New Enthusiast...and I went Pentax

A.Yzerr · 12-04-2013, 05:32 PM - **2 Likes**

Hello forum,

I originally got into photography because I have an abnormally bad memory. Not just the "ha-ha, I can't remember anything!" kind, but I actually can't remember things that matter to me. I realized recently that I actually should work on trying to catch those moments and times earlier rather than later, so I went and got a Nikon D3200 with the standard 18-55, a sigma 70-300, and a little manual flash.

It was a few months after I realized that it's not a point just to document things and take a picture - that didn't really help with remembering. No, instead it was more about taking THAT picture. The one that told me the story again and conjured up something for me. It was after this I got a little more serious about trying to learn how to properly capture images mechanically, and the touch of composition. When I really started paying attention to how I should try to take a picture, it occured to me that, Hey, this is why photography is an art, isn't it? You can share beautiful things with people, and let them experience something with you. Or maybe experience something else, just from showing them your image.

Anyway, I'm by no means good, and I'm working a lot more on learning basics and some of the more advanced things. The main reason I decided to change cameras was after I had been really using my 3200 a lot - it fatigued my hands. Not because it was heavy. It's actually much too small for my hands, and it's too light. I also got a little frustrated with the limitations that it had as a body. So, I started reading a lot about cameras, how they operate, etc. I chose Pentax primarily because I got to hold a few models in a local store, and it felt so much better, I liked the menus more, and everything just felt right. The other big reason was because I tend to do a lot of outdoors traveling around, and I really like the weather-sealing approach that so many of their bodies incorporate.

So, I went ahead and picked up a K-3, 18-135WR, 50 f1.8, and a 100mm WR macro (because I'm an entomologist, and I like bugs). I also grabbed an AF-360FGZ II - as my old bower just wasn't cutting the mustard any longer.

I've read this forum pretty extensively, but I just signed up. Looking forward to asking some questions and learning from the community here!

dansamy · 12-04-2013, 06:03 PM

Welcome! My first DSLR is a Pentax K-x. I chose it, sight unseen, for its features-price value that I heavily researched. Turned out the K-x was perfect for me. Now, I have a k-5ii on the way.

Kozlok · 12-04-2013, 08:36 PM

Looks like a pretty good kit! You're off to a great start.

A.Yzerr · 12-04-2013, 08:51 PM

Originally posted by dansamy

Welcome! My first DSLR is a Pentax K-x. I chose it, sight unseen, for its features-price value that I heavily researched. Turned out the K-x was perfect for me. Now, I have a k-5ii on the way.

Haha, that's essentially what I'm doing. None of the stores anywhere near me even carry the K-3, but they carry some of the other models like the K-30, K-5, etc.

Originally posted by Kozlok

Looks like a pretty good kit! You're off to a great start.

That's great to get some affirmation, ha! I spent so much time reading and deciding what would suit my needs best, I got stuck in a rut not sure what to actually end up getting. I also picked up the 35mm f2.4

Last edited by A.Yzerr; 12-04-2013 at 09:40 PM.

**Kerrowdown** · 12-05-2013, 01:50 AM

Welcome to the forum, great intro and welcome to the photographic world of Pentax too.

EJMzagsfan · 12-05-2013, 05:00 AM

Welcome, if you have the same aptitude for photography as the written word I think you will be good to go! Enjoy your new equipment, and take lots of pics.

**TER-OR** · 12-05-2013, 06:43 AM

Welcome aboard from an amateur "bug guy!"

A.Yzerr · 12-05-2013, 04:56 PM

Originally posted by kerrowdown

Welcome to the forum, great intro and welcome to the photographic world of Pentax too.

Thank you!

Originally posted by EJMzagsfan

Welcome, if you have the same aptitude for photography as the written word I think you will be good to go! Enjoy your new equipment, and take lots of pics.

Haha, thank you. Unfortunately, if my photographic and literary skills were equivalent currently I'd be hard pressed to compose the dialogue of a D.W. Griffith film!

Originally posted by TER-OR

Welcome aboard from an amateur "bug guy!"

Awesome! I'm a big fan of primarily arachnids, but odonates and hemipterans are pretty cool by me!

melvis2 · 12-05-2013, 06:33 PM

Welcome, haven't used the K-3 (yet) but great choice with the 100mm, fantastic lens!

Joel B · 12-05-2013, 06:58 PM

Welcome from Iowa! I'm thinking you also keep a journal. Or by the way you write it sounds like you do. Don't worry about not being good at photography, it should be fun first and foremost!! You can be the greatest there is, but if it's not enjoyable, what's the point! So grab that K-3 and enjoy it!

