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Lens advice

Scarlet Fever

Scarlet Fever

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 22, 2005
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Those who live in the Digital Photography forum are probably sick to death of these threads. I'll try to make this one easy for you.

I got myself my first dSLR, a 40D, from the interwebs for a bargain. It came with a Tamron 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, which isn't too bad, but I'm noticing it's a bit slow. So I need a new lens.

I'm interested in doing some close-range sports photography (parkour, skateboarding, maybe the car races), so a fast lens is needed. How would this Canon 50mm f/1.4 fare? Are there lenses from other manufacturers at around the same price point ($659 AU; $600 US; £300) which are better?


Also, my grandad had a whole bunch of film SLR lenses, most of which are made by Pentax. One example i have here is an Asahi (Pentax) 50mm f/1.7 lens. Is it possible to get these lenses working with my 40D?

Here's a pic of the Pentax and said lens;
PENTAX_ME_SUPER.jpg


Cheers,

Lee
 
LOVE the Canon 50mm f/1.4

But, if you have good lighting you won't see much difference over the f/1.8 version (which is $75).

The fact that it is a prime lens makes it world faster. The fastness of the f/stop may not make too much of a difference unless the lighting is low. Anyway, the f/1.8 version is cheap enough that it's worth a shot (no pun intended.)

wait a sec, did you get a Canon 40D? The pic is of a Pentax...:confused:

Nevermind, I read the post more carefully. :) That lens will not mount on a Canon body. Tamron makes lenses for different bodies, but they are not interchangeable between bodies (manufacturers.)
 
- Consider the Canon 50mm f/1.8 -- half a stop slower, but a much better price. It might suit your needs -- chances are you'll stop the lens down a bit to have a wider depth of field and better resolution in either case.

- The Pentax lenses will only work with Pentax and Samsung DSLRs. You may consider doing a good inventory and selling them, there is a decent amount of demand for old Pentax glass, depending on quality. You could put that money towards equipment for your Canon system.
 
Grimace said:
wait a sec, did you get a Canon 40D? The pic is of a Pentax...:confused:

Nevermind, I read the post more carefully. :) That lens will not mount on a Canon body. Tamron makes lenses for different bodies, but they are not interchangeable between bodies (manufacturers.)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got a 40D, but I had the pentax prior to getting it ;)

Bummer about that. I'll have to check all the other lenses to see if it's the same story. It looks like it will be, though. Maybe I'll have to get into film photography just to use them. I haven't used too many lenses, but the bokeh on the 50mm f/1.7 is just gorgeous!

I'll go to the camera shop tomorrow and try them both out. $149 AU will go down a lot better than $659 AU with the parents :)
 
Scarlet Fever said:
I'm interested in doing some close-range sports photography (parkour, skateboarding, maybe the car races), so a fast lens is needed.
Click to expand...

I'd find a 50mm a little too limiting for races and even skateboarding. I think I'd want something around 135-200mm. You should set your current lens to 50mm and see if that angle of view works for you or not- don't worry too much about motion blur, or just bump up the ISO and ignore the sensor noise and shoot your preferred subjects at that focal length to see if it works for you.
 
compuwar said:
I'd find a 50mm a little too limiting for races and even skateboarding. I think I'd want something around 135-200mm. You should set your current lens to 50mm and see if that angle of view works for you or not- don't worry too much about motion blur, or just bump up the ISO and ignore the sensor noise and shoot your preferred subjects at that focal length to see if it works for you.
Click to expand...

You haven't seen skateboard mags have you? The photographers like to use the widest lens they have and get right on top of the subject. You can do that with a cooperative subject who knows _exactly_ what line he is going to take and make practie runs. It's more a style thing, of course the 70-200 would work but then you get a kind of flat documentary perspective rather then that "in your face" style. The 50mm would work but the does Canon make a 17-50 f/2.8 That would be ideal for someone who could aford it

Scarlet Fever said:
Those who live in the Digital Photography forum are probably sick to death of these threads. I'll try to make this one easy for you.

