Rented a K-1, What Should I Know?

BDrew · 07-15-2019, 05:55 PM

I am just getting back into digital photography after a hiatus. I used to have Canon gear and was a wedding and portrait photographer before I burned myself out. I've been out of the game for a bit now focusing on my composition and eye with a film camera for the past while. When I get back into digital I'll be mostly focusing on landscapes, astrophotgraphy, macro, and dabbling in wildlife. I at one point in time owned a Pentax K-5 and absolutely loved how it operated. I am renting a K-1 for next weekend with the 15-30 and the 43 limited. Is there anything I should know when I get my hands on them? Any tidbits of trivia or words of wisdom before I set out for four days trying them out?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Ari · 07-15-2019, 06:11 PM - **2 Likes**

If you're planning on doing some astrophotography, the 15-30 will be a great lens. Read a bit up on how to sync the GPS before you do it (your k5 didn't have built-in GPS). Also, test out the dynamic range with both lenses - you'll be really surprised how great it is. Overall, it's one of the best FF systems out there. Oh - and also be prepared to buy one after you return your rental. So start saving now

MarkJerling · 07-15-2019, 06:11 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BDrew

I am just getting back into digital photography after a hiatus. I used to have Canon gear and was a wedding and portrait photographer before I burned myself out. I've been out of the game for a bit now focusing on my composition and eye with a film camera for the past while. When I get back into digital I'll be mostly focusing on landscapes, astrophotgraphy, macro, and dabbling in wildlife. I at one point in time owned a Pentax K-5 and absolutely loved how it operated. I am renting a K-1 for next weekend with the 15-30 and the 43 limited. Is there anything I should know when I get my hands on them? Any tidbits of trivia or words of wisdom before I set out for four days trying them out?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The biggest problem I can see is that you won't want to give it back after the four days!

Jokes aside. If you've used a K5 you will find the controls of the K-1 quite intuitive. Enjoy!

**robgski** · 07-15-2019, 06:13 PM - **1 Like**

I rented the K-1 on multiple occasions before I was able to purchase one, great way to try it out. MY recommendation is to trry your usual shooting style and settings, then explore the unique functions the K-1 has to offer.

For me, the K-1's larger sensor allows for so much detail that almost every style of photography just looks better straight out of the camera. Though the High ISO produces great low light shots with minimal to no noise, at the lower ISO's with good lighting, you can crop a shot severely and still have incredible sharpness. I prefer primes, but oth lenses should produce great results for you,

I do a lot of night shooting and long exposures, and this camera produces great results in low light. I have not yet used it for astrophotography.

For Landscapes, the PixelShift is often incredible, as is the in-camera HDR. the third control wheel is really great, so much functionality available without dropping into a menu.

I shoot RAW and JPG, saved to separate cards. This allows me the quick download and upload of a JPG, but also allows for the richness of RAW once I have time to go through that workflow.

Enjoy the camera nd I look forward to seeing the results!

DeadJohn · 07-15-2019, 07:45 PM - **1 Like**

The K-1 operates very much like a larger upgraded K-5. Autofocus is much improved. The K-5 strengths of rugged build and low noise in images are even better with the K-1. Here are minor user interface things to relearn compared to the K-5:

Your K-5 had a 3-way switch to toggle manual focus, auto single, auto continuous. It also had a rotating switch on the rear to change between single and multi point autofocus. The K-1 has a 2-way switch for manual or auto. Press and hold the new "AF MODE" button to let the control wheels set continuous and multipoint autofocus.
To zoom in when using liveview on the rear screen, the K-1 "OK" button zooms in. The K-5 used to do that with the "INFO" button.
The liveview and playback buttons swapped positions with each other. That still confuses me when working in the dark.

