Pentax DA18-55mm kit lens

madisonphotogrl · 07-24-2008, 06:00 AM

I never thought there was a problem and I always liked it... until I got my tamron and saw how sharp it is. I do agree that I had used some wide apertures. I could always send it to Pentax but then I'd be without my camera

MrApollinax · 07-24-2008, 06:18 AM

I had thought that this was another one of those "club" threads

here is my contribution anyway. I love my kit lens!

I'd look at your gallery but it seems Apple does not want to support Opera

madisonphotogrl · 07-24-2008, 06:22 AM

Originally posted by MrApollinax

I had thought that this was another one of those "club" threads

here is my contribution anyway. I love my kit lens!

I'd look at your gallery but it seems Apple does not want to support Opera

that is odd.

MrApollinax · 07-24-2008, 06:24 AM

I just opened your gallery in IE (shudders) so I could see your kit lens shots. Could you attach or post a link of a full picture with all the EXIF data? I'd like to see what AF points were used for some of your flower and fountain shots. That would actually tell if your kit lens is slightly BF or FF in this case.

madisonphotogrl · 07-24-2008, 06:26 AM

Just thinking a bit here. I mostly do shoot in Aperture priority and usually at f16 when it is bright out. However on the days I have been out it has been breezy. I may need to go manual or more into shutter priority on those days. I did notice the pictures of the waterfall are sharp. Anyone have problems with shooting red? I had to adjust the brightness on one of my rose pictures. It looked really bad at first. Anyhow thanks for all the input.

MrApollinax · 07-24-2008, 06:35 AM

Shooting red in general or with the kit lens? I'll have to look through my pictures but I don't remember having any problems shooting red. My Black lab however is a different story

**cheekygeek** · 07-24-2008, 06:45 AM

Originally posted by johnsherwood

Always really liked it on my K100, thought there was a problem on my K20 though....till I ran through the AF adjustment tweaking process......now its really pretty good for a kit lens.

Can you give me a link to the "AF adjustment tweaking process" (or is it in the manual)?
I just ordered my K200D yesterday, but would like to know about this!

Peter Zack · 07-24-2008, 06:49 AM

The issue may be the aperture you use. my kit lens works just fine and is quite sharp at f8-f11. very good little unit and we almost never hear many complaints.

So at f16 you may be getting some internal lens diffraction. The aperture is so small that light is actually curving too much before it hits the sensor.

Set the camera up on a tripod and try shooting at F 8. Then the same subject at f16 while adjusting the shutter speed to suit the exposure. Compare the shots.

expatCanuck · 07-24-2008, 07:14 AM

Yes -- tho' I don't yet know if it's the lens or the autofocus.

Galapagos shots here.

- Richard

George Lama · 07-24-2008, 09:21 AM

Originally posted by madisonphotogrl

what type of tweaking can I do to the auto focus?

This is on the K20, where it allows you to adjust to adjust focusing and save it as a preset for a particular lens.

I have had good results with the kit lens at f8-f11. At 3.5-4 it does seem soft at times, nothing you can't correct in post-processing. One thing I definitely hate about it is how loud it is when auto-focusing and loose when manual focusing. Sounds like the lens barrel is going to fly off and smack someone.

johnsherwood · 07-24-2008, 04:54 PM

I'm not sure if the K200 has the same AF adjustment available.........but if it does, it would certainly be in the manual under "AF Adjustment".

You can make one generic tweak that will adjust every lens you put on, or a different setting for each of up to 20 lenses I think, and the camera will store that info untill you put that particular lens on again.

It made a VERY big difference for me and the sharpness of my images.........if I can ever figure out how to, I'll post some here!!

x_goal · 07-24-2008, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by johnsherwood

I'm not sure if the K200 has the same AF adjustment available...

No, it does not. That's one of the reasons why in K200D there is an extra "zero" in the name of the camera...

sewebster · 07-24-2008, 05:57 PM

Before I bought my K200D I never realized that there were so many focusing issues. If I had known it would have been a big plus in the K20D column. I do think that this is another of the usual "people with problems reporting them, and people without not saying anything" issues, but clearly there are a lot of people who need adjustments.

I'm hoping they'll enable this functionality in a K200D firmware update (if possible) as it seems to be a matter of actually making the camera work properly, rather than just a convenience for the more advanced user. It would presumably save them the hassle of having to adjust a whole bunch of K200D bodies for lenses when people send them in.

Stratman · 07-24-2008, 06:16 PM

Try opening the lens up some, try shooting at F8 instead of F16, if I have good light, I just set it to F8 or F11 and go for it, it is plenty sharp at F8, and you'll get faster shutter speeds that way too.. The kit lens is NOT a good choice in low light, especially at the long end.

Stratman · 07-24-2008, 06:22 PM

Originally posted by madisonphotogrl

Can you take a look at my gallery and see what you think?

I checked it, and seems like most of your shots in good light weren't bad at all. The roses seemed a little soft, but they looked to be in some shade, or maybe it was in the evening, and there wasn't much light.

