[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Another thing that I've found when shooting is that focusing is MUCH more critical when you're shooting at a wide aperture with a small depth of field. A small focus error is much easier to notice in a situation like that. Unfortunately, the simple focusing screen on the K1000 isn't the best for manual focusing, especially if your eyes aren't the best. I seem to remember someone on the list mentioning that they bracket their focusing on some shots, which is a good idea.Marnie the 50/2 is a fine lens, certainly better than the Albinar. You should see improved results. However, if your pictures are not as sharp as others in the class, I suspect it has more to do with technique than your lens and certainly, your camera. You can get just as sharp an image with the K1000 as you can with a top-of-the-line Nikon, Canon or Pentax. Other points to consider,
1) Are you using a tripod for most, if not every shot.
2) Are you maximizing the lens by shooting at or around F8 as opposed to using the lens wide open F2, F4 ....
3) Are you using a fine grain film ASA 50, 100, 200. If you are using ASA400 or more, chances are this will help to soften the image.
The 50/2 lens is a good lens, and I used one as my primary lens through my 8 weeks of photography class. I think I only handed in 3 shots that weren't taken with it, one was done w/ a 28mm wide angle, for the distortion of distance, and another was done with my old cheap zoom for a specific blurring effect (put camera on tripod, zoom lens while tripping the shutter). We were shooting 100 speed B&W film, and printing on 8x10 paper as mandated by the teacher. Any sharpness problems I saw I could attribute to either the grain of the film or my technique.
-Mat
