[Brydzo]

Some recent ones from me.
All are from K-r and KIT Lens

[Darren Healy]

One from this morning , could've been sharper perhaps

[JimJohnson]

One from this morning , could've been sharper perhaps

I think foreground foliage presents problems for most auto-focus systems. It is typically of higher contrast than the main subject. I suggest switching AF to spot mode and/or switching to manual focus. If after doing this, your camera's AF persists in slight front or back focus, you may need to use the AF fine adjustment in the camera's menu system.

I highly recommend this procedure for tweaking the focus:
PENTAX DSLRs: Front or Back Focusing Problems? Free test (Lens Alignment) charts for Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus.

[Darren Healy]

I think foreground foliage presents problems for most auto-focus systems. It is typically of higher contrast than the main subject. I suggest switching AF to spot mode and/or switching to manual focus. If after doing this, your camera's AF persists in slight front or back focus, you may need to use the AF fine adjustment in the camera's menu system.

I highly recommend this procedure for tweaking the focus:
PENTAX DSLRs: Front or Back Focusing Problems? Free test (Lens Alignment) charts for Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus.

Thanks Jim i'll look into that , i thought i was on spot focus but it was spot metering DOH

[davidpaulstevenson]

Here are three of my favourite photos that I've taken so far with my new cam. Let me know what you think

[JimJohnson]

I know how to shoot manual - I started photography with '50 era rangefinder 35mm and a handheld exposure meter. I've been learning how the K-r's various automatics handle a scene. Last Saturday I was in landscape mode with a kit 55-300 and ISO 400. I was standing at the edge of a patch of woods, turned and saw these critters. Moved to 300mm and let the AF (spot mode) do its thing.


From the RAW image. The only editing was a color rebalance to remove the blue cast of the late afternoon shade and resize. In retrospect, I wish I had been using sport mode to boost the shutter speed a tad. At high magnification, I can see where handheld, 300mm and 1/350, even with shake reduction, was just barely adequate. Even a half-stop faster would have helped a lot and not drastically reduced the depth of field.

[ccd333]

One from this morning , could've been sharper perhaps

Darren, wow.....frankly the sharpness should be the least of your concerns on this photo. The CA is extreme....high contrast or no. What lens are you using? A Tamron?

[Darren Healy]

Darren, wow.....frankly the sharpness should be the least of your concerns on this photo. The CA is extreme....high contrast or no. What lens are you using? A Tamron?

Yes a Tamron . Thanks very much for your kind comments . "CA" ?
Ah i realise now what you were saying . I'm new to this

[Philoslothical]

Yes a Tamron . Thanks very much for your kind comments . "CA" ?

Have a look here. Fixing CA/PF when editing your photos is usually not too hard, especially if you're shooting raw. In Adobe Camera Raw, or whatever raw processor you use, you can easily desaturate purples if the scene allows. You might also want to bring down greens in some cases, you can see the branches in the background of your shot above have some green fringing, though less extreme than the purple.

[Darren Healy]

Have a look here. Fixing CA/PF when editing your photos is usually not too hard, especially if you're shooting raw. In Adobe Camera Raw, or whatever raw processor you use, you can easily desaturate purples if the scene allows. You might also want to bring down greens in some cases, you can see the branches in the background of your shot above have some green fringing, though less extreme than the purple.

I find i'm really struggling with this camera compared to the Panasonic Fz-38 i had peviously . I was torn between the K-r and the FZ-150 , i'm wondering if i made the wrong choice for me . This definitely is a whole new ball game.
Here is an example shot in manual mode with my Panasonic

[luizpaulo]

I find i'm really struggling with this camera compared to the Panasonic Fz-38 i had peviously . I was torn between the K-r and the FZ-150 , i'm wondering if i made the wrong choice for me . This definitely is a whole new ball game.
Here is an example shot in manual mode with my Panasonic

Keep working on it. The payback is worth it and it's a lot of fun the trial and errors required to improve your skills and very rewarding when you start getting those shots you never got before.