The 15-30 is a good astro lens. 4 days won't give you much time to fully customize the menus, so you might not master the astrotracer and timed exposures beyond 30 seconds (Bulb mode with a built-in timer). However, at 15mm you don't even need to worry about using the astrotracer; star movement won't be an issue with 30 second exposures and Manual mode. The 43 Limited will be tempting for astro because of the light gathering at f1.9 but my copy of this lens shows a a lot of coma distortion on stars (coma is not an issue in daylight).

biz-engineer · 07-16-2019, 04:22 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BDrew

I at one point in time owned a Pentax K-5 and absolutely loved how it operated.

The K1 is similar. What's new is the customizable info tile menu, the five dedicated user modes, electronic front curtain shutter and pixel shift, and crop modes.

**TwoUptons** · 07-16-2019, 07:23 AM

Pixel Shift.
Man, it’s cool...
Otherwise, it’s like a K5 all grown up...

-Eric

zapp · 07-16-2019, 12:38 PM

Whenever I rent a lens, I run full lens adjustment. I would recommend the same for a camera even when rented with lenses.

BDrew · 07-16-2019, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by robgski

I rented the K-1 on multiple occasions before I was able to purchase one, great way to try it out. MY recommendation is to trry your usual shooting style and settings, then explore the unique functions the K-1 has to offer.

For me, the K-1's larger sensor allows for so much detail that almost every style of photography just looks better straight out of the camera. Though the High ISO produces great low light shots with minimal to no noise, at the lower ISO's with good lighting, you can crop a shot severely and still have incredible sharpness. I prefer primes, but oth lenses should produce great results for you,

I do a lot of night shooting and long exposures, and this camera produces great results in low light. I have not yet used it for astrophotography.

For Landscapes, the PixelShift is often incredible, as is the in-camera HDR. the third control wheel is really great, so much functionality available without dropping into a menu.

I shoot RAW and JPG, saved to separate cards. This allows me the quick download and upload of a JPG, but also allows for the richness of RAW once I have time to go through that workflow.

Enjoy the camera nd I look forward to seeing the results!

I'm really looking forward to trying out the controls. I'm also really interested in looking at pixelshift and how it works. I've read people using rawtherapee so I'll look into downloading that.

I'm really up in the air at the moment between the K-1 and a 7D Mark II. I figured I'd try out the K-1 and if it sings to me just snag one. Otherwise I will try out my buddies 7D Mark II and see how I feel about it. I live in Montana and also have the chance of photographing lots of wildlife. Plus, I love photographing aircraft and not having any long lenses at a reasonable rate from Pentax is kind of a bummer. (You can get a 100-400L Canon for $800 or so on KEH.)

**clackers** · 07-16-2019, 06:32 PM

As an experienced tog, you won't have any problems, BD. It's really a big K-5, as you'll discover when you do your postprocessing.

BDrew · 07-17-2019, 11:52 AM

I've decided to go through the user manual before the camera arrives on Friday. I have already been absolutely flabbergasted (in a good way) at the amount of customization and functions of buttons on the camera that mean you don't have to crawl around the menus. Holy crap. I remember having to constantly dig into my menus on the Nikon D750 and getting overly frustrated about trying to figure out the hieroglyphics of each menu to find the function I wanted.

I have also been looking at macro lenses and was pretty intrigued by the 100 WR 2.8. However, after browsing images in this sub and on Flickr, I've seen a ton of great macro shots that come from lenses that are not that specific one. Am I correct in assuming that autofocus is not absolutely needed in macro photography? What lenses are people using around here that they love that would be good for me to look into?

