The title of the listing says K mount but the Item Specifics says Olympus OM mount. The pictures look like K mount, but I have no idea what an OM mount looks like.

Steve

And a happy Christmas from Lubbyman, too.

Just time to grab and post a seasonal picture before starting work on food for tomorrow...




Steve

Reversing a lens for close-up/macro does work with digital and can be fun if you like tinkering. However, it is a relic from the days when true macro lenses were rare. It's now far easier to use a modern macro lens.

If you're looking at the latest versions of Pentax macros, the 50mm macro has an aperture ring, the 100mm doesn't. Both will of course work normally on Pentax digital cameras. If you're ever tempted to reverse the lens, though, having an aperture ring gives you the ability to change the aperture when reversed.

I've copied slides with the 50mm and the camera mounted on a Novoflex macro rail with their slide copier attached to the end and backlit slides. It worked. But the 100mm macro would have worked too if I'd had it. The only difference would have been a slightly longer working distance with the 100mm.

Good luck. Whatever method you use will take time - lots of it!

Steve

Stunning scenery! The third image is the most striking for me, too. However, after looking at these a few times, I'm now really liking the second one. It's more relaxing than the third, more talking to me rather than shouting. I can imagine the second one on my wall but would find the third a bit annoying after a while.

Steve

Here's another thought. If you find yourself frequently going for wide angle shots and wishing that you could get even wider, there are ultra-wide zooms that will take you down to 10mm. I have a Tamron 10-24mm, there are also Sigma zooms in the 10-20mm range. And, of course, there are the Pentax 12-24mm and 11-18mm zooms. Any of them would complement an 18-55mm or 16-85mm nicely, and with a 55-300mm would make a nice, general purpose 3-lens set. Some of the ultra-wides are no longer in production so would have to be bought used, the Pentax 11-18mm is in production and reputed to be very good but is very expensive. However, beware. Getting good ultra-wide photos is trickier than many people expect. Perspective can look odd (although actually accurate) and it's more about getting the right balance between close and distant things than having as much of a grand vista in the frame as possible. Even a huge but distant mountain range can look small and less than imposing at 10mm .

And in case you (or anyone else) is wondering why I have 3 zooms of similar focal lengths, here's the story. The 16-45mm came as a discounted package with my first DSLR, it's a lovely lens, I used it a lot, but it's not weather resistant (WR). The 18-55mm was bought when I wanted something that was WR and didn't want to spend the earth. However, the 16-45mm was still used more often because I really like what 16mm can give. Eventually, I got fed up with having to change lenses to get a bit more reach than the 16-45mm gives so the 16-85mm was bought. I did consider the 18-135mm, but I really, really like 16mm. None of the lenses were therefore acquired because of image quality, they are all good enough for what I need (and probably what you need, too), the deciding factors were practicality and photographic preference.

Steve

Yes, the 35mm macro is a superb lens. If you would prefer a zoom, the 16-85mm is a significant step up from the 18-55mm. The difference between 16mm and 18mm at the wide end is greater than you might think, while 85mm gives a useful increase in reach at the long end. And the image quality is very good, too. I have the 16-45mm, 18-55mm and 16-85mm zooms and it's the 16-85mm that is invariably attached to the camera. Of course, if you could find a Kf + 16-85mm kit, or negotiate a 16-85mm instead of 18-55mm...

Steve

Welcome back. Nothing wrong with having a K100D, it isn't the camera or lens that makes the picture, it's the grey matter a few inches further back - have a look in Your Photos at what RAJHANS is doing with a K100D.

Steve

Thank, folks. Your good taste is appreciated .
Yeah - it only took a few minutes in the front garden to get 'em, not a whole, sleepless night miles away in freezing cold, waiting for the rain to stop and clouds to part which they don't do until the sun has risen .

Steve

OK folks, it's time to take your headache pills. Here are some of this year's IOOF and ICM shots of Christmas lights taken with a mirror lens. The lights are on a tree in next door's garden. The lens is a Tamron 500mm f8, the camera is a K3iii. That lens was made for messing around at this time of year .

Thoughts, comments etc. welcome as usual. Or just go into a dark corner and the shock will eventually subside...

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Steve

Nobody has mentioned the protection circuit that should be in these batteries. If it isn't there or if it isn't up to the job for that specific type of cell then the battery can fail dangerously in some circumstances (high temperature; over-charging etc.). Skimping on protection is one way of keeping costs down. I would be very suspicious of very cheap lithium-ion batteries even if they do deliver the given voltage and current - it's only when you need to be protected that you'll find you aren't, and then it's too late.

You don't need to save up for the genuine article, there are reputable brands that are half the price. I've been happy with Hahnel, widely available from major camera stores. The rated capacity is a bit less than the original Pentax. However, the rated capacity depends on how they have measured it, you'll get different numbers depending on temperature, current drawn etc. and there doesn't seem to be a standard way of doing it. It is also possible that it reflects Ricoh having stricter acceptance criteria so they reject any battery that is not very close to spec, whereas other reputable brands may allow a broader variation, in each case the rated capacity being the minimum that they expect their batteries to achieve rather than the precise value that they will achieve. We don't know and they aren't telling. But in real-world use I've not noticed any difference between Hahnel and genuine Pentax (although, of course, i might have just been lucky ).

Steve