 8 or 10" I can't remember at the moment. The so called edge sharpness never really bothered me, because my main interest was the motive.
I never took a magnifying glass and checked the outer edges to see how much less sharp they where with respect to the centre.

I looked at the pictures I made (often only one good one in a roll of 36) and was glad I saved the moment on film.
I realise it wasn't a Pentax 1.2, but I had it and used it.

In my humble opinion, this is what photographing is all about. To capture something one thinks is worth while preserving.

I love to own a Pentax 1.2 and also an 85mm lens, but my finances and the little woman won’t allow it at the moment.

Horst

Every now and then, I Just take one prime with me. Normally either the 40mm DA or my FA50/1.4. Never both. When I do this, I don't have to think. There is nothing I can do except move myself forwards or backwards.
Also the perfect lens hood is always matched to the lens.

A few years ago, I went for a trip to Germany and only took my Super-A and the SMC-A50/f1.4 I knew, I had a very good camera and a very good lens. Loaded with 200ASA Fuji Film. I didn’t need a gadget bag ( not even a designer bag). I had the winder on the Super-A. This gave me the right grip. I recon, I made some of my best pictures then. I had the total freedom to go anywhere and just photograph without any worries if I had the right perspective or not. It made no difference anyway. The lens and my standpoint decided it.
Horst