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12-04-2013, 06:12 PM   #1
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Shake Reduction

So I have had the K30 for a couple of weeks and I can't seem to get decent pictures. I verified that Shake Reduction is on. Today was gloomy rainy day and I realize the lighting was not perfect but I could not get a crisp picture to save my soul. I took the exact same pics with my Canon Rebel XS and they came out much better. I realize the anti shake is in body on the Pentax and in lens on the Canon. The colors on the Pentax were not accurate at all compared to the Canon. I really really want to love this camera but I am fighting to get good images. Keep in mind I am not out to take beautiful landscape photography or beautiful bird pictures...maybe some day but right now my goal is to get great pictures of my kids!

12-04-2013, 06:18 PM   #2
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How about showing images from each with EXIF intact?
12-04-2013, 07:36 PM   #3
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If you are taking photo of your kids, it means that most probably, you are indoor. So, check the white balance. About the shake reduction, try with it on, and off.
12-04-2013, 08:01 PM   #4
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If it's just the colors, you can play with the 'finishing tone' settings (page 155 of the (english) manual).

If it's something else, post some pictures with exif information intact (as asked by elliot). It's difficult to say what your not happy with without seeing it.

12-04-2013, 08:04 PM   #5
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Jimmy the white balance was the other thing I was having issues with. I took a class several years ago when I bought my Canon and was told to never use the AWB so I have always set it for the conditions I was shooting in. I did ask the white balance in another thread but the suggestion was to use the AWB on the Pentax and adjust afterwards. I really had no issues with setting the correct white balance on my previous camera before but the colors on my Pentax out of camera really are not accurate. Most of my shooting is indoors and I have the 18-135 lens. I was doing some test shots outside today and barely any of them didn't have blur. When I shoot indoors I have to use flash and diffuse the light. I am sure some of the blur is because of a shake on my part but I can't believe that there would be that big of a difference from in body and in lens anti shake. I have shut it off and turned it back on and when I shut it off they are much worse.
12-04-2013, 08:05 PM   #6
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Sorry not sure how to post pics with the exif data attached. I am new to the whole forum thing. Additional side note, in that class I spoke of I was told to use the center focus point so you pick where the camera is focusing and not let the camera pick what it thinks it should be focusing on. Should I be using the 11 pts that are available. I would shoot my canon in p mode with center point focus and that is what I am trying to do with the Pentax. Someone suggested that I just shoot in Auto and let the camera do the work but like I stated I am not happy with the results. I am trying to upload two photos to compare. It is being fussy!

Last edited by Chapchalk; 12-04-2013 at 08:38 PM. Reason: Additional comment
12-04-2013, 08:51 PM   #7
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Center focus is fine.

To upload, resize your original images to something with a longest side of around 1000 pixels. Do not use publish-to-web if your PP software has that option as it will more than likely strip the exif information.

One way to show them on the forum is to use the 'post reply' button (e.g. at the top of the thread); under the submit and preview buttons on the new page is an option to attach photos.

12-05-2013, 09:49 AM   #8
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Here are two examples. The first is with the Pentax and the second is with the Canon. Canon is definitely more crisp and the colors more accurate.
Attached Images
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-30  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS  Photo 
12-05-2013, 10:18 AM   #9
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You were at the end of the zoom, where it is weak to begin with, and wide open. Not to mention 1/8s exposure, which if done handheld is pretty impressive actually. Also the exposure of the Pentax shot is a full stop over the Canon one, so it appears brighter and a little washed out.
12-05-2013, 10:50 AM   #10
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The lack of sharpness is simply bad focus. The Pentax photo seems to be focused just behind the branches in the foreground which are sharper than the rest of the photo.

- The Pentax 18-135 lens is also not as sharp as the Tamron at 135mm though it is better at some of the shorter focal lengths, so part of the issue may be the lens.
- With the ISO being higher there will necessarily also be some loss of sharpness due to the noise reduction, though I'm not expecting that to be the major contributor to the loss of sharpness in this case.

Is there any reason why you shot the two photos with different settings, given that you want to compare the camera's performance? I would try to use the exact same settings.

Things to check are:
- focus fine adjustment, the lens may be front focusing and need some caiibration. You can do this from the camera menus
- check the focusing point selection - if you left that to auto it may have picked up the nearby branches instead of the intended subject
- check the 'custom image' settings (first option in menu 1) - you'r probably set to bright, radiant or something like that - take it to 'natural' instead
- white balance - when possible set manually according to the situation. AWB works ok but not always.
- sharpness settings - the default setting is a bit soft for my taste so ou may want to increase that a little

Regarding the stabilisation, the in body stabilisation is no less effective than in lens stabilisation, except possibly for very long telephoto lenses.I can very easily shoot 1/8s at 135mm with my K-30.
In any case the softness in the image you posted is not the result of shake.
12-05-2013, 12:35 PM   #11
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Your exif data shows an exposure time of 1/8 of a second. I'll assume you were using a tripod given the indicated focal length. My question is: Did you have the image stabilization off on both cameras? First rule in using image stabilization (or vibration reduction or what ever your brand of camera calls it) is NEVER use it while the camera is on a tripod because it will cause blurry images.
12-05-2013, 01:14 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by FrankC Quote
Your exif data shows an exposure time of 1/8 of a second. I'll assume you were using a tripod given the indicated focal length. My question is: Did you have the image stabilization off on both cameras? First rule in using image stabilization (or vibration reduction or what ever your brand of camera calls it) is NEVER use it while the camera is on a tripod because it will cause blurry images.
FrankC neither of these were shot on a tripod. I had set both to p and let the camera select the settings on both the Canon and Pentax. I shot like 30 images with the Pentax and 25 of them had blur.

lister6520 thank you so much for the information. I checked the custom image and it was set on bright I have played with all the options and I am not able to dial in on the color. I double checked and the center point is my focal point. I will look at the manual and see how to make the focus fine adjustments.
12-05-2013, 01:50 PM   #13
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The point is, regardless of the system, shake reduction is a function of technique as well, but 1/8 at between 135 and 150mm focal length is not within reason.

For an APS-c sensor! Shutter speed is. 1/ (focal length x crop factor) so you should be at 1/200 without SR. You are trying to shoot 6 stops below the reasonable limit for hand held without Shake reduction.

Ok fine in lens is better by perhaps 1 stop but neither system is intended for this type of use.

As for the rest, there is a little more exposure given to the pentax shot, which makes it look soft, but that is controllable. Deal with getting proper shutter speed first, then worry about the remainder of the image

You can work on the JPEG settings canon is known for nominal settings being boosted in saturation, and contrast. Given the lighting, I would actually suggest the pentax gave a more realistic rendition of what you actually had
12-05-2013, 01:55 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Chapchalk Quote
FrankC neither of these were shot on a tripod. I had set both to p and let the camera select the settings on both the Canon and Pentax. I shot like 30 images with the Pentax and 25 of them had blur.
You were in P mode, but you set the Canon to underexpose by 1/3 stop and the Pentax to overexpose by 2/3 stop, any particular reason why?
12-05-2013, 02:08 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by elliott Quote
You were in P mode, but you set the Canon to underexpose by 1/3 stop and the Pentax to overexpose by 2/3 stop, any particular reason why?
Elliot thanks for pointing that out I didn't realize the Pentax was set there. Like I said I have been playing with so many functions trying to get use to this I must have changed and not realized it. I typically underexpose by 1/3 I like how it looks.
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