Posts by rfap

Nokia snubs UK with N9

I'm still getting one

Possibly the last open OS mobile that will ever be available. If you've used a N900 for any amount of time then you will know that it is damn hard finding a mobile that actually matches it 2 years on, never mind betters it. Expansys got my preorder last week for a 64GB version.

Pentax K-7

Pentax system

Interesting review. Pity they only use the kit lens, loved to have seen their comments with a lens that Pentax consider equal to the camera body such as maybe the FA43mm Limited or DA* 55mm as these will surely the calibre of lenses that a Pentax user might want to pair with a K-7. With regards to lens availability as brought up in the previous comments Pentax actually is pretty well sorted. You have the consumer line of kits lenses that come in 3 ranges. DAL, DA and DA WR with the DAL being the lowest grade and lightest with the WRs being marked weather resistant, These come in 18-55 and 50-200 ranges. There is a prosumer range that would include the 10-17 f4.0, 12-24 f4.0, 16-45 f4.0, 17-70 f4.0 and 55-300 f4.0-5.6 lenses. These are all highly regarded but are bulkier and heavier that the kit lenses. I have both the 16-45 and 55-300 and if I also include a FA50 f1.4 that I also have then I have the perfect travelling kit. Nice range, wide to telephoto and speed when I need it.

If I want to spend more money and get weather resistant pro level type zooms then I have the following options DA* 16-50 f2.8. DA* 50-135 f2.8 & DA* 60-250 f4.0 . But then we have to consider Pentax's real area of expertise and probably the best fit that Pentax have in mind for the K-7, the Primes. Starting off with the DA standard primes being the 14 f2.8 you move through to the DA Limiteds.

These are all alloy constructions, small and light with outstanding build quality. You have 15 f4.0, 21 f3.2, 35 f2.8 Macro, 40 f2.8, and 70 f2.4 to choose from. Then there is the DFAs, 50 f2.8 Macro, 100 f2.8 Macro with the 100 being refreshed recently to WR standard with rounded aperature blades. There are also the pro spec weather resistant DA*55 f1.4, 200 f2.8 and 300 f4.0 primes and then finally the FAs being split into standard FA50 f1.4 and the FA Limiteds.... the 31 f1.8, 43 f1.9, 77 f1.8. It is worth buying into the Pentax system for these 3 lenses alone. 3 of the finest quality primes ever made on any system. The 43 stands out for being also sold in Leica format, think about that one, what did Leica want with a Pentax lens ;-)

Saying that, we could always use more lenses, I have 14 at last count and I only started using the K20D (the K-7s predecessor) in Dec 08. And for Pentax people, its always been about the glass, 40 or more years of Pentax compatible glass all stablised, anything from 10mm to 1200mm. You have the Takumars, the Ks, the Ms, the As, Fs, FAs, DAs, millions and millions to choose from :-) also, Zeiss, Voightlander, Tamron, Sigma....... The Pentax system will always be there, its just evolving

S!

ps, there is a stablised pro spec 300, its called the FA*300 f2.8 and it would happily go toe to toe against any rival from Canon or Nikon. It and its big brother the FA*600 f4.0 were until quite recently available to special order from Pentax in Japan.