Don, Pick up a long and VERY flexible cable release. ;-] Use a tripod and stay with the coffee. Favorite bumper sticker of the month: "Give me coffee and no one gets hurt".
Ja-Ja-Ja-Jack --- Don Sanderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Jack, it was very dark this morning, shutter > speeds > anywhere from 1/30 down to 1/8. > I'm not known for steadiness anyway and this was > after > 2 1/2 pots of coffee! ;-) > > > Da-Da-Da-Da-Don (*Enough* with the coffee already!) > ;-) > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Jack Davis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 7:09 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: RE: A50/1.4 versus M50/1.4, Comment > Please > > > > > > Don, > > Have been casually following this thread and > finally > > have a question. Your last post included the > > comment;"a good bit of motion blur" even though > all 22 > > frames were apparently shot "wide open". (f/2). > Poor > > lighting and dull subject? > > Under the circumstances, it would seem difficult > to > > assign blame to lens. > > I own an M 50 f/1.4 (also an A f/2 that came with > a > > Super Program a few years ago)) and I'll try some > > shots at f/1.4. I'll use a heavy tripod, mlu and > self > > timer. They'll be on film, so will take a little > > longer. > > > > Jack > > > > --- Don Sanderson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Thanks Godfrey, for going to all that work. > > > I think I've just reached the point that either > the > > > A50, or my attitude, > > > needs an overhaul. > > > I am 100% certain that there is nothing wrong > with > > > the lens. > > > Either my eyes, camera, attitude, or a > combination > > > of them is > > > my problem. > > > I have had good shots with this lens on the D, > but > > > they're > > > more the exception than the rule. > > > I went out after a rainstorm this morning with > the D > > > wearing an > > > older (all metal) M50/2 I had just cleaned. > > > 22 shots, all wide open, and not a single > seriously > > > mis-focused > > > one. (Good bit of motion blur though!) ;-( > > > Granted the smaller stop is a big help, but it's > > > just strange that > > > I can't do this with the brighter lens. > > > Oh well, ya gotta use what works. ;-) > > > > > > Thanks again for the tests. > > > > > > Don > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Godfrey DiGiorgi > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 4:28 PM > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > Subject: Re: A50/1.4 versus M50/1.4, Comment > > > Please > > > > > > > > > > > > Don, > > > > > > > > Your tests with the 50mm lenses made me > interested > > > to do a little > > > > testing, since I have F50/1.7, A50/1.4, > A50/1.7, > > > and A50/2 lenses at > > > > present. I also have a K50/1.4 lens belonging > to > > > another PDMLer which > > > > needed a quick test because the box it was > shipped > > > in was so crushed > > > > in shipment to me (I'm handing this lens off > to > > > yet another PDMLer.. > > > > yeah, complicated). > > > > > > > > I set up the tripod and DS body on my porch, > used > > > a set of U-Haul > > > > moving boxes (for their printed matter) at > about > > > 10' distance as a > > > > focusing target. My F50/1.7 has been the only > > > "problematic" Pentax > > > > lens on AF I've got ... it is the only one > that > > > regularly doesn't > > > > focus smoothly and quickly ... so I started > with > > > that. I set aperture > > > > wide open, set exposure via Av for the F and A > > > series lenses, set the > > > > same exposure manually for the K, and made two > > > exposures each: one > > > > focused manually by eye, one focused manually > with > > > the 2x magnifier. > > > > I made an additional exposure with the F50 > using > > > AF. I wasn't looking > > > > at OOF rendering or other characteristics in > this > > > test, just near- > > > > center resolution/contrast and my ability to > focus > > > the lenses > > > > accurately. > > > > > > > > The results: > > > > - For all lenses, a noticeable change in focus > was > > > seen with the 2x > > > > magnifier when making a focus ring change of > less > > > than 10 degrees. > > > > The F50 ring has the shortest turn and is the > most > > > sensitive to > > > > change. The focus indicator light is > illuminated > > > through 10-15 > > > > degrees turn of the focus ring with all of > these > > > lenses, so for f/1.7 > > > > and f/1.4 lenses, it simply cannot be trusted > at > > > wide open aperture. > > > > > > > > - F50/1.7 focused very poorly on AF with this > > > target. Out of 5 tries > > > > (set focus on my hand at 20 inches, let > refocus on > > > the target), four > > > > were badly defocused, the fifth was passable > only. > > > Focused manually, > > > > it produced the sharpest and clearest image. > > > > > > > > - Differences between the A50/1.4 and K50/1.4 > are > > > small but > > > > noticeable. The A50 is sharper and more > contrasty > > > wide open, lead to > > > > greater focusing accuracy with either eye or > > > magnifier. Both require > > > > some delicacy and patience in setting critical > > > focus... even a tiny > > > > movement of the focus ring can throw them off > the > > > best setting. > > > > > > > > - The A50/1.7 was almost the same as the F50, > > > although *slightly* > > > > less contrasty. Perhaps they improved the lens > > > coatings between the A > > > > and F versions at tiny bit? The difference is > > > within my average focus > > > > error, it seems. The A50/2 was also surprising > > > close to the A50/1.7 > > > > on center too, although corners and edges fell > off > > > more. > > > > > > > > - The use of the 2x magnifier helps, but it > still > > > requires patience > > > > and care to set accurate focus with such a > large > > > lens opening at this > > > > distance. Three out of the five sets showed no > > > significant difference > > > > in focusing by eye, vs with the magnifier, one > was > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
