I took several photos during a Christmas program today, using my KP in TAv mode. Afterwards I remembered the camera had set the ISO to 25600 for this one, so I have posted the original SOOC photo and a 100% crop from that same photo below to show what the KP does at that level.

[RGlasel]

It always amazes me what you can get out of a digital camera. With 400 ASA film, you would have needed a shutter speed of 1/4 second. Depending on how much post processing you want to do, correcting purple fringing and applying digital noise reduction will make a noticeable difference to what is already an acceptable image at normal magnification. Your pianist doesn't look like a young Jerry Lee Lewis, so you also could have reduced your shutter to 1/125 from 1/250 to reduce noise and increase dynamic range, without getting too much motion blur. Thanks for sharing.

[Cerebum]

I took several photos during a Christmas program today, using my KP in TAv mode. Afterwards I noticed the camera had set the ISO to 25600 for this one, so I have posted the original SOOC photo and a 100% crop from that same photo below to show what the KP does at that level.

OK, that's incredible! Sadly finding the money for a KP is is something of a distant dream and I do love my K3. Fantastic performance though

[reh321]

It always amazes me what you can get out of a digital camera. With 400 ASA film, you would have needed a shutter speed of 1/4 second. Depending on how much post processing you want to do, correcting purple fringing and applying digital noise reduction will make a noticeable difference to what is already an acceptable image at normal magnification. Your pianist doesn't look like a young Jerry Lee Lewis, so you also could have reduced your shutter to 1/125 from 1/250 to reduce noise and increase dynamic range, without getting too much motion blur. Thanks for sharing.

I have to admit that this photo was a 'stunt'; I had already taken nine photos with the ISO going between 10000 and 12800 (*), so for this one near the end of the show I raised the shutter speed to force the ISO up to 25600. Ever since the K-70 came out, I've been saying that Pentax cameras priced below $1K might be the solution for those who want to take photos of kids/grandkids playing indoor sports {parents/grandparents with little interest in PP}, but balk at the pricetag of a "constant f/2" or "constant f/2.8" long lens that they would have no other use for, so this was an opportunity for me to test my theory - a 'proof of concept' as it were - and I am totally satisfied with this result. If a f/2 lens at ISO=1600 would give acceptable results {sufficient exposure at adequate shutter speed} then a 55-300mm PLM lens at ISO=25600 should provide even faster shutter speed for same exposure; metering by the KP was good, and image quality is still what the (grand)parent would be looking for.


(*) my first shot @ 12800 convinced me I could live with that
First photo with KP - PentaxForums.com

[reh321]

OK, that's incredible! Sadly finding the money for a KP is is something of a distant dream and I do love my K3. Fantastic performance though

Thank you for the comment. I'd been watching the KP for a year now, and I just could not resist the $700 price tag of the Black Friday sales. Incidentally, that is also the price tag for the body-only 'Day 11' offer in Ricoh's "12 Days" sale still out there.
Holiday Specials

[photoptimist]

A high ISO camera body is a lot more useful than a large aperture lens.

Sure, a large aperture lens enables a faster shutter speed and less motion blur. But that big heavy expensive lens has much worse blur due to missing focus and shallow DoF.

In contrast, a high ISO body enables both a faster shutter speed and whatever aperture the photographer wants.

[tuco]

You got the shot. But don't forget at that high of ISO you are only capturing 7 or so stops of light and that's Engineering DR not Photographer's usable DR (which is lower). So even though the noise level looks acceptable, your tonal scale will be poor compared to shots closer to base ISO.

[rogerstg]

I took several photos during a Christmas program today, using my KP in TAv mode. Afterwards I remembered the camera had set the ISO to 25600 for this one, so I have posted the original SOOC photo and a 100% crop from that same photo below to show what the KP does at that level.

Pretty good considering, IMO, it's better than ASA 1000 film or ISO 1000 from my K10D. An extra 4 and a half stops isn't too shabby.

