revenge of the primes

It's been a big 3 weeks of gear-trading!
 - and I did not see it coming.  I made my plans but the path meandered a bit..

It began with a great deal on a DA* 50-135 followed by an absurd deal on a DA17-70.  The DA* is a great lens, but the 55-300 was holding strong to its place in the lineup; slower yes and in more ways than one, but so much more convenient and less bulky.  While contemplating next steps I sent away a lot of gear the 50-135 rendered less relevant in hopes of grabbing a used DA14 or DA15; neither was available so instead I came away with a gently-used DA10-17 Fish-Eye.
 Then an trade offer hit the forum: Limited primes for DA* zooms!  With a minimal amount of negotiation I came away with the DA15 and DA40  - and the 55-300 retained its place.  In theory I gained value with both the great price on the 50-135 and again with the two primes; value was important but in practical terms I'll use the Limited primes more often than the bulky DA* zoom.
Speaking of value, the DA15 was a sure bet to crowd out the 10-17 since an ultrawide prime was my original goal - so the 10-17 became available to sell and recoup some expenses.  And after some hard thinking I decided the DA15 plus 24-40-50-100 primes was more userful and practical to me than the 17-70.. so that zoom also became expendable.

Today those two zooms left the building, victims of the DA15 and the primes in my bag.  The NX300 and 135mm lens left two days earlier, so cupboards are quite bare - but the remaining lenses are quite uniformly excellent and very well matched.  On a scale to 10, forum users review my lenses thusly:
DA15 / K24 / DA40 / M100 / 55-300 -> 9.2 / 8.6 / 9.6 / 9.3 / 8.8
While those are just opinions, experience shows these to be reasonable estimates - and my prices were seriously low which increases the value factor.  The low rating on my list is the smcA 50mm f/2, which is underrated by its proximity to the 50mm f/1.7 variants.

- But wait!   One last deal remains to be sorted, as a DFA 50/2.8 1:1 macro arrives tomorrow to contest with the DA40 Limited.  If the macro (user rating 9.4) wins out the DA40 will likely sell for a net gain of funds, as the DFA was priced lower than I'd have expected.

In the end I saved on several levels: weight, expense, aperture (all except the DA15 are f/2.8 or faster).  Add in the imminent arrival of the supercompact K-s1 dSLR and those primes will really be able to show their best: the faster AF motor and absence of a low-pass filter means my images will be as good as anything currently available.  Oh sure, 42 megapixels beats 20M every day   And when you can afford the camera with that sensor..- when you can store them.

Stay tuned! Another group photo will be coming soon !
In the meantime a bit of humour:

less than a month ago I posted

this as my "power team" lens set - 

now only the 55-300 (far left) remains!

Goodbye Hello

A few 'last' changes to the gear just came about.  Reasons are complicated but sound, not merely an excuse to acquire .. not this time!

I broke down and bought a white K-s1 body after refusing the siren call a few times as the price drifted lower.  This is not the body or the color I would choose if all options were open, but financially this was an easy call.  It was the last one in stock so acquired an extra 20% discount which dropped the price below $280.  Memories of the white K-01 come to mind: it fell to about $235 when I picked it up a few years back. Today a similar price nabs a nice AA-free 20Mpx camera with full viewfinder in a baby body.  Sure it has a few compromises, but if the K-r is acceptable the K-s1 definitely will serve me well!

This camera brings me to the end of my Samsung days.  That's a shame as the NX300 is a great little camera and the 16+30 pancake primes are most excellent.  I now have the Pentax 15+40 Limited lenses though, so optically I lose very little and logistically I have just one mount to consider going forward.  The nx300 sold in about three hours, so the price must have been on the slightly low side of just right.. or the ideal person read my note at just the right time!

Never the same-  DA40 and 15, M135*, K24 A50* and M100 with zooms behind.  Shot with *NX300 (* =departing soon).

The M135 departs with the Samsung along with NX adapters.  That leaves 15-24-/40-55/-100 plus 55-300 zoom, along with a spare 18-55 & a few old zooms to play with.  The M100 f/2.8 just arrived from KEH (mounted on the K-r) and yet again their Ugly rating is vastly underrated; it's in great condition with only a few meaningless cleaning-marks on the front element.

