[DRodrigues]

Neil,
Thanks for replying. The idea is that if you could repeat the test you did with the Kenko rings but, instead of confirming if it affected focus at close distances, my interest is to see if it still get focus at far distances / infinity... Just to see if I could use my bino combo with this scope (it has some advantages over the my TMB, mainly weight, internal focus and possibility of adjusting f ratio easily), without having to do much "bricolage"...

[Paul Hackett]

Had the chance to be out with the Photolens Scope yesterday in great light, had this family of obliging Bearded Tits, Kowa Photolens scope, Prism unit, 30X WA eyepiece, Contax U4R Camera, distance around 15 - 20 yards

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9709467...7627800488712/

Paul

[Paul Hackett]

A great few hours spent in the company of this obliging bird, taken with Kowa Photolens scope, a few more pictures of this bird can be seen here -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9709467...7627856913644/

Paul

[Jaff]

I think it's safe to say Paul we're well aware of how good the images are that the Photoscope can produce now so in future if you simply want to share your pictures taken with this setup could you please only post them in the Gallery.

Thanks.
Adam

[superDove]

Hi,

Great captures Paul.

Was wondering if the lens/scope would take a teleconverter on the Nikon 500mm adapter for example?

James

[Neil]

I wanted to use the Nikon 30-110/mm lens so tried it on the Kowa VA3. A range of about 1000 - 4000 mm with minor adjustments.
Neil

Nikon V1 and Nikon 30-110 lens and Kowa lens scope and Kw VA3 adapter

Hong Kong,
china.
Nov 2011

[Chhayanat]

This concerns suitability from a Pentax K20D/equivalent DSLR user's viewpoint.
i) Will the Kowa lens-scope permit stop down metering by the green button as with other manual lenses: the user sets the aperture using the ring on the lens and then presses the green button to get the shutter speed.
ii) The K20D's live view implementation is quite primitive. Can the putative user use the eye-level view finder to focus with the Kowa as is usually done with other manual focus lenses?
iii) Why is it difficult to hand-hold the 500mm lens-scope for BIF? Is it because of the weight of the lens?
iv) Is it possible to use the lens-scope with a standard tripod head in its 500mm form?
I think several of these points have been answered in passing, which is why I am hoping for a consolidated response here.
Chhayanat

[Paul Hackett]

Originally Posted by superDove

Hi,

Great captures Paul.

Was wondering if the lens/scope would take a teleconverter on the Nikon 500mm adapter for example?

James

Yes it would, but you lose light and shutter speed as you would with any converter attached to a prime lens.

Paul

[Paul Hackett]

Originally Posted by Chhayanat

This concerns suitability from a Pentax K20D/equivalent DSLR user's viewpoint.
i) Will the Kowa lens-scope permit stop down metering by the green button as with other manual lenses: the user sets the aperture using the ring on the lens and then presses the green button to get the shutter speed.

The aperture ring can be set, what do you mean by the green button?

ii) The K20D's live view implementation is quite primitive. Can the putative user use the eye-level view finder to focus with the Kowa as is usually done with other manual focus lenses?

Yes you can.

iii) Why is it difficult to hand-hold the 500mm lens-scope for BIF? Is it because of the weight of the lens?

Manual focusing is not for everybody, your hand to eye coordination is the main requirement here, but it can be done, see attached pic why do you say it is difficult?

iv) Is it possible to use the lens-scope with a standard tripod head in its 500mm form?

Depends on the tripod head you have? but a lightweight tripod would not be suitable, it needs to be able to take the weight as it would with any 500mm lens, see attcahed file for the weight of the lens

I think several of these points have been answered in passing, which is why I am hoping for a consolidated response here.
Chhayanat

Hope this helps?

Regards

Paul

[Chhayanat]

The aperture ring can be set, what do you mean by the green button?
In the K20D, pressing a button which is green in colour sets the shutter speed after the aperture has been set by the click-stop aperture ring on manual lenses. The camera cannot 'read' the aperture from a manual lens without an 'A' setting.

Manual focusing is not for everybody, your hand to eye coordination is the main requirement here, but it can be done, see attached pic why do you say it is difficult?

The comments which I read regarding lack of autofocus prompted me to ask why it was difficult to focus manually. Actually I have been using a 400mm f5.6 SMC-Pentax lens since 1981 on Pentax MX bodies and now on DSLRs. In my experience, it is a little more difficult to focus manually on DSLRs than it was on the film SLRs owing to the smaller viewfinder. Your picture is entirely satisfactory for my purposes.

Depends on the tripod head you have? but a lightweight tripod would not be suitable, it needs to be able to take the weight as it would with any 500mm lens, see attcahed file for the weight of the lens
It was not the weight which I meant: what I meant was whether lens could be attached to any modern tripod.
Thanks,
Chhayanat

[Bird_Bill]

Hello to Paul and Chhayanat. Paul if might lend a hand to what Chhayanat mentions about green button,as Im a K20 shooter also.
Pentax allows backward compability with all their K mount glass.Requires use of green button.What it does is to engage apeture coupling lever and stop down iris of lens,or as is known,performs stop down metering.Exposure value is then computed and output as shutter speed.Otherwise iris is held open for composing and focusing.
Believe nikons,canon work in simular manner.As Ive already sold some old glass off and am leaning in the direction of kowa lens/scope,thats the question I believe Chhayanat is asking and Im interested in.If kowa/pentax adapter has apeture coupling lever then no doudt it will perform green button/stop down metering.So I guess related question might be does your nikon adapter have apeture coupling mechanism or lever?,if it does then safe to assume pentax does also.Kowa looks to be a great piece,two low dispersion elements and a fluoro crown are same as whats in the big canon L's. very attractive.
Mount on kowa fits my manfrotto/gitzo head and pod out of the box,no worries there.
Some super pic's you put up too.

