[john5100]

As a concert and event photographer, high ISO is critical. Full Frame has the advantage of having a larger sensor thus gathering a lot more light. My colleagues shoot at lower ISOs than I do because their sensors are so much better in low light. My K3 and Ks-2 hold their own pretty well though. I will be getting the K1 in the future but for now my K3 and my Ks-2 are doing just
fine.

K3

Lamb of God by John Rudolph, on Flickr


Lamb of God by John Rudolph, on Flickr


Lamb of God by John Rudolph, on Flickr

KS-2 at ISO 1600 pushed to 6400

Clutch by John Rudolph, on Flickr

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Last edited by john5100; 06-02-2016 at 09:10 AM.

[r0ckstarr]

As a concert and event photographer, high ISO is critical.

ISO 4000 and looks great.

[john5100]

r0ckstarr - thank you

I was testing my KS-2 at ISO 12,800 pushed to ISO 25,600 and I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked. Very noisy but still detailed.


Lamb of God by John Rudolph, on Flickr

[Rupert]

To my eye the K-1 at 6400 ISO looks pretty good, and I suspect your K-5II was better than my K-3 for him ISO. I'm just pretty happy with what I'm getting right now. I'm guessing both cameras are pretty similar 100 to 800 ISO, and that's where 95% of my shooting is. I'm not sure it's worth an extra rand for the last 5%. But then if I had 3k CAD lying around in the bank, I'd be tempted.

Norm, whatever you are doing ...just keep doing it! Your shots are always excellent.

Here are a few shot this dark and wet evening and my thoughts, for whatever they are worth.

K1+Bigma 50-500

ISO 8000......Generally plenty usable on my K1...for me at least.


ISO 10000 Sometimes yes...sometimes no.


ISO 12800 Gets a little rough...good for some things like squirrels......but birds ..not so much.


I'm not considering all the other factors involved like the lens, the particular light, and the processing that could be done. So many variables, but these numbers seem to be pretty steady in my limited experience with the K1.

If you don't have a light problem none of this matters...if you do it can make a big difference. For my K5IIs birds were generally avoided past ISO 1600...so the range has increased and basically added an extra hour to my shooting day. For me the biggest difference is the fast and sure AF of the Bigma on my K1 in low light. No other Pentax body I have owned has ever come close in that regard. Low light...fast focus...instant...no hunting, no stuttering, it just locks on and you fire!

Regards!

[Rupert]

My K3 and Ks-2 hold their own pretty well though. I will be getting the K1 in the future but for now my K3 and my Ks-2 are doing just

Those look very good to me.....which reminds me that not everyone needs the same thing regarding ISO or even AF. I shot for two months with my broken K5IIs in MF and though it was tough, I got used to it. I have a friend that shoots Canon and is very good...uses nothing but manual lenses.

In the dark woods here the ISO is important in the morning and late afternoon...on rainy days and the middle of winter. If I lived a block away in a clearing it would almost always be bright enough for at least ISO 800....very often ISO 100.

Shooting with what you really need is what will make you happy!

I was happy to be able to shoot in the rain and darkness at ISO 8000 so I could show you guys that blind orphan squirrels really do exist!

Lost in the storm...praying for guidance?



Regards!

[totsmuyco]

With your sample shots Rupert, I wouldn't like to hold a K-1. I might take it home and put a hole in my pocket. Great shots.

[Rupert]

With your sample shots Rupert, I wouldn't like to hold a K-1. I might take it home and put a hole in my pocket. Great shots.

Thanks! The best thing, for me, is the fun of shooting the K1. Just now I saw a dove in the low light of a very cloudy morning and though I have hundreds of dove shots, you can't resist having one more.

Unlike ever before the K1, the Bigma locked focus the instant I half pressed and I got a shot that is usable. No, it is not for pixel peepers...but I don't shoot for them anyhow. No one in the real world has ever asked me if I could blow up the image 400% for their viewing inspection!

