IQ of K20d

jolee1990 · 12-13-2009, 11:10 PM

so i have been taking photos with my k20d for about 5 to 6 months and i am getting sort of irritated with the pictures...
for some reason when i use my 18-55 f3.5 un sharp pictures, i have used a tripod and freehand shooting, AF and manual focus and still most times it's not as sharp.
i do ahve a 50m f1.4 and itsat times its kind of hard to get a good focus but thats decently sharp

maybe its because 18-55 is not the super high quality lens? can anyone help?

and i seem to have soe dust on my view finder prism and tried to clean but its not really working any suggestions?

does anyone have any good lens suggestions for group photographing in low light conditions?

**Ash** · 12-13-2009, 11:49 PM

1. There should be no problem getting sharp results from any Pentax lens - the kit lens has produced some amazing images, and is generally quite sharp, especially at f/8. There are far too many variables causing soft images that you'll have to reassess your techniques. Issues such as long shutter speeds when handheld, having shake reduction engaged when shooting with a tripod and inappropriate focus point choice will all cause unsharp images and need rectifying before any sharp images can be guaranteed.

2. Dust in the viewfinder is probably best left alone. It doesn't affect images and can get worse if you try to clean it under less than ideal conditions. Nevertheless, there's a video tutorial that explains the process, which is relatively easy and effective, if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZCjT-jr1s is good also to be able to clean the screen.

3. Lens suggestions for groups in low-light... there are many depending on how big the group is. I've used the Tamron 28-75, Pentax DA* 16-50, DA 16-45 and Tamron 17-50, and they're all good for this purpose. I've also used the DA 12-24 when 16mm was not wide enough, and it seemed to do well as well.

Damn Brit · 12-14-2009, 03:48 AM

It has a higher IQ than some of the members of this forum.

Seriously, post some images with the exif intact.

As for group photography, perhaps you better get the blurry image issue sorted out first.

**NaClH2O** · 12-14-2009, 05:02 AM

to echo DB, post some of the shots that you have issues with along with the exif data. We will then be able to figure out what went wrong. Without any real information, "Help, my photos are blurry" is kinda like "Help, I don't like the way my car runs".

NaCl(more info is needed)H2O

Marc Sabatella · 12-14-2009, 10:37 AM

The 18-55 won't be as sharp as the 50, that's for sure, but unless you shoot wide open aperture and then pixel peep the corners at 100%, you really shouldn't be seeing anything to complain about. As others have said, you need to post images if you expect useful advice.

jolee1990 · 12-14-2009, 11:56 AM

ok thank you very much ill try to post some pictures, thank you again!

12-13-2009, 11:10 PM	#1
jolee1990 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cincinnati Posts: 88	IQ of K20d so i have been taking photos with my k20d for about 5 to 6 months and i am getting sort of irritated with the pictures... for some reason when i use my 18-55 f3.5 un sharp pictures, i have used a tripod and freehand shooting, AF and manual focus and still most times it's not as sharp. i do ahve a 50m f1.4 and itsat times its kind of hard to get a good focus but thats decently sharp maybe its because 18-55 is not the super high quality lens? can anyone help? and i seem to have soe dust on my view finder prism and tried to clean but its not really working any suggestions? does anyone have any good lens suggestions for group photographing in low light conditions?

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12-13-2009, 11:49 PM	#2
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	1. There should be no problem getting sharp results from any Pentax lens - the kit lens has produced some amazing images, and is generally quite sharp, especially at f/8. There are far too many variables causing soft images that you'll have to reassess your techniques. Issues such as long shutter speeds when handheld, having shake reduction engaged when shooting with a tripod and inappropriate focus point choice will all cause unsharp images and need rectifying before any sharp images can be guaranteed. 2. Dust in the viewfinder is probably best left alone. It doesn't affect images and can get worse if you try to clean it under less than ideal conditions. Nevertheless, there's a video tutorial that explains the process, which is relatively easy and effective, if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZCjT-jr1s is good also to be able to clean the screen. 3. Lens suggestions for groups in low-light... there are many depending on how big the group is. I've used the Tamron 28-75, Pentax DA* 16-50, DA 16-45 and Tamron 17-50, and they're all good for this purpose. I've also used the DA 12-24 when 16mm was not wide enough, and it seemed to do well as well.

12-14-2009, 03:48 AM	#3
Damn Brit Guest	It has a higher IQ than some of the members of this forum. Seriously, post some images with the exif intact. As for group photography, perhaps you better get the blurry image issue sorted out first.

12-14-2009, 05:02 AM	#4
NaClH2O Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bronx NY Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,631	to echo DB, post some of the shots that you have issues with along with the exif data. We will then be able to figure out what went wrong. Without any real information, "Help, my photos are blurry" is kinda like "Help, I don't like the way my car runs". NaCl(more info is needed)H2O

12-14-2009, 10:37 AM	#5
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	The 18-55 won't be as sharp as the 50, that's for sure, but unless you shoot wide open aperture and then pixel peep the corners at 100%, you really shouldn't be seeing anything to complain about. As others have said, you need to post images if you expect useful advice.

12-14-2009, 11:56 AM	#6
jolee1990 Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cincinnati Posts: 88 Original Poster	ok thank you very much ill try to post some pictures, thank you again!