[Falcons]

Hi Ben,


Nice shots as always! When talking to this PERSON, You are talking to a PIXEL PEEPER/MEASURBATOR.. The only thing they KNOW how to SHOOT/TALK about are BRICK WALLS/FOCUS CHARTS....

The sad thing is that RH is not even a measurebater, he just trawls the net for nuggets of anti Pentax sentiment or some obscure reference to someones amatuer testing of their Pentax camera to put on an anti Pentax blog - RH does not do any of the tests at all.

RH does not own a K20D, nor a K10D (by his own admissions) he does own a Canon 5D though and I think he owns a Pentax K100D and perhaps a Pentax *ist DS.

You really have to wonder at the reasoning behind the persona of RH - is this a real person with a a Family (mentioned on his blog) who has dedicated a signicant portion of his life to warning the world about the inferiority of Pentax by spending countless hours on his blog and forums bashing Pentax at all opportunities.

I just find it hard to comprehend any sane person would do this.

[Marc Langille]

Disclaimer: I am NOT sponsored by anyone, except I was loaned $7K in camera gear for this competition - $5500 of it was Canon mount gear...


With another situation... very similar priced camera from Canon and Pentax:

The Canon 40D vs. Pentax K20D... posted in this thread:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/29903-canon-40d-vs...rspective.html

I was surprised at the noise levels of the 40D at ISO 800 in relatively bright conditions (no samples yet, but very, very soon!), even though NR was enabled for higher ISOs... yet I was berated for "my opinion" of using it in sometimes good, sometimes difficult lighting conditions on DPR by several folks for it's high noise levels and their claim that the Canon was superior, according to a bunch of lab tests... sorry, this is life, real world conditions!

(competition rules disallow red eye removal, so using a flash was a roll of the dice at best, therefore no flash was used after several tries - too many lost opportunities)

Well, I tried it under difficult outdoor situations, and many times it fell short of being accurate AF too. Fast, yes, but my 40D didn't do very well in low light or when focusing on very small birds, even though they were stationary! Higher apertures didn't do much either, and that's generally not recommended, since you want OOF backgrounds. The K20D's AF was slower, but generally more accurate.

Regards,
Marc

[Michaelina2]

Ben: My screen has been professionally calibrated using "Eye One Match" software and a Gretag Macbeth hardware scanner.

I understand...

No, RH, my hands are not c*apping. Since I don't have a Canon, I just can't relate to the finer points of your case. It's my fault that my skills are weak and my output stuff is cheap, flawed and cheesy. I know you are trying your best to help, but I can't see much difference between the IQ of a Mk-III and K20D (or K100D with a good lens, for that matter).

On the other hand, I can see a huge difference between Ben's IQ and mine. He has an ability to consistently craft sparkling images. I want to develop that skill. That's what I mean when I say he "reinforces my values." His work (plus examples provided by other K100D/K20D forum contributors) give me hope when I'm frustrated. Of course, Ben's photo stories are much more about talent than IQ, but that's another topic...

INMHO: Ben may not like this, but I declare him the winner because I feel I can relate. And in the end, I'm the only one that counts.

[RiceHigh]

My screen has been professionally calibrated using "Eye One Match" software and a Gretag Macbeth hardware scanner.

Ben

I'm surprised if you believe in calibration this time. Isn't all that creativity is all that you need (but not equipment accuracy which you mostly disregard whenever I posted)? Btw, what hardware screen(s) do you have? Glad that you can tell us if you can..

[benjikan]

I'm surprised if you believe in calibration this time. Isn't all that creativity is all that you need (but not equipment accuracy which you mostly disregard whenever I posted)? Btw, what hardware screen(s) do you have? Glad that you can tell us if you can..

NO.....I won't.

I don't want to get in to a lengthy diatribe right now. I have to go to a pre-production meeting for my next shoot.

But thanks for the offer.

[offertonhatter]

Ben, I can see the difference, and indeed the K20D is a fine camera.
The fact that the IQ and colour rendition are (IMHO) better than the MkII, says it all.

Friends of mine have Mk3's and D300, and yet are very impressed on the colours that my K10D can get. So much so, they wish that their more expensive cameras could match the colour rendition.

A camera, as you say, is only a tool to do a job, it does not matter what make, model, pixel count, or if it does 10fps or only 3fps, the photographer is the person who has the eye, and takes the picture, the camera only saves the image of what is seen.