The new small kit also earns a new small camera bag*, a sling type that can hold a small dSLR 4 primes and a zoom.  My days of needing a pack that can hold camera and bike gear plus laptop and spare work clothes are long gone, after all.

image from pentaxforums.com

Never last and surely not least: Adorama offered up a VG-grade DFA 50/2.8 1:1 macro,  a well-regarded macro lens that I have not tried.  If this works well the DA40 can go for more than the 50's cost, adding a smidge more money to the bank for future use.  Hope it's a keeper, as it has AF + quick shift; that will result in precise and fairly speedy focus yet still allow for precise touch-up.  The Tamron push-pull MF design really didn't fit my mind - so I'm thinking this will feel a lot better!
In any case the smc-A 50mm f/2 can depart; the DA40 or FA50 will do the job.

 - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -  - -
* so much for camera bags from China.  I ordered the pack above in Gold only to hear back that the seller only had black, was that OK?  Hmm, the company has two separate listings for gold models but only have black - oh and a few red (but no listings show the red version).  No thanks - refunded.  I then found this blue one, identical to the other store and also in China.  Yay?  No they have no blue - just black, and a few red.  This group Also has no red one showing online, so I got another refund.  This time I saved $20 and just bought an insert that will pad the bottom parts of my hydration pack.
You guessed it: I bought it in red!  That will match my red/black pack but at least I know what this red pack looks like!!

wonders and mini-miracles

My most recent post strongly implied two things:

1. I'm done buying camera lenses/gear for the next several months
2. I'm not quite satisfied with the setup I have - but it'll do just fine

So what comes up online but a trade option: DA Limited lenses for DA* zooms.  There's the Answer!

Don't get me wrong, the DA* 50-135 is quite excellent and among the best lenses I've owned.  Also on that list are the DA 40 and 70mm Limiteds.  I had been seeking a DA15 (or 14mm) to go wider than my K24, but settled on the 10-17 fisheye instead.  I also admitted that I'd prefer the 40 and 70 Limiteds to my 50mm f/2.  I cannot take all four DA primes for my 50-135 so I settled for an offer of the 15 and 40..and it seems to have done the job.

What does this adjustment mean?  Plenty:

• the 55-300 takes over as my sole telezoom.. the DA* was being left behind anyway so I'll be OK
• the prime set just became 15-24-40 (..135..400), a well-spaced & fun setup (esp. with the 55-300)
• the 10-17 fish-eye just became expendable if the 15 joins my bag.  Money back, yay!

So my kit is more satisfactory and I didn't violate the no-buying-lenses promise.  I can even pay a bill or two with the departure of the 10-17.  It would be great fun to keep, but really the 15mm is wider than I ever expect to need and saves some grams and cubic centimeters.

Slightly more complicated is the DA17-70.  It came into my life for two-plus reasons: it was insanely on sale, it filled the wide-midrange nicely and its filter size matched the 50-135.  Reason three is gone, and the primes look so much better now.. and the 18-55wr is really not that bad of a zoom option (and is far less bulky).  Hmmm.. I believe that two zooms just reached the boarding platform!

The one loss is weather sealing, which for now doesn't matter much since the K-r body has no protection.  The 18-55WR is still here in any case, so I won't weep long.  Bad idea anyway, weeping on non-WR gear..

So here is kit #42a, my Best Kit Ever*

DA15 - SMC24 - DA40 - DAL 55-300

backups: DA18-55wr, smcA50, smcM135, Vivitar 35-105, Hanimar 400mm

*I'm either lying or am myself misled; such a thing is entirely mythical!  Still, it's a mighty good kit..

stop dreaming by the computer!!

At the end of my previous post I spoke of my dream Pentax lens set: 14 or 15mm prime, 20-40wr Limited, DA* 50-135, and 55-300. I recently bought the 55-300 and hoped to stop for a while and buy the rest later - starting no sooner than Christmas 2015.

Well, today I bought one of the big ones.  Ooops!
Dreams run on their own schedule.

 My sanity would be less in question from my reader were I to simply erase the entire "simplify" blog entry! In truth though, the price I just paid a working DA* 50-135 may never go lower (it might of course, but not by much).  I can sell or return a few recent acquisitions for nearly an even swap, so it's not a financial pain.

It's quite embarrassing that I allowed this deal to catch my attention though, right after saying "Time Out! Simplify!" to the world - but I'll forgive myself this once.  It makes me wonder, though - how long before I sheepishly announce that I've acquired an HD 20-40 or DA 14/15 prime••, and forgive myself again?