Joel

A.Yzerr · 12-05-2013, 08:48 PM

Originally posted by melvis2

Welcome, haven't used the K-3 (yet) but great choice with the 100mm, fantastic lens!

I'm certainly hoping so!

Originally posted by Joel B

Welcome from Iowa! I'm thinking you also keep a journal. Or by the way you write it sounds like you do. Don't worry about not being good at photography, it should be fun first and foremost!! You can be the greatest there is, but if it's not enjoyable, what's the point! So grab that K-3 and enjoy it!

Joel

I actually do - I tend to try and be quite descriptive whenever possible. It's lead to some interesting scenarios in academia when I need to use less prose and substitute great briefity.

That's what I love about photography! It's the act of seeing it, then all the attempts (note I said attempts) to capture it. Sometimes you win and othertimes you get to throw your hat around and stomp on it, but that just adds to the great experience.

BretW · 12-06-2013, 12:42 PM

Originally posted by A.Yzerr

Hello forum,

I originally got into photography because I have an abnormally bad memory. Not just the "ha-ha, I can't remember anything!" kind, but I actually can't remember things that matter to me. I realized recently that I actually should work on trying to catch those moments and times earlier rather than later...

It was a few months after I realized that it's not a point just to document things and take a picture - that didn't really help with remembering. No, instead it was more about taking THAT picture. The one that told me the story again and conjured up something for me. It was after this I got a little more serious about trying to learn how to properly capture images mechanically, and the touch of composition. When I really started paying attention to how I should try to take a picture, it occured to me that, Hey, this is why photography is an art...

...I chose Pentax primarily because I got to hold a few models in a local store, and it felt so much better, I liked the menus more, and everything just felt right. The other big reason was because I tend to do a lot of outdoors traveling around, and I really like the weather-sealing approach that so many of their bodies incorporate.

So, I went ahead and picked up a K-3, 18-135WR, 50 f1.8, and a 100mm WR macro (because I'm an entomologist, and I like bugs). I also grabbed an AF-360FGZ II...

I've read this forum pretty extensively, but I just signed up. Looking forward to asking some questions and learning from the community here!

Welcome! I'm new here too.

I find what you have conveyed is powerful. I have no memory issues myself, but I resonate with your story at many levels, even with respect to memory. A picture can add dimension to memory--if you have the technical ability to figure out the puzzles involved. And the puzzles are often fun ones.

I'm also a biologist (though not an entomologist. I'm a theoretical evolutionary biologist with a passion for tropical rain forest), and I just last week moved from Canon to a K3 18-135, AF-360FGZ Flash and am going to pick up the 100 Marco WR next. Just like you, Weather sealing was a/the decisive factor, though now having shot the K3, I'm discovering the many other charms of the Pentax worldview, and the K3 in particular. Even the 18-135 WR is a surprisingly charming little lens, if you recognise its limits.

My intro was here:

Why I left Canon for a K3

with the meat of my story at post #14. But more interesting than what I wrote were the excellent replies I got from seasoned Pentaxians. Probably worth a look.

I also found this other interesting site through the Pentax forums:

Extreme Macro

That one has me thinking about reversing old enlarger lenses and things. Didn't know that the parts existed to make that so easy, nor that it would be a good thing to do. But now I do.

What is your specialty in entomology?

**TER-OR** · 12-06-2013, 01:48 PM - **1 Like**

Gotta be the citizen scientist here...

Contribute to Lost Ladybug Project if you find native ladybugs. Some are really tiny.

Also, if you're in Illinois (eventually surrounding states) to Welcome to BeeSpotter!, BeeSpotter, University of Illinois for bumblebees and honeybees.
I've documented 10 species of bumblebees in my back yard - several rare. One not documented in Illinois in many decades. Then again, unless someone looks, no one knows....

**Ash** · 12-06-2013, 02:12 PM

Good stuff, and good to have you here. Hope you continue to enjoy the forum. Look forward to seeing some of your arachnids.

BretW · 12-06-2013, 05:22 PM

Oops. Didn't notice you mentioned arachnids, odonates and hemipterans (aproximately spiders, dragonflies and 'true bugs', to all you normal folk). All really cool photographic subjects.

It was tempting just to say "hemipterans suck" and leave it at that, but others here might assume I was being a jerk.

