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01-19-2018, 01:50 PM   #2686
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Norm, aren't you shooting wildlife with your Pentax based kit now? What would you do at Henry's to prep for some kind of wildlife safari photoshoot?

01-19-2018, 01:56 PM - 1 Like   #2687
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QuoteOriginally posted by biz-engineer Quote
it is completely ridiculous to launch a new camera format and be stuck at making a 50mm prime. For a system to get maximum adoption, it needs to have a nice selection of lenses so that everyone can combine the system that suit him the best.
It would undoubtedly be better if there was a full range of entirely new lenses for the K-1. No question, it would make a big difference to uptake of Pentax as a FF solution. But, reprising the same points we've discussed time and again:

- Ricoh got the essential fast zooms out to market quickly, more-than-adequately covering requirements for day-to-day shooting with up-to-date, digitally-optimised IQ. OK, the zooms are big and heavy - which goes with the territory for these types of lenses, regardless of brand - but they are an expected baseline of required lenses for professional and serious amateur use, and in any case, who buys a modern full-frame DSLR for maximum portability? Sony has mirrorless cameras for that (and yes, I know and acknowledge all of the points against EVF for some shooters)

- There is already a nice selection of excellent lenses available, allowing anyone to put together a highly capable FF system. Yes, some of those lenses are from the late film era, and aren't optimised for digital work, but they still produce very high quality images. I understand why some people only want newly-designed lenses, and I accept that they're necessary (and should be developed quicker than is currently happening); but there are high quality lenses available to suit most focal length requirements. There is nothing stopping people from taking outstanding, professional images with the glass already available

So, I don't think it was ridiculous to launch the K-1 with a limited range of new glass. I do think it would be better for Ricoh / Pentax to step on the gas pedal regarding new lens development, both for existing users who've committed to the system and to increase uptake - but I'm sure they're perfectly aware of that, and have good reasons for the time taken.
01-19-2018, 02:28 PM - 2 Likes   #2688
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
OK folks - sorry to have to do this, but it's not like I haven't asked nicely several times over the days and weeks...
Oh god, at last ! Thaaaaaaank you ! Could'nt bear it, i was about to Boriscleto(tm) a lot of people ...
01-19-2018, 02:39 PM   #2689
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QuoteOriginally posted by photoptimist Quote
It depends on your particular definition of "normal shooting." The approximate grouping of photographic styles that are more or less affected is:
...
The quality of the coatings affects the fogging of the image by all the light in the scene. So whether coatings affect an image depends on the required dynamic range range (i.e., lifting detail out of the shadows) and the total light is in the scene (especially blown highlights & bright light sources).

Of course, there's a lot that can be done in post processing to control contrast either to reduce the contrast of images taken with high-quality coatings or to try to recover dark details in a fogged image. But a poor-quality lens with a brightly back-lit or HDR scene will have a DR that is much lower than the sensor's DR -- dark detail in the fogged shadows will be unrecoverable.

If your normal photography depends in the high DR of most Pentax cameras, then higher-quality coatings may be important in back-lit scenes.
Thanks for that! Very informative (as always), and though I already knew some of what you've stated, I've added to and adjusted my knowledge with the rest

01-19-2018, 02:44 PM - 2 Likes   #2690
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QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
Norm, aren't you shooting wildlife with your Pentax based kit now? What would you do at Henry's to prep for some kind of wildlife safari photoshoot?
How about a 1DXII

Canon 200-400mƒ4 with built in (flick a switch) 1.4 TC

Canon 800 ƒ5.6


With everything on sale right now, if I buy today, I save a couple thousand, but it does come to about $40,000 CAD.

And of course I;d have to have a 70-200 and 1.4 as well as some kind of 24-70 type lens, and a couple of sherpas to carry all that stuff.

Everyone says Canon's don't have enough dynamic range. My Canon shooting wildlife buddies do just fine. It's the guys who shoot landscape and wildlife that are switching ti Nikon. The tracking on that 1Dx 200-400 with 1.4 combo is simply amazing. It will accurately track while zooming. Try that with any Pentax I've ever used.

Look at what is available from Pentax of that stuff and you realize why I won't use Pentax and "pro" in the same sentence. That being said, with my shabby little $5k Pentax set up, I often match those guys when it come to final output, and with the K-1, if conditions are right, I will exceed their output. I have a couple buddies with Nikon kit, also quite impressive. For wildlife and sports my impression is Canon still has a slight edge if you have the big bucks. If someone asked me for some images and offered to pay me a grand, I'll just shoot with my Pentax stuff. It's all about what the customer has the rght to expect for the price he pays.

So far, I haven't met even one of the "big boys" shooting Sony, or Pentax for that matter.

Hopefully this post will get some of the detractors off my case about being a Pentax fanboy.

I love my Pentax gear, but just out of force of habit I try and keep up with what's going on in the industry.

Last edited by normhead; 01-19-2018 at 06:40 PM.
01-19-2018, 03:55 PM   #2691
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
So far, I haven't met even one of the "big boys" shooting Sony, or Pentax for that matter.
Interestingly, I've seen a couple of news items on TV over here, covering White House press briefings and Presidential signings, where at least one photographer was using what I can only assume was the Sony A9. It was certainly a full-frame Sony mirrorless... so had to be A7xx or A9, but I'm guessing it was the A9. I can see why that would work, given the right lens(es)... the fast burst rate plus excellent AF and tracking must be very attractive for press photographers, and 24Mp is way more than enough in those situations, with cropping to spare. Greater resolution is arguably a waste...

Then again, this is an area Canon already did well in, and continues to do so for good reason. A great many of our UK press photographers shoot Canon...