I got myself my first dSLR, a 40D, from the interwebs for a bargain. It came with a Tamron 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, which isn't too bad, but I'm noticing it's a bit slow. So I need a new lens.

I'm interested in doing some close-range sports photography (parkour, skateboarding, maybe the car races), so a fast lens is needed.

Also, my grandad had a whole bunch of film SLR lenses, most of which are made by Pentax. One example i have here is an Asahi (Pentax) 50mm f/1.7 lens. Is it possible to get these lenses working with my 40D?


Lee
Click to expand...

Car racing is a very different sport from skateboarding. You can easly get very close to a skatebordrer, incheas away if you work with them but cars you need to have some distance. I'd use a fast wide angle for the skatboarders and a fast telephoto for the cars.

As for changing lenses between Conon and Pentax. No way. Take the lenses off the bosy and just look at the backs. The mounts are so different you will see in a second. It is a bit like trying to push a USB connector into an AC mains outlet, it just would not fit and if it did it wouldn't work

Look at the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. It is much lower priced than the f/1.4 and you will not miss the 1/2 stop
 
Canon 50mm f/1.4 is a great lens. Awesome quality for a good price, I would get that lens.
 
Do you have any other nice Pentax lenses? I've got their 50 mm f/1.4 but I'm always looking for fast glass with an A on the aperture ring. Let me know!

If you aren't looking to sell your lens(es), you can get a nice Pentax film SLR for pretty cheap these days. I saw an A series with a 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens the other day, it was going for something like $75.


SLC
 
I spoke too soon regards to Pentax --> Canon compatibility. There is an adapter available, and considering the lenses of the vintage you are talking about are full manual, you won't lose anything by using it -- manual focus, manual aperture control, but stick the camera in Av mode and it should meter for you --

http://www.goshotcamera.com/product/LAD007PKEOS?meta=FRG

If you pick one up, please let us know how it works. I'm almost inclined to grab one to see the results of my Pentax primes on my friend's Rebel.
 
jpfisher said:
I spoke too soon regards to Pentax --> Canon compatibility. There is an adapter available,
Click to expand...

I think I could live with manual focus, I did for many years. But auto aperture is hard to live without. "Auto Aperture" is the feature that allows you so look through the lens while it is wide open andthen it stops down to the f-stop you set while the shutter is open and then goes back to wide open after the shutter closes. Without this you have to look through the lens while it is stropped down and see a very dark image. Ok to put a positive spin on this: depth of feild preview is perminently enabled.

Today automatic apertures are so pervasive I doubt many people even think of it as a "feature".
 
ChrisA said:
I think I could live with manual focus, I did for many years. But auto aperture is hard to live without. "Auto Aperture" is the feature that allows you so look through the lens while it is wide open andthen it stops down to the f-stop you set while the shutter is open and then goes back to wide open after the shutter closes. Without this you have to look through the lens while it is stropped down and see a very dark image. Ok to put a positive spin on this: depth of feild preview is perminently enabled.

Today automatic apertures are so pervasive I doubt many people even think of it as a "feature".
Click to expand...

Though the trade off here would be that the OP can use whatever lenses they currently have as a temporary solution until they (or the parents ;))can actually shell out for the nice lenses.

Having never had to do it all manually, and only ever used manual focus, such a setup could be a very good training aid. That and darn it those nice lenses are so expensive :).
 
Chris,

Yeah, it locks you into stop-down metering mode, I know... but for that price, it's hard to not consider, if you have a decent library of K-mount primes and an EOS body. Honestly, you don't want to shoot too much smaller than f/5.6 or f/8 in most situations due to diffraction and resolution peaks -- frame and focus wide open, and twist the aperture ring on the lens a few notches before taking the shot. Not too much different than adjusting the aperture via a control wheel on the body, especially considering the aperture ring's proximity to the focus ring.

It's certainly not a perfect solution... on the other hand, if you have a 5D and want to shoot with an FA Limited, this is how you would do it.