12-04-2013, 06:03 PM	#2
dansamy Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,450	Welcome! My first DSLR is a Pentax K-x. I chose it, sight unseen, for its features-price value that I heavily researched. Turned out the K-x was perfect for me. Now, I have a k-5ii on the way. Last edited by dansamy; 12-04-2013 at 08:39 PM.

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12-04-2013, 05:32 PM - 2 Likes	#1
A.Yzerr Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 29	New Enthusiast...and I went Pentax Hello forum, I originally got into photography because I have an abnormally bad memory. Not just the "ha-ha, I can't remember anything!" kind, but I actually can't remember things that matter to me. I realized recently that I actually should work on trying to catch those moments and times earlier rather than later, so I went and got a Nikon D3200 with the standard 18-55, a sigma 70-300, and a little manual flash. It was a few months after I realized that it's not a point just to document things and take a picture - that didn't really help with remembering. No, instead it was more about taking THAT picture. The one that told me the story again and conjured up something for me. It was after this I got a little more serious about trying to learn how to properly capture images mechanically, and the touch of composition. When I really started paying attention to how I should try to take a picture, it occured to me that, Hey, this is why photography is an art, isn't it? You can share beautiful things with people, and let them experience something with you. Or maybe experience something else, just from showing them your image. Anyway, I'm by no means good, and I'm working a lot more on learning basics and some of the more advanced things. The main reason I decided to change cameras was after I had been really using my 3200 a lot - it fatigued my hands. Not because it was heavy. It's actually much too small for my hands, and it's too light. I also got a little frustrated with the limitations that it had as a body. So, I started reading a lot about cameras, how they operate, etc. I chose Pentax primarily because I got to hold a few models in a local store, and it felt so much better, I liked the menus more, and everything just felt right. The other big reason was because I tend to do a lot of outdoors traveling around, and I really like the weather-sealing approach that so many of their bodies incorporate. So, I went ahead and picked up a K-3, 18-135WR, 50 f1.8, and a 100mm WR macro (because I'm an entomologist, and I like bugs). I also grabbed an AF-360FGZ II - as my old bower just wasn't cutting the mustard any longer. I've read this forum pretty extensively, but I just signed up. Looking forward to asking some questions and learning from the community here!

12-04-2013, 08:36 PM	#3
Kozlok Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Albuquerque Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,148	Looks like a pretty good kit! You're off to a great start.

12-04-2013, 08:51 PM	#4
A.Yzerr Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Originally posted by dansamy Welcome! My first DSLR is a Pentax K-x. I chose it, sight unseen, for its features-price value that I heavily researched. Turned out the K-x was perfect for me. Now, I have a k-5ii on the way. Haha, that's essentially what I'm doing. None of the stores anywhere near me even carry the K-3, but they carry some of the other models like the K-30, K-5, etc. Originally posted by Kozlok Looks like a pretty good kit! You're off to a great start. That's great to get some affirmation, ha! I spent so much time reading and deciding what would suit my needs best, I got stuck in a rut not sure what to actually end up getting. I also picked up the 35mm f2.4 Last edited by A.Yzerr; 12-04-2013 at 09:40 PM.

12-05-2013, 01:50 AM	#5
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,804	Welcome to the forum, great intro and welcome to the photographic world of Pentax too.

12-05-2013, 05:00 AM	#6
EJMzagsfan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Idaho Photos: Albums Posts: 241	Welcome, if you have the same aptitude for photography as the written word I think you will be good to go! Enjoy your new equipment, and take lots of pics.

12-05-2013, 06:43 AM	#7
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	Welcome aboard from an amateur "bug guy!"

12-05-2013, 04:56 PM	#8
A.Yzerr Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Originally posted by kerrowdown Welcome to the forum, great intro and welcome to the photographic world of Pentax too. Thank you! Originally posted by EJMzagsfan Welcome, if you have the same aptitude for photography as the written word I think you will be good to go! Enjoy your new equipment, and take lots of pics. Haha, thank you. Unfortunately, if my photographic and literary skills were equivalent currently I'd be hard pressed to compose the dialogue of a D.W. Griffith film! Originally posted by TER-OR Welcome aboard from an amateur "bug guy!" Awesome! I'm a big fan of primarily arachnids, but odonates and hemipterans are pretty cool by me!

12-05-2013, 06:33 PM	#9
melvis2 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Knoxville TN Photos: Albums Posts: 179	Welcome, haven't used the K-3 (yet) but great choice with the 100mm, fantastic lens!

