A few questions from new user

lacro · 01-13-2013, 08:50 AM

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

First, a little background: My new Q w/02 lens is my first removable lens digital camera. Back in film days I was into photography, and enjoyed manual cameras/lenses. I have always had a thing for tiny cameras, and just seeing the Q I was hooked

Since film pretty much died, I have only been using P&S digital cameras, and have never bothered to learn all the functions. Well... that's all going to change. It's a big thick manual for such a tiny camera, but I'm committed!

I have a few questions:

Is there a good digital photography tutorial that applies well to this cameras features/settings?

2. Is a UV filter still the standard lens protection or is there something else? Brand suggestion?

3. Are there any changes to the factory settings that should be done right away to make life easier? (i.e. things that should always be on or off,etc.)

4. I see battery life is quite short. Suggestions for lower cost off brand batteries that have a good track record?

5. Any other suggestions for a new Q user are greatly appreciated.

6. I want to eventually try my legacy glass, but I am starting a new thread for my questions.

Thanks,
Lacro

Saxplayer1004 · 01-13-2013, 09:12 AM

1. User manual.... Any general photography stuff will obviously apply but the user manual afaik is the only thing specific to that camera out there

2.Hoya UV0 filters seem to be the highest regarded around here

3/4. It uses standard batteries, there's a really good in depth review of the Q on here that is relatively new and mentions the battery type. I think it's Li68 which should be able to be found easily on ebay and other markets. The Pentax branded batteries won't necessarily be any better than 3rd party since most batteries are made in a handful of plants anyway.

5. N/A

6. The cheap adapters are $30 and work pretty well, but with the exception of extreme macro/telephoto you won't want to use any other full size lenses because of the 5.5 crop factor on the Q.

Anvh · 01-13-2013, 09:25 AM - **1 Like**

1. cambridge in colour might be good buet that isnt a real tutorial

2. for standard lens proctection you don't need an UV filter or any filter. Lenses have a ultra hard protective caoting so for normal daily use you don't need any protection and for the rough things... i don't see how a thin piece of glass can help with that, it can help with corrosive elements like sea water and sand.

3. just go through the menu with your manual at hand and see what everything does.

**grhazelton** · 01-13-2013, 10:17 AM

4: I've had good luck with the Wasabi brand for my K 10 and K 5. They are available from Amazon with charger for much less than the Pentax branded item.

**crewl1** · 01-13-2013, 11:57 AM - **1 Like**

2. Hoods are my preferred lens protection and flare eliminating device.
Look on ebay for ones by uWinka or JJC. http://bit.ly/UX6yw4

lacro · 01-13-2013, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by crewl1

2. Hoods are my preferred lens protection and flare eliminating device.
Look on ebay for ones by uWinka or JJC. http://bit.ly/UX6yw4

Thanks for link. Looks like they are ABS plastic? Do these attach to outside of the lens or to the filter threads? Also, with hood attached, a lens cap can't be used, correct?

**crewl1** · 01-13-2013, 02:38 PM

I know for a fact the JJC is a bayonet mount that attaches to the lens from the outside and can be mounted in reverse for storage.
The uWinka looks to be the same but I own the JJC.
It is plastic construction, not metal.
The original lens cap can be used with the hood.

GibbyTheMole · 01-14-2013, 07:22 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by lacro

I have a few questions:
Is there a good digital photography tutorial that applies well to this cameras features/settings?

2. Is a UV filter still the standard lens protection or is there something else? Brand suggestion?

3. Are there any changes to the factory settings that should be done right away to make life easier? (i.e. things that should always be on or off,etc.)

4. I see battery life is quite short. Suggestions for lower cost off brand batteries that have a good track record?

5. Any other suggestions for a new Q user are greatly appreciated.

6. I want to eventually try my legacy glass, but I am starting a new thread for my questions.

I'm a new Q owner myself, but just from my experience so far:

2. Some don't use UV filters, but I do. I have a $5 Rocketfish UV filter from eBay that works fine. Doesn't seem to affect IQ. The uWinka (JJC) lens hood is $14, and is an essential thing to have, in my opinion. Just like the original Pentax hood, but less than half the cost.

3. It's a personal preference thing, but mine is setup with dust removal on at startup, 3 second instant review, natural color profile.