This lens has pestered me (and many Pentaxians) for years.  At f2.8 through its range, it is the 70-200mm equivalent for DA users.  Bulky yes, at 765 grams it's not my ideal - but it replaces many other lenses in a useful range and is weather sealed.  And when compared to a true 70-200mm f2.8 lens it's quite small!

I owned its cousin (Sigma's 50-150) for a brief time and quickly learned to tolerate the extra bulk in return for hi-IQ results, so I expect I to like this lens a lot!  It may even be the One Lens to Rule the kit, which would diminish any efforts to tweak what's in the bag.  That would be quite excellent since my efforts truly need to diminish!

The one concern for DA* lenses is the SDM motor, which has been deemed unreliable by many - especially if the lens isn't exercised regularly.  The seller pointed out that this copy had been sluggish recently, an ominous sign; given the discounted price I shall cross my fingers and I expect that we'll get along fine.  Pentax claims its repair rate is comparable to other brands, so it could be the owners of malfunctioning DA*s are just really good at spreading the word.

This definitely changes plans for my collection of classic teleprimes and also the 18-200 for kit simplification.  It was a great idea but trumped by poor timing.

My Updated updated set will be:

• K24, A50 and M135 primes
• 18-55wr, 50-135 and 55-300 zooms
• 400mm prime and manual 80-200/3.5 (in the closet)

The new macro plan is to rummage around for my old 49mm diopter set and attach it to the 50 or 135.. for now, that'll do.  The mini kit is now the NX300, 16+30 pancakes and the K adapter.

•• It's possible that I have acquired three of the dream foursome already; I will hear from Adorama soon about whether they have set aside their used, slightly-damaged DA14 that I sought to acquire in trade!  I never heard back from them but it vanished from their website.  Again an amazing deal - yet again, why am I looking in places where these deals can snare me?!?

the new small option

My wife wants a 'small' camera.  The nx300 is a very good choice - and so is the K-r with its new DA 40mm XS.

Not even NX lenses come this thin (yet!); I expect that most people presume the XS is a fancy lens cap.  However it's optically the DA Limited 40mm in disguise, with nine aperture blades and all the talent within, merely modified by designer Marc Newsom to go with his K-01 dream camera.  Few actual photographers shared his dream but at $300 closeout prices people came around :-) and learned of its special talents (like standing on end on a flat surface for vertical shots!).

Every now and then this lens also can be had cheaply.  Lórien could use the K-r with a manual 50mm, but when I found this deal I knew the automation and exquisite Image Quality were for her!

One lens has yet to arrive in this K-mount realignment.. so another update soon.

more 20-40 tests

angled view of test.  I centered my test image on
the brightly-colored recessed books in the middle.

A few more test-shots give comfort that this copy of the LimiZoom has minimal decentering if any, as test images look pretty symmetrical in appearance.  Colors and contrast are great, bokeh marvelous as advertised, and center sharpness is excellent.

Testing up close it's clear to me that field curvature is in play - at 20mm from a foot away, the center of an image looks great but not the sides.  I convinced myself of the issue by shooting a bookshelf with books at the edges pulled forward; by doing this I can have both center and edge books in focus.  Considering this only appears when shooting really close + wide and shooting a flat-plane surface, it is not a real-life kind of image for me; I'll let the Tamron 90/2.5 take care of those shots!

20-40 LimiZoom and friends

A quick outdoor test yielded little data of value.  All four lenses produced images with great colors and decent sharpness.  Color fringing was most visible on the 17-28 but its image was also the widest so you gain more view but it's not the best part of the field.  The tests were three wide (18-55@18, 17-28@17+ and 20-40@20, then all four lenses at 28mm; all were shot iso80 f/5.6, shade WB.

The one noteworthy point was between the 20-40 and Tamron 28-75 at 28mm.  Exposure data is shown as identical but the Tamron is darker by a notch; it is clear in the leaves against the tree trunk and especially in the skyline clouds.   The other images look like the LimiZoom, only the Tamron has cloud detail.  These all were jpeg/bright so processing was the same, and focus was obtained on the notch in the left-side tree trunk.  Honestly though, these clouds were moving fast... some changes just happen with outdoor scenes.  I was not planning to shoot these but the sun came out with no early notice, so I used it!