**aslyfox** · 07-17-2019, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by BDrew

. . . I have also been looking at macro lenses and was pretty intrigued by the 100 WR 2.8. However, after browsing images in this sub and on Flickr, I've seen a ton of great macro shots that come from lenses that are not that specific one. Am I correct in assuming that autofocus is not absolutely needed in macro photography? What lenses are people using around here that they love that would be good for me to look into?

manual focus is commonly used in macro photography

remember if cost is a factor, the optics in the D FA 100 F2.8 WR are the same as in the older F 100mm F2.8 macro, FA 100mm F2.8 macro and D FA 100mm F2.8 macro:

" The optical design is the tried-and-proven formula of the previous generation D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro lens, which in turn had inherited the optical design from the well-respected FA 100mm F2.8 and F 100mm F2.8 macro lenses introduced in 1991 and 1987, respectively. None of these earlier lenses had rounded aperture blades. "

Read more at: Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 WR Macro Review - Specifications | PentaxForums.com Reviews

___________________________

The Advantages of a Dedicated Macro Lens
Achieving lift-size magnification

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/tutorial-videos/18-55mm-kit-vs-a-dedic...#ixzz5txrAWmTd

TerryL · 07-17-2019, 01:53 PM

For landscape with the 15-30, focus on the ground at 8 feet, set the f stop at 11, recompose, and shoot.

ultraviolet · 07-17-2019, 03:16 PM

Like wise men of the old said:

shoot first and ask questions later

**robgski** · 07-19-2019, 03:59 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by BDrew

Am I correct in assuming that autofocus is not absolutely needed in macro photography? What lenses are people using around here that they love that would be good for me to look into?

Don't forget the Catch In-Focus feature on the K-1, it is a great help when using MF lenses.

Personally, after using MF and other manual setting conscientiously for the past year, I often prefer using manual focus in certain circumstances.

This means a lot of vintage lenses are on my purchase list, as well.

07-15-2019, 05:55 PM	#1
BDrew New Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Photos: Albums Posts: 11	Rented a K-1, What Should I Know? I am just getting back into digital photography after a hiatus. I used to have Canon gear and was a wedding and portrait photographer before I burned myself out. I've been out of the game for a bit now focusing on my composition and eye with a film camera for the past while. When I get back into digital I'll be mostly focusing on landscapes, astrophotgraphy, macro, and dabbling in wildlife. I at one point in time owned a Pentax K-5 and absolutely loved how it operated. I am renting a K-1 for next weekend with the 15-30 and the 43 limited. Is there anything I should know when I get my hands on them? Any tidbits of trivia or words of wisdom before I set out for four days trying them out? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

07-15-2019, 07:45 PM - 1 Like	#5
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	The K-1 operates very much like a larger upgraded K-5. Autofocus is much improved. The K-5 strengths of rugged build and low noise in images are even better with the K-1. Here are minor user interface things to relearn compared to the K-5: Your K-5 had a 3-way switch to toggle manual focus, auto single, auto continuous. It also had a rotating switch on the rear to change between single and multi point autofocus. The K-1 has a 2-way switch for manual or auto. Press and hold the new "AF MODE" button to let the control wheels set continuous and multipoint autofocus. To zoom in when using liveview on the rear screen, the K-1 "OK" button zooms in. The K-5 used to do that with the "INFO" button. The liveview and playback buttons swapped positions with each other. That still confuses me when working in the dark. The 15-30 is a good astro lens. 4 days won't give you much time to fully customize the menus, so you might not master the astrotracer and timed exposures beyond 30 seconds (Bulb mode with a built-in timer). However, at 15mm you don't even need to worry about using the astrotracer; star movement won't be an issue with 30 second exposures and Manual mode. The 43 Limited will be tempting for astro because of the light gathering at f1.9 but my copy of this lens shows a a lot of coma distortion on stars (coma is not an issue in daylight).

