[Dubesor]

Hi, everyone!

Would love to hear tips from more experienced users on how to setup and use the K100D Super I just got as my entry into the DSLR world. I have some experience with prosumer cameras like the Lumix FZ50, but am totally new to Pentax and the DSLR world.

Please share your tips on exposure, processing, lenses and anything else that comes to mind. If anyone has calibrated their Adobe Camera Raw, Noise Ninja or Neat Image for this camera, I would love to get some profiles or calibration settings

Thanks a lot in advance!

Andriy (aka Dubesor)
Flickr: dubesor

[little laker]

Welcome to Pentax Forums Andriy.

I was supposed to be in your city at the moment, but bad roads and a few other factors forced me to put the trip off for a while

Like everyone else new to the SLR world I'd advise you to just have fun with it for a while.
See if the pictures are what you want. They just might be.

When your comfortable with it feel free to try AV or some other mode, and go from there.

You probably won't have to do much tweaking with any software, so I wouldn't worry about that either.

So just have fun, and let the learning process begin.

[benplaut]

Just take lots of pictures, that's the main thing. As long as you stick to manual and semi-manual modes, you'll learn quite a bit in your first thousand clicks

[Dubesor]

Thanks! My experiments with the FZ50 taught me a bit about using aperture / shutter priority modes. Those are basically my main modes of operation for the Pentax as well.

I'm finding the color cast on K100D Super a little odd ... I think this is a white balance issue. Indoor tungsten-type lighting (which is what I'm shooting a lot lately) seems overly red. This is why I was asking about calibration to correct for that in RAW processing. Do any K100D Super users in here have similar problems?

I've also set the shooting mode to "Natural" from the default "Bright", tuned down Saturation, Sharpness and Contrast settings to -1 and turned off Noise Reduction. I know a lot of these vary from person to person, but is that what many of you other K100D Super users have done also?

I'm also really curious about effective noise removal as I'll be taking lots and lots of photos at ISO 1600-320. Even though the Pentax does well with these high sensitivities, there's still noise to be cleaned up. Does anyone have Neat Image or Noise Ninja presets for the Super?

[Duck Dodgers]

I believe (someone correct me if'n I'm wrong) that the noise reduction occurs only at extended shutter speeds, and consists of the camera "taking a dark frame" and using it to counter any hot pixels.

[axl]

Just one tip:
go out and shoot, shoot and shoot...

PS: welcome to the forums...

[Dubesor]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement. Here is my first 'shoot' from a few days ago: Manual 'virgin' ... 1st Walkaround w/ SMC-M 80-200 4.5: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[chris hall]

Do take advantage of the wide availability of old Pentax lenses which will transform your range of possibilities very cheaply, and also ensure that your learning curve increases enormously when it comes to manual control and the possibilities/limitations of the camera. After awhile you begin to feel totally in control. And th K100D is a delight to hold and use: areal creative tool rather than a sophisticated gadget.

[bbpa103]

I have the K100D and believe the super has the same challenges with AWB indoors. If you're shooting in JPG, try setting the white balance to the tungsten setting rather than using AWB or when you get adventurous try setting white balance manually (the bottom choice on the list on a K100). I do a lot of bball shots now and I start by taking test shots before the game at the different wb settings to get the one closest to the colours seen by the Mk1 eyeball. If RAW - you can adjust in the Pentax Photo Lab software. Ken.

[Dubesor]

I've already noticed severe auto WB issues... someone explained it by the fact that the auto WB in the K100D series is in fact mainly designed to work properly outdoors (according to the color temperature range listed in the manual). I need to get my hands on a proper gray/white card. For now, I use bright white printer paper for custom WB.