I've used some of the Zeiss Jena lenses. They are a good lens. The 50mm f2.8 screw mount works well with close ups.
These lenses where mainly made for the Praktika cameras in Jena, East Germany where The Karl Zeiss works originated.
They where quite underrated, because they where not very expensive. mainly because the East Germans sold them below cost to get hard currencies from
the West.


Horst

Would any of you people please explain the following abbreviations You have used in this Forum. I really don't have any idea what is meant by:

CA, PF, WR, SDM, OP, DR and EXIF.

Thanks, Horst

Thanks for that. It was very enlightning. I have a good play tonight with this button.

All the best, Horst

Hi Dave, I do youse a fair amount of manual lenses. From my previous Pentax cameras and also some home made lenses.

Would you please let me know, what I could program in too the green button which helps me with the use of this lenses.

Thanks, Horst

The basic idea of an UV filter was not to protect the lens, but to reduce the bluish tint of the UV rays. However modern lenses often have new types of glasses which don't require filters anymore. (Specially late Leica lenses). Nowadays they used just to, hopefully, protect the lens.

Lens hoods however are the best protection against flare. Take a picture with and without and you'll notice the difference. Take a picture close to a large area of green (Lawn etc) and you will find they reduce the stray light or green tinge.
The also protect your lens. They even protect your lens from a fall. At least 50% of the time.
Why? Because most lens hood are slightly larger then the front of the lens. When the lens falls, there is a 50% chance that it may fall on to the front element . The hood protects it. It may have a ding or bend, But thats nothing. Even if it falls just with a slight angle to the front lens fron the horizontal it will protect the lens. The lenshood, because of the thin material it is inherently slightly flexible and so reduces the shock.
I have a fair amount of lenses, old and new. Each one has a lens hood permanently fitted. This saves me screwing it on and off and maybe dropping it when I change a lens. It never does any harm.

Horst

Why use a cheapish filter? You wouldn't use a cheapish lens. Good quality filters,(not so cheap)have very good coatings and don't add much or any flare to it, especcialy if you use a good lens hood. The best one is the one made for the particular lens.
My advice: Don't worry to much about the filter, but always use a lens hood.
A lens hood never does any harm, but can do a lot of good.

Horst

For me the two buttons near the shutter release , the EV and the Iso buttons are in an ideal location. I use them a lot. Very handy.

The green button however, i have never used yet. Two reasons:
First, it is not very prominent and not easy to find, when looking trough the viewfinder
and second, it doesn't do anything anyway, so why push it?

Horst

How come, I can only see a DOF through the viewfinder?
I suppose this applies also to a 50mm f1.4 lens.

Regards, Horst

The only f1.2 lens I ever had was a Cannon 50mm f1.2 with the Leica tread. I used it on my Leica M3 and never had any problems focusing, The performance of this lens was supposed to be not quite up to scratch, but I never noticed it.I thought it was a superb lens.
I wish I could afford a 1.2 lens for the Pentax. I would love to use it again
I loved taking pictures wide open or nearly so in pubs, or Jazz cellars without flash. The big advantage of using no flash was that the cigarette smoke did not give as much reflections. It also made it a bit more candid.
The shallow Dof was a big adavantage when I fociussed just on one person or face
I am sure I could live with some slight focussing problem.
Regards, Horst

Hi, I love your skys in WA. We dont have them quite as blue here in Melbourne.
Great pictures, My favourits are No 2 with this fantastic blue background and No 4 with the reflections.

Regards, Horst