All Forum Comments
Comment by Vaards posted on FS: FA* 85mm F1.4 [IF] at 19/01/2013 - 00:57
I need to get a tripod to hold a mlu 67 with 400mm lens and possibly 2X TC...
I assume Gitzo 5x Systematic series.
For my purposes Gitzo 3530s with Graf Studioball is enough (645n+300mm/f4+1.4x) and sometimes Fuji 690 gsw and 690gw.
3530s is extremely stable - systematics comes without center column. It is three leg step construction - less weak tubes, less joints. Although sometimes I want bigger tripod.
My suggestion is - just buy something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/220956285016 and be happy for liftime!
Point is - Gitzo is easy to repair, every piece is easy to dissasemble and to buy repair kit for platic parts etc. So, these tripods on used market cost the same as new.
I assume Gitzo 5x Systematic series.
For my purposes Gitzo 3530s with Graf Studioball is enough (645n+300mm/f4+1.4x) and sometimes Fuji 690 gsw and 690gw.
3530s is extremely stable - systematics comes without center column. It is three leg step construction - less weak tubes, less joints. Although sometimes I want bigger tripod.
My suggestion is - just buy something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/220956285016 and be happy for liftime!
Point is - Gitzo is easy to repair, every piece is easy to dissasemble and to buy repair kit for platic parts etc. So, these tripods on used market cost the same as new.
Comment by Vaards posted on Tripod for 67 and 400mm at 03/06/2012 - 20:46
As Pentax medium format user, I would suggest to buy Gitzo 5x series carbon tripod (used!)
It is purchase for liftime! Because there is option to easily disassemble every piece of plastic and clean it time by time. And if something wears out user can easily buy spare parts.
I had two manfrottos before and both died. Shortest life was with Manfroto uber smart NEOTEC. It was submerged into Baltic sea water, and then started to corode (aluminium inside), when I wanted to disassemble it, I discovered - it is just toy, made from pressed together parts. After some three months legs were not fixable at all. So I dissasembled it and... decided to go expencive way. Bought gitzo 3530s. Man!!! It is so much more sturdy, reliable. I have it now for 3 or 4 years, and it is like new. But I use it for sandy Baltic sea photography, sand is inside tubes, making noise, I am dissasembling and cleaning it time by time, but it still works like new. And looks like new.
Although I know two fellas and they went that hardcore rote, buying Gitzo 5541LS ones. I little regret that I didn`t bought thing like this - so huge and stable!
Although with 3531LS you will be really fine (it does not have central column - more stability, it has three steps legs - thicker tubes, less joints - more stability).
Head.
I bought huge and heavy head Graf Studioball on ebay for 400$. It is something like 1.5 kilo! But I have tried Arca Swiss b2 (or how it is called), Graf is better, smooth and rock solid!
The hardest thing at this point is...
When it dissapeared from BHphoto.com, where it was for 480$... After some time on ebay these appeared for really cheap price, like $250... And nobody was interested... Then prices stabilised under $200. At the moment there is exactly three heads - really undrpriced. These are much more worth than their price on ebay Grab one and you`ll newer regret!
Andv try to search for 5x used gitzos (although they are almost the same price like new ones - because they are reliable for many, many years).
It is purchase for liftime! Because there is option to easily disassemble every piece of plastic and clean it time by time. And if something wears out user can easily buy spare parts.
I had two manfrottos before and both died. Shortest life was with Manfroto uber smart NEOTEC. It was submerged into Baltic sea water, and then started to corode (aluminium inside), when I wanted to disassemble it, I discovered - it is just toy, made from pressed together parts. After some three months legs were not fixable at all. So I dissasembled it and... decided to go expencive way. Bought gitzo 3530s. Man!!! It is so much more sturdy, reliable. I have it now for 3 or 4 years, and it is like new. But I use it for sandy Baltic sea photography, sand is inside tubes, making noise, I am dissasembling and cleaning it time by time, but it still works like new. And looks like new.
Although I know two fellas and they went that hardcore rote, buying Gitzo 5541LS ones. I little regret that I didn`t bought thing like this - so huge and stable!
Although with 3531LS you will be really fine (it does not have central column - more stability, it has three steps legs - thicker tubes, less joints - more stability).
Head.
I bought huge and heavy head Graf Studioball on ebay for 400$. It is something like 1.5 kilo! But I have tried Arca Swiss b2 (or how it is called), Graf is better, smooth and rock solid!
