Is my equipment too good for me

Jools · 05-16-2010, 05:41 PM

If I were you, I'd take the time to get to know your new equipment before anything else. Learn their advantages and disadvantages based on the kind of photography you favor, and then decide if the equipment is too much. Only then can you truly know if you need to jettison certain gear.
After all, you plunked $900 for an Ebay deal for a reason.

MoiVous · 05-16-2010, 05:55 PM - **1 Like**

First - I think your kit is great - and you'll grow into it with ease. That 100mm f2.8 will amaze you with sharp, poppy images. A flash is IMHO a boon to any photographer - it amazing how many situations need more than the built in unit. Enjoy your new kit!

Just to put in a bit of extra info on netiquette and reading UPPER CASE vs Mixed Case vs lower case.

Netiquette regards all caps as shouting - its been around for a long time, and probably stems from the fact that when we read we don't read the individual letters but the shape of the words and key letters (every misread a word? Its probably got the same key letters in the same place as the other word).

The combination of risers and descenders make reading easier according to
research from the 1930s onward - its pattern recognition. Lower case text is read faster than upper case text.

There is also evidence we read what we are used to faster - most of us read lower case text more often. You can train yourself to read UPPPER CASE faster if you read lots of it

MiXinG CAseS is AlSo dIffIculT to REaD - you have to read each letter

But there are papers showing its the placement of letters in a word that lead to its recognition.

Have a read of the following for starters (the last one has lots of references):

Just my two bits worth......

Cheers

JeffJS · 05-16-2010, 07:32 PM

Originally posted by RHW698

I just got a good deal on ebay. I probably don't need this good of equipment, so i am asking for truthful, reliable answers or sugguestions.
I have a pentax k10d which i figure is good but old enough for me to grow into without wasting money.
The lenses are another story. They seem a little on the too good for me side. I have a tamron af18-250mm f3.5-6.3 di ii aspherical (if) macro and a pentax smc d fa 100mm f2.8 macro and i also have a pentax af 540fgz flash.
This seems like overkill for me, but i don't know. Should i sell some of the lenses to someone who could use them to thier potential and buy cheaper ones for myself..........Or should i keep what i got and be happy i got what i thought was a great deal for 900 bucks ?
Any opinions are happily awaited.

Thanks,
Rhw

Good lenses are never overkill. If you really got this outfit for $900 then your camera And the flash are basically free depending on the condition of the lenses.

sterretje · 05-16-2010, 11:42 PM

As said, just start using it. Get a book on photography that explains the priciples of exposure and the effects of shutterspeed and aperture on your photos.

You might eventually (after a year or two years) find that you don't need some of the gear. That might the time to sell.

Enjoy your gear and welcome to the Pentax club.

Ira · 05-17-2010, 02:20 AM

Originally posted by MoiVous

The combination of risers and descenders make reading easier according to
research from the 1930s onward - its pattern recognition. Lower case text is read faster than upper case text.

That's the million-dollar answer.

Remember that "thing"circulating where they show a few sentences with bunch of the letters missing, yet it's still perfectly readable? Your mind fills in the blank letters because you recognize the patterns.

RHW698 · 05-17-2010, 07:03 AM

got an infrared filter (720nm) 62mm and a 50mm f1.4 pentax smc-m lens today. figured the infrared might be something i like to play with. the 50mm f1.4 for low light shots.

thanks again for the input

rhodopsin · 05-17-2010, 07:17 AM

Here's a crazy idea: buy a really cheap 100mm or 105mm lens everyone agrees produces crappy images, then go take some photos with it and with your 100mm macro, then compare results.

Ratmagiclady · 05-17-2010, 10:09 AM

Heehee.

You know, all I can think here, is that if someone doesn't like to use the Shift key on a computer, they'll appreciate that the K10d has two control dials.

