Did you buy a 2nd Q?

Sandy Hancock · 01-16-2013, 04:45 AM

My (black) Q is now welded to my Pentax adaptor Q for K mount lenses.
My Q-10 (in silver) is for rocking out the Q mount 01, 02, 03 and 06.
Aesthetics and function :-)

Steve.Ledger · 01-17-2013, 03:33 AM

I really love the Q build quality, weight, aesthetics and even ergonomics are quite good, but I'm not impressed with the results I'm getting yet.
As was mentioned by someone early in the thread, they look like cheap PnS shots. The video quality is really poor.
The battery life is terrible, so I have two extras, but it's still a disappointment to watch the juice drain even when you'd just playing with it to familiarize yourself with the settings.
I was expecting better results than I get with my Galaxy S2, so no - no second Q for me.

Sandy Hancock · 01-17-2013, 03:39 AM

Originally posted by sledger

I really love the Q build quality, weight, aesthetics and even ergonomics are quite good, but I'm not impressed with the results I'm getting yet.
As was mentioned by someone early in the thread, they look like cheap PnS shots. The video quality is really poor.
The battery life is terrible, so I have two extras, but it's still a disappointment to watch the juice drain even when you'd just playing with it to familiarize yourself with the settings.
I was expecting better results than I get with my Galaxy S2, so no - no second Q for me.

I've been using using my Q for well over a week without changing batteries (and I have several). Several shots posted recently in the "Reach" thread. I find it hard to reconcile the difference in experience.

Steve.Ledger · 01-17-2013, 04:31 AM

What can I say? My experience seems to be on a par with reports I've read from other Q users. If you are getting more than a week out of the original battery then I want one of those!

panoguy · 01-18-2013, 08:52 PM

Originally posted by sledger

What can I say? My experience seems to be on a par with reports I've read from other Q users. If you are getting more than a week out of the original battery then I want one of those!

I'm getting at least 4 or 5 days out of the OEM batteries, and that's shooting a lot of stills and videos. If I have the SR on constantly (Option 2) and play back all the videos on the camera, the batts will be drained in a day, though. **I suspect many of the firesale Q's recently sold were distributed more than a year ago and might have been stored improperly (temperature flux), leading to reduced battery capacity. Either that, or Pentax needs to have a chat with their battery supplier!

Regarding image quality: it's much better than my W90 and my wife's Panasonic, but nowhere close to my K-5 (or even my old K-x or K20D) of course. No one should expect it to replace a DSLR, but it does better than my new phone or iPad. However, the WB is pretty bad (so I shoot DNG), and videos have mediocre dynamic range and noise problems. Still lots of fun, and fits in a pocket!

Steve.Ledger · 01-18-2013, 09:12 PM

I can't figure out what '4 or 5 days' means in reality. Are you turning it on once and snapping a couple of pics then not again until the next day to do the same thing? Or using the camera all day long for 4 or 5 days?
(Though you said 3 days here https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-q/206056-your-qs-battery-life-expe...ml#post2177823)
Definitely no way my PENTAX branded battery lasts that long. I've had to charge it twice in one day after playing with it for a few hours on and off with photos and vids (not played back on camera).

**monochrome** · 01-18-2013, 10:10 PM

Today I bought a black Q body from a member who bought a second Q kit to get the lens, then I bought the 02 zoom from a member who bought the 2-lens kit but didn't need the zoom. I'm in for what everyone else has been spending on these deals and I'm helping members cull their collections.

I plan to get the K > Q adapter and then I'll have 1 Q and MANY lenses to use with it.

Steve.Ledger · 01-18-2013, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

I plan to get the K > Q adapter and then I'll have 1 Q and MANY lenses to use with it.

Good luck with that. I've had no luck with the adapter. Keep us posted

**monochrome** · 01-18-2013, 10:41 PM

Originally posted by sledger

Good luck with that. I've had no luck with the adapter. Keep us posted

Yeah, I see "Out of Stock" pretty much everywhere.

Steve.Ledger · 01-18-2013, 10:44 PM

Ha, no - I have one, but no luck in getting anything decent using it.

**monochrome** · 01-18-2013, 10:52 PM

Well, tripod and remote release? This one is just for fun, for tiny and to play around with reach.

Steve.Ledger · 01-18-2013, 11:01 PM

I have a Velbon Sherpa 450, perfect for my K-7, way to touchy for the Q with a 300mm adapted lens, shakes all over the place.
Results with all my lenses are hazy, soft and CA hell. Focus Peaking makes no difference.
I've given the inside a coat of flat black which is currently drying, but I don't hold much hope. Not convinced it was a wise buy

No remote release. I want to see results before I spend any more. I don't have a lot of play money..

**barondla** · 01-18-2013, 11:50 PM

Sledger, the Q is capable of very good shots using adapted lenses. One of my shots won 1st place in the pro division of a nature contest. One of the competitors was using a FF camera with a 600 f4! The Q does require some work, a good matching lens, and some luck. Hang in there.

First, the Q can be ruthless with the partnered lens. A lens with little fringing and good sharpness by f4-5.6 is needed. What lenses have you tried?

