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11-22-2017, 03:31 AM - 1 Like | #1351 |
This is a myth. Although I could have largely agreed with this comment when using my K-5, it most certainly does not apply to my K-3. True, I do not find myself in frequent situations where I need to take action shots, but it is not fair to dismiss Pentax' very good static AF just because the Continuous AF is lacking. It may not satisfy all users' requirements, but it definitely satisfies those of some, and does so very well. | |
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11-22-2017, 03:48 AM - 2 Likes | #1352 |
The above is not an implication It’s a way out there attempt to rationalize the lack of keepers with and irrational implication. The rational why to look at that 70% I only have to take 300 images to ensure I have 200 keepers and not needing 500 images to cover the same success rate, that works better for me Very seldom do I have the luxury to shoot 500 images, most of the time on a single subject 2-6 images are captured and for them I would like to have better odds that 50% . When image captures are time sensitive like action work in wildlife where I am only afforded the luxury of maybe 1 frame I will take the highest success I can get I wouldn't get a K-1 to shoot wildlife, but that is as much due to lack of long and fast telephotos that are present in the Canon and Nikon lens line up. You have some beautiful shots, Ian, but you also clearly work hard to get close to wildlife and have some very nice (and quite expensive) lenses. But a lot of folks don't shoot wildlife and there I find Pentax to be more than adequate. | |
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11-22-2017, 04:35 AM - 3 Likes | #1353 |
There's a tendency to validate your choice by attacking the others. That's what I'm reading when that guy on DPR named Pentax as hopelessly crippled (and got offended when some people failed to give applause). The idea that there might be more than one correct choice seems alien to them. Oh, yeah, one of the main complaints was about "ancient screw drive". Despite the fact that none of the Pentax digital long lenses are screw drive, and in-lens motors are supported since 2007. Complainers aren't trying to be fair, but to do as much damage as possible. Pentax had wronged them, Pentax must pay! Known quantity or not, we are not a fixed quantity. How many of us left because Pentax didn't had a FF? And it's the FF line, a clear change from the past strategy, that addressed this issue. What if the next issue to be addressed is the high end? Every other brand is taking care of it (as Pentax did, in the film era - the D FA* 85mm f/1.4 fills a gap that was previously filled by A*/FA* lenses). IMO to have a reasonable guess at where Pentax is doing we must eliminate personal wishes from the equation and take a good look only at the information available (that's not saying our personal wishes are unimportant). Will Pentax advance the K-mount toward a higher performance goal? Well, what do we know? The D FA* lenses with ring-type SDM motors, for once. The full electric KAF4. PLM for light focusing groups. A new high-end APS-C lens (where a non-* DA was previously assumed). That hints at good things happening. IMO. Last edited by Kunzite; 11-22-2017 at 04:44 AM. | |
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11-22-2017, 04:35 AM | #1354 |
The problem that I have with all of these discussions is that most of the folks who are talking about how terrible Pentax auto focus is aren't (and haven't) shot with current top end Pentax bodies combined with top end lenses -- particularly not long enough to learn the camera and know how it works. When folks have shot with a K-1 and DFA 70-200 or DFA 150-450 and still say that they can't make it work for whatever reason, at least they really know what the current state of affairs is with Pentax. If your last experience was with a K3 and DA *50-135, not so much. So when you are looking for better Apsc performance, what use is it really to rent a K1 + dfa 150-450 to see if it performs better? I'll take your word for it instead, but it doesn't help me much. I wouldn't get a K-1 to shoot wildlife, but that is as much due to lack of long and fast telephotos that are present in the Canon and Nikon lens line up. You have some beautiful shots, Ian, but you also clearly work hard to get close to wildlife and have some very nice (and quite expensive) lenses. But a lot of folks don't shoot wildlife and there I find Pentax to be more than adequate. | |
11-22-2017, 04:46 AM | #1355 |
For any system, there will be individuals whose needs aren't met in a satisfactory manner.