These two shots were cropped by Picasa when converted to a collage so 

more of the scene is visible on my screen for all the images.

DA 20-40 LimiZoom - 1st images

are quite impressive.  Standing on their own the landscape images are very nice.  This copy does not show any large-scale issues that have plagued some users, but more rigorous tests will come soon.  The scene below would look good with a pinhole camera, but the 20-40 certainly caught it nicely!

Lake Sacagawea in Longview - jpeg 'bright' setting on K-5 IIs, 30mm f/8

Colors are great, details are well defined.  Some say the focus is slow, but shots like this are not big-time torture on focus speeds.  Later tests on power lines and back-lit tree branches showed very little color fringing, though I could find it near the edge at 20mm & f/2.8.  At 30 and 40mm I saw nothing of note even wide open.

comparing good lenses

It's easy to pick out a bad lens with a few revealing tests.  Focus is inconsistent, or results not sharp from one side to another.  Perhaps contrast is weak or colors appear warmer or cooler than expected.  Maybe the images are fine but areas beyond focus distract or otherwise detract from the overall shot.

If a lens passes these tests, and you pick up another design, then it gets interesting.  How does one compare lenses that each pass the basic tests?  For most of us, it becomes a balancing act between what else we already own and use, features like weather seals, the weight of one lens over another, compatible  filters, or simple cost.  If a lens costs four times as much but both give great results, was that cash well spent?

I own Pentax' 18-55 WR "kit lens" for foul-weather shooting.  It's a decent lens, can focus close and go out in the rain.  Yes it has more distortion than many at the wide end, and it's f/5.6 past maybe 40mm; these concerns will make a big difference to some, not so much to others.

Other options are available, which brings up the Big Question: if a lens costs several times as much as the 18-55, how many times 'better' should it be?  Faster, smaller, more seals, incredible optics - some combination of these or other factors will be in play.  No two people will weigh these factors quite the same, nor can they quantify  'twice as good' - so like every lens ever made the better / faster / more expensive lens is not for everyone.

I have owned Pentax' 18-135 DC WR, two or three times in fact.  Its specs are compelling relative to the 18-55: more telephoto range, a quiet focus motor, still f/5.6 but not until longer focal lengths.  Good points - yet I sold it each time.  I found issues with image quality above 100mm and did not wish to carry a bulkier, more expensive lens that I only found useful for 2/3 of its range.  I could choose to correct most of its issues in the camera with a speed penalty, or fix them on my computer which also takes time.  Or I could own the 18-55.  Many others disagree strongly that this lens has any more problems than other lenses and is better than most; that's OK as their needs are different, just as their copies are different from mine.

So it comes to this: a Limited 20-40mm zoom has arrived on my doorstep, and tests against my other lenses will commence.  It's a new open-box lens obtained for over $100 less than any price I'd seen, but still cost about six times what I paid for the used DA18-55 - all that for a narrower focal range!  Why would anyone pay that much more for this lens?

Well, it has the weather seals but includes a DC motor.  It's faster at f/2.8-4.0.  Stopping at 20mm avoids the worst of zoom distortions.  Primarily though, it's a Limited lens which means great build and superior image quality.  Until now it also meant primes; this is the first Limited zoom so it's the proverbial odd duck.  Many current Limited users cannot bring themselves to accept a zoom as deserving the Limited label while others have found it too expensive to bother with.  Let's pretend that I replaced both the DA21/3.2 Limited (slightly faster at f/2.8) and the DA40/2.8 Limited (slower at f/4) for less money.  You could say I replaced the 35 Limited too but it's a 1:1 macro, so not quite an even trade - but the Limited primes have no weather seals.

Given its uniqe nature, should the LimiZoom be tested against primes, zooms, Limited lenses only?  That's a problem for pro review websites,  professional users or geeked-by-gear folks; I'll skip that question and just compare it with what I have.  Its 'competition' in my bag comes from the 18-55WR and a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8, with a Pentax F 17-28mm fish-eye thrown in despite its fishiness.  I shall also just let the 20-40 be itself on a solo jaunt or two, unencumbered by the abilities of other lenses.

