Thanks to all who have shared comments. I seem to like this particular image more than The Collective, it seems.
One interesting "feature" of the mirror lens (that I didn't think about before getting one) is the way it makes the edges of objects inside the focal plane semi-transparent. This is due to the central obstruction in a mirror lens that gives you an almost-stereo effect. The mirror to the right of the central obstruction is blocked from seeing the more distant objects while the mirror to the left of the edge can see a bit more past it. This simultaneous double exposure results in the semi-transparent edge you see in the red/orange toolbox to the right. This is an element that can be used creatively. While I don't care for the "donut" bokeh created by the mirror lens, this simply means that it is best used (if one wishes to avoid them) where there will not be specular highlights in the background (lower dynamic range scenes, perhaps?) I'm having a hard time believing how shallow the depth of field on this lens is, even when focusing at a great distance. I took an image of a field full of white tail deer on the way home from work (on a tripod) and was surprised to find that a narrow strip of cornstalks about 10 yards in front of the deer was sharply in focus while all else was not. It is a challenging lens to use through the viewfinder. I may have to make use of focusing through the live view (something I have been aware of for a while, but have so far eshewed). Where it is sharp it is very sharp (for a mirror lens) which surprises me. I've heard good things about this lens for a while and can see already that those opinions are justified. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