In fact, I had an e-mail last week from our marketing Dept, that they wanted an image of one of our staff in our local office, was needed for a business publication and needed it that day. I only had my "humble" Fuji S6500fd with me that day, so I took the photo with the light that was available, and sent it accordingly. Guess what, it was perfect for their needs. So again, a Camera is only a tool, and is what you do with it.

Your images, Ben, are excellent, no matter what you use, and you use what you need for that purpose.

As for RH, they are the worst kind of badge snob, no matter what you have, whether a simple P+S or top notch SLR, nothing is better than what they have. Its the current Canon Vs Nikon debate, but on another level. Funny that a couple of pros I know have gone from Canon to Nikon............

Keep up the posts Ben, your insight is invaluble, and your images are something to aspire to.

[PentaxScott]

Thanks Rudy. Interesting, I am in the process of putting out a table top book. Hopfully for Next Spring of 2009.

Ben

And when you do...let us know! Ill be getting one for my coffee table! Youre work is simply amazing!

[jsherman999]

I think he was saying 'no no text' because you need to put text in the body of the message in order to post, and he was using it as filler. I think the message he was trying to give was in the title.

RH, that the case?

[ftpaddict]

I think he was saying 'no no text' because you need to put text in the body of the message in order to post, and he was using it as filler. I think the message he was trying to give was in the title.

RH, that the case?

Why does he go to such trouble as to write a TITLE and then "no no text" in what's supposed to be the body of the message, instead of just writing the message where it's supposed to go in the first place?

[Ted1212]

I find it a struggle to go from doing the research for camera equipment, to becoming a good and creative photographer.

Any tips?

[little laker]

Oh and one more thing RH, I was recently contacted by one of the big 5 to come with them and I declined.

Enough said!

Ben

I never knew that HOLGA sent you an official invite to shoot their equipment Ben

Personally I would have jumped on that one

[Transit]

Use you eyes RH. You have eyes don't you.

Ben

Jeese mate I think it's you that needs to get a life ...

Are there some rules in this forum about friendly behaviour.
This post of yours is just trying to bait this Rice guy.
Then you respond aggressively when he replies 'Thanks, but HOW to compare? n/t'
...which was a rather good point,

Sounds like you have a large ego issue to me
and no shortage of admirers here to help you polish it ?

Pete

[ckanthon]

In my opinion,

No need to compare: 1D is expensive + very heavy (at least it's heavier than K20)

I just simply won't carry a truck around (which could make a difference only when 100% crop).

That is.

[George Lama]

This is more than an odd thread - in my opinion it's a reflection of the whole photographic review/training business as a whole, where you have those who have lots of experience sharing what works for them and then you have the text-book experts of the world who, well... I presume haven't even gotten paid to shoot their neighbor's birthday party but are more than willing to critique and review other people's product/art.

I read reviews all the time, and as an educated individual I not only read the review but evaluate the source just as much if not more. A fashion photo and/or text coming from Ben carries significant weight in my eyes, just like a baby photo from Geddes or a portrait from Leibovitz would. Is it solely because he's well known? Of course not, but he does have the training, real life experience, decades of it, and a track record to prove it. Does this mean I will agree with what he says 100% of the time? No. Of course not!

But if someone is going to challenge someone else, the least they can do is post a damn photo, even if it's taken with a 110mm Kodak using the super-cool flash cubes.

[benjikan]

Jeese mate I think it's you that needs to get a life ...

Are there some rules in this forum about friendly behaviour.
This post of yours is just trying to bait this Rice guy.
Then you respond aggressively when he replies 'Thanks, but HOW to compare? n/t'
...which was a rather good point,

Sounds like you have a large ego issue to me
and no shortage of admirers here to help you polish it ?

Pete

Hello Pete;

I am sorry that you have come in to this at the time you did. I am rarely if ever aggressive with anyone. This is a very "OLD STORY" and what you have witnessed is the "Straw that broke the camels back" so to speak.

It has nothing to do with ego at all. If you understood the chronology of events, perhaps you could understand the context in which this was applied.

I can understand that under the circumstances you would naturally get the impression you did and for that I am truly sorry Pete.

None the less thanks for bringing up this issue and in the future I will try to understand that there are those that haven't followed the process and would consider my reactions as being rather curt to say the least.

Best Wishes and have a nice day.

Ben