[abe]

Hi, new to the forum. I want to tell you the story...

I started getting interested in photography after I went on a trip to San Francisco and noticed how I hated smartphone photos. I decided I needed a camera so I bought a Canon Point & Shoot. Nothing fancy but it did the job, it is a S120. After a year or so I wanted to move to something with interchangeable lenses. I started looking at the Sony A6000 and an Olympus OMD-10 a few months ago.

So I'm currently in Japan in a long trip and four weeks ago I visited the Yodobashi store in Shinjuku. That area is called camera village and this particular store is insane. Six floors of photography products, every brand and every lens you can imagine. I decided that if I wanted a new camera this was the right place to buy it. So I went to test the Sony and the grip sucked. It was too small for my hands it didn't feel like me at all.

A few meters away was the Pentax booth and all the memories of my father's Pentax MX came to me. He was so proud of that camera! My mother still has the camera back home along with a Takumar wide angle from the 80's. I grabbed the K-S2 and it was love at first sight. It took a week for me to finally buy it after reading a number of reviews and visiting different stores to look at the thing.

So here I am with my first DSLR, a brand new K-S2, the kit lens, a smc 50-200 mm, a 50mm prime and a Mefoto tripod. I'm so happy! It's been three weeks and I learn more and more every day. A few hours ago I took this one. Rainbow bridge in Obaida, Tokyo.

Hope to contribute and learn a lot in this forum.

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[paulh]

Congrats on a nice kit and nice photo too. Welcome to the forums!

[Aaron28]

awesome pic! and welcome aboard!

[normhead]

Very nice... welcome to the forum...

[DSims]

Nice photo. You may decide to slightly adjust your composition as time goes on, but it's very good.

[Mikesul]

Glad to hear that memories of your father and the the wonderful old MX prompted your decision to choose Pentax. I also loved it as our kids were growing up. May your Pentax bring you equal joy and pride.

[tibbitts]

Nice photo. You may decide to slightly adjust your composition as time goes on, but it's very good.

Just curious, what would you change about the composition?

[RobA_Oz]

Nice to read about your path to the K-S2, and thanks for posting the photo. Unlike some who are all too ready to rush to judgment, I don't think the comment about composition was intended to offend, but a more positive suggestion for change would have been helpful. I imagine the comment was about not placing your subject centrally. It's one of those "rules" of composition that can sometimes be broken successfully.

All that aside, welcome to the Forums. You've made a good start.

[Bagga_Txips]

Let's encourage his LBA! abe, if you are still in Tokyo, rush and get a Pentax DA15, preferably the older SMC version not the HD modern version. Then take the bridge shot again - this shot is very nice but you will be amazed at the difference the DA15 will make!


There, that's got him started now he's hooked for life!

[abe]

Thanks all for the warm welcome. I'm thrilled to be here.

Also thanks for the feedback about the composition, I'll experiment more in offsetting the subject. I know I'm just starting out and there is a lot I must learn.

Earlier, at sunset, I tried to offset the bridge to the right and include more of the city skyline in the left. Somehow I missed to try this from the last vantage point, which was the best one by far.

---------- Post added 06-27-15 at 08:30 PM ----------

Let's encourage his LBA! abe, if you are still in Tokyo, rush and get a Pentax DA15, preferably the older SMC version not the HD modern version. Then take the bridge shot again - this shot is very nice but you will be amazed at the difference the DA15 will make!


There, that's got him started now he's hooked for life!

Lol, not sure if I want to find out what LBA means.I figure if it's something like "lens buyer addiction".

Coincidentally I might have to go through Shinjuku today.....

[i_trax]

welcome!
love Pentax and Tokyo.
yes, you are hooked like me.........

[DSims]

Wow, the good ol' welcome aboard backhanded compliment/slam. Some Internet photography site classics never die.

Just curious, what would you change about the composition?

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a slam at all.

It's a really nice shot, and I liked it immediately.



I'm constantly looking at framing on my own shots to see what works better, and I often don't get it just the way I want.

So of course you have to try it and see what you want, what looks good to you, and what works with the scene. I couldn't tell you for sure what I'd do, without being there.

Some potential candidates are changing the horizon/level of the bridge up or down (for example, eliminate some of the empty sky, and get more of the reflection in the water) and moving the frame to the right or left (to show less - or more - of the buildings). But again, you'd have to try it - it might look worse.


The boat in the lower right is a nice touch.

The main thing is to see what draws the viewer's eye to the right place(s).

---------- Post added 06-27-15 at 10:49 PM ----------

Earlier, at sunset, I tried to offset the bridge to the right and include more of the city skyline in the left. Somehow I missed to try this from the last vantage point, which was the best one by far.

That's the way it always goes - it seems hard to get all the parts right within the same shot. There's always one part that "I did better in that other shot."

It's a brilliant shot, really. It got my attention right away with its beauty, which is always a great achievement.

---------- Post added 06-27-15 at 11:10 PM ----------

Let's encourage his LBA! abe, if you are still in Tokyo, rush and get a Pentax DA15, preferably the older SMC version not the HD modern version. Then take the bridge shot again - this shot is very nice but you will be amazed at the difference the DA15 will make!

The DA15 is a great lens, but it may be too wide for this shot. I think 50mm looks like it was a good choice here.

It's true the DA15, DA10-17, and FA43 all bring out fantastic colors. I suppose I would have used my FA43 if I still had it.

But really, I would just consider swapping the DA50-200 for a DA55-300 (any version) or a used Pentax or Takumar F70-210/4-5.6. The image quality is a little better, and the 55-300 has a nice range as well. Maybe I'd also add the DA35/2.4. I like that lens - especially since image quality is high wide-open at f/2.4, which then also yields nice round bokeh (in a very affordable lens). Everything else is pretty good. He's got the 50, and he got a good tripod.

[athanK3]

Hi

I am Greek and i bought my first DSLR in my trip toTokyo last summer, from yodobashi as well! :-)
Really amazing store and the stuff guys seem to know well what they sell!
The guy in Pentax booth conviced me Pentax is better (i was about to buy either K3 or Nikon D7100). I havent regret!


cheers

[abe]

Well, I found my dad's camera, my mom had it in storage. It was actually a Pentax ME super, very light. I love the construction, and it still looks great after so many years. Camera's should look like this one nowadays. I'm going to buy some film and test it out, it should be fun. My dad had a 50 mm lens and a then he bought a Takumar 28 mm wide angle.

I took a picture of the camera and cleaned up the background. Of course did some modern post processing but I like the results, take a look:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/do4aqh9uybvwc71/pentax_me_super.png

[lgbalfa]

amazing photo!!