Second, for really long lenses (200+) a sturdy tripod is almost mandatory. My favorite tripods are 10 lbs+. I get more keepers with these vs my 5-6 lb Gitzo. Make sure to turn the SR off. I use a wireless remote to fire the vibrationless Q.

Three, focus is critical. My Q is set to magnify the lcd image 4X for easier focusing. Some use a lcd hood lupe. Many use the focus peaking.

Four, darkening the adapter interior can pay big dividends. Newer Pentax lenses have a digital coating. They don't benefit as much. Other lenses throw a white haze on to the sensor without a darkened adapter. The Pentax adapter is already dark.

Hope this helps
barondla

Try to keep the ISO around 125.

Steve.Ledger · 01-19-2013, 12:27 AM

Yeh, I have tried most of that. FP seems like a gimmick to me, I get better sharpness without it. SR is always off when mounted on a tripod (in fact I often have SR off when hand held, my *istDS days taught me how to hold steady)
As mentioned, I'm not going to spend more money on play things right now, certainly not another tripod if you consider the Velbon too light..

Lenses I've tried
18-250mm DA
18-55mm DA
30mm Sigma Prime
84mm Sigma Zoom II manual lens (best results of the lot, but still rubbish)

That's all the lenses I have aside from the 55-300mm DAL ED on the K-7 which is pointless trying.

I'm not going to be buying any more lenses, this is a hobby only and my funds are limited.

The paint is still yet to dry in the adapter interior. I'll try again once I get a good matt coating..
If that doesn't help, I'll definitely bin it. I only bought it out of curiosity

**barondla** · 01-19-2013, 06:24 AM

Sledger, I have mixed results with FP also. Some have very good luck with it. I can get results if it is a very simple subjet and scene.

Not sure how sturdy your velbon tripod is. I am always using the Q with 200 or 300mm lenses. There are ways to improve any tripod. Don't extend center column, hang weight ( say camera bag) from tripod, use spike feet in ground, etc. The Q is like a microscope, especially with big lenses.

The Pentax 55-300 is a nice combo with the Q. Why wouldn't you try yours? Had a friend struggling with the Q and adapted lenses. Bought a 55-300 and every thing is fine. Try it.

The painted adapter will likely make a big difference with your lenses. Hang in there.
thanks
barondla

View Poll Results: 2nd Q for You?
I own 1 Q and the original lens	26	29.89%
I own 1 Q and several lenses	34	39.08%
I own 2 Qs with 01 & 02 lenses	11	12.64%
I own 2 Qs with 01, 02 and other lens(es)	11	12.64%
I have 1 Q and another is on the way	2	2.30%
I own a Q and a Q10 (I like diversity)	0	0%
I own 2 Qs but bought the 2nd to save on the Lens and will sell the 2nd body	5	5.75%
I plan to keep both Qs	10	11.49%
My Qs are the same color	8	9.20%
My Qs are different colors	4	4.60%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 87. You may not vote on this poll

01-18-2013, 09:12 PM	#51
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	I can't figure out what '4 or 5 days' means in reality. Are you turning it on once and snapping a couple of pics then not again until the next day to do the same thing? Or using the camera all day long for 4 or 5 days? (Though you said 3 days here https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-q/206056-your-qs-battery-life-expe...ml#post2177823) Definitely no way my PENTAX branded battery lasts that long. I've had to charge it twice in one day after playing with it for a few hours on and off with photos and vids (not played back on camera). Last edited by Steve.Ledger; 01-18-2013 at 09:40 PM.

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01-16-2013, 04:45 AM	#46
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,275	My (black) Q is now welded to my Pentax adaptor Q for K mount lenses. My Q-10 (in silver) is for rocking out the Q mount 01, 02, 03 and 06. Aesthetics and function :-)

01-17-2013, 03:33 AM	#47
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	I really love the Q build quality, weight, aesthetics and even ergonomics are quite good, but I'm not impressed with the results I'm getting yet. As was mentioned by someone early in the thread, they look like cheap PnS shots. The video quality is really poor. The battery life is terrible, so I have two extras, but it's still a disappointment to watch the juice drain even when you'd just playing with it to familiarize yourself with the settings. I was expecting better results than I get with my Galaxy S2, so no - no second Q for me.

01-17-2013, 03:39 AM	#48
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,275	Originally posted by sledger I really love the Q build quality, weight, aesthetics and even ergonomics are quite good, but I'm not impressed with the results I'm getting yet. As was mentioned by someone early in the thread, they look like cheap PnS shots. The video quality is really poor. The battery life is terrible, so I have two extras, but it's still a disappointment to watch the juice drain even when you'd just playing with it to familiarize yourself with the settings. I was expecting better results than I get with my Galaxy S2, so no - no second Q for me. I've been using using my Q for well over a week without changing batteries (and I have several). Several shots posted recently in the "Reach" thread. I find it hard to reconcile the difference in experience.

01-17-2013, 04:31 AM	#49
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	What can I say? My experience seems to be on a par with reports I've read from other Q users. If you are getting more than a week out of the original battery then I want one of those!

