RMC Tokina 3.5/17 on NEX-3

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I already have the later AT-X AF version of this lens in EOS mount and it's a cracker so when I saw a Konica AR mount one for peanuts I had to grab it. It's in mint condition, looks unused, a nice compact lens. Fairly soft wide open but get very sharp at smaller aperture, I love it for landscape work which is mostly what I shoot these days.

f3.5:

f16:

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Love the shot with the lake Smile

Is that someone's tent down there? And if so, where have they gone? Shocked

martyn_bannister · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 1151

Good shots Ian. The panorama of the river especially I like. I have a copy of this lens as my super wide and I like it a lot Smile

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

It's Hodge Close abandoned mines/quarry at Coniston, I noticed that rubber thing at the bottom, looked to me like a rubber dinghy. If you fell from the top where I took the picture, I doubt you'd survive due to all the jagged rocks, maybe if you landed in the water. There is another part off to the right of frame where you can climb down and it's nto full of water so probably they went down there and launched the boat.

The river is the Lazy (great name, eh!) at Haverigg, couple of miles from my house, very grey horrid day that day, I have better photos of it on nicer days, I was wearing all my thermals to take this one, brass monkey weather indeed that day!

A friend who comes with me on my photo trips and shoots a Canon EOS 350D did an informal comparison between my AF AT-X Tokina 17 and his EF-S 18-55 kit lens at the 18 end. No contest, Tokina every time, he's thinking of selling his kit lens and trying to find a Tokina. I won't sell him my EF mount one but do lend him it whenever he needs.

Still not got the hang of this HDR thing, Photoshop I have discovered is not great for HDR work so I'm using Photomatix but until I can get the damn thing to load all the presets I downloaded I'm kinda hamstrung.

I still need a good 24mm (Hexanon or Yashica ML if poss) but in the meantime between this Tokina 17 and my Hexanon 3.5/28 I feel I'm pretty well covered on the wide angles.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

revers · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:19 pm Post subject:

Lovely images Ian. Now you got me wanting another lens. Rolling Eyes

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

This place cry for B&W shoots , what a place ! I did make one to push you a bit Wink

#1

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Yes, I have tried shadows/highlights, I used it on some of these images, particularly the one of the trees and hills.

It's a great lens Ron, doesn't fetch high prices either so can be had reasonably.

Shot a load more images with it today, will post them later after PP.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Wow Attila, that looks fantastic! I plan to return there soon as there are a few other parts that I want to shoot as well. I did play with a BW version of the shot with Danger Keep Ou written on the rock and though it looked quite nice.

I will take my FT-1 with me next visit and shoot some BW film with this Tokina lens as well as more digital, although I still need to get a film scanner.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

HDR how I like , due I don't have genuine three shoots with different exposures and light was crap , reallistic HDR not works, but un-reallistic works pretty well.
#1

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I like that one too, I agree that realistic HDR is difficult. I have saved the shots I used to make that HDR image if you would like me to send them to you to play with.

Here is another image I shot today with the Tokina of a Tarn near Skelwith Bridge, just a couple of miles from the Quarry we visited yesterday, it was another very grey, dull day but the reflections on the water were amazing as the water was completely still almost and there was no wind. I am really happy with how this shot came out, 20 exposures to make this one which was probably overkill, but it worked.

And here, following Attila's little push is a BW version.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

More sharpness and a bit more black and it will be excellent Ian.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Thanks for the tips, I have increased contrast and used unsharp mask.

adent · Joined: 06 Oct 2011 Posts: 304 Location: United States

For HDR I prefer to use NIK software's HDR Efex pro. Has anyone else tried it? Here are a couple of samples.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

Great shots of that quarry and a fine pano indeed. HDR is not for me though, I prefer natural.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

NikonD · Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 1922 Location: Slovenija

OMG now I see a mans torso just bellow the rubber thingy Shocked

and a woman in a black gown left to it Shocked

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Nice HDR work, I haven't tried that software but I will look at it. I'm just getting to grips with HDR, like Klaus, it hasn't interested me too much before as I too prefer natural. I decided to try HDR because I was finding some very challenging situations in my landscapes where a single exposure wasn't cutting it. I have gone and bought a Cromatek matte box and bellows hood and some graduated and ND filters to fit it so I can try to conquer those tricky situations without HDR. I have done a number of HDR images in the past with a natural look and I like those. I see HDR as another useful tool in the toolbox but one that is complex to use and tricky to master.

Thanks Klaus, I was lucky to arrive at that Tarn at just the right moment in terms of the reflections, it was a really magical scene and that is half the battle with making a nice landscape picture imho.

Here is another HDR of the same tarn, I thought the stump looked interesting but I am not happy with the composition, to get the right framing I would have had to stand in the tarn itself, I did try it and just couldn't find the right spot. I waded through two rivers and stood in both of them for a while to take some shots today and damn was it cold! I was only wearing hiking boots too, should have taken my rubber boots and thermal socks!

Mono version, that blown out sky is annoying.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Another HDR of the weir at the end of the tarn, someone walked along the pathway (where I shot the tarn panorama from) while I was shooting this hence you can see some ghosts of them.

Mono version gives the flowing water a chrome look.

BTW, Yes, I was stood in the river to take this shot, brrrrr.... chilly!

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

More sharpening, more black in my opinion makes it to better.

#1

#2

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Ah yes, that BW stump shot looks much better after your processing, many thanks, I am finding the feedback most helpful!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Another moving water shot, I had to stand in the river to take this.

I have ordered some filters to use with this Tokina lens, looking forward to using them, particularly the graduated NDs and NDs, I take it out again for some shooting when the filters arrive.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

This tree has ceased to be.

Disappointingly there is quite a lot of CA visible on the trees at the top edge of frame, I hate CA!

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Creek leading into the tarn, CA is less visible in this shot.