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07-24-2008, 06:00 AM	#16
madisonphotogrl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 270 Original Poster	I never thought there was a problem and I always liked it... until I got my tamron and saw how sharp it is. I do agree that I had used some wide apertures. I could always send it to Pentax but then I'd be without my camera

07-24-2008, 06:18 AM	#17
MrApollinax Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,529	I had thought that this was another one of those "club" threads here is my contribution anyway. I love my kit lens! I'd look at your gallery but it seems Apple does not want to support Opera

07-24-2008, 06:22 AM	#18
madisonphotogrl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 270 Original Poster	Originally posted by MrApollinax I had thought that this was another one of those "club" threads here is my contribution anyway. I love my kit lens! I'd look at your gallery but it seems Apple does not want to support Opera that is odd.

07-24-2008, 06:24 AM	#19
MrApollinax Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,529	I just opened your gallery in IE (shudders) so I could see your kit lens shots. Could you attach or post a link of a full picture with all the EXIF data? I'd like to see what AF points were used for some of your flower and fountain shots. That would actually tell if your kit lens is slightly BF or FF in this case.

07-24-2008, 06:26 AM	#20
madisonphotogrl Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 270 Original Poster	Just thinking a bit here. I mostly do shoot in Aperture priority and usually at f16 when it is bright out. However on the days I have been out it has been breezy. I may need to go manual or more into shutter priority on those days. I did notice the pictures of the waterfall are sharp. Anyone have problems with shooting red? I had to adjust the brightness on one of my rose pictures. It looked really bad at first. Anyhow thanks for all the input.

07-24-2008, 06:35 AM	#21
MrApollinax Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,529	Shooting red in general or with the kit lens? I'll have to look through my pictures but I don't remember having any problems shooting red. My Black lab however is a different story

07-24-2008, 06:45 AM	#22
cheekygeek Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kearney, Nebraska USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,261	Originally posted by johnsherwood Always really liked it on my K100, thought there was a problem on my K20 though....till I ran through the AF adjustment tweaking process......now its really pretty good for a kit lens. Can you give me a link to the "AF adjustment tweaking process" (or is it in the manual)? I just ordered my K200D yesterday, but would like to know about this!

07-24-2008, 06:49 AM	#23
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	The issue may be the aperture you use. my kit lens works just fine and is quite sharp at f8-f11. very good little unit and we almost never hear many complaints. So at f16 you may be getting some internal lens diffraction. The aperture is so small that light is actually curving too much before it hits the sensor. Set the camera up on a tripod and try shooting at F 8. Then the same subject at f16 while adjusting the shutter speed to suit the exposure. Compare the shots.

07-24-2008, 07:14 AM	#24
expatCanuck Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New England, USA Posts: 56	Yes -- tho' I don't yet know if it's the lens or the autofocus. Galapagos shots here. - Richard

07-24-2008, 09:21 AM	#25
George Lama Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Buffalo/Rochester, NY Photos: Albums Posts: 1,133	Originally posted by madisonphotogrl what type of tweaking can I do to the auto focus? This is on the K20, where it allows you to adjust to adjust focusing and save it as a preset for a particular lens. I have had good results with the kit lens at f8-f11. At 3.5-4 it does seem soft at times, nothing you can't correct in post-processing. One thing I definitely hate about it is how loud it is when auto-focusing and loose when manual focusing. Sounds like the lens barrel is going to fly off and smack someone.

07-24-2008, 04:54 PM	#26
johnsherwood Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Brantford, Ontario, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 77	I'm not sure if the K200 has the same AF adjustment available.........but if it does, it would certainly be in the manual under "AF Adjustment". You can make one generic tweak that will adjust every lens you put on, or a different setting for each of up to 20 lenses I think, and the camera will store that info untill you put that particular lens on again. It made a VERY big difference for me and the sharpness of my images.........if I can ever figure out how to, I'll post some here!!

07-24-2008, 05:24 PM	#27
x_goal Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Daytona Beach, USA Posts: 36	Originally posted by johnsherwood I'm not sure if the K200 has the same AF adjustment available... No, it does not. That's one of the reasons why in K200D there is an extra "zero" in the name of the camera...

07-24-2008, 05:57 PM	#28
sewebster Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Photos: Gallery Posts: 544	Before I bought my K200D I never realized that there were so many focusing issues. If I had known it would have been a big plus in the K20D column. I do think that this is another of the usual "people with problems reporting them, and people without not saying anything" issues, but clearly there are a lot of people who need adjustments. I'm hoping they'll enable this functionality in a K200D firmware update (if possible) as it seems to be a matter of actually making the camera work properly, rather than just a convenience for the more advanced user. It would presumably save them the hassle of having to adjust a whole bunch of K200D bodies for lenses when people send them in.

07-24-2008, 06:16 PM	#29
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	Try opening the lens up some, try shooting at F8 instead of F16, if I have good light, I just set it to F8 or F11 and go for it, it is plenty sharp at F8, and you'll get faster shutter speeds that way too.. The kit lens is NOT a good choice in low light, especially at the long end.

07-24-2008, 06:22 PM	#30
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	Originally posted by madisonphotogrl Can you take a look at my gallery and see what you think? I checked it, and seems like most of your shots in good light weren't bad at all. The roses seemed a little soft, but they looked to be in some shade, or maybe it was in the evening, and there wasn't much light.