Fun with the Pentax K5

[Sapphie]

Jono

Nooooo! I didn't mean for you to do it! You're just making it up Believe it or not our local camera shop is a Pentax dealer and they have one in another branch which they are 'kindly' going to send down for me to 'look at'. I should have walked away when they didn't have it there. Mind you they charge the full whack of £1300 so no way from them unless they match Mathers or SRS.

Look, this is silly. I don't *need* two K5s, one as expensive as a black one + a DA lens.

Is the grip really that much different?

Lee

 

[scho]

Yeah Yeah well, I made the mistake of going to look (Silas wanted to get an S95 Canon), So it seems to be sitting on my desk - the consolation is that the black one was the kit with the 18-55, which I don't need, so the hit won't be quite so bad when I go to ebay (and the price hasn't dropped much in the UK either).

sigh!

...and now you need some of those lovely silver limiteds to match!

 

[jonoslack]

Is the grip really that much different?

Lee

HI Lee - it's completely different - quite a revalation really - transsforms the camera from good to wonderful oke::ROTFL::ROTFL::deadhorse::angel:

 

[jonoslack]

Jono

Sorry, I don't want to believe you (he lied).

Lee

Not to mention that the focusing seems quicker and more accurate, there's much less CA with the 18-135 lens, the shutter is even quieter, I suspect the battery life is improved. . . . . . . . . . added to which the silver one reflects heat better, and therefore has much better 24,000 ISO . . .

My story (and I'm sticking to it) is that mine actually had a very small sensor stain, which did need fixing, and an occasional oddity with the front dial (where it stopped being a dial and started being a nice rubber thing you twist round and around). Neither was a show stopper, but I thought it was time to get it sorted.

So I took the camera to Warehouseexpress with the faint hope of getting them to do an exchange (after 4 months) - unfortunately, this time my charm failed (I'll tell you the Audi A5 story someday). They had one of the limited cameras, and I made the mistake of looking at it.

As my original camera was a kit with the 18-55, and the deal with the limited edition wasn't so bad (£1199) I thought that if I got the old one fixed and sold it as a kit, then I probably wouldn't lose out too much, and that one day, when I want to sell the limited one for a K9, then I'd probably more than get the difference back . . . . . . the things one tells oneself in a camera shop!:loco:

I showed it to the boss, told her the story and asked if she could see anything different - she said not! (it's possible she was taking the P1ss)

all the best

 

[jonoslack]

...and now you need some of those lovely silver limiteds to match!

Hey, Lee, I just did a long answer to your funny post . . . . . . and you'd deleted it :thumbdown::ROTFL:
But it's too late now . . . as it's quoted in my post (if you really meant it to be deleted I'll zap mine too).

 

[Sapphie]

Jono

Ah, no probs!! I appreciate your humorous reply ... my 'boss' says 'oh go on you only live once' but that's not the point ... or maybe it is ...

Lee

 

[Sapphie]

Quick, here comes another one flashing one of them new-fangled cameras, get your beard all fluffed up and pretty ...

Then, when he's gone by, (especially if he hankers after a silver one) ... have a good laugh with "who's a silly billy" (you have to be old enough and British enough to have been there for this one!):

Jono - sorry for the deletion. Your reply is just hilarious.

ENJOY IT (especially the ISO 24,000). If you were saying that on the 'other' forum they would believe it, LOL!

Lee

 

[jonoslack]

...and now you need some of those lovely silver limiteds to match!

Ah Well, Yes - if you buy my 100 macro and the 50 Zeiss 1.4, then I might consider a 77 limited . . . tough to find though.

Anyway, I like black lenses on Silver bodies (and silver lenses on black bodies come to that)

 

[jonoslack]

Quick, here comes another one flashing one of them new-fangled cameras, get your beard all fluffed up and pretty ...

:ROTFL: That's priceless . . . but isn't he saying:
Oh Bugger, and there's me, not been to the hairdresser for a week!

Jono

Ah, no probs!! I appreciate your humorous reply ... my 'boss' says 'oh go on you only live once' but that's not the point ... or maybe it is ...

Lee

That's pretty much what my boss says . . . and I don't complain (or know) about the horse bills

 

[ashwinrao1]

The many faces of my little friend, Bella. K5 and 31FA....

A couple in color...

 

[ashwinrao1]

And a couple of proud parents....

 

[ashwinrao1]

As the eyes would have it...