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11-22-2017, 06:12 AM | #1356 |
Sorry, but that is nonsense, and nonsense used as an excuse on top of that. Ricoh is a modern professional company with proper resources and access to new technologies. You may believe that implementing proper auto focus hardware and software in their flagship camera will bankrupt them, but that is nonsense. Quote: And yet, I think what you post is nonsense. SO I guess what is nonsense and what isn't abased on your perspective. The simple fact is, you have n more reason for thinking what you think than I have for thinking whatI think. I'll be the first to admit, there's whole different way of shooting. I call them road warriors. They drive up and down the highway looking for good images, hop out of thier cars when they see something and have a very short time to snap off a few frames, because they've spoodked the animal and he's not going to be around long. It's possible a faster aAF might be better thnthat, but, I have my fair share of road warrior images as well, so I'm not even sure that's true. In the image below it appears that the little bird is looking at the seed in the snow. There is one shot like that of the 500 I took and it's from the middle of a burst. The bird was hopping around looking for seed in the snow. So basically what i'm saying is. if you aren't shooting 500 frames, odds are you aren't getting this image. From yestersday I have at least 400 in focus images of this beaver. (The 40% keeper rate was for birds in flight. My keeper rate is well over 85% for stationary objects and most of the misses are motion blur because I'm shooting at a low ISO to reduce noise.) I was able to select this one based on the visibility of the paw, the visibility of the stick he's munching on, and was also selected for the reeds in the background. These are images from the last two weeks, I don't have to spend hours going back through my files and posting stuff from 5 years ago, like some do in this type of discussion. So my point is, this is my everyday shooting work flow, not a one off that happened once 5 years ago. So this is what works for me, you can criticize all you want, but it works for me, period, end of discussion. maybe something else would work better, but that's complete speculation. And there are times when I end up posting better images than guys shooting 1DXs and D4s, So, really don't be telling me what Pentax has to do and to make me and others who shoot like me happy. You don't have a freakin clue. And because I shoot in Algonquin Park beside many other amateur and professional shooters. don't try and bully me into thinking it's your way or the highway, it isn't. I do just fine without advice like yours, thank you very much. And I can crank off those 500 frames in 15 minute if circumstances are right. My burst must be a lot faster than yours. Figure it out, 24 images takes 3 seconds. The a 20-30 second wait while the buffer clears. Easily 50 frames a minute. 10 minutes is all I need to run off 500 frames. Although I'm usually a lot more selective but the longest I'm ever out is an hour and a half, unless I'm bundled up with my cold weather hunter's gear, sitting and waiting for something to appear. You have to be using really bad technique if you have to have better AF, to do what I'm doing. As I said, I make Pentax AF work for me. I don't need a bunch of know it alls selling me it doesn't. I discuss these things all the time with guys,, hanging around waiting for the mossed to get his head up out of the swamp sow e can snap off a few shots, or a similar situations for other wild life. Last edited by normhead; 11-22-2017 at 06:43 AM. | |
11-22-2017, 07:35 AM - 1 Like | #1357 |
For the below image I used af-s because I wasn't interested in catching the bird in flight because the bird was already on the shade and the ISO was already at 1600 with a 600mm lens and a shutter speed of 1/320s. The keeper rate for this kind of subjects has to be high because there is no action involved, other than the movement of the bird head. As I said, I make Pentax AF work for me. I don't need a bunch of know it alls selling me it doesn't. I discuss these things all the time with guys,, hanging around waiting for the mossed to get his head up out of the swamp sow e can snap off a few shots, or a similar situations for other wild life. Anyway: - a good technique - the photographer's ability to keep the bird in the frame with long lenses - a fast focus lens can increase quite a lot the keeper rate with Pentax cameras. As for the D-FA 85mm lens, it was about time for such a lens to come. Portrait or wedding photographers must be very happy. I know I would have bought it as soon as it became available. I hope I will have a chance to play with it if some of my friends with K1 will buy it. | |
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11-22-2017, 08:50 AM - 1 Like | #1358 |
