[Stavri]

I was picking my brain last night, wondering whether is possible to get some Pentax colors from other manufacturer's lenses. I have never been a fan of the Sigma EX rendering, and was wondering if anyone with the Pentax 1.4x AW converter has seen any improvements in colors when attached to non-pentax lenses.

[yusuf]

Not exactly the same, but we had related discussion here https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/130159-pentax-colors.html

[Stavri]

Not exactly the same, but we had related discussion here https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/130159-pentax-colors.html

I read the thread, it's a bit old, and nobody seems to comment on the 1.4x tc. I'll try the 300mm+ thread.

[tibbitts]

I'm definitely not claiming to have done this this myself, but shouldn't it be possible to just make two images of a reasonably full color spectrum, one with a lens with a color profile you like, and one you don't. Then just align the images, calculate the differences in values between each corresponding pixel in each image, apply that conversion to every future image... and you'd get your desired colors, no? Of course that would just be the baseline before you started adjusting each image, but it seems like it should work.

[robjmitchell]

I'm guessing you could use something like an x rite colour checker to get to a standard for all lenses, then adjust back to the pentax style of colour with adjustments.

[Stavri]

I'm guessing you could use something like an x rite colour checker to get to a standard for all lenses, then adjust back to the pentax style of colour with adjustments.

There's a color picker tool in Lightroom which I need to use more often. It basically lets you sample a spot in your picture and apply that hue on your other images. I miss the pentax colors mostly in my long telephoto shots, I thought that since I often use a TC with my longer primes, I could in essence infuse a bit of that Pentax coating magic by attaching the 1.4x Tc (which I don't yet have) to my lenses and be all set....

A quick exercise: I used the color sampling tool on F135/2.8 which exhibits a strong character and apply it to a pic i took with the sigma ex 300/2.8 (I need to compare it on a calibrated monitor to see the difference a bit better)

Original:


Hue applied:

[stormtech]

This is all quite subjective, but I am in the club loving what how my Pentax lenses render. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but it's there in my opinion.

Over the last few years I've tried so many lenses in Pentax, Sigma, and Tamron. While the Sigma and Tamron were great lenses and some were so very sharp (I'm a fanatic about sharpness also) I've finally settled down to just Pentax lenses. My wife who also shoots beside me with her K-30 has noticed it also without even touching on the technical aspects. We will usually go through our pics taken during the day together and she can easily spot any pics that were not taken with a Pentax lens.

If you have the patience you could certainly mimic the Pentax colors with software with your raw images. I've tried it just for fun and came close, but that little something was always missing.

I don't think adding a Pentax TC is going to do anything. Think about the number of elements the light is travelling through the lens then the amount through the TC. I think the lens coating characteristic is going to win out just by shear numbers. Also in my feeble mind without any scientific proof, I think the first element that the light travels through will have the most effect on the final image.

After years of trying/experimenting with probably 30+ different lenses, I've whittled down to just 4 of my favorite lenses that cover most of what I shoot - and yes, they are all Pentax.

DA 10-17
DFA 100 WR Macro
DA* 60-250
DA* 300

[Stavri]

This is all quite subjective, but I am in the club loving what how my Pentax lenses render. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but it's there in my opinion.

Over the last few years I've tried so many lenses in Pentax, Sigma, and Tamron. While the Sigma and Tamron were great lenses and some were so very sharp (I'm a fanatic about sharpness also) I've finally settled down to just Pentax lenses. My wife who also shoots beside me with her K-30 has noticed it also without even touching on the technical aspects. We will usually go through our pics taken during the day together and she can easily spot any pics that were not taken with a Pentax lens.

If you have the patience you could certainly mimic the Pentax colors with software with your raw images. I've tried it just for fun and came close, but that little something was always missing.

I don't think adding a Pentax TC is going to do anything. Think about the number of elements the light is travelling through the lens then the amount through the TC. I think the lens coating characteristic is going to win out just by shear numbers. Also in my feeble mind without any scientific proof, I think the first element that the light travels through will have the most effect on the final image.

After years of trying/experimenting with probably 30+ different lenses, I've whittled down to just 4 of my favorite lenses that cover most of what I shoot - and yes, they are all Pentax.

DA 10-17
DFA 100 WR Macro
DA* 60-250
DA* 300

I share your affinity for the pentax glass, I too have slowly moved to shooting with Pentax lenses almost exclusively. However I still have some high performing glass (like the 300/2.8) and although I'm not complaining in terms of sharpness and isolation I'm still a bit envious of the DA* 300 images (or the FA 400mm f5.6, and FA 250-600 ones) I know I might not replicate the pentax IQ in terms of micro-contrast, but can I try to do a better job at color profiling to close the gap somewhat.

[Des]

One of the really special qualities of the FA 77 Ltd is the colour rendering. It's the only lens I have ever used whose images never seems to need colour adjustment. From the first test shot, the colours have been stunning.

My other Pentax lenses that are very good (although different from one another) are the DA 12-24, DA 35 f2.4, FA 43 Ltd (distinctive, but not quite in the same league as the 77 IMHO), DA 50 f1.8, A 50 f1.7 and DFA 100 Macro WR (agree with @Stormtech about this - it's superb).

But I don't think it's just Pentax v third party. I generally like the colours from my Tamron 18-250 (in good light) better than those from the Pentax 55-300. With consumer zooms like these, maybe there's some variation in individual copies.

The colour rendering on my Sigma 170-500 was mediocre (it's not a contrasty lens), but I am finding the Sigma 400 f5.6 Tele Macro to be excellent. In my occasional viewing of the 300mm+ lens club thread, I would say that the long Sigma primes hold their own against the long Pentax lenses (e.g. see the shots with the Sigma Tele Macro by @Ducatigaz). But then after PP it can be hard to tell.

Some of the Pentax badged lenses are based on designs by other manufacturers (e.g. DA 12-24 co-designed with Tokina, DA 18-250 and 18-270 are rebadged Tamrons). I don't know whether anyone has compared versions to see whether there is a noticeable difference from different coatings etc.