The hardest thing at this point is...
When it dissapeared from BHphoto.com, where it was for 480$... After some time on ebay these appeared for really cheap price, like $250... And nobody was interested... Then prices stabilised under $200. At the moment there is exactly three heads - really undrpriced. These are much more worth than their price on ebay Grab one and you`ll newer regret!
Andv try to search for 5x used gitzos (although they are almost the same price like new ones - because they are reliable for many, many years).
Comment by Vaards posted on Pentax 67 II tripod at 02/03/2012 - 22:25
MattMatic wrote:
I've had no issues with the AF540. My AF360 battery door broke - I fixed it myself with steel lugs
Would you be so kind to explain it more detailed? Besides I fixed with "wood screw" just finding place where is enough plastic. Drilled hole in door and further, fixed with screw. When I need to charge batteries I just unscrew it.I've had no issues with the AF540. My AF360 battery door broke - I fixed it myself with steel lugs
Quote:
Any exposure issues are down to the camera and the scene. It's the camera that does all exposure calculations.
There is ways to dismount flash and finetune it`s power adjusting little knob. Any exposure issues are down to the camera and the scene. It's the camera that does all exposure calculations.
Quote:
It's also worth checking that you have the latest firmware installed on your camera(s), since Pentax seem to have tweaked flash exposure along the way
Sadly Pentax flash system is even worse than Pentax AF. Said so, I have 3 540 and 6 360 flashes. Want statistics?It's also worth checking that you have the latest firmware installed on your camera(s), since Pentax seem to have tweaked flash exposure along the way
Two 540 has broken zooms. They have different output power too.
Two 360fgz has broken doors. One of them has broken shoe. Three of them has broken wide angle plastics. Two of them has stuck zoom.
I take pics at weddings. So Usually I have two 540 with me and my wife one 540. At some cermony halls we place slave flashes in all corners. Just move around and all of them (who sees range) is flashing.
Comment by Vaards posted on Re: PentaxAF 540 FGZ TTL at 23/02/2012 - 20:05
Some more than three years ago I was really avid glamurous girl shooter. But after marriage... Em, wife somehow didn`t liked my addiction with girls... Blonde girls, skinny girls, nude girls, dressed girls and girls, and girls... Em...
So, I decided to sell that magic bokeh lens finally!
History of my FA 85mm.
I had two of these lenses in my mortal life. This one was bought used from Japan something like mint condition. Some tiny black marks on lens hood is my fail. And it is really easy to scratch these aluminium type coatings - just leave it too close to some other plastic lens or flash or whatever. And voila - there is scratch when you walk with photo bag for some distance.
I marked visible scratches with red arrows on picture. On hood there is two visible scratches. On lens one almoust invisible scratch. Inside of lens is clean, no fungus, dust, oil or whatewer, although if one tries to look extremely carrefully at some angle there is option to see tiny dust particles.
What else?
Ou, I forgot!
These lenses are two type - this one is old style (no artificial step/ring on hood near mount to lens). My other FA 85mm was newer type... And less sharp wide open. May be sample variation, may be they removed lead glass from newer models. I don`t know. SOLD that newer lens imidiately at local advertisement site.
And I had chance to compare FA 85mm against Sigma 85mm - didn`t liked Sigma`s performance at 1.4 Bokeh was more harsh and somehow greenish/bluish. Unpleasant.
FA85mm some yuears a go was rated as the best Bokeh performer of all lenses. There was user JonasB (seems he moved from Pentax to Olympus) who made thread at DPreview.com and that was users decision. May be Pentaxians praised themselves, but... I am influenced by theses Bokeh thoughts.
====
So,about Deal:
Deal is valid for this weekend: 1350$ or equivalent by PayPal+fees or wire transfer to Nordea or Swedbank accounts. If there will be no interest - I`ll just close thread and luckilly keep lens with that big hope for fulframe of 2014...
Shipping: 20$ if registered regular postal service. UPS, FEDEX, TNT, etc - more expencive...
Security:
I would like to know some firm confidence data about purchaser (ebay ID, Facebook id, etc) all my ID`s you can find by my name what is written on pictures. I have ebay ID with name and surnaeme. And I have almost 400 positive 100% feedbacks there.
I prefer to ship to EU... Because I already paid EU taxes for lens when I bought it from Japan. It would be not so nice to send it out and then somebody will buy similar lens and pay again VAT 21% or like this.