[Leica] OT: Info on a Pentax digital

[pklein at 2alpha.net (Peter Klein)]

Daniel:  The DL is indeed an incredible bargain theses days.  The major 
thing that the K100D will add is image stabilization.  People who have it 
often rave about it.  Mike Johnston has had very good things to say about 
how it's opened up photographic possibilities for him.  My suspicion is 
that the IS might mitigate the effects of the mirror slap as well as hand 
shake, making IS-equipped DSLRs a bit more RF-like in their ability to take 
slow-speed shots (1/30, 1/15, 1/8)

If you think Rebecca might turn into an "available dark" kinda gal, I'd 
seriously consider helping her out with the difference between a DL and a 
K100D.  If she's more into the outdoors and doesn't mind flash, any of the 
*ist series would do nicely for her.

That said, I'll tell you that if I didn't own a bunch of Olympus lenses, 
I'd probably have bought an *ist D or DS rather than the Olympus E-1 I 
chose.  Wonderful, big viewfinder, probably the best for manual focusing 
I've seen in a DSLR.  Old Pentax K-mount lenses will deliver all the 
automation they have on the *ist D* cameras, unlike C and N.  So if the 
lens is manual focus but auto-aperture, you'll get that.

Old screw-mount Pentax lenses will require an adapter, and will be 
manual-aperture only.  That said, the old Pentax lenses with a Manual-Auto 
switch on them will act like a "preset" lens, which is a little more viable 
than completely manual stop-down/open-up for focusing vs. metering and 
shooting.

My own view of using the manual stop-down method is that faced with that, I 
just leave the DSLR at home and take a Leica.  Or use bounce flash with the 
E-1.   I've had some good results with a 50/1.4 Zuiko lens shooting at f/2 
(and just leaving it there), with the 50/3.5 macro,  and with the 100/2.8 
Zuiko, which performs very well as a 200mm equivalent.  But the effort is 
usually more than I want to make, since the Leica does my kinda shooting 
without the fuss of the manual lenses, or the weight of the DSLR plus zoom.

Those who take more static subjects may find using the manual lenses more 
viable.

Hope this is useful,
--Peter

At 11:55 AM 7/23/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>After looking at Phil's shots and his daughter's shots and yours,
>there is no doubt about it, she would be happy. The price is simply
>incredible.
>
>I have some good Pentax lenses lying around. Seems hard to beat.