4. You can't go wrong with the Wasabi 2 batteries & charger pack for $20 from Amazon. They're at least as good as the original Pentax battery, and the charger also works in your car.

6. I have the $26 Fotodiox Q to K adapter from Amazon. It works well enough, but you'll want to use a tripod to avoid the jello effect from using the electronic shutter. My personal favorite lenses to use with it so far are the Pentax A 35-105 (200-600mm equiv. on the Q) , Pentax DA-L 55-300 (300-1700mm equiv. on the Q) , and Promaster 100mm (560mm equiv. on the Q) macro lens. I plan on picking up the regular Pentax adapter with built in shutter in the future at some point, since it has a built in leaf shutter, which eliminates the jello effect.

I think you're in for some big fun with the Q! Cheers!

Anvh · 01-14-2013, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by GibbyTheMole

2. Some don't use UV filters, but I do. I have a $5 Rocketfish UV filter from eBay that works fine. Doesn't seem to affect IQ.

Siimpel test for you for at night.
Take a photo on the street with the street light in the corner of the image, take one with and without a filter.
Filter off $5 will have some nice ghosting and flairs most likely...
Even the top of the line Hoya and B+W filters have some ghosting.

GibbyTheMole · 01-14-2013, 01:20 PM

Originally posted by Anvh

Siimpel test for you for at night.
Take a photo on the street with the street light in the corner of the image, take one with and without a filter.
Filter off $5 will have some nice ghosting and flairs most likely...
Even the top of the line Hoya and B+W filters have some ghosting.

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try. :-)

Anvh · 01-14-2013, 02:00 PM

Here is an example of ghosting, this with B+W multi-coated UV filter. UV Filter Issues, serious flair | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

It's not bad to use filter, use them if you want but it might be good to know where problems might be so you can avoid them.

GibbyTheMole · 01-14-2013, 06:50 PM

Originally posted by Anvh

It's not bad to use filter, use them if you want but it might be good to know where problems might be so you can avoid them.

Good point. I've done more daytime outdoor shots than night shots, so maybe that's why I haven't noticed an issue. I guess it's easy enough to pop the filter off if I see flare before I take the shot. :-)

01-13-2013, 08:50 AM	#1
lacro Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 33	A few questions from new user Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. First, a little background: My new Q w/02 lens is my first removable lens digital camera. Back in film days I was into photography, and enjoyed manual cameras/lenses. I have always had a thing for tiny cameras, and just seeing the Q I was hooked Since film pretty much died, I have only been using P&S digital cameras, and have never bothered to learn all the functions. Well... that's all going to change. It's a big thick manual for such a tiny camera, but I'm committed! I have a few questions: Is there a good digital photography tutorial that applies well to this cameras features/settings? 2. Is a UV filter still the standard lens protection or is there something else? Brand suggestion? 3. Are there any changes to the factory settings that should be done right away to make life easier? (i.e. things that should always be on or off,etc.) 4. I see battery life is quite short. Suggestions for lower cost off brand batteries that have a good track record? 5. Any other suggestions for a new Q user are greatly appreciated. 6. I want to eventually try my legacy glass, but I am starting a new thread for my questions. Thanks, Lacro

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01-13-2013, 09:12 AM	#2
Saxplayer1004 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Greenville SC Posts: 179	1. User manual.... Any general photography stuff will obviously apply but the user manual afaik is the only thing specific to that camera out there 2.Hoya UV0 filters seem to be the highest regarded around here 3/4. It uses standard batteries, there's a really good in depth review of the Q on here that is relatively new and mentions the battery type. I think it's Li68 which should be able to be found easily on ebay and other markets. The Pentax branded batteries won't necessarily be any better than 3rd party since most batteries are made in a handful of plants anyway. 5. N/A 6. The cheap adapters are $30 and work pretty well, but with the exception of extreme macro/telephoto you won't want to use any other full size lenses because of the 5.5 crop factor on the Q.

01-13-2013, 09:25 AM - 1 Like	#3
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	1. cambridge in colour might be good buet that isnt a real tutorial 2. for standard lens proctection you don't need an UV filter or any filter. Lenses have a ultra hard protective caoting so for normal daily use you don't need any protection and for the rough things... i don't see how a thin piece of glass can help with that, it can help with corrosive elements like sea water and sand. 3. just go through the menu with your manual at hand and see what everything does.