12-05-2013, 06:58 PM	#10
Joel B Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Barnett MO. Photos: Albums Posts: 2,336	Welcome from Iowa! I'm thinking you also keep a journal. Or by the way you write it sounds like you do. Don't worry about not being good at photography, it should be fun first and foremost!! You can be the greatest there is, but if it's not enjoyable, what's the point! So grab that K-3 and enjoy it! Joel

12-05-2013, 08:48 PM	#11
A.Yzerr Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 29 Original Poster	Originally posted by melvis2 Welcome, haven't used the K-3 (yet) but great choice with the 100mm, fantastic lens! I'm certainly hoping so! Originally posted by Joel B Welcome from Iowa! I'm thinking you also keep a journal. Or by the way you write it sounds like you do. Don't worry about not being good at photography, it should be fun first and foremost!! You can be the greatest there is, but if it's not enjoyable, what's the point! So grab that K-3 and enjoy it! Joel I actually do - I tend to try and be quite descriptive whenever possible. It's lead to some interesting scenarios in academia when I need to use less prose and substitute great briefity. That's what I love about photography! It's the act of seeing it, then all the attempts (note I said attempts) to capture it. Sometimes you win and othertimes you get to throw your hat around and stomp on it, but that just adds to the great experience.

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12-06-2013, 12:42 PM	#12
BretW Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 74	Originally posted by A.Yzerr Hello forum, I originally got into photography because I have an abnormally bad memory. Not just the "ha-ha, I can't remember anything!" kind, but I actually can't remember things that matter to me. I realized recently that I actually should work on trying to catch those moments and times earlier rather than later... It was a few months after I realized that it's not a point just to document things and take a picture - that didn't really help with remembering. No, instead it was more about taking THAT picture. The one that told me the story again and conjured up something for me. It was after this I got a little more serious about trying to learn how to properly capture images mechanically, and the touch of composition. When I really started paying attention to how I should try to take a picture, it occured to me that, Hey, this is why photography is an art... ...I chose Pentax primarily because I got to hold a few models in a local store, and it felt so much better, I liked the menus more, and everything just felt right. The other big reason was because I tend to do a lot of outdoors traveling around, and I really like the weather-sealing approach that so many of their bodies incorporate. So, I went ahead and picked up a K-3, 18-135WR, 50 f1.8, and a 100mm WR macro (because I'm an entomologist, and I like bugs). I also grabbed an AF-360FGZ II... I've read this forum pretty extensively, but I just signed up. Looking forward to asking some questions and learning from the community here! Welcome! I'm new here too. I find what you have conveyed is powerful. I have no memory issues myself, but I resonate with your story at many levels, even with respect to memory. A picture can add dimension to memory--if you have the technical ability to figure out the puzzles involved. And the puzzles are often fun ones. I'm also a biologist (though not an entomologist. I'm a theoretical evolutionary biologist with a passion for tropical rain forest), and I just last week moved from Canon to a K3 18-135, AF-360FGZ Flash and am going to pick up the 100 Marco WR next. Just like you, Weather sealing was a/the decisive factor, though now having shot the K3, I'm discovering the many other charms of the Pentax worldview, and the K3 in particular. Even the 18-135 WR is a surprisingly charming little lens, if you recognise its limits. My intro was here: Why I left Canon for a K3 with the meat of my story at post #14. But more interesting than what I wrote were the excellent replies I got from seasoned Pentaxians. Probably worth a look. I also found this other interesting site through the Pentax forums: Extreme Macro That one has me thinking about reversing old enlarger lenses and things. Didn't know that the parts existed to make that so easy, nor that it would be a good thing to do. But now I do. What is your specialty in entomology?

12-06-2013, 01:48 PM - 1 Like	#13
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	Gotta be the citizen scientist here... Contribute to Lost Ladybug Project if you find native ladybugs. Some are really tiny. Also, if you're in Illinois (eventually surrounding states) to Welcome to BeeSpotter!, BeeSpotter, University of Illinois for bumblebees and honeybees. I've documented 10 species of bumblebees in my back yard - several rare. One not documented in Illinois in many decades. Then again, unless someone looks, no one knows....

12-06-2013, 02:12 PM	#14
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Good stuff, and good to have you here. Hope you continue to enjoy the forum. Look forward to seeing some of your arachnids.

12-06-2013, 05:22 PM	#15
BretW Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 74	Oops. Didn't notice you mentioned arachnids, odonates and hemipterans (aproximately spiders, dragonflies and 'true bugs', to all you normal folk). All really cool photographic subjects. It was tempting just to say "hemipterans suck" and leave it at that, but others here might assume I was being a jerk.