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Top 10 Most Popular Lenses - Rented in the UK	Winder	Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands	4	01-14-2018 11:56 AM
Nature Rented 1.4TC with DA560	KiloHotelphoto	Post Your Photos!	8	02-11-2017 02:04 PM
Problems with rented Sigma 24-70	TomTom	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	8	10-13-2016 07:50 AM
Grizzly Bear tests limits of rented lens insurance coverage	jogiba	General Talk	8	06-01-2012 03:55 AM
Rented the DA10-17 :)	vievetrick	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	17	04-20-2009 09:27 PM

07-15-2019, 06:11 PM - 2 Likes	#2
Ari Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Freehold, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 856	If you're planning on doing some astrophotography, the 15-30 will be a great lens. Read a bit up on how to sync the GPS before you do it (your k5 didn't have built-in GPS). Also, test out the dynamic range with both lenses - you'll be really surprised how great it is. Overall, it's one of the best FF systems out there. Oh - and also be prepared to buy one after you return your rental. So start saving now

07-15-2019, 06:11 PM - 1 Like	#3
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,406	Originally posted by BDrew I am just getting back into digital photography after a hiatus. I used to have Canon gear and was a wedding and portrait photographer before I burned myself out. I've been out of the game for a bit now focusing on my composition and eye with a film camera for the past while. When I get back into digital I'll be mostly focusing on landscapes, astrophotgraphy, macro, and dabbling in wildlife. I at one point in time owned a Pentax K-5 and absolutely loved how it operated. I am renting a K-1 for next weekend with the 15-30 and the 43 limited. Is there anything I should know when I get my hands on them? Any tidbits of trivia or words of wisdom before I set out for four days trying them out? Any help would be greatly appreciated! The biggest problem I can see is that you won't want to give it back after the four days! Jokes aside. If you've used a K5 you will find the controls of the K-1 quite intuitive. Enjoy!

07-15-2019, 06:13 PM - 1 Like	#4
robgski Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,799	I rented the K-1 on multiple occasions before I was able to purchase one, great way to try it out. MY recommendation is to trry your usual shooting style and settings, then explore the unique functions the K-1 has to offer. For me, the K-1's larger sensor allows for so much detail that almost every style of photography just looks better straight out of the camera. Though the High ISO produces great low light shots with minimal to no noise, at the lower ISO's with good lighting, you can crop a shot severely and still have incredible sharpness. I prefer primes, but oth lenses should produce great results for you, I do a lot of night shooting and long exposures, and this camera produces great results in low light. I have not yet used it for astrophotography. For Landscapes, the PixelShift is often incredible, as is the in-camera HDR. the third control wheel is really great, so much functionality available without dropping into a menu. I shoot RAW and JPG, saved to separate cards. This allows me the quick download and upload of a JPG, but also allows for the richness of RAW once I have time to go through that workflow. Enjoy the camera nd I look forward to seeing the results!

07-16-2019, 04:22 AM - 1 Like	#6
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Originally posted by BDrew I at one point in time owned a Pentax K-5 and absolutely loved how it operated. The K1 is similar. What's new is the customizable info tile menu, the five dedicated user modes, electronic front curtain shutter and pixel shift, and crop modes.

07-16-2019, 07:23 AM	#7
TwoUptons Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,214	Pixel Shift. Man, it’s cool... Otherwise, it’s like a K5 all grown up... -Eric

07-16-2019, 12:38 PM	#8
zapp Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2,385	Whenever I rent a lens, I run full lens adjustment. I would recommend the same for a camera even when rented with lenses.

07-16-2019, 03:51 PM	#9
BDrew New Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Photos: Albums Posts: 11 Original Poster	Originally posted by robgski I rented the K-1 on multiple occasions before I was able to purchase one, great way to try it out. MY recommendation is to trry your usual shooting style and settings, then explore the unique functions the K-1 has to offer. For me, the K-1's larger sensor allows for so much detail that almost every style of photography just looks better straight out of the camera. Though the High ISO produces great low light shots with minimal to no noise, at the lower ISO's with good lighting, you can crop a shot severely and still have incredible sharpness. I prefer primes, but oth lenses should produce great results for you, I do a lot of night shooting and long exposures, and this camera produces great results in low light. I have not yet used it for astrophotography. For Landscapes, the PixelShift is often incredible, as is the in-camera HDR. the third control wheel is really great, so much functionality available without dropping into a menu. I shoot RAW and JPG, saved to separate cards. This allows me the quick download and upload of a JPG, but also allows for the richness of RAW once I have time to go through that workflow. Enjoy the camera nd I look forward to seeing the results! I'm really looking forward to trying out the controls. I'm also really interested in looking at pixelshift and how it works. I've read people using rawtherapee so I'll look into downloading that. I'm really up in the air at the moment between the K-1 and a 7D Mark II. I figured I'd try out the K-1 and if it sings to me just snag one. Otherwise I will try out my buddies 7D Mark II and see how I feel about it. I live in Montana and also have the chance of photographing lots of wildlife. Plus, I love photographing aircraft and not having any long lenses at a reasonable rate from Pentax is kind of a bummer. (You can get a 100-400L Canon for $800 or so on KEH.)