01-13-2013, 10:17 AM	#4
grhazelton Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Jonesboro, GA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	4: I've had good luck with the Wasabi brand for my K 10 and K 5. They are available from Amazon with charger for much less than the Pentax branded item.

01-13-2013, 11:57 AM - 1 Like	#5
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	2. Hoods are my preferred lens protection and flare eliminating device. Look on ebay for ones by uWinka or JJC. http://bit.ly/UX6yw4

01-13-2013, 02:15 PM	#6
lacro Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 33 Original Poster	Originally posted by crewl1 2. Hoods are my preferred lens protection and flare eliminating device. Look on ebay for ones by uWinka or JJC. http://bit.ly/UX6yw4 Thanks for link. Looks like they are ABS plastic? Do these attach to outside of the lens or to the filter threads? Also, with hood attached, a lens cap can't be used, correct?

01-13-2013, 02:38 PM	#7
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	I know for a fact the JJC is a bayonet mount that attaches to the lens from the outside and can be mounted in reverse for storage. The uWinka looks to be the same but I own the JJC. It is plastic construction, not metal. The original lens cap can be used with the hood.

01-14-2013, 07:22 AM - 1 Like	#8
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	Originally posted by lacro I have a few questions: Is there a good digital photography tutorial that applies well to this cameras features/settings? 2. Is a UV filter still the standard lens protection or is there something else? Brand suggestion? 3. Are there any changes to the factory settings that should be done right away to make life easier? (i.e. things that should always be on or off,etc.) 4. I see battery life is quite short. Suggestions for lower cost off brand batteries that have a good track record? 5. Any other suggestions for a new Q user are greatly appreciated. 6. I want to eventually try my legacy glass, but I am starting a new thread for my questions. I'm a new Q owner myself, but just from my experience so far: 2. Some don't use UV filters, but I do. I have a $5 Rocketfish UV filter from eBay that works fine. Doesn't seem to affect IQ. The uWinka (JJC) lens hood is $14, and is an essential thing to have, in my opinion. Just like the original Pentax hood, but less than half the cost. 3. It's a personal preference thing, but mine is setup with dust removal on at startup, 3 second instant review, natural color profile. 4. You can't go wrong with the Wasabi 2 batteries & charger pack for $20 from Amazon. They're at least as good as the original Pentax battery, and the charger also works in your car. 6. I have the $26 Fotodiox Q to K adapter from Amazon. It works well enough, but you'll want to use a tripod to avoid the jello effect from using the electronic shutter. My personal favorite lenses to use with it so far are the Pentax A 35-105 (200-600mm equiv. on the Q) , Pentax DA-L 55-300 (300-1700mm equiv. on the Q) , and Promaster 100mm (560mm equiv. on the Q) macro lens. I plan on picking up the regular Pentax adapter with built in shutter in the future at some point, since it has a built in leaf shutter, which eliminates the jello effect. I think you're in for some big fun with the Q! Cheers!

01-14-2013, 12:07 PM	#9
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	Originally posted by GibbyTheMole 2. Some don't use UV filters, but I do. I have a $5 Rocketfish UV filter from eBay that works fine. Doesn't seem to affect IQ. Siimpel test for you for at night. Take a photo on the street with the street light in the corner of the image, take one with and without a filter. Filter off $5 will have some nice ghosting and flairs most likely... Even the top of the line Hoya and B+W filters have some ghosting.

01-14-2013, 01:20 PM	#10
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	Originally posted by Anvh Siimpel test for you for at night. Take a photo on the street with the street light in the corner of the image, take one with and without a filter. Filter off $5 will have some nice ghosting and flairs most likely... Even the top of the line Hoya and B+W filters have some ghosting. Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try. :-)

01-14-2013, 02:00 PM	#11
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	Here is an example of ghosting, this with B+W multi-coated UV filter. UV Filter Issues, serious flair \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! It's not bad to use filter, use them if you want but it might be good to know where problems might be so you can avoid them.

01-14-2013, 06:50 PM	#12
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275	Originally posted by Anvh It's not bad to use filter, use them if you want but it might be good to know where problems might be so you can avoid them. Good point. I've done more daytime outdoor shots than night shots, so maybe that's why I haven't noticed an issue. I guess it's easy enough to pop the filter off if I see flare before I take the shot. :-)