One thing PP is a nice tools. It can help a lot on aberrations, distotions, white balance, contrast, etc. Pick a software a learn a bit how to use it. It really can improve some images

[Philoslothical]

It's definitely worth it, on a number of fronts. Learning some basic post processing skills is something that will help your photography for the rest of your life, and learning more about exposure will, too. Try shooting raw (preferably DNG format, but it's your choice) or raw+ (which simultaneously takes a jpeg of each shot in addition to the raw). Darren, what application do you use to edit/develop your shots? Do you have access to even an old version of Photoshop?

[bigted]

I find i'm really struggling with this camera compared to the Panasonic Fz-38 i had peviously . I was torn between the K-r and the FZ-150 , i'm wondering if i made the wrong choice for me . This definitely is a whole new ball game.
Here is an example shot in manual mode with my Panasonic

Hey Darren, I am still learning (bought my K-r last September) and yes there are days when I think I might be better staying with my old Olympus 765 (older digital slightly more going for it but a glorified p&s). I also know that for me it's not the camera but the user and I have much to learn. I still shoot a lot of what I like rather than taking into account the finer details of photography. Having said that, when I do get that wow shot it's an incredible thrill to have captured it.
I have some cognitive issues that make learning difficult, but on my wish list is some classes with a patient instructor. As an alternative I am giving some serious thought to checking out a local camera club. What I can say for sure is go out and play with it. I know a lot more now than I did in September. Also lurk here lots. Read through random posts even if you are not sure what's being said. I have found answers to questions I didn't know I had doing that. Lens flare is one example I can remember. Finally don't stop asking questions. The folks here are marvelous.

bigted

PS I grew up in Fife and my Dad worked in Glenrothes. Small world!

[Darren Healy]

Keep working on it. The payback is worth it and it's a lot of fun the trial and errors required to improve your skills and very rewarding when you start getting those shots you never got before.

One thing PP is a nice tools. It can help a lot on aberrations, distotions, white balance, contrast, etc. Pick a software a learn a bit how to use it. It really can improve some images

It's definitely worth it, on a number of fronts. Learning some basic post processing skills is something that will help your photography for the rest of your life, and learning more about exposure will, too. Try shooting raw (preferably DNG format, but it's your choice) or raw+ (which simultaneously takes a jpeg of each shot in addition to the raw). Darren, what application do you use to edit/develop your shots? Do you have access to even an old version of Photoshop?

Hey Darren, I am still learning (bought my K-r last September) and yes there are days when I think I might be better staying with my old Olympus 765 (older digital slightly more going for it but a glorified p&s). I also know that for me it's not the camera but the user and I have much to learn. I still shoot a lot of what I like rather than taking into account the finer details of photography. Having said that, when I do get that wow shot it's an incredible thrill to have captured it.
I have some cognitive issues that make learning difficult, but on my wish list is some classes with a patient instructor. As an alternative I am giving some serious thought to checking out a local camera club. What I can say for sure is go out and play with it. I know a lot more now than I did in September. Also lurk here lots. Read through random posts even if you are not sure what's being said. I have found answers to questions I didn't know I had doing that. Lens flare is one example I can remember. Finally don't stop asking questions. The folks here are marvelous.

bigted

PS I grew up in Fife and my Dad worked in Glenrothes. Small world!

Thanks for the encouragement it's much appreciated and of course you are all quite correct "practice makes perfect" . If it were dead easy where would the fun be ?
I have photoshop 5 and also Photodirector (which seems a simpler tool for a beginner) I've also read a few books which i re-read to brush up the theory side.
Bigted , Small world indeed where did your Dad work here ?

Once more thanks for the encouraiging words

[bigted]

Bigted , Small world indeed where did your Dad work here ?

He worked for Beckman Instruments in the 1970s in what we would now call the IT dept.