[telfish]

Yuk! Things just don't seem to be adding up here. You are exposing what the so-called reviewers have blissfully ignored.

1. The K-5 obviously screwed up big time on the first, and the 2 dark result speaks of that. A broke DFS here maybe?

2. On the second it seems to have coughed out another mess, would that be DFS blending misalignment that caused the double vision?

Yes, please carry on with your interesting tests to eliminate any possible PEBKAC. Will be nice to see if the all singing and dancing new model actually can do it reliably and repeatably.


Btw; has anyone given K-5 in-cam HDR a decent road test yet? Samples of one or two that I've seen to date don't really qualify.
Even seem sparse on Flickr so far too.
Pentax K-5 HDR - Flickr: Search
..and Long Exposure only picks up 2 as of 2010-11-12 AESDT.
Pentax K-5 Long exposure - Flickr: Search

.R.

Don't please jump in here and attach blame to the camera! I am likely screwing up.

So please cool it. This is experimental stuff as far as I am concerned, and I don't see many people trying hour plus exposures with their cameras so I can compare results and techniques. The manual is petty vague on this so I am flying by the seat of the pants somewhat.

Judging by the result of the first non DFS I took I think this camera will be a superb tool for astro photographers, so much so that I am about to invest in an equatorial mount to set the camera on for astro photography.

I will post the crap results and any success I have here I am not a fanboy who will ignore the screw-ups either by myself or the camera. I rushed the last shot just to get something from the nights endeavor, I may have missed focused and the battery did run out so don't judge too harshly please. I do not wish to start another false rumor about Pentax cameras.

So ride along with me as I learn about long exposure photography, and as I discover the way the K5 handles this side of the art. However please don't jump to conclusions based on anything I post here until I and others have had a chance to do more than a couple of exposures.

---------- Post added 11-12-10 at 07:55 AM ----------

Unlucky - quite a useful thing to do is to take a high ISO shot before the sequence/exposure just to doublecheck focus.

I did that on the first try Ash, but was rushing on the second and just winged it. I learn by my mistakes so I need to slow down.

[Hypocorism]

Don't please jump in here and attach blame to the camera! I am likely screwing up.

So please cool it.
...

Well don't bother consuming the full content of what I wrote will you. Just go ahead and bang that keyboard ad lib as much as you need! I remain quite content to commiserate with your frustrations.

"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." -- Anon

.R.

[telfish]

Well don't bother consuming the full content of what I wrote will you. Just go ahead and bang that keyboard ad lib as much as you need! I remain quite content to commiserate with your frustrations.

"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." -- Anon

.R.

Whatever dude, I just don't have the time or energy for internet pissing matches.

---------- Post added 11-12-10 at 08:56 AM ----------

I just stuck 3 ND's on the lens and did a 16 minute exposed DFS and and it worked perfectly. Counted down the DFS and returned to normal, picture was fine. I am going to try a 30 minute one now.

[Col]

BTW I notice the same smudge across the frame as last night. I am certain there was no moisture on the lens so this must be the milky way.

Ah Ha worked out your field of view. The smudge IS the Milky Way. It is going through the constellations of Perseus (looks like a number 4 and is pretty much centre and above the lime green tree) and Cassiopeia (looks like a W and is below the branch coming in from the top). Oh the very bright star top right corner is Jupiter.

Looks like the main culprit is the focus here, which may be in part using the lens wide open.

[telfish]

Ah Ha worked out your field of view. The smudge IS the Milky Way. It is going through the constellations of Perseus (looks like a number 4 and is pretty much centre and above the lime green tree) and Cassiopeia (looks like a W and is below the branch coming in from the top). Oh the very bright star top right corner is Jupiter.

Looks like the main culprit is the focus here, which may be in part using the lens wide open.

I'm not sure the 10mm fisheye is the best lens for this. I used it to get the widest view of the sky and that in normal use it has a huge DOF. I will change back to the 15 mm limited tonight if we get a clear sky. I will stop it down to 5.6 as I did in the first shot.

Good to confirm the smudge is the milky way though.

