ENGINEERING [450k, 9pics]

[ianmiddy]

After doing a Dyxum 'one-prime' challenge last year with my MinO 28/2.8 [because it seems to have a poor reputation, and I wanted to see if I thought it was deserved], it now spends a lot of time on my KM5D in B&W mode [along with, occasionally, the 50/1.7] - took it out again today and tried it in some fairly challenging conditions...

The Great Central (Steam) Railway engine sheds at Loughborough - all straight from the camera, no PP, just resized [EXIF should be intact] - hope you like 'em:



















I've got a 28/2, but somehow it doesn't get as much use as the 2.8 - partly, I guess, because I don't have to worry about taking it into a greasy, steamy, coal-dust covered environment !

[I guess the edge performance may not be that great, but on the APS crop it seems like a really crisp, slightly-wide 'standard']

Cheers

IDM

[Dr. Harout]

Great shots.
Lately my Minolta 28/2.8 is also hanging on my A700.
Who says it's a bad lens?

[David Kilpatrick]

Lovely set of shots. Sets always work better than single shots.

We will start an Assignment forum here shortly, with some specific rules and deadlines. I will set a subject every two weeks, and if it is popular, every week.

David

[Javelin]

those are great shots. I live old steam engines and hardly ever get to shoot them.

David, I'm sure looking forward to those assignments, sounds like a lot of fun

[ianmiddy]

Thanks for the comments all - took nearly 100 shots in all, and only binned a couple where AS just couldn't help with speeds less than about 1/4s - dad was shooting with his new Oly 420, which I thought might give him probs as no in-body stabilisation, but he got some similiarly good results so maybe the lighter, smaller body helps quite a bit - he also tried some flash shots, but I tried to avoid those with the reflective surfaces...

...also - I always forget to resize to less than 800 wide, so the RHS on the landscape ones is getting chopped - will try & redo them...

We will start an Assignment forum here shortly, with some specific rules and deadlines. I will set a subject every two weeks, and if it is popular, every week.

Also looking forward to these - have done several of the Dyxum ones, and there's a discussion thread at the moment about future formats of them - concensus seems to be that the month-long ones are too long, and week/fortnight duration might be best...

Cheers

IDM

[Dr. Harout]

Lovely set of shots. Sets always work better than single shots.

We will start an Assignment forum here shortly, with some specific rules and deadlines. I will set a subject every two weeks, and if it is popular, every week.

David

I'm in

[Bengeo]

Really good shots Ian, but you say they were taken at "The Great Central (Steam) Railway engine sheds at Peterborough". Not sure you mean Peterborough as the Great Central doesn't go there?

Andy

[ianmiddy]

but you say they were taken at "The Great Central (Steam) Railway engine sheds at Peterborough". Not sure you mean Peterborough as the Great Central doesn't go there?

Whoops ! - thanks, Andy - getting my 'boroughs' mixed up - of course, should have been Loughborough [that's what comes of having used software produced in Peterborough for a decade or so, lol] !

Cheers

IDM

[Dr. Harout]

By the way, there is a good article here http://www.alphamountworld.com/reviews/ ... page=0%2C0 on Sony 28/2.8 by C. Garrard.

[Birma]

Great set of shots - I have been thinking about getting a second hand Min 28 2.8 for a while and these shots help for the + side. A nearby LCE has one for 99.00GBP which perhaps seems expensive with them are going on eBay for anything from 44 to 80 GBP. I suppose with LCE there will be a warranty and support so perhaps worth the extra few pounds.

[I'm also looking forward to the assignments ]

[ianmiddy]

have been thinking about getting a second hand Min 28 2.8 for a while and these shots help for the + side. A nearby LCE has one for 99.00GBP which perhaps seems expensive with them are going on eBay for anything from 44 to 80 GBP.

Would recommend it, if you can try it out in-shop first - the Dyxum user-reviews on it are somewhat mixed, so maybe like the Kit lens it was subject to quality variation - I count myself lucky, as out of 11 Minolta 'Original' [ie not RS or newer] lenses I've bought, I'm happy with every single one...

Cheers

IDM