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Steve Beswick · 12-18-2009, 12:06 AM

Originally posted by LeDave

Faster AF, better low-light AF, better metering system, cool green top LCD, 3.0 inch LCD, LCD has 920,000 pixels, CA and distortion correction, electronic leveling, more frames per second, and HD video recording.

Make that 10:0

You are off by one, unless the K20 lacks the green backlight the K10 has.

HawaiianOnline · 12-18-2009, 01:33 AM

That's really nice! Can you use it for indoor portraiture so that external details which are visible through the windows won't be blown out?

My K20D just bit the bucket and the local repair center will not be able to repair it in time.

I have no choice but to order another body to shoot a wedding next Saturday. My backup (an istDS) is just too slow to use as my primary camera, so I have to get a KX or the K7. If the in camera HDR can work for formal portraits, then I will get the K7. Heck, I'll probably get the K7 anyway.

*isteve · 12-18-2009, 02:14 AM

Chris, firstly welcome back to the fold and, secondly, thanks for showing everyone how pros really do benefit from in-camera processing (its called throughput boys and girls). The HDR stuff is not amazing, but its good enough for real estate use, a lot quicker than doing it manually, and a lot cheaper than rigging up $2000 worth of lighting.

As for the AF, well at least its got a focus light and it seems a lot more accurate - especially in tungsten light. I don't shoot sport so to me its a non-issue, but it goes to show you cant have it all in one camera. For travel, street and portrait work, its just dandy.

chrisdm · 12-18-2009, 05:52 AM

Originally posted by HawaiianOnline

That's really nice! Can you use it for indoor portraiture so that external details which are visible through the windows won't be blown out?

My K20D just bit the bucket and the local repair center will not be able to repair it in time.

I have no choice but to order another body to shoot a wedding next Saturday. My backup (an istDS) is just too slow to use as my primary camera, so I have to get a KX or the K7. If the in camera HDR can work for formal portraits, then I will get the K7. Heck, I'll probably get the K7 anyway.

No, it won't work for that application as with "old fashioned" HDR it takes 3 exposures and combines them. Any moving element (like a person) won't likely be rendered properly due to movement between the 3 frames... If you want to show window details you'll have to so it the old fashioned way, by artificially lighting your subject indoors while simultaneously exposing for the window details.

If I were a Pentax wedding photographer (which I am not, I shoot my pro weddings with Canon 1 series cameras), I would probably use the K-x for its high ISO performance over the K-7.

Hope this helps,

Chris Miller
Imagine Imagery, Photography by Chris Miller

jogiba · 12-18-2009, 07:40 AM

K-7 & 10-24mm Tamron @10mm with and without HDR mode:

Alfisti · 12-18-2009, 07:47 AM

Originally posted by chrisdm

I'm not sure how to or why I would want to post a blown crop at 100% (I am not a "pixel peeper"), but I will tell you that I regularly produce and publish HDRs that I generate manually from my Canon 5D2 and Photomatix software, and I shoot this type of work at low ISOs, expose properly and process cleanly so there is no noise. And fortunately the same can be said of the low ISO HDRs from the K-7, they are clean, assuming I get the exposure right.

Chris Miller
Imagine Imagery, Photography by Chris Miller

How? You just crop and post. Why? Because i'd like to see if it's horribly noisy which i cannot tell from an image that has been downsized so much.

It does appear that i had this the wrong way around though, I thought the camera was using one image then lifting the shadows but it's actually similar to Photomatix (which i use) in that it uses multiple images.

ivoire · 12-18-2009, 08:56 AM

I've been using the hdr feature for real estate pics also. It cut my post processing times by 2/3. In the link below, 80% of the interior images were done using the hdr feature.

http://3difocus.com/slideshows/312-E-Ninth/

wll · 12-18-2009, 09:33 AM

Originally posted by ivoire

I've been using the hdr feature for real estate pics also. It cut my post processing times by 2/3. In the link below, 80% of the interior images were done using the hdr feature.

http://3difocus.com/slideshows/312-E-Ninth/

Very, very nice and a very usefull way to use HDR in the real world of business ..... nice job !

wll

jacksonpritt · 12-18-2009, 09:42 AM

Impressive photos!

I've been thinking about branching out into real estate photography lately (nothing this high-end, mostly condos & apartments) and this seems like it would come in really handy.

This is the kind of HDR that's actually useful, instead of that overdone crap everyone is always posting on Flickr.

dragonfly · 12-18-2009, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by ivoire

I've been using the hdr feature for real estate pics also. It cut my post processing times by 2/3. In the link below, 80% of the interior images were done using the hdr feature.

http://3difocus.com/slideshows/312-E-Ninth/

I checked out your pics and I liked the one with the child's room. There is a shadow from a desk chair that is very distinct and looks slightly out of place in such a well-lit room. Interesting.

eigelb · 12-18-2009, 11:12 AM

great exampels that shows the k-7´s small dynamik range

Daemos · 12-18-2009, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by eigelb

great exampels that shows the k-7´s small dynamik range

Is this supposed to be an insult?

ivoire · 12-18-2009, 11:46 AM

Originally posted by dragonfly

I checked out your pics and I liked the one with the child's room. There is a shadow from a desk chair that is very distinct and looks slightly out of place in such a well-lit room. Interesting.

I believe the shadow comes from the wall light above the bow of the boat. The rooms lighting is mostly a product of using the metz af1 flash while shooting with the HDR 1 setting. Color, dynamic range and depth are best achieved with a lighting setup, so there is always a trade-off when using HDR and a camera mounted flash. The shadow is less obvious in the non flash raw pics I took as backup to HDR, but the room is much darker.

eigelb · 12-18-2009, 12:40 PM

Originally posted by Daemos

Is this supposed to be an insult?

