It appears I bought this lens some time in 1999, judging from the modification dates on the initial comparison pages. That's some time before the Long Beach race, which was April 2001 IIRC.
The San Diego Wild Animal Park shots were just about the first time I used this lens. The other shots are spread over the intervening years - it's not too surprising that I can come up with a handful of decent shots over a seven-year period! I've learned a few things since then, too; I think the shot of the group of antelope could be improved (I'd like more DOF, and a better, more rigid monopod; the shot of Fat Albert has significantly less camera-shake induced blur). Of course using a K10D would help with that, too :-) Next time I go back to San Diego (maybe later this year?) I'll have another try. On Wed, Jan 10, 2007 at 09:34:14PM -0500, Paul Stenquist wrote: > Beautiful shots, John. A superb lens in the hands of an excellent > photographer yields great results. Didn't you buy the lens just a few > days before that Long Beach race where we met? I remember you > mentioning it at the time, but I was so overwhelmed with what I had > to shoot there that everything else rhat happened that day is a fog. > Paul > On Jan 10, 2007, at 8:05 PM, Kenneth Waller wrote: > > > I'd say not only is the lens pretty good but your technique is > > great to get > > what you got in those situations. Well done! > > > > Kenneth Waller > > (owner of a 600mmFA who's aware of some of the issues of > > successfully using > > a big lens.) > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "John Francis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Subject: Re: Finally got my K10D. but........(update) > > > > > >> On Thu, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:38:08AM +1000, jim wrote: > >>> > >>> Have found a site that has for sale several new lens for sale > >>> such as > >>> Pentax - SMC P-A 15mm F3.5 Lens > >>> for $3.146 > >>> aus > >>> Pentax - SMC P-A 50mm F1.2 Lens for > >>> $1.582 > >>> aus > >>> Pentax - SMC P-FA 250-600mm F5.6 ED IF Lens for $17.925 aus > >>> Are these prices about right? > >>> The finance and pleasure minister will need to approve first, tho > >>> she > >>> would like the long zoom just as much as i would > >> > >> The big zoom lists for around $12,000 US, with street prices > >> in the region of $8000 US. > >> > >> It's a monster of a lens: > >> > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/gallery/images/sdwap615.jpg > >> > >> (that's a PZ-1p hanging off the back of it, for a size check) > >> > >> but it certainly produces the results: > >> > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/gallery/images/sdwap313.jpg > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/gallery/images/sdwap413.jpg > >> > >> or, for a change of pace: > >> > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/temp/PortlandPitStop.jpg > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/temp/CityStreets.jpg > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/temp/FatAlbert.jpg > >> > >> The last two were taken with a *ist D; the others on film. > >> The CityStreets shot was taken at 250; FatAlbert at 600. > >> > >> See also > >> > >> http://www.panix.com/~johnf/digital/250-600.html > >> > >> I was fortunate enough to be browsing this list a few years > >> ago[1] when somebody mentioned that Charlotte Camera had a > >> used 250-600 being listed at a mere $3200. Five minutes > >> later I posted a followup message saying they didn't have > >> one any longer. In the intervening years I've only seen one > >> other used one being offered, and that went for something > >> like $4000. > >> > >> [1] From the modified dates on those files, apparently it was > >> back in 1999. That's somewhat more than a few years ago! > > > > > > -- > > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > > [email protected] > > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
