Hi Fred, interesting comments indeed > Nowadays, when I mount a lens on a body, my mind sort > of switches into either a "focus to the left mode" or a "focus to > the right mode", and only rarely do I catch myself focusing in the > "wrong" direction.
I never could master that, in a rush I would automatically default to the "Pentax direction". > The other brand that I've used a lot lenses from is Tokina. Back in > the "RMC" days (before the AT-X lenses were introduced, Tokina > lenses (at least the ones I've tried) focused "backwards" compared > to Pentax lenses (just like the VS1 lenses). However, starting with > the AT-X lenses, all of the AT-X lenses I've tried have focused just > like jen-you-wine Pentax lenses. In fact, Tokina catalogs and/or > magazine ads for a while even mentioned that the lenses were > manufactured so that they would focus in the "manufacturer > direction" (which, I assumed, meant that they must have had some > mirror-image assembly lines to accommodate both directions). I've read that about the ATX lenses, however I've never owned one the only Tokina lens I have is the 17mm SL which focuses in the "wrong" direction. I find it not that big a problem due to the nature of use, I usually have plenty of time to focus and compose the shot. Unfortunately some of my newer lenses from Sigma now focus in the "wrong" direction such as the 105 EX, I think they must have dropped the idea of manufacturers direction c.1997 because I have a 300 f4 APO with the focus correct for Pentax that I bought around about that time. I suppose the thinking is that most people now use AF but it's not the case for me when I'm using the 105 for Macro or portrait work, shame. > It has been my experience that this has generally been true with a > lot of the older constant-aperture zooms, but is more likely to be > "backwards" on the variable-aperture zooms. (I am sure that there > must be a number of exceptions to this generalization, but it has > worked this way for me, as a rule.) Since I generally do not care > for variable-aperture zooms (unless there are any overriding optical > considerations that just cannot be ignored), I am quite used to one- > touch zooms functioning as you describe. I'm sure you're right there, although I do own one exception: SMC Pentax M 35- 70 f2.8/3.5, I've had some very nice results from it. It's been good to share some thoughts and comments with you. John ---------- Original Message ----------- From: Fred <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: John Whittingham <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 15:49:56 -0500 Subject: Focus Direction [was: Pentax 50mm News] > Hi, John. > > > While I'm on the subject of niggles two of my > > pet hates are: > > > 1. Lenses whos focusing ring turns in the opposite direction to a genuine > > Pentax lens. (Congrats to Sigma on the Syncho II lenses) > > This is something that is less important to me now than it used to > be. At one time, I found it pretty frustrating to find myself > turning a focus ring in the wrong direction with certain 3rd-party > lenses. However, I've eventually gotten used to this (since there > are some 3rd-party lenses - especially all the sweet VS1 lenses that > I cherish - that are too nice to not use because they focus the > "wrong" way). Nowadays, when I mount a lens on a body, my mind sort > of switches into either a "focus to the left mode" or a "focus to > the right mode", and only rarely do I catch myself focusing in the > "wrong" direction. > > Unfortunately (although less of a nuisance to me nowadays), all of > the Vivitar Series 1 lenses I've used focus in the "wrong" > direction. As I've alluded to above, though, there are too many > really neat VS1 lenses to ignore just because of this. > > The other brand that I've used a lot lenses from is Tokina. Back in > the "RMC" days (before the AT-X lenses were introduced, Tokina > lenses (at least the ones I've tried) focused "backwards" compared > to Pentax lenses (just like the VS1 lenses). However, starting with > the AT-X lenses, all of the AT-X lenses I've tried have focused just > like jen-you-wine Pentax lenses. In fact, Tokina catalogs and/or > magazine ads for a while even mentioned that the lenses were > manufactured so that they would focus in the "manufacturer > direction" (which, I assumed, meant that they must have had some > mirror-image assembly lines to accommodate both directions). > > > 2. One touch zoom lenses that 'zoom out' when you pull the slide towards > > you instead of 'zooming in'. (Spent a lot of time at M/cycle races!) > > Unlike the focus direction problem (which I've sort of gotten used > to, as mentioned above), this is a serious consideration for me. > Fortunately, though, almost every one of my one-touch zooms focus > the same way, zooming in (i.e., zooming to a longer focal length) > when the zoom/focus ring is pulled toward the mount end of the lens. > > It has been my experience that this has generally been true with a > lot of the older constant-aperture zooms, but is more likely to be > "backwards" on the variable-aperture zooms. (I am sure that there > must be a number of exceptions to this generalization, but it has > worked this way for me, as a rule.) Since I generally do not care > for variable-aperture zooms (unless there are any overriding optical > considerations that just cannot be ignored), I am quite used to one- > touch zooms functioning as you describe. > > The one lens that comes to mind, that I still have that is > "backwards" for zooming, is the VS1 70-210/2.8-4 Q-DOS lens, for > which I simply put up with its "backward" zooming (but, since the Q- > DOS 3-D effect is more pronounced at the longer FL end anyway, I end > up using it racked out - or is that "in" - at the 210mm end most of > the time). > > Fred ------- End of Original Message -------