[Col]

I should have checked your signature for that lens not that I'm Jealous ... You'll have to stop you neighbour using the upstairs bathroom during an exposure. I've stopped long exposures at home due to a plethora of motion activated security lights... they'll kill a shot immediately

The night sky this month | Skymania News and Guide

Attached is a link star chart for your field of view.

[telfish]

I should have checked your signature for that lens not that I'm Jealous ... You'll have to stop you neighbour using the upstairs bathroom during an exposure. I've stopped long exposures at home due to a plethora of motion activated security lights... they'll kill a shot immediately

The night sky this month | Skymania News and Guide

Attached is a link star chart for your field of view.

I have an Ipad and there is a really good app for it called skywalk. It is a realtime skymap the you can hold over your head and it will show the location and names of the stars and planets, as you move the ipad it updates in real time. You can also search for stars and objects. It also shows when the planets rise and set and points you to future events. A great learing tool for nubes and kids. I count as both

I just did a 30 minute exposure with the 3 ND's on and it worked fine regarding the DFS. The countdown timer has only 3 digits and shows seconds, so it flashes until you reach 999 seconds.

I am thinking I just fumbled something working in the dark somehow.

[falconeye]

Hi,

in order to control focus and to use the chance of a clear sky, I recommend to do a 30s photo at ISO 1600. You should then be able to control focus on stars in playback max. zoom.

I've posted my experience with the K-x when I had dark skies:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/83638-night-milky-way-30s.html

Ocean in Jupiter Shine

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

In the upper left part, you can see the Andromeda galaxy (M31).

So, the 30s photos can be great in itself.

With the K-5, I would even propose the repeat the 30s photo at ISO 100. The image will come out black but it should be interesting to restory the full starry night view without blowing the brighter stars (and they will all be blown at ISO 1600).

[Ash]

Hi,

in order to control focus and to use the chance of a clear sky, I recommend to do a 30s photo at ISO 1600. You should then be able to control focus on stars in playback max. zoom.

With the K-5, I would even propose the repeat the 30s photo at ISO 100. The image will come out black but it should be interesting to restory the full starry night view without blowing the brighter stars (and they will all be blown at ISO 1600).

That's the way I've gotten exposure right also - focus is probably the most challenging to get right since it's difficult to judge. Shooting a foreground also brings in the possibility of motion blur from wind. But otherwise it's a predictable practice.



The 'smudging' of the Milky Way can be seen here also in this 45 minute exposure with the K10D.

[jbinpg]

And an obvious southern hemisphere shot given the two additional Magellanic Cloud smudges lower left

[Ash]

You got it. (not that I noticed your astronomic observations... )
Looking south around spring time with 16mm focal length...

[adamfogerty]

Hi,

in order to control focus and to use the chance of a clear sky, I recommend to do a 30s photo at ISO 1600. You should then be able to control focus on stars in playback max. zoom.

I've posted my experience with the K-x when I had dark skies:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/83638-night-milky-way-30s.html

Ocean in Jupiter Shine

Click on the image to view it in a larger size

In the upper left part, you can see the Andromeda galaxy (M31).

So, the 30s photos can be great in itself.

With the K-5, I would even propose the repeat the 30s photo at ISO 100. The image will come out black but it should be interesting to restory the full starry night view without blowing the brighter stars (and they will all be blown at ISO 1600).

This looks like a picture of the noise patterns from my K10D at 1600 ISO

[Col]

I am thinking I just fumbled something working in the dark somehow.

Well my "slap the forehead" one, was I hadn't disabled refocus on remote the first time I tried this. I had everything set up nicely and then on the press of the remote I heard the lens get driven for one end to the other!

[telfish]

Well my "slap the forehead" one, was I hadn't disabled refocus on remote the first time I tried this. I had everything set up nicely and then on the press of the remote I heard the lens get driven for one end to the other!

It's a Homer Simpson moment, we all have them only some will never admit to them. Which is a pity but hey. DOH!

[kittykat46]

I am thinking I just fumbled something working in the dark somehow.

I found this useful when working the camera in almost total darkness.

It has a headband and leaves both hands free to work your gear. And uses AAA batteries....

Amazon.com: Energizer 3 LED Headlight: Sports & Outdoors

There are cheaper types available, but this is the only one in the price range I found with the Red Low-Light LED which helps preserve your night-vision