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Impressions of Laos: FA28,35,77+DA16-45

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KL Matt

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Hi Everyone,

Here are the results of my latest travel kit. The FA 28 and FA 35 are a bit close together to be both truly necessary, but since they are so light and both so good, I took them anyway. It would be nicer to just have the FA 31 and DA 21 instead... ;-)

As always, I have a love-hate relationship with my DA 16-45. The massive underexposre is a chore when switching lenses, the lens is fabulous at 16mm, the colors are generally great, but the lens is big, slow, and not stellar at 45mm. Using the 28 and 35 has shown me both that there are things the primes can do that the zoom can't and that there are times when it wouldn't matter which lens. I mainly still use it because it's my widest lens. And even then, it's not always wide enough!

The FA 77 is stunning as always.

OK, here are some images, in case anyone notices this thread:









--
Take it easy,

-Matt
 
Hi Cymen,

That last one was the FA 28, wide open at 2.8 no less! Who says that lens isn't sharp wide open, eh?

From top to bottom the lenses are:

DA 16-45
FA 28
FA 35
FA 28

Second post:
FA 77
FA 35
FA 28
FA 35
FA 77
FA 35
Cymen Vig said:
Wow! That last one is very crisp. Could you share which lens was
used for each photo?
Click to expand...
--
Take it easy,

-Matt
 
Oh my god, a photo thread Matt! Looks great. I haven't been to Laos but loved Vietnam 6 years ago. Those countries see like a photographic paradise to me. Yours shots are a good example.

(I know this is an old subject) After 3 years of owning the DA16-45 on the *istD and K10D I still don't understand the 'gross under exposure' thing... especially shooting wide angle outdoors I get a bit of under exposure but usually I can identify the reason being a lot of sky. At 35-45mm I am far less likely to get any under exposure most of my FA primes are 1/3rd stop over it .....

Cheers

--
Brett
http://www.pbase.com/shreder



The Journey is the Thing
 
I am curious about this FA 28. That picture is sharp. A couple of months ago I bought a *istD body just for my FA 50 1.4 (from film days). I always have problems with sharpness, especially wide open. I am beginning to think that it might have something to do with the form factor (FA 50 being a full-frame lens). Your FA 28 seems to be telling a different story from mine. I guess I need to do some more testing. Maybe the *istD itself is the culprit.
 
Chou_M said:
I am curious about this FA 28. That picture is sharp. A couple of
months ago I bought a *istD body just for my FA 50 1.4 (from film
days). I always have problems with sharpness, especially wide open.
I am beginning to think that it might have something to do with the
form factor (FA 50 being a full-frame lens). Your FA 28 seems to be
telling a different story from mine. I guess I need to do some more
testing. Maybe the *istD itself is the culprit.
Click to expand...
I own both the FA50/1.4 and the FA28/2.8. Here's a little of what I've learned about these lenses through shooting with them over the course of the past few years.

The FA50 is a little soft wide open, and the bokeh has a tendency to take on a somewhat ethereal look when shooting wide open. IMO, the FA50 should be shot at apertures from f/2 and smaller unless you really have no other choice. F/1.4 is there if you need it, but as is the case with most lenses, you're better off one or two stops down from wide open. I shoot in MTF mode, and have noticed that the FA50 and K10D avoid f/1.4 most of the time.

Also, at f/1.4 and f/2 (and even f/2.8) your DOF is very shallow. This is particularly true at f/1.4. Focus becomes ultra-critical at f/1.4. If you're shooting in low light, shoot in Av mode so that you will be conscious of the f/stop, so that you will remember as you open up past f/2.8 that you probably should be switching over to MF to be sure it's as accurate as possible.

Contrast is also somewhat diminished at wide apertures, but you minimize this issue by using a good hood.

In short, though I love the FA50, it's a tricky lens to use near its wide-open apertures.

Now for the FA28. That lens does tend to give a sort of glowing ethereal look at f/2.8 also, especially if you overexpose a little. But just like with the FA50, a good hood helps to keep contrast a little more vivid.

Shooting in MTF mode, the FA28 completely avoids f/2.8. That ought to tell you something.

In the end, once you get these two lenses figured out I think you'll agree they provide excellent results.
 
Great photos Matt. Seems you had a great time in Laos.

I was in Vietnam about 7 years ago, but with an MZ-5. Unfortunately, all the security checks and screenings badly damaged the films (which were allways in hand luggage and not as checked luggage). The photos are just not useable... That was the reason to change to digital, but changed to a digital P&S as Pentax had not released the *istD at that time.
--
Dominique

http://www.pbase.com/tcom
 
Hi Brett,
Brett St Pierre said:
Oh my god, a photo thread Matt!
Click to expand...
OMG, somebody actually noticed it and bothered to reply! ;-)

Looks great. I haven't been to
Brett St Pierre said:
Laos but loved Vietnam 6 years ago.
Click to expand...
That would have been the time to go there. Now everyone says it's an annoying tourist trap and the food is bad. This last I don't get, since I love to eat at Vietnamese restaurants outside of Vietnam.

Laos is just getting started with the tourist industry. People are still very laid back there and doing their own thing, unlike Cambodia, where milking tourists is big (and apparently profitable) business that is agressively pursued on the streets.

