Hi!

I think I got a Medium format virus infection :-) I would like to ask you two questions regarding Pentax 67 LS lens.

1. Why Pentax does not produce other LS lens? Only one in available, I am not talking about the 90 mm which is not produced anymore.

2. I have never used a LS lens before. Could someone be so kind to explain to me how he/she operates a LS lens? I notice that there is a jack on every LS lens, it looks like to me that the jack is used for cable release, am I correct? Does that mean that when you operate in LS mode, you have to use a cable release ?

Thank you very much, SH

-- Sieu-Hoa Thoi (sthoi@yahoo.com), April 07, 1999

Answers

SH: I will address the first part of your question. I feel it would be a good idea if Pentax did produce more LS lenses due to the infamous shutter shake problem with the focal plane shutter. All of the telephotos from 200mm on up would be candidates. But, if Pentax made most of their lenses LS, it would be like an admission of guilt on their part that their huge focal plane shutter did not translate well from 35mm to 6x7. SR

-- Steve Rasmussen (srasmuss@flash.net), April 07, 1999.

Sieu-Hoa, The "jack" is the X-sync socket for a flash cable. These lenses are used when you want flash sync above 1/30th sec. Basically you plug your sync cord into this socket,set the body shutter speed to 1/8th sec., set the shutter speed you wish on the lens, COCK the lens ( I forget that far too often), do not use mirror lock up and shoot. These instuctions apply for using the lens' leaf shutter. If you want to use the body's focal plane shutter, you set the lens shutter to stay open (represented on my 165 LS as an open circle on the leaf shutter ring. I have the 55, 135 and 165LS. My all time favorite picture was taken with this lens. It is a shot of my wife and daughters: their eyes are extremely sharp. I like the lens and use it alot, partly because I do alot of family portaiture. I wish pentax would make a 200 LS so that I could do tight head shots with flash sync faster than 1/30th. You might find the Pentax threads of the medium format digest helpful. Steve

-- Steve Crognale (SDCrog@AOL.com), April 09, 1999.