----- Original Message ----- From: "Boris Liberman" Subject: Re: =?ISO-8859-2?Q?Re: Re: Lenses without aperture rings (WAS: Re[2]: Lens co...
> > > > There is another side of this coin. I own less than dozen lenses - 4 > primes and 2 zooms and a macro converter. I also own two bodies. All > in all nothing compared to what certain other members of the club own. > > So I decided I would take a look onto the "dark side". Let's imagine > for the moment that the only concern of mine was value for money. Say, > I could buy all I wanted, but I had to be modest. So for a person like > me, it became quite apparent that I had to spend a lot of time > learning about Canon system if I wanted to jump. Having some > knowledge, thanks to my fellow PDMLers, some of which happen to be > Pentax "investors", I realize that I couldn't just go and pick up some > body and some lenses. I know what I want and it would be too > bothersome to have to go through all this process again. > > Indeed, for an amateur who also learns the art/craft, Pentax does the > job quite fine... Surely Nikon or Canon could do, but I happen to own > Pentax, neither offense nor defense meant. Agreed, in fact I don't think there is a better camera system for learning the craft of photography. The lenses are mostly very good to superb, and since that is the only thing between the film and subject at the moment of exposure, for me, it is the most important component in the picture taking process. The problem though is that as they phase out compatability with older equipment, they are limiting the craft oriented photographer. It looks like you already can't use a bellows on the new cameras, as it has physical restrictions because of the prism extending over the mount. Suddenly, the person interested in the craft of macro photography is limited. Remove K-mount compatability, and suddenly the craft oriented photographer has more options removed. Some of the older lenses are still of world class quality, capable of producing excellent images. Some lenses, such as the M50mm f/1.4 or M85mm f/2 do not have replacements that offer similar imaging qualities. If you value the look of the images coming from these lenses, you are out of luck. Pentax is a craft oriented brand. The 35mm bodies are designed more for the leisure photographer than the working professional. Craft oriented people don't replace equiment on a whim, and don't like to have tools that have served them well for decades made redundant. This is now the Pentax paradox. They are in the business of supplying the craft photographer, but they also seem to be in the process of alienating that very market. This, I find completely mystifying. William Robb