Here I question your shooting experience. At 8 FPS it does not take hours to shoot 500 images. It can take a little as a half hour, But if you were a real shooter you'd know that. In fact out shooting the otters on Costello Creek last year, one of the 1Dx shooter, told me he clicked off 1300 images in a few hours. My perspective, from shooting with a lot of other wildlife shooters, is that we like a lot of images. When the animals are in a good pose it sounds like a bunch of mchaine guns firing out there. You're looking for the image that has something going for it, and that can come anywhere in your burst. I Find it really amusing that you think you can just pop in in15 minute or whatever, snap off a few images an leave. 90% of the time it doesn't work like that. You have to find a position that makes good use of available light, the longer you spend, the more chance of getting an image you want. I'll be the first to admit, there's whole different way of shooting. I call them road warriors. They drive up and down the highway looking for good images, hop out of thier cars when they see something and have a very short time to snap off a few frames, because they've spoodked the animal and he's not going to be around long. It's possible a faster aAF might be better thnthat, but, I have my fair share of road warrior images as well, so I'm not even sure that's true. In the image below it appears that the little bird is looking at the seed in the snow. There is one shot like that of the 500 I took and it's from the middle of a burst. The bird was hopping around looking for seed in the snow. So basically what i'm saying is. if you aren't shooting 500 frames, odds are you aren't getting this image. From yestersday I have at least 400 in focus images of this beaver. (The 40% keeper rate was for birds in flight. My keeper rate is well over 85% for stationary objects and most of the misses are motion blur because I'm shooting at a low ISO to reduce noise.) I was able to select this one based on the visibility of the paw, the visibility of the stick he's munching on, and was also selected for the reeds in the background. These are images from the last two weeks, I don't have to spend hours going back through my files and posting stuff from 5 years ago, like some do in this type of discussion. So my point is, this is my everyday shooting work flow, not a one off that happened once 5 years ago. So this is what works for me, you can criticize all you want, but it works for me, period, end of discussion. maybe something else would work better, but that's complete speculation. And there are times when I end up posting better images than guys shooting 1DXs and D4s, So, really don't be telling me what Pentax has to do and to make me and others who shoot like me happy. You don't have a freakin clue. And because I shoot in Algonquin Park beside many other amateur and professional shooters. don't try and bully me into thinking it's your way or the highway, it isn't. I do just fine without advice like yours, thank you very much. And I can crank off those 500 frames in 15 minute if circumstances are right. My burst must be a lot faster than yours. Figure it out, 24 images takes 3 seconds. The a 20-30 second wait while the buffer clears. Easily 50 frames a minute. 10 minutes is all I need to run off 500 frames. Although I'm usually a lot more selective but the longest I'm ever out is an hour and a half, unless I'm bundled up with my cold weather hunter's gear, sitting and waiting for something to appear. You have to be using really bad technique if you have to have better AF, to do what I'm doing. As I said, I make Pentax AF work for me. I don't need a bunch of know it alls selling me it doesn't. I discuss these things all the time with guys,, hanging around waiting for the mossed to get his head up out of the swamp sow e can snap off a few shots, or a similar situations for other wild life. Last edited by Chris Mak; 11-22-2017 at 08:58 AM. | |
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11-22-2017, 09:05 AM - 2 Likes | #1359 |
You are taking all this far too personal. I use exaggerated descriptions of shooting situations and habits merely to counter your own exaggerated descriptions of why Pentax should basically not bother with seriously improving the auto focus capabilities off their cameras and lenses. You may have found a way to live and shoot contently and lroductively within these limitations, but that is beside the point. Almost all, if not all, who try out a current Canon/Nikon combo or modern mirrorless combo, will tell you that you are selling yourself short if you stay with a Pentax that sees no hurry in improving their AF speed, accuracy and responsiveness. That is a simple fact. Pentax can continue along with it's incremental improvements as long as it wants, because really fast AF is only an issue for a very small number of shooters. So my counter to that last line is, a lot of folks delude themselves into thinking they will get much better images with a faster AF, but there are far more who spend a lot of money only to get the same images I do. Faster AF does not for 99.9% of photographers does not lead to better images. It's money wasted. Thinking Pentax can make money by catering to that .1% is crazy. You're recommending people buy camera abilities they are likely to never use. For established Pentax users, other features beside's fast AF is their main consideration. Pentax's model of incremental change over years works just fine for most of us. And those of us who truly need better, like Dan, have already gone somewhere else. I am curious though Dan, how many of the shooters you know would switch to Pentax based on faster AF? Wouldn't it also take a stable of fast focusing lenses etc. Given the rate of Pentax lens releases, catching up with Sony, Canon and Nikon would likely be a10 year plan. Sony is committed to great line of fast focusing high resolution lenses for the A9. To make a difference Pentax would have to go for the the whole shebang. A whole complete line-up of fast focusing bodies and lenses. They'd be starting from scratch. Is that really a feasible solution, when there are already 3 camera companies with pretty amazing tech in that market, with at least a few years head start? Compared to Sony. Canon and Nikon , Pentax is a small company with limited R&D resources. We know practically all the Pentax lens designers by name. Ricoh is a bigger company, but Pentax has been told there is not going to be a major in flux of cash to produce an