Of course, I walk around with a Hassy 500C and a light meter around my neck for fun, I'm not most people.

Edit --> Just got an email from my Canon friend... he's going to pick up the adapter, so we'll get to give it a whirl and see how it works out. I've got an extensive library of old P-K primes, and he's only got the kit zoom, a telezoom, and the 50mm f/1.8 for the Rebel, so it should be interesting. If only he had a 5D.... :)
 
SLC Flyfishing said:
Do you have any other nice Pentax lenses? I've got their 50 mm f/1.4 but I'm always looking for fast glass with an A on the aperture ring. Let me know!

If you aren't looking to sell your lens(es), you can get a nice Pentax film SLR for pretty cheap these days. I saw an A series with a 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens the other day, it was going for something like $75.
Click to expand...

I do have others, but they have more sentimental than monetary value with my mum and her sister, so I won't be selling them. Besides, I love the bokeh on the 50mm f/1.7 too much :D


jpfisher said:
Edit --> Just got an email from my Canon friend... he's going to pick up the adapter, so we'll get to give it a whirl and see how it works out. I've got an extensive library of old P-K primes, and he's only got the kit zoom, a telezoom, and the 50mm f/1.8 for the Rebel, so it should be interesting. If only he had a 5D.... :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link! Please keed us updated :)
 
Scarlet Fever said:
I do have others, but they have more sentimental than monetary value with my mum and her sister, so I won't be selling them. Besides, I love the bokeh on the 50mm f/1.7 too much :D
Click to expand...

I understand that, I've got a whole box (20 or 30) Nikors at my mothers place that belonged to my father. He's the one that got me on Pentax and that's a large part of why I use them today, that and my wife was already invested in the system when we got our first DSLR. I have a Nikon F2 camera and those lenses, I shoot a few frames with them now and then, but mostly they are there to remind me of my Father (he passed on 5 years ago quite suddenly).

SLC
 
I ended up getting the 50mm f/1.8. It's a hell of a lot cheaper, and while the f/1.4 was better, it wasn't worth going broke for. I got a wired remote shutter control switch thing as well, which is awesome, because now I can take long exposure shots without a bit of camera movement at the start of the exposure :D

SLC Flyfishing said:
I understand that, I've got a whole box (20 or 30) Nikors at my mothers place that belonged to my father. He's the one that got me on Pentax and that's a large part of why I use them today, that and my wife was already invested in the system when we got our first DSLR. I have a Nikon F2 camera and those lenses, I shoot a few frames with them now and then, but mostly they are there to remind me of my Father (he passed on 5 years ago quite suddenly).

SLC
Click to expand...

Sympathies, mate. I'm sure he'd be glad to know you still keep and treasure them :)
 
So you did get that lens.

I would've suggested a Canon 17-85 IS USM or 70-200 IS USM. I own both and the are bot VERY good lenses, very versatile & fast.
 
The 50mm f/1.8 is dynamite. A fantastic lens to learn actual technique (zooms allow us to be lazy sometimes).

Get a 70-200mm or wide angle zoom when you have the money. You'll know what kind of shots you want to take by then.
 
If you don't want to spend alot of money, the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 is a very good lens according to a lot of people.

you can pair it with a Canon 70-200 f4 zoom, Canon 70-300 IS or a Sigma 70-200 f2.8.

If you're very rich you can get the Canon 10-22, 17-55 IS 2.8 and the Canon 70-200 IS 2.8 :)
 
Nothing wrong with any of the Canon 50mm's, from the 1.2 to the 1.8. The 50mm focal length is a great bridge between the normal and telephoto gap. Also an excellent portrait lens. However as a sports photography lens, it may be lacking in flexibility. A zoom in the 100-300mm range might be a bit better. Go for "L" glass if you can, they are worth their weight in gold.
 
jpfisher said:
Edit --> Just got an email from my Canon friend... he's going to pick up the adapter, so we'll get to give it a whirl and see how it works out. I've got an extensive library of old P-K primes, and he's only got the kit zoom, a telezoom, and the 50mm f/1.8 for the Rebel, so it should be interesting. If only he had a 5D.... :)
Click to expand...