**Rondec** · 05-17-2010, 10:43 AM

Just go with what you have. I certainly wouldn't sell it, but there is nothing wrong with shifting gear if you want something different down the road. In particular, you may find that you want some other lenses than a super zoom, but I would wait and see how things strike you.

clmonk · 05-17-2010, 12:28 PM - **1 Like**

I disagree with all other respondents. It IS TOO MUCH (sorry for shouting) for this user. I think you need to pack it all up and send it to me as quickly as you can. PM me and I will provide address and shipping information. In return, I will send you my absolutely wonderful and very well used Pentax Optio. I think we will BOTH be delighted since you will not have to be concerned about having too much camera, and I will have a back up for my current K10 and a pair of nice lenses!
Don't believe ANY of those others! Send me a PM right away so we can both be happy!

mickeyobe · 05-17-2010, 12:45 PM

RHW698,

No.
Your equipment is not too good for you.
It is very good and will save you a fortune.
As one's skills progress it is always a case of trading present equipment for something better.
It will be a long time before you outgrow your present set up.

Read your manuals and enjoy what you have for a long time.

Mickey

Parallax · 05-17-2010, 01:49 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Ratmagiclady

Heehee.

You know, all I can think here, is that if someone doesn't like to use the Shift key on a computer, they'll appreciate that the K10d has two control dials.

Funny, I had the opposite thought. I figure if somebody finds the shift key too complex or too much of an inconvenience that they would appreciate the green mode feature the K10D the most.

RHW698 · 05-17-2010, 02:23 PM

Originally posted by clmonk

I disagree with all other respondents. It IS TOO MUCH (sorry for shouting) for this user. I think you need to pack it all up and send it to me as quickly as you can. PM me and I will provide address and shipping information. In return, I will send you my absolutely wonderful and very well used Pentax Optio. I think we will BOTH be delighted since you will not have to be concerned about having too much camera, and I will have a back up for my current K10 and a pair of nice lenses!
Don't believe ANY of those others! Send me a PM right away so we can both be happy!

BLESS YOUR LIL INBRED HEART, i was born during the day - but not yesterday. i appreciate the thought but i know you have a bridge you wanna sell me too.
i will keep ya in mind if i get ready to sell anything .

05-16-2010, 05:55 PM - 1 Like	#17
MoiVous Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 677	First - I think your kit is great - and you'll grow into it with ease. That 100mm f2.8 will amaze you with sharp, poppy images. A flash is IMHO a boon to any photographer - it amazing how many situations need more than the built in unit. Enjoy your new kit! Just to put in a bit of extra info on netiquette and reading UPPER CASE vs Mixed Case vs lower case. Netiquette regards all caps as shouting - its been around for a long time, and probably stems from the fact that when we read we don't read the individual letters but the shape of the words and key letters (every misread a word? Its probably got the same key letters in the same place as the other word). The combination of risers and descenders make reading easier according to research from the 1930s onward - its pattern recognition. Lower case text is read faster than upper case text. There is also evidence we read what we are used to faster - most of us read lower case text more often. You can train yourself to read UPPPER CASE faster if you read lots of it MiXinG CAseS is AlSo dIffIculT to REaD - you have to read each letter But there are papers showing its the placement of letters in a word that lead to its recognition. Have a read of the following for starters (the last one has lots of references): Don’t abuse of uppercase letters Typography Part 3: It's All About Legibility The Science of Word Recognition Just my two bits worth...... Cheers

05-17-2010, 07:03 AM	#21
RHW698 Inactive Account Join Date: May 2010 Location: VIRGINIA Posts: 8 Original Poster	Added some new stuff got an infrared filter (720nm) 62mm and a 50mm f1.4 pentax smc-m lens today. figured the infrared might be something i like to play with. the 50mm f1.4 for low light shots. thanks again for the input

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05-16-2010, 05:41 PM	#16
Jools Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: SW Wisconsin by way of Venezuela Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,398	If I were you, I'd take the time to get to know your new equipment before anything else. Learn their advantages and disadvantages based on the kind of photography you favor, and then decide if the equipment is too much. Only then can you truly know if you need to jettison certain gear. After all, you plunked $900 for an Ebay deal for a reason.