[reh321]

You got the shot. But don't forget at that high of ISO you are only capturing 7 or so stops of light and that's Engineering DR not Photographer's usable DR (which is lower). So even though the noise level looks acceptable, your tonal scale will be poor compared to shots closer to base ISO.

Yes, there are always compromises. I was encouraged by the "WONDERFUL" I received when I sent the other nine photos to the woman who does publicity.

[reh321]

A high ISO camera body is a lot more useful than a large aperture lens.

Sure, a large aperture lens enables a faster shutter speed and less motion blur. But that big heavy expensive lens has much worse blur due to missing focus and shallow DoF.

In contrast, a high ISO body enables both a faster shutter speed and whatever aperture the photographer wants.

Pretty good considering, IMO, it's better than ASA 1000 film or ISO 1000 from my K10D. An extra 4 and a half stops isn't too shabby.

Thank you for your comments.

The main reason I posted this photo is that I feel high ISO capabilities of the K-70 and KP have been largely ignored here, and as I see new-to-me things, I'm trying to share them with others.

[wed7]

Pentax, a camera good for the grand parent.

Yep, the high ISO files are great.

[Cerebum]

Three recent purchases, two of which have been tested. The giottos pro tripod with the benro ball head is fantastic. Really solid and well built. I would thoroughly recommend as it was half the price of a manfrotto. My HD DA 55-300mm ED WR is spectacular and seems to be even sharper than my DA-l

I am awaiting a manfrotto 3 way head that I got nearly new for £12. Tip:- get the fat fingers app. It searches for misspelled items. My manfrotto head was listed as a manfotto

Loops, posted in the wrong thread

[Rondec]

You got the shot. But don't forget at that high of ISO you are only capturing 7 or so stops of light and that's Engineering DR not Photographer's usable DR (which is lower). So even though the noise level looks acceptable, your tonal scale will be poor compared to shots closer to base ISO.

I agree with you, but here Reh is shooting snapshots, not necessarily trying to make great art. It's awfully handy to be able to get this sort of result from an APS-C camera, even if he can't bump the shadows a couple of stops in post.

There are just times when you are taking photos of your kids in a play or whatever and you can't (shouldn't) use flash. With this, you can still capture the moments with pretty decent results.

[reh321]

Pentax, a camera good for the grand parent.

Yep, the high ISO files are great.

Thank you for your comments.

Every generation a new group of grandparents shows up.
They may have photographed children twenty years earlier, but they are ready for new equipment.

[reh321]

Three recent purchases, two of which have been tested. The giottos pro tripod with the benro ball head is fantastic. Really solid and well built. I would thoroughly recommend as it was half the price of a manfrotto. My HD DA 55-300mm ED WR is spectacular and seems to be even sharper than my DA-l

I am awaiting a manfrotto 3 way head that I got nearly new for £12. Tip:- get the fat fingers app. It searches for misspelled items. My manfrotto head was listed as a manfrotto

I agree with you, but here Reh is shooting snapshots, not necessarily trying to make great art. It's awfully handy to be able to get this sort of result from an APS-C camera, even if he can't bump the shadows a couple of stops in post.

There are just times when you are taking photos of your kids in a play or whatever and you can't (shouldn't) use flash. With this, you can still capture the moments with pretty decent results.

Thanks to both of you for your comments.

There are lots of places where neither flash nor a tripod is appropriate, but a photo with good DOF would be great; one of the points of this photo is that you can get a pleasing view with the KP @ 25600 {measured Color Depth and Dynamic Range notwithstanding}. Amateur sports, religious ceremonies, and shots inside historical buildings (*) come to mind,


(*) The last time I visited the home owned by Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, over 100 years after he was assassinated, they still had the carpets and wallpaper he saw. They preserve those artifacts by keeping the rooms quite dark, strictly forbidding use of flash, and severely limiting where visitors walk {they also forbid use of tripods, to "keep traffic patterns open"}