Does that absolve me from fan-boy status too?
01-19-2018, 04:51 PM   #2692
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@Norm great post - I totally agree with it.

01-19-2018, 07:07 PM   #2693
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QuoteOriginally posted by mattt Quote
@Norm great post - I totally agree with it.
Wow, that might be like the third time in 8 years anyone said anything like that.
01-19-2018, 07:21 PM - 1 Like   #2694
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QuoteOriginally posted by biz-engineer Quote
Just looking at the wildlife works of David Yarrow. If I was a professional like him, I'd be long gone away from Pentax. With regards to Ricoh, it is completely ridiculous to launch a new camera format and be stuck at making a 50mm prime. For a system to get maximum adoption, it needs to have a nice selection of lenses so that everyone can combine the system that suit him the best.
I just checked his site and this is what is listed as David Yarrow's lens: If you can afford all that equipment, good for you. I am going to be doing good if I reach my three lens travel setup goal by June or July.

" • 105mm macro
• 20mm f1.4
• 24mm f1.4
• 28mm f1.4
• 35mm f1.4
• 50mm f1.4
• 85mm f1.4
• 105mm f1.4
• 200mm f2 "

The man has definitely gone all in on Nikon; which makes sense since he is one of their ambassadors.
link:
David Yarrow |TECHNICAL | DAVID YARROW PHOTOGRAPHY
01-20-2018, 12:17 AM - 1 Like   #2695
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QuoteOriginally posted by biz-engineer Quote
Just looking at the wildlife works of David Yarrow. If I was a professional like him, I'd be long gone away from Pentax. With regards to Ricoh, it is completely ridiculous to launch a new camera format and be stuck at making a 50mm prime. For a system to get maximum adoption, it needs to have a nice selection of lenses so that everyone can combine the system that suit him the best.
In addition to what's already been said on this, it should be remembered that similar comments could be made regarding the Sony A9 -a sports and wildlife camera without native sports or wildlife long lenses. Also, we all know that Pentax used to make fast 600s, 400s etc - that stopped due to lack of investment and lack of sales. Ricoh is doing serious work recovering the brand from near extinction, but to throw the amount of money at the situation that a full range of primes in short time would require would be a massive gamble - even more ridiculous, I would suggest.
01-20-2018, 12:41 AM   #2696
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QuoteOriginally posted by ffking Quote
it should be remembered that similar comments could be made regarding the Sony A9 -a sports and wildlife camera without native sports or wildlife long lenses
Canon glass adapts to $$$$ony with very good results,also $$$$ony has plenty of lenses in the pipeline.

As well as 3rd party support thats growing.Sigma has some stuff that will be announced soon.
01-20-2018, 12:58 AM   #2697
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QuoteOriginally posted by surfar Quote
Canon glass adapts to $$$$ony with very good results,also $$$$ony has plenty of lenses in the pipeline.
Agreed... although, if we strictly adhere to the "Brand X must release new, high quality glass to maximise uptake of its cameras" suggestion, Sony hasn't been what you'd call prolific, nor has it shown a massive sense of urgency.

The A7, A7 MkII series (inc. R and S variants) have been around for a long time now, and for much of that time, those bodies didn't even have on-sensor phase detect AF, let alone the Canon and Sigma AF adapters. You could get the LA-EA4 and shoot Sony A / Minolta AF (as I do), but that gives you the capable yet significantly-reduced AF flexibility of the SLT-A99 - not the whizz-bang tricks of the A7 MkII models and especially the A7 MkIII & A9.

Forum posts, reviews and videos often mention the restricted range of available Sony native glass. Even so, that doesn't seem to have appreciably impacted uptake of the cameras. I still think Ricoh / Pentax should hit the turbo boost button on development of glass, but there are interesting parallels to be drawn here...
01-20-2018, 01:25 AM   #2698
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QuoteOriginally posted by Mistral75 Quote
The smc Pentax-DA L 18-50mm f/4-5.6 DC WR RE was launched in February 2015 and is currently manufactured together with the HD Pentax-DA 18-50mm f/4-5,6 DC WR RE.
You must be on his ignore list
01-20-2018, 01:27 AM   #2699
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
on-sensor phase detect AF
Yes, this is needed for the AF adapters....but theres a few now.Initially just the Techart, but Fotodiox has copied it(the Techart firmware updates the Fotodiox adapter)...and theres some more too i read somewhere the other day.So most mounts can be adapted to $$$$$ony!(we let ya win another one).
01-20-2018, 03:45 AM   #2700
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QuoteOriginally posted by pres589 Quote
I never saw Pentax mention that the DA*55 is obsolete with this lens. Canon doesn't do that with their range of available 50mm primes, why would Ricoh? The DA*55 has created some beautiful images here. I hope I can become good enough to "deserve", if that's the right word, a lens like that.

I've not used the FA 50 1.4. But if it's like my M 50 1.4 (and I know they are quite similar, deep down) then this move is quite nice for those that can afford it / can rationalize it. Why not let them? I'm happy with my cheap & cheerful gear. If Pentax can field a 50mm that makes people forget about the Sigma 50 Art, and say with a straight face that they once again have a Zeiss beating optic, that's not a problem in my book.
I think the point that Pentax is putting forward with the creation of the DFA *50 lens is that the DA *55 is primarily an APS-C lens. They don't believe, as it was built, that it is adequate for digital full frame. This is the reason that unlike the DA *200 and DA *300 they did not create a full frame lens profile for the DA *55, although one does exist if you shoot in crop mode. On APS-C, it functions as your 85mm equivalent and I think was designed with portraiture in mind.

Obviously you can (and I do ) shoot the DA *55 in full frame mode without any problems, but I do wonder if at least some photographers would express dissatisfaction with it if Pentax marketed it as a full frame lens.
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