A9 from scratch. Given those parameters, Pentax's approach of incremental improvements body to body and lens to lens makes more sense than a huge faster AF product line. No one has a problem with folks who need it going else where for that. What we do have a problem with is people insisting Pentax has to go down that road. It will be interesting to see how good the 85 1.4 will be. My guess is it won't be much better than existing Pentax gear because that's the way Pentax does it. Incremental improvements. Making a really fast AF lens makes no sense if the weak link is the AF system in the camera. But if the incremental improvements aren't good enough for you, buy what you need. It's not my problem, and it's possible, it's hardly anyone's problem. All of these Pentax AF arguments are based on the flawed logic, the Pentax has to do well everyone else does well. They don't. They only have to do what they do well. What Pentax does well is excellent value per dollar spent. People who want more have lot's of choice from other companies. People who make that argument never ask, why can't Sony, Nikon or Canon pack the same features Pentax does into a DSLR for the same price? I get tired of the criticism offered on the forum always going the same way, and so many people who think criticizing Pentax for what they don't do while ignoring what they are good at are in some way knowledgeable. They don't have to be good at everything, just some things. Last edited by normhead; 11-22-2017 at 09:23 AM. | |
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11-22-2017, 09:56 AM | #1360 |
You are taking all this far too personally. I use exaggerated descriptions of shooting situations and habits merely to counter your own exaggerated descriptions of why Pentax should basically not bother with seriously improving the auto focus capabilities off their cameras and lenses. You may have found a way to live and shoot contently and productively within these limitations, but that is beside the point. Almost all, if not all, who try out a current Canon/Nikon combo or modern mirrorless combo, will tell you that you are selling yourself short if you stay with a Pentax that sees no hurry in improving their AF speed, accuracy and responsiveness. That is a simple fact. No need to expect others to live forever with limitations that are simply something easily lifted with modern technology if given due priority. Pentax has been a cheapo brand far too long, and good on Ricoh for starting a change. I vote for a flagship Apsc body with proper processor, proper focus points amount and spreading, and new lenses with current motor technology, and I hope they don't try to keep it below 1500, at all cost. We have the KP for who does not want to spend on a flagship body. Pentax has made incremental improvements in both body and lens performance from an auto focus standpoint, but I really don't seem them going after the sports shooter market any time soon. | |
11-22-2017, 11:05 AM - 9 Likes | #1361 |
You are taking all this far too personally. I use exaggerated descriptions of shooting situations and habits merely to counter your own exaggerated descriptions of why Pentax should basically not bother with seriously improving the auto focus capabilities off their cameras and lenses. You may have found a way to live and shoot contently and productively within these limitations, but that is beside the point. Almost all, if not all, who try out a current Canon/Nikon combo or modern mirrorless combo, will tell you that you are selling yourself short if you stay with a Pentax that sees no hurry in improving their AF speed, accuracy and responsiveness. That is a simple fact. No need to expect others to live forever with limitations that are simply something easily lifted with modern technology if given due priority. Pentax has been a cheapo brand far too long, and good on Ricoh for starting a change. I vote for a flagship Apsc body with proper processor, proper focus points amount and spreading, and new lenses with current motor technology, and I hope they don't try to keep it below 1500, at all cost. We have the KP for who does not want to spend on a flagship body. Every camera and camera system on the market has limitations. It's up to each photographer to decide which limitations are deal breakers, deal influencers, or irrelevant. In some cases, the exact same attribute (e.g., small/large size, or mirrorless/DSLR) that's a requirement for one photographer is a deal breaker for another. For me and a bunch of others, Pentax AF is good enough and getting better. It's just not a limitation for us. And there are other features offered by Pentax that the other brands simply cannot or won't offer that make the other brands too limited for consideration. To each, his own. | |
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11-22-2017, 01:29 PM | #1362 |
since we're happily off topic and talking about AF, I'd just like to say that I was really impressed today not by the K-1's AF-C or even focusing speed, but that in LV it managed to focus perfectly through a 10 stop ND filter PLUS a 3 stop ND grad Plus a polariser. Admittedly it was midday (though midday in late November in the UK with partial sun), but it was diving exposures of, for instance, 8 sec @ f/5.6 and nailing the focus. I also really like the fact that with the firmware update, you can dial in shutter speeds of many minutes and see the properly exposed image on the rear LCD I find that in daylight the fact that you don't have to take the 10-stop off the camera to compose, focus and expose, and don't have to calculate exposures, a really great feature - it's a pity the long exposure timer wasn't available on release so it's not included in reviews.
