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06-24-2017, 07:25 PM - 1 Like   #9916
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I'm happy with my K-3, AF lenses, etc. kit and it will remain my primary photographic tool. To each his own, but I was never a big fan of singer Paul Simon's Kodachrome. However, as soon as I heard Ektachrome will be reintroduced late this year, I started re-acquiring my long favorite Super Program kit. All I had left were the KA50mm 1.7, the KA28mm 2.8 and a Vivitar FD550 TTL/auto-thyristor flash. And I have several bags, the Vanguard just happens to hold all this gear.

From left to right we have a Panagor KA adjustable macro converter (optimized for 50mm lens), a Super Program with ME winder and the above 50mm mounted (with a hood), the above 28mm and flash, a KA 70-210 4, and a Vivitar 2X KA tele-converter matched for 75-205mm lenses. Kodak, I am ready and waiting for the Ektachrome. There are a lot of landscapes still waiting to be captured.

BTW, not shown is my Pentax K-mount bellows / slide copier. I used to use it to dupe slides or convert B&W negs into B&W slides (two negatives make a positive you know ) I don't plan on using it with the Super Program. I plan on using it with the K-3 and my DFA 50mm macro to digitize the slides. For all its features, Lightroom cannot truly emulate the tonality and feel of color reversal film.

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06-24-2017, 11:23 PM   #9917
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QuoteOriginally posted by kadajawi Quote
I have a Panasonic GX80 and the 12-32 mm and 35-100 mm (the smaller one, f4.0 to f5.6) on loan for a month or two... and I am considering keeping it. I've barely touched my Pentax since, and while ergonomics are better on the Pentax, the Panasonic is so much more capable. Overwhelming, really. The only thing it can't do is long exposures (anything over 2 seconds is a mess, regardless of ISO). And it doesn't have the bokeh, or the lack of noise at high ISO my K-5 has.

But the lenses are so much sharper, so much smaller and lighter. The camera is lighter, but not too light. The AF is faster and more accurate. The viewfinder is better, especially all the things like histogram or zebras you can get in the viewfinder. The shutter is quieter, though the K-5 is really good in that regard. The SR is, thanks to the lighter sensor, better. And obviously, for video no Pentax can even come close. At all. Different universe. Battery life is poor though.

Most of all, in the past month I've taken more photos than I've taken the entire last year. And more creative, better photos. (Maybe it's just the new toy, but it's also smaller, lighter, more pocket-able and less attention grabbing). And to be honest, all recent Pentax cameras have been let downs. They don't get better for video, for stills improvements are also... not that big, and the lenses are huge in comparison without being better IMHO. It's not that Pentax has stopped making good cameras (in the form of the K-3 and K-1), but the advances other brands have made... I hope I'll get more cameras to test in the future, like Sonys 6xxx series, but the Panasonic has set a high benchmark. It can't replace my Pentax because of low light, but I'll miss it a lot if I give it back. The pancake 18-50 (?) is a step in the right direction, but there need to be more lenses like that, and they need to be higher quality. I think what I really fell in love with were the Panasonic lenses.
Try a Fujifilm X series camera - you'll get all those benefits you've listed of the Panasonic plus bokeh and high-ISO capability pretty much equal to that of the K5. I'm too invested in Pentax to change, but if I were starting a system now I'd go Fujifilm, without a shadow of a doubt.
06-25-2017, 04:53 AM   #9918
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
It does, I think. It depends on what you want and need.

I don't agree with @kadajawi on his Pentax opinions - not for one minute. Video doesn't matter to me, though But, I'm pleased he's found something he likes so much. The GX80 certainly wouldn't be my choice, but he obviously loves it, and that's great. It's the way I feel about both my Pentax and Sony gear, regardless of age.

