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Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / February 2006Pentax camera/lens combo - practical?
Good day, and thank you in advance for your assistance. I am beginning to look for a digital SLR - never had digital. I want an SLR because more things are eventually possible by varying lenses, not because I have really great skills. Also, I'm going to Alaska this year so I want to be able to take the best shots I can. Anyway... Between us, my father and I have two Pentax film cameras and we like them. He uses a Pentax model #SF1n and has a few lenses for it. I've read Pentax's Web pages and it seems that the lenses that we have for the SF1n will mount to and function with either the Pentax DS or the *istDS. So I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on using those lenses, which were made for a film camera, on a digital body... Thank you again. Steve E. > I've read Pentax's Web pages and it seems that the lenses that we have for > the SF1n will mount to and function with either the Pentax DS or the > *istDS. So I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on using those lenses, > which were made for a film camera, on a digital body... I have heard of no problems so far. But I would nevertheless buy the kit lens, too. It is good. In article <3g4Ef.318149$qk4.171868@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, > Between us, my father and I have two Pentax film cameras and we like them. > He uses a Pentax model #SF1n and has a few lenses for it. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > So I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on using those lenses, which > were made for a film camera, on a digital body... Which lenses do you and your dad have? Any of the lenses for the SF1n will work on the DS. I have a DS and besides the kit lens (which is surprisingly good) I use an FA 50mm 1.4 which is just wonderful. It works perfectly on my camera. I also us an SMC-A 80-210mm manual focus lens which I also like very much. It also works perfectly on the DS, without autofocus of course. The excellent viewfinder on the DS series allows for easy manual focusing and there is a visual and audible focus assist indicator. Keep in mind the crop factor when using film lenses on the DS. Multiply the focal length of a film lens by 1.5. The DS and *istDS are the same, and have been superseded by the DS2. I've been extremely happy with my camera and don't hesitate to recommend Pentax.  SignatureOne is always considered mad when one perfects something that others can not grasp. - Ed Wood when you guys say kits lens , which one did you mean the 18-50 lens ??? Signaturehttp://photobucket.com/albums/b216/corks67/my-bikes/ > I have a DS and besides the kit lens (which is surprisingly good) I use > an FA 50mm 1.4 which is just wonderful. It works perfectly on my camera. > I also us an SMC-A 80-210mm manual focus lens which I also like very > much. It also works perfectly on the DS, without autofocus of course. Probably, they are pretty reasonable, mind you for 4 or 5 times the price you can get the Pentax 16-45mm ED AL, very sweet. > when you guys say kits lens , which one did you mean the 18-50 lens ??? > >> I have a DS and besides the kit lens (which is surprisingly good) I use >> an FA 50mm 1.4 which is just wonderful. It works perfectly on my camera. >> I also us an SMC-A 80-210mm manual focus lens which I also like very >> much. It also works perfectly on the DS, without autofocus of course. > Probably, they are pretty reasonable, mind you for 4 or 5 times the price > you can get the Pentax 16-45mm ED AL, very sweet. > > > when you guys say kits lens , which one did you mean the 18-50 lens ??? Yes, the 'kit lens' refers to the SMCP-DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL lens, which sells separately for $109 at B&H. Right now the 16-45mm is going for $309 after a $100 mail-in rebate. That is a very good value! SignatureOne is always considered mad when one perfects something that others can not grasp. - Ed Wood >> Probably, they are pretty reasonable, mind you for 4 or 5 times the price >> you can get the Pentax 16-45mm ED AL, very sweet. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > which sells separately for $109 at B&H. Right now the 16-45mm is going > for $309 after a $100 mail-in rebate. That is a very good value! I paid US$70 for my 18-55mm secondhand (I bought it from someone that bought a Sigma 18-55mm F2.8 lens) and about US$400 for the 16-45mm and am really happy with both. I have not had much of an opportunity to take many shots with the 16-45mm but this weekend I intend to take lots, evry review I read about this lens raved about just how sharp it is and so far I can only agree. Here is the first shot with he 16-45mm. http://www.shuttertalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=35929#p35929 Cheers. Pete My apologies. I'm in the wrong group. Steve E. > Good day, and thank you in advance for your assistance. > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Steve E. Actually this is exactly the group you want, lots of Pentax users using their cameras for good not evil! > My apologies. I'm in the wrong group. > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >> >> Steve E. The lenses with your father's SF1n should be F ones and they should be fully compatible with the *ist DS. The major concern instead is the 1.535X focal length multipler. Just say if you used to have a SMC F 28-80/3.5-4.5 standard zoom lens mounted on the DS, it will become a 43-123 lens in terms of the same Angle of View. Afterall, you shall need to get also the kit lens, say, 18-55 (I got mine at only $60), which is equivalent to 28-84 in film sense) to cover the missed wide side and this will become the new standard zoom. Also just wish to remind you that if you have older TTL flashgun with your old SF1n, don't get the *ist DL as it don't have the TTL flash metering sensor and thus TTL auto flash is not possible. For more details, see:- http://www.geocities.com/ricehigh/P-TTL_Vs_TTL.html Best Regards, RiceHigh http://www.geocities.com/ricehigh Thank you all. I have to digest this and do some more reading, but this raises another question. Why does the focal length of the lens "multiply"? Steve E. > The lenses with your father's SF1n should be F ones and they should be > fully compatible with the *ist DS. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > RiceHigh > http://www.geocities.com/ricehigh Actually the physical focal length doesn't change. It's just that the size of the CCD sensor is changed. 135 film is in 36 x 24 mm and thus the diagonal length is 43mm. APS-C DSLRs like Pentax *ist D series ones are with CCD of size 15.7 x 23.5 mm (approx.) and thus with a diagonal length of 28mm. With the change of the sensor size, the image is *cropped* and thus the effective Angle Of View (AOV) or Field Of View (FOV) is narrowed. In order to obtain the *same* AOV, one must use a wider lens and the conversion factor between the "old" and the "new" for equivalent AOV is the "mulitplying factor" or commonly called the "crop factor". In this case, the crop factor is simply calculated by 43mm/28mm which is roughly equal to 1.535X. Hope this explains clear enough for your ques. BR, RiceHigh http://www.geocities.com/ricehigh >Thank you all. I have to digest this and do some more reading, but this >raises another question. Why does the focal length of the lens "multiply"? It doesn't change. The focal length remains the same. A 50mm lens is a 50mm lens whether it is used on 35mm film, medium format film, full frame digital or APS-size digital. What *does* change is the angle of view. The APS-size sensor is about a third smaller than 35mm in width and height. The result is that a 50mm lens used with an APS-size digital sensor gives a similar field of view to a 75mm lens used with 35mm film (or with a full frame digital sensor). It is difficult for most people to understand the exact effect of a change in the angle of view due to the APS-size digital sensor being smaller than 35mm film. Because we are familiar with zoom lenses, it is much easier for most people to understand the exact effect of increasing the focal length by a factor of 1.5 (most DSLRs) or 1.6 (most Canon consumer DSLRs), hence the idea of a "focal length multiplier". Thank you. Those are the clearest answers I've gotten to this question. Even the answer I got at a good quality camera shop was less than useful. Thank you very much. Steve E. >>Thank you all. I have to digest this and do some more reading, but this >>raises another question. Why does the focal length of the lens "multiply"? [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > (most Canon consumer DSLRs), hence the idea of a "focal length > multiplier". >Thank you. Those are the clearest answers I've gotten to this question. Even >the answer I got at a good quality camera shop was less than useful. Thank >you very much. You're very welcome. Glad I could be of help. > Thank you all. I have to digest this and do some more reading, but this > raises another question. Why does the focal length of the lens "multiply"? And not only that! Also the depth of field increases! infernal stuff ... Yes, Bernd is dead right here. The Depth of Field (DoF) increase with the same effective AOV and same aperture number. To get the *same* DoF, one will need to open up the aperture more by dividing with the crop factor, e.g. for 43mm at f/4 on film SLR, to get the same AOV and the *same* DoF on the *ist DS, you need to use a 28mm lens and set the aperture to f2.6 which is calculated by 4/1.535. For landscape photographers, the increase DoF is something desirable sometimes but for portrait photographers, the decreased DoF is often something they don't want. :-) RiceHigh http://www.geocities.com/ricehigh > I am beginning to look for a digital SLR - never had digital. I want an SLR > because more things are eventually possible by varying lenses, not because I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Between us, my father and I have two Pentax film cameras and we like them. > He uses a Pentax model #SF1n and has a few lenses for it. Steve- At least rec.photo.digital.slr-systems is a good group for your question. Although it seems that the majority of people here are Canon or Nikon nuts, there are a few of us who like Pentax. I wanted the *ist DS in order to use a 28-70mm f/4 zoom lens I used with my film camera. It is a good thing I bought the DS with the kit lens. It seems that my particular zoom lens has a chronic problem with lens element separation, which I first noticed when it was attached to the new DS body! In addition to the kit lens, I've only been able to find a couple of Tamron AF zooms locally. However, they are working quite well. I still hope to find a store that has a 50mm lens, although I can use an old non-AF lens in a pinch. So far I've been able to use ALL of my old pentax K-mount lenses. Manual focusing can be tricky, since there is no split-image focusing aid, but it is helped by using the camera's AF signal. There is always a chance a new Pentax body will be announced at the PMA show in a few days, so you might wait and see. Fred Will keep an ear out...thanks for the tip. Steve E. >> I am beginning to look for a digital SLR - never had digital. I want an >> SLR [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Fred |
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