Lunchtime walk


Pentax *istDS, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Trioplan 100mm F2.8 @ F2.8, ISO200

My first thought was that it looked quite soft towards the bottom edge.

I've had two off them (the DS and K10D were both cheaper as kits than body only) and both have been very poor. I only did a proper test with the first one though, and it was comprehensively stomped by a lowly Consina/Pheonix 19-35 (which is actually quite decent optically) for corner/edge sharpness - they were similar for centre sharpness.

I can't say I'd ever noticed vignetting with the 18-55 though, although that might have been down to a horror of using it at anything like maximum aperture!

I did find it quite decent in the studio though as it has decent centre sharpness when stopped down and the edges etc. don't matter. Here's one shot at F13 @ 55m:


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I would argue that (in my experience at least) the 18-55 is close to useless (edges/corners being soft at all apertures) so therefore no matter what the 16-45 costs it's better value for money!

However if I didn't have other lenses that could cover wide end then the 18-55 is better than nothing and therefore worth £29.

Of those I've got the Sigma 24-135, the Tamron 28-200 (although wearing a Pentax badge) and the Cosina 100mm macro.

All are better optically than the 18-55 kit lens however the disadvantage with all the lenses mentioned, other than the Sigma 18-125, is that they don't go wide enough to replace the kit lens. So if I was to pick one of the above it would be the Sigma 18-135 even though I've never used one.

My alternative advice however, given the lenses you already own, would to wait a bit longer and get the cash together for the Pentax DA 16-45 F4. It's massively better than the kit lens plus it also has the advantage of going signficantly wider. It's also be significantly better than all the other lenses mentioned (except the Cosina macro of course) IMHO and well worth the extra.

Thanks for the comments. The in-focus areas of the shot are sharp however as it was taken at F2.8 (because of the light loss from the red filter, given I was shooting handheld and it was a dull day) there is a lot of it that's not quite in focus. I was just messing about with the red filter to see if it had an effect on the B&W conversion process - it's not something I'd normally use with digital.

Congratulations to Prieni and enjoy Hong Kong - I lived there for a couple of years and there are lots of interesting photographic opportunities plus the chance to buy kit much cheaper than in the UK!

To take a somewhat different approach - here is the "Mark of Man" on my local environment (taken a few hundred yards away from my office):



Pentax K10D, Tokina ATX-Pro 20-35mm F2.8 @ 35mm, ISO800, red filter

A well deserved kicking I think!

I just checked and my FA* 85 cost £475 new perhaps 8-10 years ago when I was living in Hong Kong - I think they were a lot more than that here at the time. I also got my 80-200 F2.8 (Tokina) for about £400 new, also in Hong Kong.

I was shocked at the prices when I returned to the UK!

Both shots were done with the same lens - my beloved FA* 85mm F1.4

The first shot is an older one from my film days, shot on Agfa APX25 - I can't recall if it was scanned from a print or from the negative though.

The books I have for portraiture etc. are Photographing Children by Jonathan Hilton, and Studio Portrait Photography - also by Jonathan Hilton.