[Chhayanat]

Originally Posted by Bird_Bill

Im a K20 shooter also.
Pentax allows backward compability with all their K mount glass.Requires use of green button.What it does is to engage apeture coupling lever and stop down iris of lens,or as is known,performs stop down metering.Exposure value is then computed and output as shutter speed.Otherwise iris is held open for composing and focusing.
...thats the question I believe Chhayanat is asking and Im interested in.If kowa/pentax adapter has apeture coupling lever then no doudt it will perform green button/stop down metering.So I guess related question might be does your nikon adapter have apeture coupling mechanism or lever?,if it does then safe to assume pentax does also.Mount on kowa fits my manfrotto/gitzo head and pod out of the box,no worries there...

Thanks Bird_Bill. That's precisely the question I had in mind: can the shutter speed be set by the green button on the K20D once the aperture has been selected with the aperture ring(as happens with Pentax K-mount lenses without electronic controls).

Partly because of the high price of the lens/scope and partly because the green button question has not been answered explicitly, there does not appear to be much discussion in the Pentax discussion groups about the lens/scope, its high optical quality,notwithstanding.
Chhayanat

[Paul Hackett]

[quote=Bird_Bill;2322896]Hello to Paul and Chhayanat. Paul if might lend a hand to what Chhayanat mentions about green button,as Im a K20 shooter also.
Pentax allows backward compability with all their K mount glass.Requires use of green button.What it does is to engage apeture coupling lever and stop down iris of lens,or as is known,performs stop down metering.Exposure value is then computed and output as shutter speed.Otherwise iris is held open for composing and focusing.
Believe nikons,canon work in simular manner.As Ive already sold some old glass off and am leaning in the direction of kowa lens/scope,thats the question I believe Chhayanat is asking and Im interested in.If kowa/pentax adapter has apeture coupling lever then no doudt it will perform green button/stop down metering.So I guess related question might be does your nikon adapter have apeture coupling mechanism or lever?,

No, there isnt any "aperture coupling lever" on any of the converters, the logical thought here is that you can change the aperture ring on the photolens, if you then increase/decrease/stop down the "green button" then light/shutter speed is going to be affected. i think this is probably the best answer i can give without actually trying the Pentax on the photolens scope?

Which programme camera setting does the green lever work in?

Paul


i

[Chhayanat]

Which programme camera setting does the green lever work in?

In M or manual mode. It is also possible to set the shutter speed by turning the appropriate wheel and monitoring the EV bar in the LCD panel or the viewfinderby using the depth of field preview lever.

In Av mode the lens defaults to fully open and remains there, irrespective of the shutter speed used
Chhayanat

[Bird_Bill]

[quote=Paul Hackett;2324545]

Originally Posted by Bird_Bill

No, there isnt any "aperture coupling lever" on any of the converters, the logical thought here is that you can change the aperture ring on the photolens, if you then increase/decrease/stop down the "green button" then light/shutter speed is going to be affected. i think this is probably the best answer i can give without actually trying the Pentax on the photolens scope?

Paul


i

Hi Paul,Exactly right in that regard. C' covers other aspects great.
Shoot manual mode most of time anyway.Convenience is probably biggest asset of coupling lever,allows full open focusing.Have a feeling that with kowa's rep' and experience what it is, piece is very sharp wide open.Have 2 autofocus/teleconverter adapters pentax made in past and that adds an element of intrigue for me,work very well in turning manual focus lens into a psudeo autofocus piece.Sounds very good,thanks.
@Chhayanat...just like shooting an old takumar pre-set on K20.
Bill

[Chhayanat]

[quote=Bird_Bill;2325039]

Originally Posted by Paul Hackett

@Chhayanat...just like shooting an old takumar pre-set on K20.
Bill

And probably one of the reasons why it will not be picked up by many Pentax and (relevant) Samsung users. Pity, as the quality of the lens exceeds that of much of the competition.

2. Are Nikon and Canon user getting readouts in Av or any other modes without having to close down manually to taking aperture before the picture is taken?

Chhayant

[Bird_Bill]

[quote=Chhayanat;2325687]

Originally Posted by Bird_Bill

And probably one of the reasons why it will not be picked up by many Pentax and (relevant) Samsung users. Pity, as the quality of the lens exceeds that of much of the competition.

Chhayant

Hmm,wonder if Ricoh/pentax listening?

Could always hang one on my LX, bang away apeture priority,sure be nice.
Cheers,
Bill

[Neil]

I just tested the Nikon V1 on the Kowa 850/9.6 module. No AF obviously but metering works ok at the selected f stop ( 5.6/8/11 ).
Neil

[wildnorthborneo]

Owh my TS.... Is it the Glass or your Skill! ... Very nice review and you tamed the machine well....

[horukuru]

Originally Posted by RJM

It is this, http://www.kowa-prominar.ne.jp/pro/s...a1/tsn-ps2.htm plus this extra http://www.kowa-prominar.ne.jp/pro/s...tsn-ps2-sp.htm

Rick,

How much does the Kowa TSN-PS2 cost in Japan ? Http://www.kowa-prominar.ne.jp/intro...ol_02/zoom.htm and does the plate goes straight to the wimberley head mount like the arca swiss plate ?

[RJM]

Jason I think it attaches to any brand QR plate that uses the standard 1/4" screw. New price is ~JPY16,000...used ~JPY5000.

[horukuru]

Originally Posted by RJM

Jason I think it attaches to any brand QR plate that uses the standard 1/4" screw. New price is ~JPY16,000...used ~JPY5000.

What's the weight of this rail ? Thinking to buy one ...