How do these four zooms compare?
17-28: really wide fisheye view, fairly slow at f/3.5-4.5, compact & light, fairly inexpensive
18-55: weather seals, 1:3ish close focus, ~$100, slow f/3.5-5.6
20-40: Limited metal build, weather seals, 9 aperture blades, DC silent focus, f/2.8-4
28-75: fast f/2.8 = relatively large and bulky, 7 aperture blades

On to the 'tests', at which I'm pretty poor.  I shall try to keep them on common levels re. shooting parameters but I always leave something out that makes a difference.  Oh well...

seeking balance

In the never-ending quest for both optical excellence and cost savings, ... I spent more money?

Wait hear me out, this might make sense!

I found a great deal on the F 17-28 fisheye online.  This lens was cheaper than the K17, has data contacts for FL and exposure data, and actually shoots a smidge wider at 17mm!  This would free up both K17 and 28mm primes, and its small size is nice too.  I lose some close focusing and all focal lengths are a bit fishy, plus its f/3.5-4.5 design is a 'light compromise' especially at 28mm.  Images show better color rendition than the 17.  So the zoom has several advantages... but the prime is really nice too, and the manual lenses have their own special fun about them.

Sadly (perhaps) that wasn't my only deal, in fact it was my third.  Now comes the messy part.

First off I picked up a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 at a great price; I owned this before and liked a lot.  This of course is now a fine fit with the 17-28... but I didn't know the 17-28 was coming when I bought it!  It allows most all my primes to depart including the m85 f/2.  Money saved!  But wait, don't I love my primes?  Isn't the KatzEye screen ideal for primes?  Hmmm...

Then the real deal came along: an open-box Limited 20-40mm f/2.8-4 for well under $700 - generally that's at least a $200 saving.  Add 12 months to pay off w/o interest, so this is likely my best lens bargain ever. Wow!!  Owners love this thing, reviewers dislike it - but what a lens if centering issues are absent!  Hmm, it's a better match to the k17 than the 17-28 -- though the overlap isn't a huge deal.

Having  17, 20-40, 50 and 55-300 sounds nice and minimal, and the 18-55 can go as the LimiZoom is equally weather resistant along with DC motor and nine aperture blades.

Decisions to make while the return-clock ticks on the 17-28 and 20-40:

• 17-28 28-75 55-300?  no wr..
• 17-28 (40?) 55-300?  no wr..
• 17 20-40 55-300?  wr/dc
• 17 28 50 18-55wr 55-300 that I already have?

All good kits, some great lenses, all ... different.

So here I am, not saving money quite yet.  The 17-28 and Limited zoom can go back within 14 days from dates of purchase.  I am now marketing several of my lenses so the decision can be made as other items leave - I cannot lose really.

It should be an interesting ten days or so!

p.s. just to add confusion to the mix, I traded a Q06-lens for an early-AF Tamron 90mm f/2.5, making the M85 slightly more expendable.  It never ends, only slows down now&then...

• Best-guess kit: 17-28fe, 20-40, 50, 90, 135, 55-300

the prodigal lens returns!

I have owned several lenses more than once (18-55s 16-45s, 18-135... yes nearly every kit-like thing).  This has happened for a very good reason - every single time it's been a good one though slightly different each time.  Well so it's an excuse/reason, call it what you will - but here goes.  Pick the word that best suits your reading, and enjoy!

Jim's Law of Gear Obtainence (LoGO):
Each new lens is bought to meet a want/need, and that is very much based on what other lenses you own that don't quite do the job/lust-slaking.  That's what keeps a kit alive/healthy/expensive!  And of course, filling that empty/imaginary hole in the kit redefines the next want/need, and the cycle repeats again/endlessly/until you check into rehab.  

Financial pressure may create/justify a need to sell a few lenses, so after examining/drawing straws regarding what's in the bag, the shooter choose what gets less use/love/good reviews and carefully/recklessly lets a few go.  And yet again the cycle repeats.

from dxomark.com

So what has me in such a reflective/silly mood (hey stop that!) today?  It's due to my repurchase of the DA40 Limited.  Yes I owned this before and really liked it, then went all-in on zooms like the Tamron 28-75 that was just as fast but more versatile, then went to all-manual primes.  But clearly there was this gaping hole between 24 and 50mm and by the LoGO I had to... (hey stop that!)

At one point I also owned the DA40 XS lens, which is cuter and tinier (well, not cuter as such) than the Limited.  The quick-shift clutch is a nice feature though, so the Limited is a better choice for me because... OK spill it: I found a used Limited 40 for $229 online, and that was irresistible.  There: I said it, and I am feeling much better now!

