[Mike Bokeh]

Hello, all.

I was wondering which of the many in camera effects you like, and use most on your K-01.

Mine is the pastel effect. I've stated here many times that I love photographs that look like paintings, and the pastel effect hits this right on the mark.

I also like the posterization and tone expansion effects, and I'm starting to use the retro effect as well.

There are two small annoyances I have with the pastel effect:
1.) The pastel effect uses a lot of power when processing an image. I timed it, and it takes about 30 seconds to process an image, while most of the other effects take only a few seconds.
2.) The pastel effect zooms in slightly when processing an image. If you have a perfectly framed shot, the pastel effect will zoom in a little when processing the image, so now if I'm taking a shot that I think I'll want to process as a pastel, I leave extra room around all four sides.

So, which effects do you like?

Thanks,
Mike

[jimr-pdx]

I most often use the color-extract and the base-parameter options, but I do enjoy scrolling through to see what pops up!

[yorik]

I like the combination of tone expansion and water color to give that really kitschy look that works well for certain photos (in my opinion). E.g., the view from my sister's front door at sunrise...

[Julie]

In certain situations, I think the Toy Camera effect turns out pretty cool.




I also like the Bleach Bypass... and the in-camera HDR... oh and the good 'ole classic B&W.

[tclausen]

Oh, I only use the effect called "RAW" -- it's the best

[tek_san]

I would be happy if pentax would strenghten their in camera processing and would add a Q like dial to every cam the make.
I am a great fan and some effects are all I do to alter my fotos.
RAW is so boaring.
I do not see the sense of altering the picture.
I want to make the picture I see through the display on the back of the camera.
For me the digital effects are like changing analog film in the camera, like switching from b/w to color, choose more or less grainy film.
So these effects lead to make the choice while doing the photo...
This leads me to play while creating the picture and not creating the picture afterwards... This is boaring to me and a waste of time...
A more powerful and faster in camera processing and a good way to make and choose those presets would be a great expansion of creativity.. imho...
Oliver

[Na Horuk]

I recently got interested with 1:1 aspect ratio. Its not really an in-camera effect, but it really changes the composition and framing a lot, gives photos a completely different feel. Its like reality in a box. Doesn't work for all scenes, though.

[ChrisJ]

I always shoot for maximum data which means shooting Raw and even bracketed sometimes. Then I can get all these effects, and hundreds more, with full control in Photoshop.

Photoshop has 40 different effects in the Filter Gallery, all with total control, (Elements has quite a few of these too). Add in multiple effects, distortion effects, perspective effects, pixel bending, different effects in different parts of the image and you have limitless permutations, in camera effects are limited, global, usually reduce image quality and are kinda 'gimmicky' to me

I recently got interested with 1:1 aspect ratio. Its not really an in-camera effect, but it really changes the composition and framing a lot, gives photos a completely different feel. Its like reality in a box. Doesn't work for all scenes, though.

1:1 ratio is like using medium format film, it does make you view the world differently, never a bad thing.

Chris

[yorik]

I always shoot for maximum data which means shooting Raw and even bracketed sometimes. Then I can get all these effects, and hundreds more, with full control in Photoshop.

Photoshop has 40 different effects in the Filter Gallery, all with total control, (Elements has quite a few of these too). Add in multiple effects, distortion effects, perspective effects, pixel bending, different effects in different parts of the image and you have limitless permutations, in camera effects are limited, global, usually reduce image quality and are kinda 'gimmicky' to me

Chris

....

All true, but gimmicky things can be fun and you can apply the filters post-capture to raw files so all the data is still there for more serious treatment later.

[tclausen]

I would be happy if pentax would strenghten their in camera processing and would add a Q like dial to every cam the make.
Oliver

Oh, please no....the Q front dial is utterly useless, in that (ii) it only controls presets for a tiny subset of the customizable options, and (ii) those options apply only when shooting jpeg, and are destructive - which renders it of /extremely limited use.

Before Pentax start imposing the dial (and the extra mechanics, joints for WR, points-of-failure, ...) on other cameras, they should get it right on the Q....this would imply that the different positions could be configured to /any/ configurable options, for example "RAW + SR + 1600 ISO" in one position, and "RAW + no SR + flash w/ offset -2 EV +100ISO" in another.

The dial has potential - but, in its current incarnation is just a gimmick.

[tek_san]

Oh, please no....the Q front dial is utterly useless, in that (ii) it only controls presets for a tiny subset of the customizable options, and (ii) those options apply only when shooting jpeg, and are destructive - which renders it of /extremely limited use.

To me the dial is a real benefit compared to other cameras.
I find it astounding that the Q seems to faster than the K 01 in incamera processing.
Maybe due to the lower resolution.