I picked up a Samsung GX10 (re-branded K10D from 2006) some months back, and I now shoot it as much as my K-3 and K-3II - often out of choice. I really like the "certain something" I get from it at lower ISO settings. I thought people were imagining the "CCD look"... thinking, maybe it's just the camera's colour profiling... but it's not - or at least it's not just that. I shoot only RAW, I'm well-versed in Lightroom processing, and I really like what I get out of the GX10 compared to my other bodies. I don't think any less of my K-3 and K-3II, but I know when the GX10 will suit a situation better... for me

Of course, we're all different, and our opinions on equipment and the results produced are subjective to some extent. But, yeah... it can make sense to compare older and newer cameras
The main thing I like about the Panasonic is that it is so pocketable, and that it literally disappears. aka the best camera is the one you have with you. Handling wise the K-5 is miles ahead of the Panasonic, sure, and the shape of K-5 feels great. Image quality I'd say is better too. My lenses are absolutely inferior to the Panasonic kit lenses, though that's maybe just because they aren't that good or expensive. I'd compare the Panasonic kit lenses in sharpness - even wide open - to my DA 50 1.8 when you stop that one a couple of steps down. That's a thing I like too... it seems like Panasonic lenses are just always good quality, the only thing you lose by going cheaper is light and weight/bulk. It'd be interesting to see if Pentax ever tries to catch up, or if they think that their niche will sustain them in future. There are a couple of Panasonic cameras with decent grips and more controls, though they are bigger in turn (still really small though).

Fuji lenses aren't so small, I believe, and that to me is a big draw towards Panasonic. Plus my company doesn't sell Fuji, so no chance to test their cameras as extensively.

It'll be interesting to see how I'll cope with going back to the K-5 exclusively, maybe there'll be things I'll fall in love with again. And in any case I'd probably go two systems, but the Pentax will be more for primes etc. for use in certain situations, while the Panasonic would be my main camera. It's more of a general use, always with you camera that may not be quite as good, but so much less of a burden when going around. It's also less intimidating to others, so great for street photography etc. Basically what others use a Sony RX100 or Canon G7 X for. I fail to see the reason for those cameras, because the Panasonic doesn't seem to be much bigger, but you can change the lens, and it has a bigger sensor. Similar price tag too.
06-25-2017, 05:23 AM   #9919
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QuoteOriginally posted by kadajawi Quote
My lenses are absolutely inferior to the Panasonic kit lenses, though that's maybe just because they aren't that good or expensive. I'd compare the Panasonic kit lenses in sharpness - even wide open - to my DA 50 1.8 when you stop that one a couple of steps down. That's a thing I like too... it seems like Panasonic lenses are just always good quality, the only thing you lose by going cheaper is light and weight/bulk. It'd be interesting to see if Pentax ever tries to catch up, or if they think that their niche will sustain them in future.
Lens choice is paramount with any system.

Sharpness or resolution is just one measure of performance, of course... but if we use that alone as a yard-stick, there are plenty of very sharp lenses in K-mount without Pentax having to play catch-up. You just have to pick the right ones

Looking at the reviews for Panasonic lenses, I see some impressive resolution figures. On the other hand, several models show pretty serious distortion and vignetting. Those issues are usually quite easy to resolve in post-processing - but so, too, is sharpening on images from slightly-softer lenses. It depends on your priorities as to what matters more.

As for weight and bulk, micro 4/3 sensors require a considerably-smaller image circle, which allows for smaller lenses. That's definitely a nice up-side to those systems... but it's a trade-off with sensor image quality, of course - particularly as you start to increase sensitivity into higher ISO territory. So, again, it depends on your priorities.

The GX-80 does look like a fine piece of equipment, though


Last edited by BigMackCam; 06-25-2017 at 05:34 AM.
06-25-2017, 05:28 AM   #9920
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[ sorry I am out of the SMU, darn diet, so I went with the standard US $ 1 bill on an 8.5 x 11 " sheet of paper ]

now I know how big 120 mm really is

the Q R plate is a JOBY UltraPlate 208 for DSLR Cameras, Mirrorless Cameras and Tripods

the Q R clamp is a Run Shuangyu QR-120 Clamp For Quick Release Plate Fit Arca SWISS Benro Tripod Ball Head 120mm

[ make sure you order the one which Amazon delivers, not Run or you will be waiting for a shipment from China ]

both purchased through Amazon

plan is to mount the clamp on my modified Stedistock and put the plate on the tripod foot of the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

so I can quickly move the lens from the stedistock to a tripod
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06-25-2017, 06:15 AM - 1 Like   #9921
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Lens choice is paramount with any system.