Of the three Limited lenses I've tried (40, 70, 21) I liked the DA40 best, so picking up this bargain was a no-brainer.  Literally!  Well, I really liked the 70 best too, but that's at least another $100 used so I can afford to like the DA40 more.  Yes, that's it - I like the DA40 best per square mm and per dollar, so it's really value density that matters.

My other amazingly good reason is that I own a prime lens from every Pentax manual-focus lens series (Tak, SMC-M, SMC-A) but not a Limited, which focuses manually/any time I want even when in autofocus mode.  So it had to be in my kit!  That and it's tiny & cute (less and more so respectively than the XS).

Oh wait I forgot the best reason/excuse of all!  I own the Limited-lens version of PentaxForums' 2013 t-shirt (the middle one but in white), and I don't want to give it back - so I must own a matching Limited.  So it's a matter of use it (lens) or lose it (shirt) more or less, as it were.  Although to be entirely correct I believe that's a DA70 focus scale on the shirt... maybe next time?

image from pentaxforums.com 2013 t-shirt sale

Not possible... well maybe.

No way can this photo exist.  It was taken in a dark room lit from the hallway, just before my mom's birthday cake with several candles showed up at the other end of a long table.  It was taken one-handed using live view, and the screen showed no detail but the AF-confirm light was lit.  Click.

K-5 ii, 1/13 second & f/3.5 at iso8000 with the DA70mm Limited.  No processing done: this is a small web copy of the original jpeg image.  I will need to calculate the EV value on this one to see how dim that is. 
Doesn't really matter though: it can't be done - even with two hands.  Right?

shooting in the dark!

First tests with the II show its SAFOX-X AF system is quite impressive.  I took shots of inside my closet where only some large print could be read visually, and focus locked on and the super-16 sensor pulled out the details.  Another shot of a stack of moving-boxes in a dark corner also turned out eerily great, considering just how dim it looked from behind the camera.  This is quite a set, and given the II's talent I can imagine just how the K-3 is impressing early adopters!

The SMC-DA21 Limited is also very nice and will serve fine as my wide option instead of the 18-55 zoom.  Owners have spoken of how well it performs after a service call, so maybe once finances are in order it will keep the K-5 classic company on its trip for the shutter/stumble issue.

Others are now receiving the HD DA20-40mm Limited zoom and are cautiously evaluating, mostly seeing very good results.  That's for later I expect, but not for a while.

Farewell to the Forty.. and ??

I had not intended to let any Limited lenses get away... but that was before the DA16-45 began crowding them out.  I had unsuccessfully marketed the DA70 a couple of times - keeping the 70mm makes much more sense than the DA40 given the 16-45, and the 70mm is slightly faster and nearly as small.  This injection of camera funds helps alleviate my financial remorse over the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8 as well.  I had felt that the 70-150's arrival made the 70mm expendable, but the huge size/weight difference really doesn't make for a fair comparison of the two on 70mm images alone.

So yet again, the kit has shifted.  Maybe at some point a 100-135mm prime will go along with the 16-45 / 70 / ?? for hiking trips (the 50-200WR is great except at the edges, where the 50-150 bests it handily).  I have diopter attachment lenses for decent closeups, but of course a 100mm or 105mm macro would be even better - but after the K-5 has been serviced.  Perhaps I can find a manual lens to fill in for now.

Rumors swirl around a Pentax 20-40mm Limited zoom, which may be WR and/or have DA motor; that would be fun to own, but it definitely will not be a cheap lens!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

And hello 105...
The 50-150 tests are in, and results are clear on several levels - and the truth hurts.  Without doubt it's an amazing lens, sharp right to the edges below f/4, silent focus, plenty of good.  At the same time, that 750+ grams could be used to carry several other items.  One that has stood out as an ideal match is a 100mm± macro lens.  Yes, guilty as charged: I recently sold off a Cosina-made 100/3.5 but it had no focus limiter and focus was loud & crazy.  In this case a Sigma 105mm EX.DG finally came up at a good price, and here it comes now to complement my 16-45 and 70 Limited as a top-notch hiking trio.

This means the 50-150's purpose has lessened, as the less-edgy but far lighter DA50-200WR can reclaim its position as both good telephoto and foul-weather choice.  Yet that makes less sense when attached to a K-01, and my K-5 sits in the moving van awaiting both unpacking and servicing for a few age-related issues.

