How To Photograph A Solar Eclipse

How to safely and successfuly capture photos of the Sun

By bdery in Articles and Tips on Mar 11, 2024

Solar eclipses are among the most beautiful celestial events visible to the naked eye. Such eclipses are rare, occurring much less frequently than lunar eclipses. Given their frequency and geographical localization, seeing a total solar eclipse is often a once-in-a-lifetime event. This makes the upcoming total solar eclipse, which will be visible in North America on April 8th, all the more interesting, as the total eclipse will be visible in Mexico, central and northeastern USA, and eastern Canada.

For photographers, a total solar eclipse presents an exciting opportunity. As with most unique phenomena, photographers will want to capture the various stages of the eclipse.

However, as with everything related to the Sun, photographing a solar eclipse can be dangerous both for the eyes of the photographer and for the equipment being used.

In this article, I discuss the key elements to know to properly enjoy and photograph a total solar eclipse.

Total solar eclipse showing the corona. Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Pentax KF Camera Reviewed

One of the most affordable cameras currently on the market

By bdery in Review Announcements on Feb 26, 2024

Today we present our in-depth review of the Pentax KF camera!

Based on the K-70, and similar to it in almost all aspects, the KF was originally launched because the supply chain for parts for the K-70 was becoming difficult to maintain. This means that, even though at its core the KF is the same as the K-70, there are some inevitable differences in both the hardware and software. Moreover, we are now in 2024 and the photography market has evolved since the launch of the K-70. It is thus useful to take a look at the KF with current expectations in mind.

Read on to find out what we thought of the KF!

Review of the Biotar 75mm F1.5 II

A legendary lens now available in mirrorless and DSLR mounts

By bdery in Review Announcements on Feb 12, 2024

We are happy to present our review of the Biotar 75mm F1.5 II, the revival of one of the most legendary lens designs of the last century!

Based on Zeiss' iconic Biotar 75mm F1.5 lens first released before World War II, this new version brought forward by Meyer Optik Görlitz improves on the original by tweaking the lens design, improving on the materials and manufacturing, adding mutli-coatings, while preserving what makes the Biotar unique. Namely, its excellent center sharpness and signature bokeh (often referred to as "swirly bokeh"). Sometimes named the "king of vortex", the Biotar formula is still sought after almost a century after its inception.  Today, it is available in most modern mirrorless and DSLR mounts, including Pentax, Nikon, Sony, Canon, micro four-thirds, and others.

Read our review to see what we found out about the new Biotar 75mm F1.5 II lens!

Making Fall Colors Pop with the "Gold" Custom Image Mode

A new custom image preset for the KF, K-3 III, and K-1 series

By bdery in Articles and Tips on Dec 12, 2023

In the last two years or so, Pentax made a strong push to flesh out its Custom Image offering. We discussed classic and newer Custom Image modes in a recent article. Today we take a look at the newest addition to the list of Custom Image options, a mode simply called Gold.

The Gold Custom Image mode was released via firmware in Fall 2023 for the K-3 III and KF. It was actually launched earlier on the K-1 and K-1 II, becoming available in June 2023. It follows the release of the Satobi Custom Image mode, as well as four seasonal and lens-specific modes called Katen, Kyushu, Fuyuno and Harubeni.

What Are Custom Image Modes?

Custom Image modes are built-in presets which impact how the camera processes colors, saturation, sharpness, and contrast. They apply only to JPEG files, not RAW, although Custom Image can be applied retroactively to a RAW file by using Pentax's Digital Camera Utility (or comparable software for other brands). By selecting a particular Custom Image mode, the camera produces a JPEG file with specific rendering, and those can be changed to best match the scene being photographed.

Our recent article presented most current Custom Image modes. Today we take a closer look at the newest mode released by Pentax, Gold.

Gold Custom Image Mode

Contrary to the four seasonal Custom Image modes, Gold is available for all lenses. It is offered on four cameras (K-3 III, KF, K-1 and K-1 II). Essentially, this represents all the current Pentax DSLRs, excluding the Monochrome for which Gold makes no sense. It is good to see Pentax step away from the lens-specific modes. While we understand that the company saw them as no-consequence little bonuses for buyers of recent lenses, many Pentax loyalists were disappointed to miss out on those interesting modes. Gold is thus the first generally available Custom Image mode since Satobi.

Gold impacts many aspects of the image. First, it increases the presence of yellow tones in brighter areas. Second, it enhances blue tones in darker areas. Warm colors are enhanced on the whole image, with emphasis put on brighter areas.

With this intentional color cast added by the Gold Custom Mode, images appear to have been captured at dusk, creating a retro mood. The color tone shifts from blue in the shadows, to yellow in bright areas. Sunlight and its reflections are emphasized when using this mode. However, it also leads to a slight decrease in perceived contrast, since shadows are now pulled towards blue tones. Images look a bit less three-dimensional and a bit more monotone.

Examples

The following images show examples of the effect of the Gold Custom Image mode.

This first set compares the Bright, Natural and Gold modes. You can click on images for a larger view.

Bright Natural Gold
Bright Natural Gold

The effect of the Gold Custom Image mode is immediately apparent. The whole image takes up a warm, golden cast, even on surfaces which are blue (such as the fence and disk). The tree trunk doesn't appear as dark; the whole image becomes less contrasty. Even the tree leaves, which are already mostly yellow, take on an even warmer cast. The overall effect shows that the Custom Image mode is well-named: the images gains a rich golden cast.

This second set compares Bright and Gold modes in a scene with a patch of blue sky.

Bright Gold
Bright Gold

The impact of using Gold is clear on the blue sky. The mode emphasizes yellow tones in bright areas, and this results in an almost complete disappearance of the blue color in the sky. The leaves, which show some green on the Bright image, turn almost pure yellow on the Gold image. The tree trunks show lower contrast between their brighter and darker areas.

Summary

The new Gold Custom Image mode is a welcome new option available for Pentax users. It can have a strong impact on bright scenes. Used creatively, it can enhance an image. Like other Custom Image modes, it is not a perfect choice in all situations. It is best to plan ahead and use any Custom Image mode with deliberate intent and with a clear understanding of the expected results.

If you are a K-3 III user, we invite you to read the K-3 Mark III eBook for more tips on getting the most out of custom image modes.

Pentax O-ICK1 Sensor Cleaning Kit Review

Special tool to easily remove sensor dust

By bdery in Review Announcements on Sep 18, 2023

Today we present a short review of the Pentax O-ICK1 sensor cleaning kit!

This simple tool is extremely useful to remove stubborn dust and particles from a camera sensor. When using the camera's built-in sensor removal system doesn't work, and using a rocket blower still leaves residual particles, it becomes necessary to get a cleaning tool in contact with the sensor. The O-ICK1 is one such tool.

Read on to find out how well the Pentax O-ICK1 can clean a dirty camera sensor!

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