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11-22-2017, 03:05 PM | #1363 |
Now give a little and also care for others, who may want a true Pentax flagship, unless your only solution is the road of system switch.... Anyway, this discussion is most likely irrelevant anyhow, chances are that Ricoh has Pentax working on a true update on the ageing K3 anyhow. One that won't get them populating last place in all the AF lists.... I still remember vividly how on this very forum, the possibility of a full frame was not very popular a few years ago, due to its development costs driving Pentax Apsc into the abyss.... wonder how they see it all now.... ---------- Post added 11-22-17 at 11:16 PM ---------- I really think you should get a D500. I really don't see Pentax releasing a camera like that and odds are that is the closest to what you need, probably with a 300mm f2.8 lens. Cost will be a bit more than with the K3 II sequel, but it will have better auto focus and that seems to be an important thing. Pentax has made incremental improvements in both body and lens performance from an auto focus standpoint, but I really don't seem them going after the sports shooter market any time soon. So I find myself contacting my camera store and asking for a price quotation on the D500 + Sigma 500/4. Because that would solve the waiting... I have enjoyed the DA560, but I think I have waited enough, plus the DA560 would never allow for decent tracking anyway. Chris Last edited by Chris Mak; 11-22-2017 at 03:46 PM. | |
11-22-2017, 05:01 PM - 1 Like | #1364 |
Sony and especially Fuji are the brands that people choose when they want to swich from Canon or Nikon. People want a safe investment rather than the best camera between K1 and Canon 6D Mark II, Fuji X-T2, Nikon D750, etc. I don't know how many Pentax users own also a mirrorless camera, but more and more Canon and Nikon shooters added a mirrorless camera in their backpack. I see a lot of Sony A6500, Fuji X-Pro 2, E-M10 next to a big camera from Canon or Nikon. Canon and Nikon seems to know this and that's why rumors say that we will be seing a full frame mirrorless from Canon and Nikon in 2018. So, if you ask me, mirrorless cameras may hurt Pentax sales in the next 2-4 years rather than the lack of a fast af-c on the next Pentax flagship cameras. We will see... At least Pentax give us some signs with these 2 new lenses that they are trying to do something to make Pentax system more apealing. | |
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11-22-2017, 05:02 PM - 2 Likes | #1365 |
It's not that Pentax users wouldn't be happy with a D500 equivalent. But realistically Pentax wouldn't compete there without a massive amount of time and money. And maybe not even then. Nikon and particularly Canon have too big a user base. If I'm in Pentax product strategy, first thing I'd want to do was make sure that I could continue to be at the top in markets where I'm already close or there. Weddings, landscape, studio. K-1 and 645Z are already near/at the top there. Pentax will want to do what they can to stay there. Thus DFA 50 and 85 (and hopefully an ultrawide prime). But it would require a huge investment to get to be competitive with Canon in the sports and bird market. In bodies, lenses, and marketing. And even if Pentax got close, that's probably not good enough. They would need to be a lot better to get people to switch. That won't happen, so it's too big a risk for Pentax IMO. | |
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