Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades . . .

Les Sarile · Jan 3, 2016

MartinCrabtree said:
I cannot find one. Damn you and that LX Sarile. You just cannpot stop. You do it on purpose don't you?

Of course I do it on purpose . . .

RSalles said:
Maybe another lens for your future GAS expansion: Tomioka Kogaku Auto Tominon 1.2 55mm in M42, or is it the same lens?
http://www.tomioka.de/e_55mm-Dateien/e_55m_tominon.htm

They are not exactly the same and either will work for me. It's just that I haven't even see either!

Black Dog said:
There probably weren't that many made compared to the equivalent Nikons and Canons. I used to own one until it met an untimely end in a Scottish sea loch. Pricewise I just saw one on Ffordes' website for 250 good old Pounds Sterling [body with FA1 finder] which isn't bad at all IME.

Of the three kings, the LX was the most weather sealed but not submersible and likely won't float.

It would be interesting to know the sales numbers although the LX was in production longest.

Les Sarile · Jan 3, 2016

Theo Sulphate said:
Nice photo. I'm impressed with the LX's exposure capabilities.

Thanks!

Yeah the LX's unmatched metering system is very impressive. This one taken on Kodak Portra 800 > 15minutes with the LX.

I took the same scene with my smart phone . . .

Good thing I brought the LX as it wasn't smart enough to use a longer exposure . . .

Theo Sulphate · Jan 3, 2016

Les Sarile said:
Thanks!

Yeah the LX's unmatched metering system is very impressive. This one taken on Kodak Portra 800 > 15minutes with the LX.

Ok - now I'm more than impressed - I'm sold. I know how long I'd have to experiment with a fully manual or other metered camera to try to get close to that exposure. If I'm making photos, doing extreme bracketing, taking reciprocity failure into account, looking at negatives -- it would be tedious. The LX makes it easy - I wonder why no one else metered off the film and controlled exposure like the LX?

Les Sarile · Jan 3, 2016

Theo Sulphate said:
Ok - now I'm more than impressed - I'm sold. I know how long I'd have to experiment with a fully manual or other metered camera to try to get close to that exposure. If I'm making photos, doing extreme bracketing, taking reciprocity failure into account, looking at negatives -- it would be tedious. The LX makes it easy - I wonder why no one else metered off the film and controlled exposure like the LX?

Thanks. Fortunately these negatives don't require any reciprocity compensation. Good thing since no film data sheet lists anything particularly for these particularly long durations.

This one I took on Kodak Ektar 100 using the LX for about >35minutes.

Better get two so you have another to use while one is on a long exposure . . .

Fr. Mark · Jan 3, 2016

That's pretty slick metering and a cool photo. I stood at about the same spot after dark late this summer. All I had were digicams and an Oly XA with part of a roll of HP5+ and I didn't think it would make a good photo.

Les Sarile · Jan 3, 2016

Fr. Mark said:
That's pretty slick metering and a cool photo. I stood at about the same spot after dark late this summer. All I had were digicams and an Oly XA with part of a roll of HP5+ and I didn't think it would make a good photo.

I know what you mean as years earlier I was shooting the latest and greatest Canon 1V and it would only allow a maximum of 30seconds. I didn't notice this and got the picture below on Fuji RVP100F.

I then began on a quest to find a camera that will hold the shutter open longer and tested all that came my way. I had to try them all as the manuals would indicate some limit but the cameras would act a little differently except for the Canons which were fixed. It wasn't until I got the Pentax LX that I found what I was looking for!

EdSawyer · Jan 3, 2016

not bad, but really, should be:

Pentax-A 50/1.2 (not the non-A)

Noct 58/1.2

Also consider:

Canon EF 50/1.0L (hell yeah)

Oly OM 55/1.2, it's more interesting than the 50/1.2 (although that is a sweet lens too)

For the Rokkor 58/1.2, the earlier radioactive ones are better

The tomioka (aka Cosina, etc.) M42 1.2 lens is meh at best. don't bother

Canon 55/1.2AL aspherical and 50/1.2L (FD) are both pretty nice.

I've had all these except the Noct and Canon FD lenses.

fun stuff!

-Ed

Les Sarile · Jan 3, 2016

EdSawyer said:
not bad, but really, should be:
-Ed

Really . . . :confused:

Alan Gales · Jan 4, 2016

Les Sarile said:
Nostalgia? What's wrong with using a fine piece of industrial art for shooting pics?

