[mtngal]

My K-S1 has gone from a panda to a unicorn tonight - I got the DA 40 lens. Is it ever tiny, and makes the combination even lighter, and silver definitely works with the white camera better than a black lens. And I had an interesting day photography-wise.

First, I wanted to take some pictures using a long shutter speed. I made sure that I took my tripod into work with me this morning, getting there at 5:40 am. Started off, saw something I wanted to take a picture of and realized that a tripod with a quick release head on it is only of limited usefulness if the camera doesn't have a plate on it. Ooops! So I did the best I could, and while I took some good pictures, any with more than a second shutter speed had camera blur. Sigh.

When I got home there was a box waiting for me - it had both the DA40 lens and a Cactus V5 Duo set. I've always gotten frustrated with flash, I just don't manage to get what I want. I found that I could get nice results with the K3 most of the time, but I really would like to figure out how to use flash more effectively. Since I often want a flash off-camera outside when taking pictures of flowers, I decided that buying the flash triggers made sense. I remembered about the tripod plate, so before I unpacked the flash triggers I searched madly for the generic plate, but couldn't find it anywhere. I finally gave up and decided to try my new toys anyway.

I hate doing comparison shots - something always goes wrong. I took a series comparing the K100 and the K-S1. Only problem was that I hadn't paid any attention to the fact that the K100 had that tripod plate I was madly looking for on it. So I had to re-shoot the photos. By this time I had unpacked the flash triggers, read the directions and tried them out. Do you know that the flash triggers don't work if the flash is still turned off??? I figured that out eventually (duh!).

Here's the final result:



I can't bounce the flash off my ceiling because it's tongue and groove wood, not white. I've tried before and I get really weird color.
First thing I noticed (which I hadn't before) is that there's no X mode like there is on the K3 and K5. I got the iPad out and looked it up in the owners manual. Answer for what I was doing - use M mode, set the shutter speed to 1/180 and then whatever aperture you want to use. Then I had to remember to change the flash to A instead of P-TTL. But I finally got things more or less the way I wanted them, and put the camera on the tripod (but only after removing the plate from the K100 and dropping the screw on the floor - took me 10 minutes to find it!).

I liked this one the best - it's probably a bit harsher than it should be, but it was after my normal bedtime.



One problem I have is that the plate I own is Acratech's generic plate that fits the K3. It's a bit too wide for the K-S1, it blocks the door on the bottom so you have to remove the plate to take out the memory card. I think either they or RRS makes a smaller plate, I'll need to check into that.

So I now have all sorts of new things to play with this weekend, and figuring out flash is going to keep me occupied for many, many weekends to come.

I am so delighted that I got this camera, it's really gotten me back into photography and is expanding my horizons more than I had expected when I first looked at it.

[MarkJerling]

That new camera looks pretty good!

[qblade]

I do like the silver DA 40 on the white camera body!

[MarkJerling]

I do like the silver DA 40 on the white camera body!

Same! Looks super nice!

[THoog]

Lookin' good! The lack of an X-mode has tripped up a lot of folks when they switched between a K-7/5/3 and one of the "plastic" bodies (K-x, 30, 01, etc.).

I don't mind doing comparison shots so much as I do head-to-head series with bodies and/or lenses (booooring!). I meant to do just that with the K-S1 and one of the 16MP bodies, but I'm having a really hard time getting motivated. Maybe I'll do some lensporn instead...

[mtngal]

Lookin' good! The lack of an X-mode has tripped up a lot of folks when they switched between a K-7/5/3 and one of the "plastic" bodies (K-x, 30, 01, etc.).

I don't mind doing comparison shots so much as I do head-to-head series with bodies and/or lenses (booooring!). I meant to do just that with the K-S1 and one of the 16MP bodies, but I'm having a really hard time getting motivated. Maybe I'll do some lensporn instead...

I have to laugh at your reaction to doing comparison series - I have the same experience. There's always some difference, and I end up with a whole bunch of worthless, boring pictures.

But once I did a series comparing the DA 55-300 with some other lenses. I did pretty good until I compared it with the DA*300. That was a huge mistake because the quality didn't come close at whatever setting I used, and I put the DA 55-300 away and wouldn't use it for months. It took me a long time before I could accept the DA 55--300 for what it is - a very nice, lightweight lens that was good for hiking when I didn't want to drag along a big, heavy lens. Now my DA*200 and 300 are sitting in a drawer while I might actually put the 55-300 on the K-S1 and see if I could handle it.

[stevebrot]

I have to laugh at your reaction to doing comparison series

I have done a few and find that if I mix up the composition, I can get something I am a little happier with. Thanks for showing off your new camera. Do you have one with the lens cap off?

Can't resist...






Steve

[rawr]

Can't resist...
Steve

Xr2s with a battery grip!
Xr7
Super Program ...

Are you me?

[interested_observer]

Morning Harriet! Its been a while...

I didn't expect the K-s1 to be sooo small next too the K100. I guess you got the S1 because of the size against the K5/3?

[mtngal]

Morning Harriet! Its been a while...

I didn't expect the K-s1 to be sooo small next too the K100. I guess you got the S1 because of the size against the K5/3?

Great to "see" you again. I've been among the missing for a long time - trying to adjust to being single is tough, and the 405 traffic seems to get worse and worse. I've also been having trouble with nerve damage in my arms, which has made using the K3 difficult and painful. I kept having to raise my shutter speeds to avoid camera shake, and since I have little time to spend on my hobby, I pretty much quit taking pictures. Didn't think about shooting with K100 again until I saw the K-S1 announcement. I tried it and knew immediately that if I wanted to start really enjoying photography again, I was going to have to have a lighter camera. I'll probably sell the K5 and keep the K3, which I otherwise love, for times when I'm out shooting in bad weather. I can get away with snowshoeing with the K-S1 when it's sunny, I did that often enough with both the DS and K100. The K-S1 gives me the speed I got used to with the K3, comparable crispness to my pictures that I could get from the K3 and a weight/size that I could manage better. I chimp a lot so the location of the live view and playback buttons (switched on the K-S1 from the K3) is annoying. I'll get used to it.