The easy answer is to trade the 50-150 for an updated K-5 so I'm ready for the wet season.  I'm more convinced now that the II-series has features I would really like, notably the improved AF and crisper screen.  So the Sigma is on the block for cash or a K-5II trade; if I am cashed out I shall await a good post-Thanksgiving fire sale.  As to the II versus IIs debate, I am satisfied that the IIs may be sharper overall but the color moiré is a risk (though a slight one) and my skills are more in play than the AA filter by a long shot.

Now for the silly part: I also have the K-01 on the block.  That's just silly, both because I really enjoy it and also because all of its boxes and manuals are packed for our move and wildly inaccessible!  I shall not be aggressive with the sale or lower the price, so we shall see where that leads.

Everything Changes.

That title about covers it.  Whether it's the ideal set of lenses in your bag, the camera they fit on, or saying farewell to a 33-year career with no real plans in sight, life just keeps moving along, and forcing decisions.

Re: imaging: I seem to be turning a bit of the kit upside down.  The DA18-55 WR has been my foul-weather standby, but I'd really prefer a DA16-45 for hiking, a bit of extra light grasp and wide-angle fun, and generally better image quality.  If that happens though, a different WR lens would be a good idea - and looky here: a grade-9 used DA50-200WR for comfortably below the going rate at B&H. Done! - but what will the 55-300 think?  For that matter, what will the 15 fisheye think of a 16mm zoom?  Good thing lenses don't think out loud... but sometimes owners do!

The DA21 Limited calls my name, but I continue to resist - and the 16-45 can help with that.  For half the price of a DA21/3.2, the DA16-45 is a smidge slower but a lot more versatile, and very very good.  I've owned it before but only with non-WR cameras like the k-100d and k-x... so why not the K-01?  If I don't find a very good deal though, I'm fine with the 18-55 WR.

On the tele side, the K-01 is quite awkward for me with the 55-300, so the 50-200 will be a better fit with that camera - and WR gives it high value on the K-5.  I owned the 50-200WR before too, and I found it acceptably sharp and liked its consistently good bokeh.  And how often do I find 300mm useful really, is it worth having the range if it's seldom used - or worse yet used badly in lesser light, replacing lens sharpness with image shake?  Hmmm...

As to the DA70 and the 100mm macro, they are safely tucked in the bag come what may!  While I know of prettier lens in the 90-105mm macro range, Promaster's results speak for themselves, and they say very good things.

Any kit shifts will need to be balanced with sales, but I'm OK with that; in fact the SMC-A 24 and 50mm lenses will depart soon.  The DA55-300 is an impressive lens, but I can grab another easily - and letting go could allow more chances for the Hanimar 400mm to play.

This realignment would make the kit appear thus:

• zooms: 18-55wr (possibly DA16-45), 50-200wr, manual Rikenon 70-150/4 
• primes: 15/2.8 fisheye, Rikenon 28, DA Limiteds 40 & 70, 100/3.5 macro, 400/6.3
• on the fence: DA 55-300, Vivitar 28-105, SMC-As 24 and 50

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

As to the adventure of retirement - well that's true too, and coming soon.  My pension will be decent but the LBA needs to end!  At some point I will likely add a part-time job but it's not guaranteed to be awaiting me, so it's a leap of faith.  My wife is very happy about this upcoming change, so it's a leap of love too.

in the San Juan Islands

While I'd like to show you fine details on the gull, I really like the concentric rings created by its bathing - so you get the wide view!

We spent several days of our anniversary in the same place we spent our honeymoon, on Orcas Island in NW Washington.  While most of the time was foggy and rain-free, a few times the sun broke out and gave us some great views.  The K-01 and Limited lenses received most of the use but the Sigma 15mm fisheye and a zoom or two also had some sensor time.  It was a fun trip but it was very cold - no surprise on mid-January trips at 48°N latitude!  Even the wood stove was reluctant to do its thing, but some store-bought kindling brought things around.

This was our first trip with the new car, and it performed admirably.  Lens buying will be restricted while it's being paid off but the warranty and reassurance of a new vehicle are worth it.  I'm still quite comfortable with the camera gear I have right now, so if I take good care of it all this Pentax stuff will easily outlast the car payments!