Greetings all, Are the viewing screens of older Pentaxes significantly darker than those in newer bodies (specifically the ZX/MZ series)? I was looking for a long prime lens and thought I'd try a screwmount. A saleman showed me a third party 400mm f/6.9; quite a bit slower than I would have liked , but quite affordable. Not having my camera with me, the salesman obligingly mounted the lens in question on an older Pentax body. I was concerned that f/6.9 would be too slow for my purpose, but was really astonished to see just how dark everything appeared, even with the lens wide open. Since I planned to use the lens for evening outdoor concert photography, I concluded this lens was just too slow, not for me and left without purchasing it. Some time later, I was playing around with an automatic diaphragm lens and the DOF preview of my ZX-M in what seemed to be lighting similar to the store. Even stopped down beyond f/8, everything seemed brighter, clearer and more manageable. I began to wonder if it was not just the slowness of the lens itself, but perhaps a relative darkness of the older Pentax screen (I think it was a Program A), or more probably a combination of the two that disappointed me in the store. Would this relative darkness be true of all view screens prior to ZX/MZ series and particularly of the K series? (I'm thinking about acquiring a mechanical body as a backup and to use with heavier lenses). This little episode has also caused me to question the criteria I'm using to choose a lens for my stated purpose (i.e. outdoor evening concert photography). Not always being able to get close enough to the action, a long lens seems to be what I need. Besides, even when close enough, I want to fill the frame with the intended image. However, the circumstances often present difficult lighting situations and a fast lens also seems necessary. Affordability issues rule out purchasing a fast, long (300-400mm)lens, so I've chosen to look for length rather than speed. Does this seem sensible? I'm mostly shooting slides these days and aside from the personal enjoyment, I'm not at all sure what the ultimate use of the images might be (e.g stock photography, gallery prints, or, dare I think, a published work?). I suppose a fast lens with a shorter focal length could do the job, but (not to re-open a can of worms) my personal preference is to have the initial exposure as close as possible to the desired final result. This is probably because I don't process or print any of my own film, nor have I any darkroom or digital editing skills yet. Given the purpose and constraints (real and imagined) I've mentioned what would you recommend I look for? If I have to make a choice between speed and length, which would be more useful or appropriate? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Mike Ray - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