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Beautiful portraits, Ashwin, and I see why people love that lens.

 

[Armanius]

Great photos Ashwin. I am pondering about exchanging the DA21 and FA43 for the FA31. Very tempted ...

BTW, I love the 100 WR macro, and I'm keeping that one for sure. Sharp, good contrast, creamy bokeh. Build is better than the DA21 and FA43. Dare I say, almost Leica-like?

 

[ashwinrao1]

Thanks Jorgen and Armando!

Armando, I'd hold off. The FA 43 is super cool and super compact. I went for the 21DA/31FA/40DA/77FA combo, and it feels balanced, Thbe 31 is quite a special, near normal lens on the K5, but it is the biggest of that crop of lenses....Personally, I'd keep the 21/43 combo a bit longer, and test things out. I am tempted by the 100 WR at the moment, but picked up an old 100 f/4 SMC-M manual focus macro for $200, which is a well regarded older lens, for macro work. I'll see if it pleases me, and if not, it will be replaced by the 100 WR....

I would put the 31 and 77 FA's in a similar league as Zeiss for build quality, with a more vintage look.

If you decide to opt out of the FA 43, let me know. something about the way that lens renders itches calls to me...

 

[jonoslack]

Hi Ashwin
Lovely baby pics . . . and the parents too, but that Bella is definitely a character!

I don't think the lens decisions are that simple either - I'm thinking around the problem at the moment and deciding which way to go - one thing is certain, the little 35 macro limited is here to stay, a lovely lens, grand bokeh and good for macro. I tried the 15, but the edges were too soft for my taste. I have the sigma 10-20 f3.5 HSM for wide, it's not tiny, but it's not huge, and it does seem to work pretty well (better at 15 I thought than the 15 limited). the 21 DA is a temptation though . . . as is the 77 FA

all the best to all

 

[Armanius]

Thanks Jorgen and Armando!

Armando, I'd hold off. The FA 43 is super cool and super compact. I went for the 21DA/31FA/40DA/77FA combo, and it feels balanced, Thbe 31 is quite a special, near normal lens on the K5, but it is the biggest of that crop of lenses....Personally, I'd keep the 21/43 combo a bit longer, and test things out. I am tempted by the 100 WR at the moment, but picked up an old 100 f/4 SMC-M manual focus macro for $200, which is a well regarded older lens, for macro work. I'll see if it pleases me, and if not, it will be replaced by the 100 WR....

I would put the 31 and 77 FA's in a similar league as Zeiss for build quality, with a more vintage look.

If you decide to opt out of the FA 43, let me know. something about the way that lens renders itches calls to me...

Thanks Ashwin. The primary motivation of returning the 21/43 for a 31 is unloading the 21. It's a nice wide little lens, but not wide/fast enough in my book to justify its price tag. I like the 43 (other than its ugly hood), but in order to get a 31, I can't justify keeping the 43 as well.

Maybe I'll do a 21 for the 18-135.

100 WR is a keeper! Just wish it had a SDM motor instead of that noisy thing. Focus limiter would be helpful too.

 

[jonoslack]

Maybe I'll do a 21 for the 18-135.

100 WR is a keeper! Just wish it had a SDM motor instead of that noisy thing. Focus limiter would be helpful too.

HI There
the 18-135 is great, of course, it's not as good as the primes, and it's a little prone to CA - but it's very small, nicely made, quite, quick to focus and takes great shots - the very good high ISO makes it better than it might otherwise seem. It also focuses closely enough for most of my purposes.

as for the 100 WR - I agree that the oisy screwdriver motor is a pain - especially when going from close up to distance - I've taken to doing it by using the MF clutch mechanism, i.e. if I'm going from close to distance or vice versa, then I'll do it manually before starting the AF - it's a great relief from that awful feeling when the damn thing has started the marathon treck from 3" to infinity and back to 2.5"!:ROTFL:

 

[m3photo]

HI Lee - it's completely different - quite a revalation really - transsforms the camera from good to wonderful oke::ROTFL::ROTFL::deadhorse::angel:

Hmm, velly intelesting. Damn you lot ...

 

[JMaher]

A day in Sarasota - all with the 18-135.

A craft show downtown.

A short walk to the pier and a view of a yacht that had come into town. The yacht is a traveling art gallery and we planned to go but there was an hour or two wait in the sun just to get in.

Then on to a local blues festival and to lunch.

Jim