[fotograffiti]

Need to modify an M-42 mount Adaptall lens for use on a Pentax K-mount camera without unscrewing delicate parts?

PROBLEM: My Adaptall lens, M-42 mount, would not stop down on my K-50—the small pin that closes the lens’s diaphragm does not get depressed by a digital camera.

SOLUTION: Using an X-Acto knife, I cut off the tip of an empty ballpoint pen refill (about 1/8 of an inch), slit it down one side to make a collar, and gently wedged that into the Adaptall ring—thus permanently lifting the little platform that the pin would push up.

Now, when I turn the aperture ring, the lens stops down, and the camera meters correctly (on the K-50, this works in AV mode).

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Last edited by fotograffiti; 01-27-2016 at 10:47 AM. Reason: typo

[mosfet32]

Back button focus will result in a higher percentage of in-focus shots and it is easy to use even for a novice.

You can access the back button focus feature in your camera menu (consult your user manual or look online for how to change this setting).

Normally, you push your shutter button half way to focus. That means if you focus, then release the button (as is often the case) when you depress the button fully to take the shot, the camera refocuses.

If you have moved at all, for example to recompose the shot, or if your subject has moved, the picture will not be in sharp focus.

back button focus disables the shutter button focus function. Instead, you will focus using a button on the rear of the camera specifically designed for focusing. You shutter button will be just that - a shutter button.

So lets say you focus on your object - your child playing in front of a tree in the yard. Now when you re-compose the image to frame how you want, the shutter button will not cause the camera to re-focus. Your child will be sharp in the frame, despite the fact that you have recomposed your image. Had you been using shutter button focusing the camera may have decided to pick another object in the photo to focus on.

Give it a SHOT! :-)

[carlosodze]

There are many people with many different interests in the forum, so I will try to give an advice that can reach to every single one of you, something every novice should know and something every experts needs to remember once in a while. We all know (or will discover soon) that photography can be frustrating, you can try very hard and not get the results you are looking for, or people might not like your photos, and there are only two words that we need to remember in that situation: patience and persistance, we should learn from our mistakes, be patient to discover the true artists inside us and be persistent to nourish him with good thoughts and techniques, and only then our true photographer will flourish. Enjoy what you are doing, look at every photography or escene with an artist mind, if you don't truly believe in yourself nobody else will.

Hope it helps somebody.

[davidf5841]

Here is an example of using a aperture priority and setting lens opening to the smallest setting F-22 with a DA L 18-55 MM lens, which gives you great dept of field.

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[getting back into it]

If you took pictures back in the 70's or 80's you probably used the magnetic self-adhesive photo albums. Now your photos are stuck and are getting ruined because they were not acid free.
Take the page out of the photo album and microwave the page for 15 seconds ( 1200 wt microwave). Your pictures will come off easily. Let cool and since they will probably curl, lay flat with some weight on them.

[Agnieszka]

Always remember to remove the lens cap before takin` a photo.

[quant2325]

Idea #1: Consider perspective. Sometimes getting low for a shot makes all the difference. The photo below was taken at pig level with the Pentax Q at a county fair. The Q series is easy to walk with, making it practical when having a zillion mp is not important.

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Last edited by quant2325; 01-27-2016 at 05:12 PM.

[quant2325]

Idea #2: Sometimes the better shot is after the action. This is very true when shooting plays and musicals in poor light when the shutter speed is at 1/50 or slower even when wide open. Simply wait for the singer/actor to pause after completing a song or meaningful dialog and you will have a sharp photo. With sports the same theory applies. The shot below was taken with the Pentax 60-250mm at f/4 @2200 ISO and the K-5. The action shots before it were spot-on, but I liked the expressions in the cropped photo below better (taken after the action).

[Penumbra]

Here is my contribution:

Know your gear, inside out; and this includes your gear's limitations.

Teach yourself to always observe light, shadow, textures, structures, rhythm, color and volume in the world around.

Make in such a way that you always carry the camera with you.

Best wishes
and good luck to all

[davidf5841]

Focus. Camera set up so that aperture was open only at F-13 to give good dept of field.

[Verfallsdatum]

Here's my ULTIMATE tip:
...(pause for dramatic effect)...
don't forget to have fun and be creative!
You can try to add a tilt-shift effect to a photo, maybe take a picture of the moon, or get a fish-eye if you don't have one already, you can do some really fun stuff with that! Also browse forums (this one) and photos sites to get ideas: a guy on this thread posted that if you shoot a plastic dinosaure from below with a wide angle lens, you can make it look like a real dinosaur is walking in the street. Just how cool is that!
I don't care if I don't win the lens, browsing this thread was worth it just for the ideas I got out of it.

[Priscilla Turner]

Never, never, but never forget to bring a memory card!
After I missed the opportunity to shoot my wife's dance performance, I will never forget that again!

S
Sadly the K-x has a nasty habit of letting you make photos with none in the cam!!!

[aperturelabs]

I'd like to echo what others have already said about the importance of being willing to take risks and experiment. In this image, I was playing around with making a realistic-looking composite of an unrealistic subject. I was happy with the shadow behind the hammer, but the light I used on the hammer and towel was much harsher (and closer) than the softer light coming from the bathroom ceiling. The upshot is: when doing composites, the light on each foreground element of your composite needs to be consistent in intensity, softness, etc. as the light in your background (assuming you're going for realism).

[patharan]

A short helpful (hopefully) message. Overstock dot com sometimes has good prices for lenses. I searched for "Pentax" and found a better deal on the 40 pancake. Hope I win the lens!

[pentaxus]

The built in pop up flash works surprisingly well for macro/close-up. I set the camera manually at flash sync and f/13. It works well with my 100mm 3.5 macro and even does OK with my 18-55 zoom. In automatic mode the camera uses an aperture that is too wide. I commonly use ISO 100 or 200. I find I get more consistent results with an AF lens. I guess because the lens provides distance information that helps the camera expose more accurately even when used in manual focus mode.