Sharpness or resolution is just one measure of performance, of course... but if we use that alone as a yard-stick, there are plenty of very sharp lenses in K-mount without Pentax having to play catch-up. You just have to pick the right ones

Looking at the reviews for Panasonic lenses, I see some impressive resolution figures. On the other hand, several models show pretty serious distortion and vignetting. Those issues are usually quite easy to resolve in post-processing - but so, too, is sharpening on images from slightly-softer lenses. It depends on your priorities as to what matters more.

As for weight and bulk, micro 4/3 sensors require a considerably-smaller image circle, which allows for smaller lenses. That's definitely a nice up-side to those systems... but it's a trade-off with sensor image quality, of course - particularly as you start to increase sensitivity into higher ISO territory. So, again, it depends on your priorities.

The GX-80 does look like a fine piece of equipment, though
Yup, true. I think what impressed me with Panasonic is simply that you can pick any lens (from what I know, I haven't tried them all obviously), even a 70 Euro kit lens, and it's good. Even though if it is tiny. It may not be fast, but it's sharp, and doesn't seem to have much CA, vignetting is rather limited (but Lightroom automatically applies a profile...). I like this high quality approach. With other systems IMHO the smaller, lesser lenses are of inferior quality. If you want great quality, you'll need to shell out for the fast, expensive and huge lenses, even if you don't need their speed.

In any case, sharpness isn't that important for me. Size and weight is more so. The sensor clearly isn't as good as even the K-5 sensor. It's not a perfect camera, by no means, but I think it can nicely complement, say, a Pentax or other DSLRs. Want to do street life, want to have something in the bag just in case, want to shoot video: Panasonic. Going on a paid gig, or need good low light performance, need the highest possible quality: Pentax.

Oh, and I bought a Logitech M720 mouse. It supports Unifying (their little USB dongle) and Bluetooth, and it has a button to cycle between devices. Basically you can connect it to 3 Unifying enabled and/or Bluetooth devices and control them. Great if you use a desktop, a notebook and a tablet, for example. The shape is rather ergonomic but still compact, it's relatively quiet (more so than my old G400 gaming mouse), and it's simply pleasant to use. Sadly the refresh rate and dpi is relatively low (still good for normal mice, but a huge step down from my G400).
06-26-2017, 04:18 PM - 2 Likes   #9922
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Nikkormat FT3

Chris

06-26-2017, 04:32 PM - 1 Like   #9923
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
Nikkormat FT3

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Nice pickup. I had my FE2 out yesterday .
06-26-2017, 05:25 PM   #9924
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News lens, Pentax 645 system

Just received a used Pentax-A 645 150mm f 3.5 lens complete with front and back caps but no hood. I will use it with Pentax 645 and 645N film cameras, but will probably more often use it adapted to the k-1. I have already tried it on the K-1 and it seems to resist flare much better than my other 645 lenses.
06-26-2017, 07:16 PM - 3 Likes   #9925
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I was bad again
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06-26-2017, 07:17 PM   #9926
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
I was bad again
a detailed confession might be in order
06-26-2017, 07:39 PM - 1 Like   #9927
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QuoteOriginally posted by Aslyfox Quote
a detailed confession might be in order
In several days we'll have an unboxing. That's confession enough. .
06-26-2017, 09:25 PM - 2 Likes   #9928
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Decided against getting a second body and bought my daughter her first car, a Ford Streetka, instead... I hope she understands the sacrifice...
06-27-2017, 11:01 AM - 1 Like   #9929
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
I was bad again
Oh, that's *lovely*... <drool>

Looks as if it's in really nice condition, too! Obviously very well cared for
06-27-2017, 11:07 AM - 6 Likes   #9930
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I've gone full frame:
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