Those countries see like a
Brett St Pierre said:
photographic paradise to me.
Click to expand...
They are, but Bali is better.
Brett St Pierre said:
Yours shots are a good example.
Click to expand...
Brett St Pierre said:
(I know this is an old subject) After 3 years of owning the DA16-45
on the *istD and K10D I still don't understand the 'gross under
exposure' thing... especially shooting wide angle outdoors I get a
bit of under exposure but usually I can identify the reason being a
lot of sky. At 35-45mm I am far less likely to get any under
exposure most of my FA primes are 1/3rd stop over it .....
Click to expand...
I have to dial in +.7 E comp to get results close to my FA 28 and 35. Otherwise I get just plain dark pictures, even if there is no sky to throw the metering off whatsoever. My camera is set to center weighted metering anyway. I'll see if I can find you an example if you are really curious...

--
Take it easy,

-Matt
 
helo Matt,

Beautifull! Thanks fot sharing.
As a beginner i learn a lot of those sharings.

I just got mi new and first cam. As i didn't now yet wich lens would furfill mi needs, i just bougth the Tamron 35-200 to start with, and will decide later on mi needs for beter lenses. I din't take the Pentax kit lenses, because it was waiting to long for them.

See mi first experiments on my trip to Mauritius, ... i got the K10D 2 days earlyer.

http://picasaweb.google.nl/piet.flour/Mauritius

Piet
http://one.fsphost.com/pietflour/
 
Hi Chou,

I have an A 50 1.4 and it is spectacularly sharp on my istDS (not the highest resolving DSLR ever made by any stretch). I find it useful and very much sharp enough wide open, although contrast is much lower. I wouldn't necessarily call it soft, even at 1.4. The "kechak dance" shot on the here was taken at 1.6 handheld:

The FA 28 is not as sharp as the FA 50 I would say, and the FA 35 is the sharpest of them all, especially wide open, there is little difference in performance to when it is stopped down. The FA 28, instead of losing as much contrast at wider apertures like the FA 50, gets a bit "dreamy" -- luminosity from highlights bleeds into surrounding areas of the image. There is a faint glow to the rendering. It can be quite nice. This lens transitions form in focus to out-of-focus exceptionally well.
Chou_M said:
I am curious about this FA 28. That picture is sharp. A couple of
months ago I bought a *istD body just for my FA 50 1.4 (from film
days). I always have problems with sharpness, especially wide open.
I am beginning to think that it might have something to do with the
form factor (FA 50 being a full-frame lens). Your FA 28 seems to be
telling a different story from mine. I guess I need to do some more
testing. Maybe the *istD itself is the culprit.
Click to expand...
--
Take it easy,

-Matt
 
Hi Dominique,
tcom said:
Great photos Matt. Seems you had a great time in Laos.
Click to expand...
Yep, it was really special. I can't wait to go back and see more - we only visited Vientienne and Luang Prabang.
tcom said:
I was in Vietnam about 7 years ago, but with an MZ-5.
Unfortunately, all the security checks and screenings badly damaged
the films (which were allways in hand luggage and not as checked
luggage). The photos are just not useable...
Click to expand...
I would have been so upset. The images are a big part of any trip for me. Vacations are a glorified excuse for me to drag around my camera bag with me for days on end and take a whole bunch of pictures...

-Matt
 
Hi Piet,

You certainly got off to a fantastic start with your new camera. Nice album!

-Matt
Piet Flou said:
helo Matt,

Beautifull! Thanks fot sharing.
As a beginner i learn a lot of those sharings.
I just got mi new and first cam. As i didn't now yet wich lens
would furfill mi needs, i just bougth the Tamron 35-200 to start
with, and will decide later on mi needs for beter lenses. I din't
take the Pentax kit lenses, because it was waiting to long for them.
See mi first experiments on my trip to Mauritius, ... i got the
K10D 2 days earlyer.

http://picasaweb.google.nl/piet.flour/Mauritius

Piet
http://one.fsphost.com/pietflour/
Click to expand...
--
Take it easy,

-Matt
 
Excellent, Matt. I simply love the first one of the series - and my initial reaction after seeing the first post was disappointment: "What, no more of those, only three???"

Luckily I quickly discovered your second post (is that your wife / friend in the next to last pic? Lucky you!) with more gems - and I will check your gallery later. :-)

Great mood you convey with all those pics, a lot of beautifully seen and framed moments. Thanks for taking me to Laos!

--
Phil

GMT +1
 
philzucker said:
Excellent, Matt. I simply love the first one of the series - and
my initial reaction after seeing the first post was disappointment:
"What, no more of those, only three???"
Click to expand...
blush aw shucks, thanks Phil! :-)
philzucker said:
Luckily I quickly discovered your second post (is that your wife /
friend in the next to last pic? Lucky you!)
Click to expand...
Yep, lucky is the right word for it!

Matt
 
The problems I have with *istD & FA50 are always underexposure and lack of sharpness. I haven't tried any apertures smaller than f4 yet on this lens. For f5.6 and smaller I usually use Tokina 24-200 on my K100D. Maybe my whole problem comes from the use of omni-bounce on AF-360. I just want to experiment with bouncing flash for portrait stuffs. Somehow it just didn't turn out the way I expected.
 
Hi again, Matt!

Browsed through your short version gallery, and am impressed by your person, market and temple pics - e.g. the kids playing at a table, the merry group with guítar, the young monk doing a paint job at the temple, just to name a few. I enjoyed the visit!!

One thing only: You often have the tendency to give a slight tilt to the pics - sometimes it works to the advantage of the composition like here:

http://matt.ma.funpic.de/2007/Laos2007/ShortVersion/slides/IMGP6778.html

... and sometimes it clearly doesn't like here:

http://matt.ma.funpic.de/2007/Laos2007/ShortVersion/slides/IMGP6783.html

I'd think that a few pics could benifit from some straightening. Just my 2 cents - and thanks again for sharing your visit with us!

--
Phil

GMT +1
 
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