[Zephos]

Okay there's a K-5ii vs. K-50 thread out there and it kinda made me realize that I may have made the wrong choice in buying a K-50. Not because of all the stuff people are saying in the thread, but because I've been applying all my skill and knowledge to every shot and I still feel a little unsatisfied with the quality of photo I've been able to come up with.

I realize that I'm still a beginner, but I've been learning a lot and I thought I would be able to come up with something I could be fairly proud of so far. Maybe I just need to learn more and practice more... in fact I hope that's the case. I really hope my dissatisfaction is not due to my gear being sub-par in image quality, etc. I know I don't have the best lenses, but it's all I can get for now as my wife has banned me from buying anything else for a year!

Anyway, I wanted to ask anyone who has the same gear as I do to post their best pictures made with that gear so I can maybe get some hope that it really is me (something I can improve) and not my gear! My list of gear is below. Please, if you post images, say what gear it was with. I don't want any DA* images here because that would just make it worse! Just think of it as a challenge. What are your best photos with this limited selection of lenses or something.

Post images taken with a K-50 (or K-30) and one of these lenses please:

SMC DA 50mm f1.8
SMC DA L18-55mm f3.5 kit lens
SMC DA L 50-200mm kit lens
Pentax-M 50mm f1.7
Pentax-M 28mm f2.8
Quantaray(Tamron) 70-300 f4-5.6 LDO Macro

Thanks in advance for helping me get out of my own personal pity-party!

[SpecialK]

You should post some of your problem pictures.

[alamo5000]

You should post some of your problem pictures.

Yup.

I would betcha $5 SpecialK that the parts he doesn't like aren't due to the camera.

---------- Post added 03-08-15 at 04:28 PM ----------

I will reassure you ahead of time. Odds are the camera is fine. But keep posting and we will help you work on skills.

[Aaron28]

NO......you are suffering from gear envy.......someone with experience using a K-x or K-10 or whatever could surely show up and surpass someone with the most current mothership/flagship whatever...........my experience using any light box setting it up for garbage in always equates to garbage out......that's why I do not take very good pictures......I must learn to use what I have effectively before any gear will help me

[Steve.Ledger]

I have the K-50, I come from a K-7. It blows the K-7 out of the water, even with the 18-55mm kit lens.
If you are unsatisfied with the K-50, then I don't think the K-5II will change things.

[Rondec]

If there is a difference between the K5 II and the K50 photos that folks post it will come down to two reasons. (1) K5 II users will tend to have more experience. Obviously this is a broad generalization, but I think people who invest in a flagship camera tend to be those who understand what they need and have a better feel for how to use their gear when they get it. and (2) K 5 II users tend to have better glass. Glass isn't everything, but there are times when a lens like the DA 15 limited or the DA *50-135 will give you significantly better results than cheaper options.

All of that said, I would post photos, like others have said, and see what you are doing wrong and how you can improve your photos. If you reach the point where the K50 isn't enough camera for you, it is fine to upgrade, but far better to learn your current camera well before you drop a bunch of cash on a new one.

[Imp]

First off - your "goldenduck" is a Canada goose. And perhaps for nature, try center point focus and focus right on the head before changing the framing and taking the picture. It looks like the head is a little out of focus (OOF)

Second - what everyone else has said is right. Even the two cameras are not much different, they use the same 16mp sensor. So your image quality will NOT be much different - in a K-5iis, you only gain more control.

Both taken with the kit lens:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-post-your-photos/287003-landscape-sunset-above-docks.html
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-post-your-photos/278755-landscape-beach-silhouette.html

[jatrax]

I realize that I'm still a beginner, but I've been learning a lot and I thought I would be able to come up with something I could be fairly proud of so far. Maybe I just need to learn more and practice more... in fact I hope that's the case. I really hope my dissatisfaction is not due to my gear being sub-par in image quality, etc. I know I don't have the best lenses, but it's all I can get for now as my wife has banned me from buying anything else for a year!

The difference between k-50 and k-5 series is features not really image quality. Almost the same sensor, 12bit instead of 14bit on the k-50 but in most situations that is minor. So, no you did not make a poor choice. You might need more practice, or learning. There are lots of resources online.

Your lenses are not the best, but then "best" implies $1,000 plus lenses. And in good conditions it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a $200 lens and a $1,200 lens. That expensive f/2.8 lens will do things the other will not but in good light at f/8 the difference is not as much as camera makers would want you to believe. So first understand the limits of your gear, and don't be disappointed when you push outside of that envelope. I've sold quite a few images with gear not nearly as good as what you have, the image is what is important not the gear.

Learn how to read a scene and use the light. For example your 'goldenduck' was taken back lit, it's not a bad picture considering the conditions but if the light had been over your shoulder instead of in your face the result would have been quite different. A big part of photography is understanding what is possible and what is not, when to shoot everything in sight because the light is amazing and when to put the camera in the bag because the light is bad.

[skunktail]

Hi Zephos,

Unless you managed to get a bad copy of ALL your lenses (which would make you the unluckiest person in the world) you should be able to get plenty of good shots with your gear. Those three primes especially are well regarded.

Don't worry, enjoy the practice and you WILL get better photos as time goes on.

[stillshot2]

What are you not satisfied with? Sharpness? Because just about every lens is sharpest a few clicks with the aperture stopped down a little, but stop it down too far (such as around f18 and smaller) and the sharpness will start lessening again. Also test your your lenses to make sure they are focusing correctly (not in front or behind a subject, which is known as front or back focusing). If the camera body is mis-focusing, then you can adjust the focus issue within the menus of the K50, which feature can be very useful. And last, proper technique is a must and a good photo editing program can be a better investment than you may think.