I am not the best at processing, but did some light noise reduction on it......works for me! I can only imagine a faster lens, stopped down to f8. and a little more speed....with better processing.

1/80 handheld (that new SR is amazing too!) f7.1 @500mm through my office windows ISO 10000 K1+ Bigma 50-500



That fun factor is important to me....it's like fishing ...you don't always get the prize catch, but if you get something you feel better about it.

Regards!

BTW- For those that were worried about the little blind orphan squirrel lost in the storm....his mama found him and got him home safely. There was a large search party that found him and now they have a big keg of beer and are celebrating his safe return!

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Last edited by Rupert; 06-03-2016 at 09:55 AM.

[normhead]

Thanks! The best thing, for me, is the fun of shooting the K1. Just now I saw a dove in the low light of a very cloudy morning and though I have hundreds of dove shots, you can't resist having one more.

Unlike ever before the K1, the Bigma locked focus the instant I half pressed and I got a shot that is usable. No, it is not for pixel peepers...but I don't shoot for them anyhow. No one in the real world has ever asked me if I could blow up the image 400% for their viewing inspection!

I am not the best at processing, but did some light noise reduction on it......works for me! I can only imagine a faster lens, stopped down to f8. and a little more speed....with better processing.

1/80 handheld (that new SR is amazing too!) f7.1 @500mm through my office windows ISO 10000 K1+ Bigma 50-500

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/129469263@N03/26826868204/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMGP1364-800K1"><img src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7300/26826868204_f921bd849e_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="IMGP1364-800K1"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That fun factor is important to me....it's like fishing ...you don't always get the prize catch, but if you get something you feel better about it.

Regards!

BTW- For those that were worried about the little blind orphan squirrel lost in the storm....his mama found him and got him home safely. There was a large search party that found him and now they have a big keg of beer and are celebrating his safe return!

I lock a lot of shots with my K-3 that I couldn't lock with a K-5, and I went to a DA*200 2.8 for low light, so I've addressed both those problems, a different way.

[emalvick]

These are all great photos, and I discovered initially with my K5 that I could easily get away with ISO 6400 if not higher when the needs dictate. All the photos in this thread demonstrate that the noise isn't a problem. Unless you are looking for noise or are easily distracted by it (which I think some of us including myself are susceptible to), a good image is a good image.

The other thing I've noted since my daughter was born and I am now printing regularly is that noise on the monitor is almost always worse than it is when printed. Taking photos of my baby, I've not worried about ISO almost at all taking a lot of snapshots at up to 12800 ISO on my K3. Prints up to 8 x 10 at all sorts of ISO settings come out without even a hint of noise. Of course, that might change if I was printing very large images, but I've always felt an 8 x 10 is a good indicator of image quality throughout the size range since viewing distance should compensate for the apparent noise increase at larger print sizes (e.g. pixel peepers are going to hate it more than the typical viewer).

[Rupert]

I lock a lot of shots with my K-3 that I couldn't lock with a K-5, and I went to a DA*200 2.8 for low light, so I've addressed both those problems, a different way.

Once again...whatever you are doing Norm, keep at it!

The other thing I've noted since my daughter was born and I am now printing regularly is that noise on the monitor is almost always worse than it is when printed.

Very true!

I've read where the Jpegs on the K1 are not good.....Not true at all! Nothing wrong with mine, though I seldom use a Jpeg.

Jpeg ISO 5000


Regards!

[Stagnant]

@Rupert, at 800 pixels wide, there will be barely any difference between K-5, K-3 and K-1, unless the samples you provided are 100% crops.

[john5100]

I can't wait to try the K1 but for now the K3 and KS2 are fine.

KS2 at ISO 6400 with recovered shadows

Pentax KS2 by John Rudolph, on Flickr

K3 at ISO 4000 pushed a little with recovered shadows

K3 High ISO by John Rudolph, on Flickr

[totsmuyco]

Great shots John. Thanks for sharing

[john5100]

totsmuyco - Thank you