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new DA21 put through its paces

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mike703

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Hi all

I was lucky enough to find a nearly-new DA21 on ebay at a good price just before the recent price rises. I've had my eye on one for a while. On a recent holiday around the south of England (taking in Worcester, Gloucester and Oxford) it more or less lived on my K7. The FL suits me very well for general walkaround use...

Worcester cathedral







Gloucester docks







Gloucester cathedral, an old church, and an ornamental garden:











Oxford: bikes everywhere...







I won't throw my zooms away just yet but the appeal of a compact two or three prime travel kit is becoming more obvious!

Best wishes
--
Mike
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/mikeward
 
Nice shooting - really like your composition in 7.
--
Regards Dean - Capturing Creation
N.B. All my Images are Protected by Copyright
 
ozdean said:
Nice shooting - really like your composition in 7.
Click to expand...
is that the old woman in red ?
yeah I went for the perfect verticals on each side in that one
some neat shots with a great lens, the colours in the window are sweet
Pete

--
K-5 some Len
 
You are a wonderful photographer! I'm not so pleased that you got my DA21, no I saw the lenses on sale in the UK and thought about it. I will eventually get the DA21, but I think I have a date with a Takumar first. I just recieved my M42 adaptor...

It's a no brainer for me to get all the DA Limiteds, I'm missing just the 21 and the 40 I have the DA 15, 35, 70. Although the DA 35 is a great macro lens the 40 has the better form factor for the ultimate lightweight kit.

Now get out there and shoot!

Brent
--
Reflections, understandings, discoveries and intimations..
 
Wow, you make that lens shine.
 
Many excellent and amazing images!
the cathedral pics are great :)

I'm awaiting the DA21 here... it looks like it will be fun!

The primes I have get use everyday almost.
The zooms wait for specific opportunities.
But, I must say that I have the less costly zooms: 55-300, 50-200WR...
A while ago, I was tempted by the DA*50-135, but, that LBA episode ended.
--
-JF
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jftouchette/
 
Wanganuilad said:
is that the old woman in red ?
yeah I went for the perfect verticals on each side in that one
Click to expand...
that one required a little perspective and barrel distortion correction ;-)

...both of which photoshop elements can do fine. the famous barrel distortion of the DA21 isn't noticeable most of the time unless you have a straight edge close to the edge of the frame at which point it does become obvious.
Wanganuilad said:
some neat shots with a great lens, the colours in the window are sweet
Pete
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot Pete.

best wishes
--
Mike
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/mikeward
 
Brentliris said:
You are a wonderful photographer!
Click to expand...
Thank you!
Brentliris said:
I'm not so pleased that you got my DA21, no I saw the lenses on sale in the UK and thought about it. I will eventually get the DA21, but I think I have a date with a Takumar first. I just recieved my M42 adaptor...
Click to expand...
Thanks again for not bidding on that one. I guess we must have been watching the same one, there have not been many around from UK sellers.
Brentliris said:
It's a no brainer for me to get all the DA Limiteds, I'm missing just the 21 and the 40 I have the DA 15, 35, 70. Although the DA 35 is a great macro lens the 40 has the better form factor for the ultimate lightweight kit.
Click to expand...
Yep I want the 70 next... 21 / 35 / 70 will do for my travels. I wondered about the 15 instead of the 21 but I think I would lose more shots than i would gain as I don't really have an UWA 'eye' like some folk do... occasional stitching of interior shots when the DA21 isn't wide enough is not a problem.
Brentliris said:
Now get out there and shoot!
Click to expand...
I'm on it!

Best wishes

--
Mike
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/mikeward
 
Hi Mike. Somehow I don't see at 21mm so this lens isn't for me, but you clearly do see at that FL and you've caught some great shots. One of the things I like about this forum is seeing how people achieve things that I wouldn't even think of.

--
---

Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1985, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne
 
Those pictures are really, really nice.
 
Very cool serie. Where is the spirit of old christian Europa? I hope the spirit still lives inside hearts of European...
 
I have been so immersed in DPreview and photoland these days thet yesterday I ended up ordering the DA 21 3.2 macro new from the UK.

I have the DA 15 and you state that the DA 15 isn't really necessary because you can just stitch a couple of images to get the same field of view.

I figure I'd rather have the real deal at least to 15mm.

I think the Fov at the wide end gets radically extended when you go from the 21mm, so in my opinion the DA 15, 21 won't really be a reduntant pairing. Going from 21 to 35 or 40mm is also a good increase in field of view.

It's now going to be a set consisting of 15,21,35,70,100 WR, 200 takumar F4. With the first four being pancake they weight very little on the camera. In the bag on a belt pack or a small sling bag they are positivly not noticed. But the main joy is the handling on the small on K200D or the K5, maybe I'll even get the K01 or the replacement of the KR for a super light kit and backup camera..

Your inages in this thread cemented my resolve as well. It's really strange to be buying yet another limited, it seems expensive but I've learned from my past buying that I quickly get over the economic bump in the road while I'm left with a long time amigo! Oh I guess the DA ltds arent called amigos, so how about comrades!

Brent
--
Reflections, understandings, discoveries and intimations..
 
Qwntm said:
As I am photographically schitzoid, I have to bounce back and forth. Some days it's all primes for me and somedays I think that the zooms are the way to go. I don't fight it anymore, I just roll with the way I'm feeling that day and enjoy it!

Great shots!
Click to expand...
Thanks very much Edward. Yes I'll keep my zooms too.... the Tamron 28-75 is a great family event / people lens and the 55-300 is perfect for trips to the zoo or wildlife parks. But sticking a couple of compact primes in a pocket for travelling will be great.

Best wishes

--
Mike
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/mikeward
 
Gerry Winterbourne said:
Hi Mike. Somehow I don't see at 21mm so this lens isn't for me, but you clearly do see at that FL and you've caught some great shots. One of the things I like about this forum is seeing how people achieve things that I wouldn't even think of.
Click to expand...
Many thanks Gerry. You put it very well. I don't (yet) have 'UWA eyes' like you and many others do... I admire the results but the opportunities wouldn't be so obvious to me in advance, whereas the 21 seems to fit my vision nicely.

The other - completely unexpected - advantage is that my wife likes it! When we were on that holiday she said how nice it was not to be wandering around with a 'camera geek carrying a huge lens' - she likes the unobtrusiveness of the 21 and isn't embarrassed to be seen with me in public wielding it. Naturally I took the opportunity to point out that the perfect partner to the 21 would be the DA70 which is equally unobtrusive... we'll see what happens ;-)

Best wishes
--
Mike
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/mikeward
 
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