01-18-2013, 08:52 PM	#50
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Originally posted by sledger What can I say? My experience seems to be on a par with reports I've read from other Q users. If you are getting more than a week out of the original battery then I want one of those! I'm getting at least 4 or 5 days out of the OEM batteries, and that's shooting a lot of stills and videos. If I have the SR on constantly (Option 2) and play back all the videos on the camera, the batts will be drained in a day, though. **I suspect many of the firesale Q's recently sold were distributed more than a year ago and might have been stored improperly (temperature flux), leading to reduced battery capacity. Either that, or Pentax needs to have a chat with their battery supplier! Regarding image quality: it's much better than my W90 and my wife's Panasonic, but nowhere close to my K-5 (or even my old K-x or K20D) of course. No one should expect it to replace a DSLR, but it does better than my new phone or iPad. However, the WB is pretty bad (so I shoot DNG), and videos have mediocre dynamic range and noise problems. Still lots of fun, and fits in a pocket!

01-18-2013, 10:10 PM	#52
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Today I bought a black Q body from a member who bought a second Q kit to get the lens, then I bought the 02 zoom from a member who bought the 2-lens kit but didn't need the zoom. I'm in for what everyone else has been spending on these deals and I'm helping members cull their collections. I plan to get the K > Q adapter and then I'll have 1 Q and MANY lenses to use with it.

01-18-2013, 10:12 PM	#53
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	Originally posted by monochrome I plan to get the K > Q adapter and then I'll have 1 Q and MANY lenses to use with it. Good luck with that. I've had no luck with the adapter. Keep us posted

01-18-2013, 10:41 PM	#54
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by sledger Good luck with that. I've had no luck with the adapter. Keep us posted Yeah, I see "Out of Stock" pretty much everywhere.

01-18-2013, 10:44 PM	#55
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	Ha, no - I have one, but no luck in getting anything decent using it.

01-18-2013, 10:52 PM	#56
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Well, tripod and remote release? This one is just for fun, for tiny and to play around with reach.

01-18-2013, 11:01 PM	#57
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	I have a Velbon Sherpa 450, perfect for my K-7, way to touchy for the Q with a 300mm adapted lens, shakes all over the place. Results with all my lenses are hazy, soft and CA hell. Focus Peaking makes no difference. I've given the inside a coat of flat black which is currently drying, but I don't hold much hope. Not convinced it was a wise buy No remote release. I want to see results before I spend any more. I don't have a lot of play money..

01-18-2013, 11:50 PM	#58
barondla Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: midwest, United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,715	Sledger, the Q is capable of very good shots using adapted lenses. One of my shots won 1st place in the pro division of a nature contest. One of the competitors was using a FF camera with a 600 f4! The Q does require some work, a good matching lens, and some luck. Hang in there. First, the Q can be ruthless with the partnered lens. A lens with little fringing and good sharpness by f4-5.6 is needed. What lenses have you tried? Second, for really long lenses (200+) a sturdy tripod is almost mandatory. My favorite tripods are 10 lbs+. I get more keepers with these vs my 5-6 lb Gitzo. Make sure to turn the SR off. I use a wireless remote to fire the vibrationless Q. Three, focus is critical. My Q is set to magnify the lcd image 4X for easier focusing. Some use a lcd hood lupe. Many use the focus peaking. Four, darkening the adapter interior can pay big dividends. Newer Pentax lenses have a digital coating. They don't benefit as much. Other lenses throw a white haze on to the sensor without a darkened adapter. The Pentax adapter is already dark. Hope this helps barondla Try to keep the ISO around 125.

01-19-2013, 12:27 AM	#59
Steve.Ledger Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Far North Qld Posts: 3,301	Yeh, I have tried most of that. FP seems like a gimmick to me, I get better sharpness without it. SR is always off when mounted on a tripod (in fact I often have SR off when hand held, my *istDS days taught me how to hold steady) As mentioned, I'm not going to spend more money on play things right now, certainly not another tripod if you consider the Velbon too light.. Lenses I've tried 18-250mm DA 18-55mm DA 30mm Sigma Prime 84mm Sigma Zoom II manual lens (best results of the lot, but still rubbish) That's all the lenses I have aside from the 55-300mm DAL ED on the K-7 which is pointless trying. I'm not going to be buying any more lenses, this is a hobby only and my funds are limited. The paint is still yet to dry in the adapter interior. I'll try again once I get a good matt coating.. If that doesn't help, I'll definitely bin it. I only bought it out of curiosity

01-19-2013, 06:24 AM	#60
barondla Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: midwest, United States Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,715	Sledger, I have mixed results with FP also. Some have very good luck with it. I can get results if it is a very simple subjet and scene. Not sure how sturdy your velbon tripod is. I am always using the Q with 200 or 300mm lenses. There are ways to improve any tripod. Don't extend center column, hang weight ( say camera bag) from tripod, use spike feet in ground, etc. The Q is like a microscope, especially with big lenses. The Pentax 55-300 is a nice combo with the Q. Why wouldn't you try yours? Had a friend struggling with the Q and adapted lenses. Bought a 55-300 and every thing is fine. Try it. The painted adapter will likely make a big difference with your lenses. Hang in there. thanks barondla