BTW, do you know of any other camera - past or present of any brand (including digis), that can aperture priority autoexpose a scene for as long as it takes (hours even) all the while monitoring the scene and adjusting the exposure accordingly, repeatedly and accurately?

This one taken on Kodak Gold 100. Using the LX aperture priority, I pressed the shutter before 9pm and the shutter closed sometime after 4am.

Absolutely nothing wrong with shooting old cameras but late models hopefully offer more reliability. Matrix metering is nice too.

Nice shot of the boats!

Theo Sulphate · Jan 4, 2016

Amazing Hoover Dam shot with the LX. I don't think National Geographic could top that.

MartinCrabtree · Jan 4, 2016

Yeah those shots put an LX on my list of things to do.

aoresteen · Jan 7, 2016

Les Sarile said:
From patience and KEH sales . . .

All are nice except the OM-3. It's a piece of junk. Spend time with the others. Since I'm not to far from ATL, I'll help you out. For no fee I'll come by and take the OM-3 & lens off your hands freeing you up so that you can spend more time with the Pentax LX. And since I have 9 OM bodies, the OM-3 will feel right at home.

Great collection!!!!!!!!!!

Les Sarile · Jan 7, 2016

aoresteen said:
All are nice except the OM-3. It's a piece of junk. Spend time with the others. Since I'm not to far from ATL, I'll help you out. For no fee I'll come by and take the OM-3 & lens off your hands freeing you up so that you can spend more time with the Pentax LX. And since I have 9 OM bodies, the OM-3 will feel right at home.

Great collection!!!!!!!!!!

I really can't break-up the set . . .

I really prefer a spot meter and this implementation in the OM3 is great.

BTW, this perfect working OM3 was an as-is-not-working buy from KEH . . .

John_Nikon_F · Jan 8, 2016

Les,

So, what did KEH forget to check on the OM3? Frequently, I get stuff from them that makes me wonder if the person who checked it out really knew what they were doing prior to marking it "AS-IS". Last one was an F4s body that I bought from them for $30 or $40 after shipping. Wasn't much. Shutter was closed, but mirror was locked up without the mirror lockup lever being deployed. Decided to put batteries in it. Depressed the firing button. Mirror dropped down. Worked fine. Just had some upper LCD bleed.

Anyway, nice scores on the 1.2 lenses. Recently picked up a 55/1.2 AI Nikkor from them as well, as you've probably seen in some of the other threads. Surprisingly a decent performer. Didn't expect much, but, it pleasantly surprised me.

-J

Les Sarile · Jan 8, 2016

John, I am not sure what they missed because without batteries all the shutter speeds were functional and putting in batteries activated the meter which matches my Sekonic perfectly. The shutter speed was a little tight but a simple CLA made it perfect.

But really this is about the glass and the recent addition of the "bargain grade" Zuiko and Nikkor lenses. I was in a quandry about getting the usually more available and affordable 55mm versions but when these popped up I couldn't resist!

The Zuiko 50mm f1.2 was heavily discounted for their Black Friday sale and upon close inspection is optically and mechanically perfect with hardly a hint of use outside.

The Nikkor 50mm f1.2 was even more discounted pre-Christmas sale and upon close inspection is a little more used looking than the Zuiko, the glass has a few specs but mechanically perfect.

aoresteen · Jan 8, 2016

Les Sarile said:
I really can't break-up the set . . .

I really prefer a spot meter and this implementation in the OM3 is great.

BTW, this perfect working OM3 was an as-is-not-working buy from KEH . . .

Nice score. I need to watch KEH more closely. And I wouldn't break up the set either. To make the collection really complete you need the Canon FL 55mm f/1.2, the Konica 55mm f/1.2, and the really hard one to get: the Tomioka 55/1.2 lens M42 screwmount.

Theo Sulphate · Jan 8, 2016

Love the OM-4T.

I just realized the difference between looking at photos of naked women and photos of cameras is that looking at photos of cameras ultimately costs me money.

Sirius Glass · Jan 8, 2016

naaldvoerder · Jan 8, 2016

Theo Sulphate said:
Love the OM-4T.

I just realized the difference between looking at photos of naked women and photos of cameras is that looking at photos of cameras ultimately costs me money.

Maybe. But I find the cameras' s age better...

darinwc · Jan 16, 2016

OK Les.. youve had the four cameras for a while.. why not post a little comparison now? I know you are a big fan of the Pentax. But I'd like to hear what you think about the others in comparison.
-And I am super jealous about the OM3 as well.. My collection has a 'hole' between the 2 and 4

Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades . . .

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