05-16-2010, 07:32 PM	#18
JeffJS Inactive Account Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Michigan, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,484	Originally posted by RHW698 I just got a good deal on ebay. I probably don't need this good of equipment, so i am asking for truthful, reliable answers or sugguestions. I have a pentax k10d which i figure is good but old enough for me to grow into without wasting money. The lenses are another story. They seem a little on the too good for me side. I have a tamron af18-250mm f3.5-6.3 di ii aspherical (if) macro and a pentax smc d fa 100mm f2.8 macro and i also have a pentax af 540fgz flash. This seems like overkill for me, but i don't know. Should i sell some of the lenses to someone who could use them to thier potential and buy cheaper ones for myself..........Or should i keep what i got and be happy i got what i thought was a great deal for 900 bucks ? Any opinions are happily awaited. Thanks, Rhw Good lenses are never overkill. If you really got this outfit for $900 then your camera And the flash are basically free depending on the condition of the lenses.

05-16-2010, 11:42 PM	#19
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	As said, just start using it. Get a book on photography that explains the priciples of exposure and the effects of shutterspeed and aperture on your photos. You might eventually (after a year or two years) find that you don't need some of the gear. That might the time to sell. Enjoy your gear and welcome to the Pentax club.

05-17-2010, 02:20 AM	#20
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Originally posted by MoiVous The combination of risers and descenders make reading easier according to research from the 1930s onward - its pattern recognition. Lower case text is read faster than upper case text. That's the million-dollar answer. Remember that "thing"circulating where they show a few sentences with bunch of the letters missing, yet it's still perfectly readable? Your mind fills in the blank letters because you recognize the patterns.

05-17-2010, 07:17 AM	#22
rhodopsin Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Deep Forest Posts: 643	Here's a crazy idea: buy a really cheap 100mm or 105mm lens everyone agrees produces crappy images, then go take some photos with it and with your 100mm macro, then compare results.

05-17-2010, 10:09 AM	#23
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Heehee. You know, all I can think here, is that if someone doesn't like to use the Shift key on a computer, they'll appreciate that the K10d has two control dials.

05-17-2010, 10:43 AM	#24
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,666	Just go with what you have. I certainly wouldn't sell it, but there is nothing wrong with shifting gear if you want something different down the road. In particular, you may find that you want some other lenses than a super zoom, but I would wait and see how things strike you.

05-17-2010, 12:28 PM - 1 Like	#25
clmonk Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Eastern TN Posts: 269	I disagree with all other respondents. It IS TOO MUCH (sorry for shouting) for this user. I think you need to pack it all up and send it to me as quickly as you can. PM me and I will provide address and shipping information. In return, I will send you my absolutely wonderful and very well used Pentax Optio. I think we will BOTH be delighted since you will not have to be concerned about having too much camera, and I will have a back up for my current K10 and a pair of nice lenses! Don't believe ANY of those others! Send me a PM right away so we can both be happy!

05-17-2010, 12:45 PM	#26
mickeyobe Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,759	RHW698, No. Your equipment is not too good for you. It is very good and will save you a fortune. As one's skills progress it is always a case of trading present equipment for something better. It will be a long time before you outgrow your present set up. Read your manuals and enjoy what you have for a long time. Mickey

05-17-2010, 01:49 PM - 1 Like	#27
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,333	Originally posted by Ratmagiclady Heehee. You know, all I can think here, is that if someone doesn't like to use the Shift key on a computer, they'll appreciate that the K10d has two control dials. Funny, I had the opposite thought. I figure if somebody finds the shift key too complex or too much of an inconvenience that they would appreciate the green mode feature the K10D the most.

05-17-2010, 02:23 PM	#28
RHW698 Inactive Account Join Date: May 2010 Location: VIRGINIA Posts: 8 Original Poster	Originally posted by clmonk I disagree with all other respondents. It IS TOO MUCH (sorry for shouting) for this user. I think you need to pack it all up and send it to me as quickly as you can. PM me and I will provide address and shipping information. In return, I will send you my absolutely wonderful and very well used Pentax Optio. I think we will BOTH be delighted since you will not have to be concerned about having too much camera, and I will have a back up for my current K10 and a pair of nice lenses! Don't believe ANY of those others! Send me a PM right away so we can both be happy! BLESS YOUR LIL INBRED HEART, i was born during the day - but not yesterday. i appreciate the thought but i know you have a bridge you wanna sell me too. i will keep ya in mind if i get ready to sell anything .