dry season!

 August 2022, and now July 2025. The only two months at our hill-top home with zero recorded precipitation. Since the average in those two months is less than an inch, it doesn't have much impact on the annual values. Clearly it's still pretty rare! My records go back to 2014, so twice in 11 years is rare.

August may have a few showers by the 5th - we'll see about that? 

Update - oops, the forecast dried out. For one hour on the morning of 8/7 we have a 30% chance of .. something drizzly, I presume. Here's the next 7 days of moisture as of July 30th.

I may regret this.. er these

A memory intrudes!

Back in my Pentax days of lens swapping I owned a Sigma 21-35 for my aps.c camera. It was rather bulky, and extremely prone to flare.. but still gave good results when used carefully. I found a Nikon model for $30 - it can fill behind the 40/2 now and then if I don't just pass it along. Might be fun for sky images, unless brighter stars make ghost images 👻

One thing is for sure: I can get $30 worth of use from it, however long it stays!

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Update! Wow. 

Here is my 9/30/14 post about this lens in Pentax mount. But does the new one have the permanent hood? We shall see..  

The 21-35 Zoom-γ lens arrived 7/25. Works decently and is fairly fast, but its reputation-killer is for massive flare. I didn't get to test that. It has no hood so it's not identical to the Pentax model I had before; a hood is on the way.

Fingers crossed..

 I dismantled my vivitar 24/2.8 (s/#37xxx =Tokina) and poked around. I unscrewed the rear element, cleaned and examined it - and that was about all it seemed I could do without major disassembly. 

Testing showed the same problem as before: the view approached infinity focus only when it was focused nearly to the minimum value! Almost like an extension tube, but reversed? Hmm.

So I took it apart again and noticed two shims that limited the depth of the rear element. I unscrewed the rear element slightly and tested again. Same result.

On reopening I discovered it had three shims! So I took two out and tried again. Hey that looks better!

By now it was 10pm so I was shooting indoor tests. Worse still, I was set on a telephoto focal length for internal IS was set to 135mm! I tried both the 24 and 28mm lenses with a much improved shake reduction value, and I believe that both lenses are now giving quite decent results! 

If spare time is available in daylight, I will check it again. Good night and high hopes for tomorrow's tests!!

Vivitar 24, smc-a 28, 24-85g +ftz

Update: sunlight tests show the 24/2.8 is working much better. However, it is not as good as the 24-85g at f/4. That isn't a great shock, as the prime failed to wow me before the adjustment failed; it's simply not a great copy and it's perhaps 30? years older. Also: the 24-85g/VR is that good! 

Testing my Pentax-A 28/2.8 against the zoom shows a pretty close contest between them at f/4 (zoom is f/3.8 at 28mm). I didn't get rigorous as the lenses don't really compete so Team Pentax will have their turns! As for autofocus kit, it means the wide shots are well covered with 24-85 and 40/2.

As noted elsewhere, I've released the 20mm for now (plus other gear) to acquire the Tamron 70-300 rxd. I really like the idea of having an 18-20mm prime, but its usefulness is not great. When I'm certain of a long hike above treeline, something small in that range will be valuable - but such a trip is not in the works. Perhaps by then a few other wide primes will be available!

 

kit, reborn

Don't Look Behind!

mid-July 25

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> The Z Kit  

After much reviewing of options, the Nikon Z6 has some new companions. Primes are primarily Pentax (28-50-70-135) but the z40 f/2 sits near the center. A 300mm mirror lens and 400mm Hanimex cover the long end. 

The ftz is now working less, adapting the Nikkor 24-85g VR but no telephoto zoom. In exchange for three not-quite ideal telezooms and a bit more cash, the Tamron rxd 70-300mm is taking over the spot. Weather protection, quiet AF motor and the Z6 internal stabilizer justify the move - and the lens' weight is as low as it can go for an xx-300 zoom. 

The adapted telephoto Vivitar 70-150/3.8 and Focal 80-200/3.5 will remain for now. Both are fun and have great imaging ability - but it's amazing that the 80-200 is nearly twice the Vivitar's weight for the extra 50mm of telephoto and 1/4 stop of light!

>  μ43 remains in play  

The silver kit of Lumix GX7 and 14-42ii now has a shiny Sigma 60/2.8 also. These and the 14-140 and ZD 70-300 plus 10-17-30 primes make for a nice anywhere/time setup. 

>  Pentax  

Several K-mount lenses remain in play, mostly primes. Thanks to my .71x speed booster they have bonus focal lengths on the GX7! The massive 80-200 f/2.8 with speed boost becomes an 112-284mm, f/2.5-equivalent beast!

Kitpicking - and a new plan

All the in-transit items for the Z6 have arrived. 

Now what? 

It's time to select groupings! 

Part of the benefit of this is to check whether any lens might be expendable. The lack of small telezoom has caused to be creative in the 50-300mm zone, none of which is my favorite or final answer. 

Here are a few kits: 

• Max range: 20 + 24-85 + 100-400
• 24-85 + 70-300: two fx AF zooms
• 24-85 + 55-200dx* is lighter, but.. 
• Primes (20/40/70) plus telezoom of choice
• All manual focus: 28+50+70 + either 85+135 or Vivi 70-150/3.8
• The fastest kit: 20/28/40/70 + 80-200/3.5
• Lightest: 20/40/70 + 55-200*

Ah, but the weight.. 

• 
  Clearly the 100-400 adds plenty of range, but will not be carried often (1250g) when the Vivitar (510g) or Sigma (630g) will do. The 80-200 is pretty bulky too - but the 55-200* is even lighter! 
• Also clear is that the 300mm mirror lens is a decent alternative when grams and cubic inches matter. Weird bokeh and all! 
• Two wide-zoom alternatives have some merit. The 24-50 is a very lightweight option for the wide end - but far slower than the 28+40 primes and the 24-85. The 24-70/4 is better in that regard but is just 50g lighter; I feel what I have now is my best answer. All Z-native lenses have 5-axis stabilizer, but the 24-85G dual VR is as good - and is (minimally) wx sealed! 

One conflict that I see immediately is the 55-200dx vs 70-300. Both do good work but with strong compromises: much lower resolution* with the former, focus noise + no stabilizer² + slow AF with the latter, and no wx seals with either. The Vivitar and Tamron are sufficient, I expect. I shall not rush into anything though. 

* 80-300mm eq  - but @11Mpx resolution 

² see 24-85 shootout to see how much lens IS helps! 

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Update! 

After the review above, I decided to make a rather large swap. 

So farewell to the marvelous yet still massive 100-400, to both of the lenses in conflict - and to the Viltrox 20 (I expect it to return later, assuming I ever pursue deep backpacking again). 

In return a Tamron Z-mount 70-300rxd will fill the telezoom gap, save me many grams, and use all the sensor unlike the dx 55-200mm. 

I'll be gaining 

• multiple weather seals 
• a better focus motor
• a USB port for software updates
• and the lightest 70-300mm zoom available in Z mount today!

The Vivitar and Focal zooms will remain for a while as I get comfortable with the New Order; their fate will be decided at leisure.