Any word yet on success? I have 2 lenses for my Pentax MZ-50 (Aust. model) which as far as I can tell should work with this adapter.

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6DL Macro & a Sigma 28-200mm F3.8-5.6UC

Not expecting anything amazing but if the adapter is only $35 then the lenses can be used in a pinch while I save up for lenses for the Canon.

Per the manual it has a "Pentax KAF bayonet mount", I am assuming the K/PK mount referenced in the link is two different types?
 
Scarlet Fever said:
I'll go to the camera shop tomorrow and try them both out. $149 AU will go down a lot better than $659 AU with the parents :)
Click to expand...


Don't buy lenses (or flashes or tripods or anything else for a camera) in Australia, they're too expensive, you can typically buy them for close to 1/2 price from online retailers in the USA like adorama or b&hphoto. I'm in Sydney and I get a 3 day delivery time using UPS or Fedex (more expensive)

eg canon 50mm 1.4 aprox $330 AUD or 50mm 1.8 $90 AUD

If you're buying lenses over $1000 you'll have to pay %10 duty, still heaps cheaper.
 
Any word yet on success? I have 2 lenses for my Pentax MZ-50 (Aust. model) which as far as I can tell should work with this adapter.

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6DL Macro & a Sigma 28-200mm F3.8-5.6UC

Not expecting anything amazing but if the adapter is only $35 then the lenses can be used in a pinch while I save up for lenses for the Canon.

Per the manual it has a "Pentax KAF bayonet mount", I am assuming the K/PK mount referenced in the link is two different types?
Click to expand...

Not sure if he's bought it yet -- I'll bug him about it, and if he continues to drag the feet, probably end up getting it myself.

K/PK and KAF are the same thing, physically -- differences would be in electrical contacts and autofocus screw, which won't affect mounting a lens.
 
jbernie said:
Per the manual it has a "Pentax KAF bayonet mount", I am assuming the K/PK mount referenced in the link is two different types?
Click to expand...

K and PK are the exact same thing, PK is sometimes used to denote Pentax K mount although Pentax K mount is identical to the Ricoh K mount and all the other brands that used the K mount in the 70's and 80's. K mount is an open standard, Pentax want's any camera company that wishes to use it on their cameras, there are no royalties or anything like that that have to be paid to Pentax. That way, people who buy other cameras with a K mount will be highly likely to buy Pentax brand lenses. These days it's only Samsung and Pentax that use the K mount digitally.

So to answer your question, no the manual isn't referring to two different mounts, just two different ways that the same mount is often referred to.

SLC
 
The Mad Kiwi said:
Don't buy lenses (or flashes or tripods or anything else for a camera) in Australia, they're too expensive, you can typically buy them for close to 1/2 price from online retailers in the USA like adorama or b&hphoto. I'm in Sydney and I get a 3 day delivery time using UPS or Fedex (more expensive)

eg canon 50mm 1.4 aprox $330 AUD or 50mm 1.8 $90 AUD

If you're buying lenses over $1000 you'll have to pay %10 duty, still heaps cheaper.
Click to expand...

Yeah, i've heard that its much cheaper to get them shipped. Do you still get a warranty with them?
 
I own a canon 50mm 1.8 and it is wonderful. It is almost (and just as in some cases) as sharp as my L zoom lenses. If you have the money the 1.4 is MUCH more solidly built and faster AF (better bokeh as well). That said you might want to look at the 35mm 2.0 instead of a 50mm since you have a crop body. 35 mm will give you about a 50 fov on a 1.6 crop like the 40d.


if you got 600 to burn the 17-40 L is great for a crop body, and if you buy a FF in the future it will be compatible.

If you will never buy a FF and have 900 to burn buy the 17-55 IS EF-S lens.
 
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