[c.a.m]

Hi,

I have a K-5 ii and several good lenses, but I'm not happy with 90% of my shots. I don't think it's your gear - you have a decent kit. I don't know about several of your lenses, but I find my M 50/1.7 consistently produces technically good images (the composition problems are mine, all mine!). I used to use a 50-200; while it's not the sharpest lens at most focal lengths, it does have its optical qualities - very pleasing bokeh, sharp when stopped down, and 200mm reach.

I'd recommend that you take a look at the Pentax Photo Gallery: PENTAX : Welcome to the PENTAX Photo Gallery

Click the "Camera and Lenses" tab (top right of the page). The K-50 is listed, as are the similar K-500 and K-30. You'll find some of your lenses in the list. I didn't see an M 50/1.7, but there's a 50/2.

Keep practicing and learning. And don't worry about your discard rate - most of the great images posted here and at other sites represent probably less than 10% of the shots taken.

- Craig

[Zephos]

First off - your "goldenduck" is a Canada goose.l

Thanks for that lol. I'm aware that it's a goose but got it mixed up somehow. I was shooting both geese and ducks that day

---------- Post added 03-08-15 at 09:41 PM ----------

I will post some of my unsatisfactory pictures soon once I get them off my camera.

[K McCall]

Okay there's a K-5ii vs. K-50 thread out there and it kinda made me realize that I may have made the wrong choice in buying a K-50. Not because of all the stuff people are saying in the thread, but because I've been applying all my skill and knowledge to every shot and I still feel a little unsatisfied with the quality of photo I've been able to come up with.

I realize that I'm still a beginner, but I've been learning a lot and I thought I would be able to come up with something I could be fairly proud of so far. Maybe I just need to learn more and practice more... in fact I hope that's the case. I really hope my dissatisfaction is not due to my gear being sub-par in image quality, etc. I know I don't have the best lenses, but it's all I can get for now as my wife has banned me from buying anything else for a year!

Anyway, I wanted to ask anyone who has the same gear as I do to post their best pictures made with that gear so I can maybe get some hope that it really is me (something I can improve) and not my gear! My list of gear is below. Please, if you post images, say what gear it was with. I don't want any DA* images here because that would just make it worse! Just think of it as a challenge. What are your best photos with this limited selection of lenses or something.

Post images taken with a K-50 (or K-30) and one of these lenses please:

SMC DA 50mm f1.8
SMC DA L18-55mm f3.5 kit lens
SMC DA L 50-200mm kit lens
Pentax-M 50mm f1.7
Pentax-M 28mm f2.8
Quantaray(Tamron) 70-300 f4-5.6 LDO Macro

Thanks in advance for helping me get out of my own personal pity-party!

Hi, Zephos, we meet again!

When I first started getting really into photography, I bought the K100D, sold the kit lens to my best mate, and bought the FA 43/1.9. For months and months, that's the only lens I had. I took the manual out with me and read every single page and practiced using all the modes.

I got fantastic shots with the K100D, but it didn't happen overnight. That hardware is really dated at this point - the K50 I'm sure is miles beyond what the K100D was capable of. But still, I worked hard to learn my camera and equipment, and I am really happy with those shots (and I still have and use that camera). I'm sure it sounds trite, but there were people who were taking award-winning shots with the tech from the K100D just a few short years ago.

The bottom line is that you probably don't need a new camera. If anything, lenses make a much bigger difference in image quality, in my opinion. And what is it exactly that's the problem? Is it corner sharpness? Purple-fringing? I've done shows and had my work hanging in galleries (many of those taken with the K100D!), and no one has ever mentioned things like that to me. The photos that speak to people are all about light and color and expression. The sensor records the image, but you as the artist are responsible for bringing it to life.

Please do not forget the importance of post-processing. Sometimes just a few tweaks can make the difference between a ho-hum photograph and an unforgettable one.

Remember that the photo critique forum is a great way to improve!

[mee]

Please be aware that A LOT of the images you see online are not straight out of the camera (SOOC) but, rather, are affected by post processing on the computer. So that could be skewing your view of not getting a really nice image too. A lot of my images purposely look awful SOOC when I'm shooting landscapes (with heavy contrast) simply not to blow out the highlights so I underexpose by at least 1 stop -- I bring up the detail in the darker/shadow sections in Lightroom. Detail enhanced in Photoshop Elements.. midtones increased in Nik Effects.. etc etc. You will see a lot of this stuff not mentioned most times. The original image looks dark and bland.. the final image is full of life. The work is done on the PC a lot of times. If one would expose for the sky, the ground is too dark, and if they try to expose for the ground then the sky is too bright (blown out/clipped). So I'm not even sure it is feasible to expect to get all of some images correct in the camera -- sometimes you may need the help of your PC to do some heavy lifting.

Actually, I came from a K-30 to a K-5ii and my main reason was the handling -- the K-5ii feels better to my hands than then K-30 did. The 14-bit RAW also helps in shadow detail too.. but that is likely not your issue. Your issue seems to be you're a novice looking to get advanced results. I think(simply by reading your OP) you need to learn your gear a little bit more.

Btw you will likely be learning new ideas and techniques in photography for the rest of your life. I learn new stuff pretty often and have been doing this for 5 years and have only scratched the surface. God willing, if I'm around in 30 more years and still interested in photography, I suspect I will be able to say the same thing then too. Always learning, always growing.

[mohb]

Exposure Time 1/160s (0.0063)
Aperture F/18.0
ISO Equivalent 3200
Hi these are the settings for 'Hanging seeds' in your album - why did you use f18 and ISO3200? Somebody else may be able to explain better than I can but that combination of settings are not going to help you produce the best quality. For most lenses any aperture setting of f18 makes the image less sharp because of diffraction and !SO3200 is not the best choice for getting detail in a picture.