I do not care whether the jpeg processing is destructive.
The ability to create shots that are unique out of the cam this is what fascinates.

I can shot and show the result immediately. And there is always a place where it is necessary to be fast.
And that is what I can do with those mirrorless cameras from pentax.
That is what makes these cameras outstanding compared to other manufacturers.
That is the advantage you should make use of.
Not to imitate with these cameras what you can do with every other camera.

You cannot recreate scenes like that in post processing.
Here is the emotion captured with the camera. This is done with the Q. No one cared about the camera. I disabled the focus light and was there, drinking, having fun and did a shot every once in a while.
No need to care for ISO and absolute sharpness. It is about the moment.
And this has to be done in the camera in the moment. Both K 01 and Q do a very good job in b/w pictures.

Be brave and decide the moment you shoot and not afterwards. Capture a moment and not a picture.

regards
Oliver

[FoTom]

I've not tried all the filters, particularly the ones that only work with JPEGs, as I shoot RAW, but I have to say that some of them are brilliant, where others I think are a waste of time. But that's just me and I don't use them that much. They are many, but I think they gave in to quantity, not quality. For example, my Canon has very few filters, but out of 4 or 5 [I quite rarely use them, so I don't remember] 3 are very good, and they are: grainy B/W, toy camera, and tilt-shift effect. I've used them counted times but I think they're really good.

In the K-01 I'd say that around 25% are good. Very good indeed, but too few and it makes me think of the others as wasted space on the camera's interface.

[Mike Bokeh]

Hey, everyone, thanks for the replies.

Here I was thinking that no one had replied to my thread, then I realized that I didn't set the thread up for instant e-mail notification.

Yorik, I like tone expansion, but never really liked watercolor, as I thought its results looked too weak. Your example looks nice; I'll have to try the two together.

Julie, I also tried the toy camera effect when I first got my K-01, but it never grew on me. After seeing your example, I'm going to try it again.

ChrisJ, I don't have Photoshop, but rather Lightroom, which I am just about familiar with. A few people I trust told me to get Lightroom first, so I did. If I'm this satisfied with Lightroom, I can only imagine what Photoshop can do.

Below is an example of my current lens/in camera processing combination.

This is a Lord Of The Rings toy figure, that's about 8 inches tall.

I shot this using my Lensbaby 3-G @ f2.8 for a very blurry background, then applied the K-01's pastel filter. Finally, the image was edited in Lightroom to fine tune the exposure and to vignette the edges. I also used the split toning effect to add a warm feel to the image.

Keep those ideas coming.

Mike

[houseofstyles]

I've been meaning to start a thread on this subject; I'm surprised no one has done it before now (as far as I know)

I'm a great fan of many of the post capture digital filters on the K01— I don't own Photoshop or the like so am pleased to be able to fiddle in the camera— you can do this away from base, anywhere that you're taking photos rather than waiting to get to your computer. A good way to pass the time at an event when you're temporarily free. Or back in your motel room when travelling if you haven't access to a computer

B/W with I/R filter effect is quite effective, I used to use Kodak B/W I/R film long ago and consider the digital attempt is pretty good

While it's a very basic adjustment to apply back home on the computer, applying a high contrast filter in camera means I will often decide a poor shot is a keeper rather than just delete it in camera

Slim (with parameter set in the 'fat' direction) can produce some great car pictures

I find the extract colour filter great to have, to be able to imitate some of those wonderful pictures you see in magazine ads. I got into it with my Kx, now with the K01 I can extract 2 colours!

Tone expansion ought to be used sparingly, those halo effects can be overdone. Sometimes I find it better to print these in B/W

Shading: again to be used sparingly

Water colour can be disappointing for landscapes, especially where shadows are involved as they turn out white, and leaves can look poor. However this filter can be great for architectural shots and motor vehicles. You need to turn both parameters up to 3, and when printing, reduce highlights drastically. Finally, printing in B/W can give a great draftsman sketch effect. Unlike the pencil drawing filter which has never worked for me

Posterisation is fun to use

And then there's the pastel filter, I love it. Yes it's slow to process, and yes it crops the photo, but I find myself using it heaps

Oh and finally I agree with the usefulness of in camera cropping, especially 16:9 and 1:1 which turns many photos into keepers rather than delete nows. I am a great believer in deleting on the run, if you don't cull then, you end up with too many photos to later properly evaluate, you spend too much time on the computer...

[Mike Bokeh]

Since we've been talking about the pastel effect, does anyone know of any software which can duplicate or is similar to this effect that's not too expensive?

Photoshop is a little too dear at the moment.

I love this effect, but I don't like the fact that you must apply it before the image leaves the camera.

Thanks,
Mike