07-16-2019, 06:32 PM	#10
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	As an experienced tog, you won't have any problems, BD. It's really a big K-5, as you'll discover when you do your postprocessing.

07-17-2019, 11:52 AM	#11
BDrew New Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Photos: Albums Posts: 11 Original Poster	I've decided to go through the user manual before the camera arrives on Friday. I have already been absolutely flabbergasted (in a good way) at the amount of customization and functions of buttons on the camera that mean you don't have to crawl around the menus. Holy crap. I remember having to constantly dig into my menus on the Nikon D750 and getting overly frustrated about trying to figure out the hieroglyphics of each menu to find the function I wanted. I have also been looking at macro lenses and was pretty intrigued by the 100 WR 2.8. However, after browsing images in this sub and on Flickr, I've seen a ton of great macro shots that come from lenses that are not that specific one. Am I correct in assuming that autofocus is not absolutely needed in macro photography? What lenses are people using around here that they love that would be good for me to look into?

07-17-2019, 12:20 PM	#12
aslyfox Seeker of Knowledge Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Topeka, Kansas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 24,581	Originally posted by BDrew . . . I have also been looking at macro lenses and was pretty intrigued by the 100 WR 2.8. However, after browsing images in this sub and on Flickr, I've seen a ton of great macro shots that come from lenses that are not that specific one. Am I correct in assuming that autofocus is not absolutely needed in macro photography? What lenses are people using around here that they love that would be good for me to look into? manual focus is commonly used in macro photography remember if cost is a factor, the optics in the D FA 100 F2.8 WR are the same as in the older F 100mm F2.8 macro, FA 100mm F2.8 macro and D FA 100mm F2.8 macro: " The optical design is the tried-and-proven formula of the previous generation D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro lens, which in turn had inherited the optical design from the well-respected FA 100mm F2.8 and F 100mm F2.8 macro lenses introduced in 1991 and 1987, respectively. None of these earlier lenses had rounded aperture blades. " Read more at: Pentax-D FA 100mm F2.8 WR Macro Review - Specifications \| PentaxForums.com Reviews ___________________________ The Advantages of a Dedicated Macro Lens Achieving lift-size magnification Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/articles/tutorial-videos/18-55mm-kit-vs-a-dedic...#ixzz5txrAWmTd

07-17-2019, 01:53 PM	#13
TerryL Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 850	For landscape with the 15-30, focus on the ground at 8 feet, set the f stop at 11, recompose, and shoot.

07-17-2019, 03:16 PM	#14
ultraviolet Pentaxian Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 687	Like wise men of the old said: shoot first and ask questions later

07-19-2019, 03:59 PM - 1 Like	#15
robgski Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 8,799	Originally posted by BDrew Am I correct in assuming that autofocus is not absolutely needed in macro photography? What lenses are people using around here that they love that would be good for me to look into? Don't forget the Catch In-Focus feature on the K-1, it is a great help when using MF lenses. Personally, after using MF and other manual setting conscientiously for the past year, I often prefer using manual focus in certain circumstances. This means a lot of vintage lenses are on my purchase list, as well.