[Class A]

I have noticed quite a few people on the forum post links to Flickr or in my case Zenfolio - where you have the ability to load a lot higher res images.

Yes, I typically upload to Flickr as well. However, I avoid it for shots like the one I posted which are only meant to demonstrate some gear.

I found out that the forum does not mess with JPEGs if they don't exceed certain dimensions. I swapped the original file (that was resized) with an even smaller crop that is small enough to not get tampered with. Looks better now.

I, for one, would be interested in seeing some more K-1 images on this thread.

OK, good to know. I've got some work to do now, but hopefully later I can upload at least one other sample.

[NZ_Ross]

OK, good to know. I've got some work to do now, but hopefully later I can upload at least one other sample.

Thanks

[Kiwizinho]

Here is a 100% crop:

It shows a 1280 x 957 pixel sized 100% crop of the original image.

Pretty decent "macrop" taken with the wide-angle FA 31.

Looks pretty good.

I notice DXOMark now have the K-1 listed. There were (are?) conspiracy theories about them listing then withdrawing the 645z, and their argument that they don't do medium format, but include lots of Phase One models.

The K-1 makes the top four for sensor performance and is way ahead of any Canon, although the metrics DXOMark use only relate to the sensor, not other things like AF, frame rate etc.

It will probably be a while before I can afford the K-1, but it looks like it has the functionality in the areas that are important for me, with the bonus of being very good value for money compared to other cameras in its class.

[richandfleur]

Also discussions around the same sensors scorin differently within different bodies.

Dxomark is a good resource, but as you say, it's like recommending cars based on the engines used alone.

[MarkJerling]

Two sets of 35-70mm and 70-210mm lenses on offer on TM at the moment: Pentax SFX N 35mm AF SLR Camera + lens | Trade Me and Pentax SFX & Tele Lense &Case | Trade Me

[MarkJerling]

Looks pretty good.

I notice DXOMark now have the K-1 listed. There were (are?) conspiracy theories about them listing then withdrawing the 645z, and their argument that they don't do medium format, but include lots of Phase One models.

The K-1 makes the top four for sensor performance and is way ahead of any Canon, although the metrics DXOMark use only relate to the sensor, not other things like AF, frame rate etc.

It will probably be a while before I can afford the K-1, but it looks like it has the functionality in the areas that are important for me, with the bonus of being very good value for money compared to other cameras in its class.

The top Canon comes in at 14th. The 645z is of course at 1st position, so Pentax K-1 is really 5th. See Pentax 645Z Ranked Highest by DxOMark - Photo Industry News | PentaxForums.com But, they never posted the review and quickly changed the rankings page. Someone got a screenshot though, so a little more than a mere rumor it seems.

[Class A]

Looks pretty good.

Perhaps look again because you seemed to have quoted at a time when the resized version from PF was still up. I since replaced it with a smaller crop (still 100%) that is too small to get the resizing treatment from the forum software. Looks better now, to my eyes.

I notice DXOMark now have the K-1 listed. There were (are?) conspiracy theories about them listing then withdrawing the 645z, and their argument that they don't do medium format, but include lots of Phase One models.

Someone claims DxOMark haven't published MF results since 2010, i.e., that the 645Z is by far not the only MF camera they haven't covered recently. It makes sense to me that the MF market is not really DxOMark's focus.

One still wonders why they measured the 645Z to begin with. Perhaps they only arrived at their "no more MFs" policy afterwards? Perhaps influenced by the result the 645Z got?

It will probably be a while before I can afford the K-1, but it looks like it has the functionality in the areas that are important for me, with the bonus of being very good value for money compared to other cameras in its class.

Yes, indeed.

If you are a sports shooter than I'd say there are better options (still doesn't excuse Arpe from defecting, tsk, tsk) but if continuous AF performance is not a priority then the K-1 is the best offering out there, AFAIC. The very enthusiastic K-1 review from Cameracraft arrives at the same conclusion (the review starts on page 32).

[Class A]

Also discussions around the same sensors scorin differently within different bodies.

Does that make anyone suspicious?

Even though one cannot change some of the properties of a sensor, there are still ways to drive it one way or another, to have a less noisy power supply, etc. There is also the inevitable post-processing of the sensor data, before you get the "RAW" data. I think it is quite possible that Pentax employs some techniques that results in increased sensor performance.

Look at Sony camera phones, for instance. Other manufacturers use the same Sony sensors to better effect (if you can believe the test results).

Finally, I think the vast majority of poster do not really know which sensor is used in what camera. Even when the number of MP is the same and there are a lot of other similarities, it is still possible that, for instance, a K-1 sensor is a variant of the D800 sensor, and not exactly the same thing.

Dxomark is a good resource, but as you say, it's like recommending cars based on the engines used alone.

True, they only focus on sensor performance and there is a lot more to a camera than that. I'd say with today's standards, the other aspects of a camera are more important. Even the much maligned Canon sensors are fine, they are just not as good as the top Sony sensors.

[Kiwigeezer]

Now THAT is some serious imaging tech. I got to play briefly with a TEM back in uni, and still have a B&W print of plant organelles I made with it somewhere.

My brother's father-in-law is a 'retired' professional astronomer. He's a Nikon user as at the time the D3S had about the best low light performance, and he'd use it on the end of something like the Mount John observatory telescopes.

There are some amazing prints from X-ray images on the walls of the local hospital, from someone who somehow managed to get authorisation to image things other than people.

My next big ticket item is likely to be the K-1 given that it will perform admirably well for the type of photography I enjoy, although I must say more than once I've googled the price of a quality light microscope with the capability to attach a DSLR. I loved microscopy at university, and figure why should 'macro' photography stop at just things like small insects and plant structures?
There's a great deal of fascinating stuff at the microscopic level that most people never get to see, and I miss some of that.
One of my favourites was an organism Euglena because it's so bizarre. It's green and photosynthetic, but it swims around, can also engulf food particles, and has a light sensing 'eye' spot, so is it a plant or an animal? (Officially neither )

X-ray imaging is surprisingly similar to imaging with light (which is obviously just energy on a different part of the wave-length spectrum. The parameters for control are very similar to aperture and shutter speed -kVp and current (mA) in conjunction with time selection.

We had a play around in early 2000 when we converted from the old film/developer/fixer system that had been the norm for a very long time -the new digital technology has a fantastic dynamic range, and is capable of producing some beautiful images when used on non-human objects -these are a sample of some images we created from shells that somebody brought in to play around with. While slightly off topic, they're still nice examples of the beauty of the world around us.

[NZ_Ross]

While slightly off topic, they're still nice examples of the beauty of the world around us.

Wow, just wow. Thank you so much for sharing those images. Stunning.

[MarkJerling]

Great images!

[seventhdr]

Great images!

Went into Photo Warehouse of Fitzgerald Avenue in Christchurch today and they had a K-1 on the shelves. No lenses though.

Just as well I had my K-5 and FA 50mm f1.7 on me. They even let me try my own lens on it.

I have to say that it was way smaller and seemed lighter in the hand than I was expecting. Really impressed with the controls and the third control dial. The pivoting rear screen is a marvel of engineering.

Now all I have to do is find $3500 for the camera, or is that $7,000 for two!!!

Regards

Chris

[NZ_Ross]

Now all I have to do is find $3500 for the camera, or is that $7,000 for two!!!

7,000 for two, then you can send one down to me in Timaru . Nice to know there is one to view in Christchurch.

Thanks

Ross

[Arpe]

(still doesn't excuse Arpe from defecting, tsk, tsk)

Yes, yes it does.

[NZ_Ross]

Yes, yes it does.

His heart is still here, just not his gear.....