For the past 4 days I've been taking silly pictures around my office and having a great time. I even made a point of walking to the botanical gardens at lunch one day, something I haven't done in a very long time. So you can imagine just how happy a camper I am right now. I might have not meant to order the K-S1 right now, but I'm delighted that I did.

[RonHendriks1966]

Looks like a great toy. Enjoy it.

[mtngal]

I have done a few and find that if I mix up the composition, I can get something I am a little happier with. Thanks for showing off your new camera. Do you have one with the lens cap off?

Steve

Here are some shots with the lens hood on but the cap off. This was a good "assignment," I struggled some more with flash and the Cactus V5s. Love the excuse for time to practice with photography.



Light is a bit harsh in this next one, but I like the feeling of the camera being a 3d object better:



Another size comparison, this time with the K5:



And 1 more that I took more for fun than anything else. I thought the DA*50-135 would make a nice size comparison with the DA 40!



When I looked at a picture I took of the two cameras showing the grip size difference, and realized that one of the camera straps was in the way (not worth posting), I decided I had had enough and called it quits for the comparison shots. Time to go play with the new camera and lens, to see how it all works with stuff I normally like to take. Flash/product photography is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone and I can only do it so long before needing a break. I'll go back to it but I'll use the K-S1 and choose something else as my subject.

[interested_observer]

Great to "see" you again. I've been among the missing for a long time - trying to adjust to being single is tough, and the 405 traffic seems to get worse and worse. I've also been having trouble with nerve damage in my arms, which has made using the K3 difficult and painful. I kept having to raise my shutter speeds to avoid camera shake, and since I have little time to spend on my hobby, I pretty much quit taking pictures. Didn't think about shooting with K100 again until I saw the K-S1 announcement. I tried it and knew immediately that if I wanted to start really enjoying photography again, I was going to have to have a lighter camera. I'll probably sell the K5 and keep the K3, which I otherwise love, for times when I'm out shooting in bad weather. I can get away with snowshoeing with the K-S1 when it's sunny, I did that often enough with both the DS and K100. The K-S1 gives me the speed I got used to with the K3, comparable crispness to my pictures that I could get from the K3 and a weight/size that I could manage better. I chimp a lot so the location of the live view and playback buttons (switched on the K-S1 from the K3) is annoying. I'll get used to it.

For the past 4 days I've been taking silly pictures around my office and having a great time. I even made a point of walking to the botanical gardens at lunch one day, something I haven't done in a very long time. So you can imagine just how happy a camper I am right now. I might have not meant to order the K-S1 right now, but I'm delighted that I did.

Adjusting to being single is difficult. I can't imagine what the 405 looks like now. I was over there several years ago and had to go up to Westlake Village - it was terrible, and I got lost to top it off. Turning 64, I have finally admitted that manual focusing for me is over - especially at over 100mm. Less than 50 is still ok. Also, my back is starting to bother me - getting old is the pits, but it still beats the alternative. I'll be retiring within the next year, so hopefully I will have more time for this. I can certainly understand a lighter weight camera. I am still with the K5, but looking at waiting longer or just the K3. Time will tell.

I lent my K100 to a friend. I had not used it in a while, and forgot how light weight it is - then I took a picture and she said the mirror is loud - I had forgotten that also.

[mtngal]

Adjusting to being single is difficult. I can't imagine what the 405 looks like now. I was over there several years ago and had to go up to Westlake Village - it was terrible, and I got lost to top it off. Turning 64, I have finally admitted that manual focusing for me is over - especially at over 100mm. Less than 50 is still ok. Also, my back is starting to bother me - getting old is the pits, but it still beats the alternative. I'll be retiring within the next year, so hopefully I will have more time for this. I can certainly understand a lighter weight camera. I am still with the K5, but looking at waiting longer or just the K3. Time will tell.

I lent my K100 to a friend. I had not used it in a while, and forgot how light weight it is - then I took a picture and she said the mirror is loud - I had forgotten that also.

I kept the K100 to use with an R72 filter, something I rarely do any more. But it's still a capable camera, though I did have to spend quite a bit of time looking at the back and trying to remember what all the odd abbreviations meant. I carried the Q cameras for a month or more, took a couple of pictures but I miss a viewfinder too much. They are fun to play around with occasionally, but I prefer a dSLR.

I spent half of the year feeling so lousy that I wanted to retire this coming June. However, I've been feeling better the past couple of weeks, so I'm pretty sure I'll hang around 1 more year. I agree about getting old - it is the pits. Hope your back gets better - there's a number of things that can be done about backs, depending on what's wrong with them. Mine is just annoying, a bright spot in an otherwise difficult year, at least until 2 weeks ago. Things are definitely looking up now, with the K-S1 working out so well.

[THoog]

When I looked at a picture I took of the two cameras showing the grip size difference, and realized that one of the camera straps was in the way (not worth posting), I decided I had had enough and called it quits for the comparison shots.

Yep, been there. If I every get the lighting set up to behave the way I want it to, then something else usually goes wrong. I tried to do some head-to-head series with the K-30 yesterday, but the sun wanted to play games with clouds, and no too shots were close to the same light, so I gave up, grabbed some low-light samples, then came home and shot lensporn.

I'm really happy that your K-S1 is working out for you.