What did you bought today?
I think it's a post where everyone would be happy to add some words.
I start: I have found a very cheap (dirty cheap) SMC Pentax F 50mm f1.7 that came in great shape from Italy in a classified adverts app here in Spain. To be honest I wasn't expecting it to be so good.
I have bought also a Pentax DA 35mm f2.4 AL lens I have been looking after for a long time now, for 76€ shipping included from MPB.com European Site and no complaints at all. It came in great shape! That was a true bargain.
Please feel free to share (if you want) whatever lens or camera or bag, tripod, collar, accessory you have bought and want to share with the comunity.
All the best,
I purchased this tripod head:
to go on my thrift store $6 carbon fiber tripod. 30 bucks each.
The immediate build quality feels awfully impressive on both. Both hand crafted from a solid billet of Chinesium. :-). All joking aside I almost purchased a Sirui USED that costs 3 X as much. I believe those are also made in China.
The second one is going back :-(. The threaded rod coming out of my tripod is too long and it bottoms out. also the height of the first one puts my camera at eye level without raising the column so that was a win.
I never had an Area Swiss type plate. Pretty sweet.
I loved using the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary on Micro four thirds so much, I decided to buy the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DG HSM Art lens for Sony A mount. I paid $364 in like new condition from MPB, I don't know if that is a deal or not, Sigma has them on sale brand new from their site for $749 and it would be nice to own a brand new Sony A mount lens (I assume very few people are still making anything new for the system) but, I figure if I was willing to pay $300 for the contemporary version of the lens getting the Art version for a similar price has to be worth it.
I am figuring I can probably sell $300 worth of 35mm film stuff to make it even out in cost, the more I use the A99 the more I like it, so I think I have found my camera (until I can afford an A99 II)
Quote from Hikari2763 on November 28, 2022, 4:28 amI loved using the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN Contemporary on Micro four thirds so much, I decided to buy the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DG HSM Art lens for Sony A mount. I paid $364 in like new condition from MPB, I don't know if that is a deal or not, Sigma has them on sale brand new from their site for $749 and it would be nice to own a brand new Sony A mount lens (I assume very few people are still making anything new for the system) but, I figure if I was willing to pay $300 for the contemporary version of the lens getting the Art version for a similar price has to be worth it.
I am figuring I can probably sell $300 worth of 35mm film stuff to make it even out in cost, the more I use the A99 the more I like it, so I think I have found my camera (until I can afford an A99 II)
A99 II is on my wishlist, I think it's so rare, that makes it even more valuable. Along with the A99, A900, or A850...they all hold their value so well. How's shooting with the A99?
Quote from SpruceBruce on November 28, 2022, 4:55 am
A99 II is on my wishlist, I think it's so rare, that makes it even more valuable. Along with the A99, A900, or A850...they all hold their value so well. How's shooting with the A99?
For background my "primary" camera for the longest time was a Sony A-57, and I had tried a few times to move away and find a better primary camera, first I bought a Sony A-6300/LA-EA2 but, that was awkward and everything was jello with it's rolling shutter and no ibis. Then I sold that and bought an Olympus Em-1 Mk II, which was really nice, if I had all of the lenses I wanted I think that one would be it. Still though, without spending alot more on lenses, and being unable to use the full frame some of my favorites lenses like the Helio 44-2 it just wasn't enough for me. So I sold it and bought the A-99.
Compared to the A-57 the A99 is better in every way aside from battery life (they share the same battery type which is convenient) and burst rates but, the only things that really stand out are frame coverage, handling, built in GPS and the resolution. The frame coverage is really nice for lenses that do swirly bokeh like the Helios, and since most of my glass is Minolta glass I get to use the rest of it. The handling is so much better since it has a joystick and the option of adding a battery grip, I would have loved to have a mechanical AF/MF switch like the A-57 has, because when I use Minolta SR lenses with the focus confirmation chip I have to be careful not to crash the focus screw into it as the chip doesn't tell the camera that the old Minolta lenses are MF only. The resolution bump isn't super noticeable, but it is still plenty of resolution for anything I would care about.
Compared to the EM-1 Mk II, I am missing the amazing Ibis and great video codecs, but for still photography with enough light to get by with the Sony ibis it produces photos that look slightly better in good light, and slightly worse in low light (which is weird I thought M43 was supposed to be worse in low light lol). I figure I may end up buying a GH5 or something at some point for the video since I still have some M43 equipment.
Compared to the A6300/LA-EA2 the A99 is better in every way but video, the lack of ibis and lack of teleconverter support for Minolta APO TCs on the LA-EA2 was a dealbreaker for me, the A99 is a much better camera.
@hikari2763 i stuck with the em1 ii instead of going for anything else. its a great camera in just about every way. the lenses i have and mainly use (12-40 2.8, 17 1.8) are lovely and sharp.
i jumped on a k5 for 139€ yesterday. lets see what will happen when i get it. (hoping for the af to work properly on the 50mm pentax F unlike the k10d)
Quote from Estelon_Agarwaen on December 1, 2022, 6:56 am@hikari2763 i stuck with the em1 ii instead of going for anything else. its a great camera in just about every way. the lenses i have and mainly use (12-40 2.8, 17 1.8) are lovely and sharp.
i jumped on a k5 for 139€ yesterday. lets see what will happen when i get it. (hoping for the af to work properly on the 50mm pentax F unlike the k10d)
The K5 is a love of mine.
I bought mine 2nd hand in Japan (on a trip) for around 250€ when they were at 500-600€ in Europe.
The way it works, the ISO 80 (might sound idiotic but shooting very low speeds that helps), the way it works with shadows and so on, this camera is, for me, one of the top cameras ever produced.
I hope you like it. I just find it so great that I bought one to my dad when he wanted to start with photography and told my friend to look after one after he tested mine for a couple days. And he liked it.
P.S. It works great with the F 50mm f1.7 that I remember.
P.S.1. At 139€?? Such a bargain for a camera that good!
P.S.2. I also have had K10's and I'm not that a fan of them,
Ive finally gotten my k5. it works perfectly fine despite mpb selling it as heavily used. the built in flash doesnt seem to work but that doesnt matter.