Can I insult a camera?

No its only an observation....

chrisdm · 12-18-2009, 05:13 PM

Originally posted by Daemos

Is this supposed to be an insult?

I think it was sarcasm. With its HDR feature the K-7 beats the nearest competitor in terms of dynamic range by at least 6 stops. Dpreview measured 17EV of dynamic range!! That would be a world record for a DSLR if Guiness tallies such things...

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12-18-2009, 12:06 AM	#16
Steve Beswick Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Ontario, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,736	Originally posted by LeDave Faster AF, better low-light AF, better metering system, cool green top LCD, 3.0 inch LCD, LCD has 920,000 pixels, CA and distortion correction, electronic leveling, more frames per second, and HD video recording. Make that 10:0 You are off by one, unless the K20 lacks the green backlight the K10 has.

12-18-2009, 01:33 AM	#17
HawaiianOnline Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hawaii Posts: 613	That's really nice! Can you use it for indoor portraiture so that external details which are visible through the windows won't be blown out? My K20D just bit the bucket and the local repair center will not be able to repair it in time. I have no choice but to order another body to shoot a wedding next Saturday. My backup (an istDS) is just too slow to use as my primary camera, so I have to get a KX or the K7. If the in camera HDR can work for formal portraits, then I will get the K7. Heck, I'll probably get the K7 anyway.

12-18-2009, 02:14 AM	#18
*isteve Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London, England Posts: 1,187	Chris, firstly welcome back to the fold and, secondly, thanks for showing everyone how pros really do benefit from in-camera processing (its called throughput boys and girls). The HDR stuff is not amazing, but its good enough for real estate use, a lot quicker than doing it manually, and a lot cheaper than rigging up $2000 worth of lighting. As for the AF, well at least its got a focus light and it seems a lot more accurate - especially in tungsten light. I don't shoot sport so to me its a non-issue, but it goes to show you cant have it all in one camera. For travel, street and portrait work, its just dandy.

12-18-2009, 05:52 AM	#19
chrisdm New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Palm Springs, CA Posts: 21 Original Poster	Originally posted by HawaiianOnline That's really nice! Can you use it for indoor portraiture so that external details which are visible through the windows won't be blown out? My K20D just bit the bucket and the local repair center will not be able to repair it in time. I have no choice but to order another body to shoot a wedding next Saturday. My backup (an istDS) is just too slow to use as my primary camera, so I have to get a KX or the K7. If the in camera HDR can work for formal portraits, then I will get the K7. Heck, I'll probably get the K7 anyway. No, it won't work for that application as with "old fashioned" HDR it takes 3 exposures and combines them. Any moving element (like a person) won't likely be rendered properly due to movement between the 3 frames... If you want to show window details you'll have to so it the old fashioned way, by artificially lighting your subject indoors while simultaneously exposing for the window details. If I were a Pentax wedding photographer (which I am not, I shoot my pro weddings with Canon 1 series cameras), I would probably use the K-x for its high ISO performance over the K-7. Hope this helps, Chris Miller Imagine Imagery, Photography by Chris Miller

12-18-2009, 07:40 AM	#20
jogiba Banned Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 6,491	K-7 & 10-24mm Tamron @10mm with and without HDR mode:

12-18-2009, 07:47 AM	#21
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,748	Originally posted by chrisdm I'm not sure how to or why I would want to post a blown crop at 100% (I am not a "pixel peeper"), but I will tell you that I regularly produce and publish HDRs that I generate manually from my Canon 5D2 and Photomatix software, and I shoot this type of work at low ISOs, expose properly and process cleanly so there is no noise. And fortunately the same can be said of the low ISO HDRs from the K-7, they are clean, assuming I get the exposure right. Chris Miller Imagine Imagery, Photography by Chris Miller How? You just crop and post. Why? Because i'd like to see if it's horribly noisy which i cannot tell from an image that has been downsized so much. It does appear that i had this the wrong way around though, I thought the camera was using one image then lifting the shadows but it's actually similar to Photomatix (which i use) in that it uses multiple images.

12-18-2009, 08:56 AM	#22
ivoire Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,381	I've been using the hdr feature for real estate pics also. It cut my post processing times by 2/3. In the link below, 80% of the interior images were done using the hdr feature. http://3difocus.com/slideshows/312-E-Ninth/

12-18-2009, 09:33 AM	#23
wll Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mission Hills, CA Posts: 773	Originally posted by ivoire I've been using the hdr feature for real estate pics also. It cut my post processing times by 2/3. In the link below, 80% of the interior images were done using the hdr feature. http://3difocus.com/slideshows/312-E-Ninth/ Very, very nice and a very usefull way to use HDR in the real world of business ..... nice job ! wll

12-18-2009, 09:42 AM	#24
jacksonpritt Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Berkeley, CA Posts: 124	Impressive photos! I've been thinking about branching out into real estate photography lately (nothing this high-end, mostly condos & apartments) and this seems like it would come in really handy. This is the kind of HDR that's actually useful, instead of that overdone crap everyone is always posting on Flickr.

12-18-2009, 11:04 AM	#25
dragonfly Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: on the wall Photos: Gallery Posts: 715	Originally posted by ivoire I've been using the hdr feature for real estate pics also. It cut my post processing times by 2/3. In the link below, 80% of the interior images were done using the hdr feature. http://3difocus.com/slideshows/312-E-Ninth/ I checked out your pics and I liked the one with the child's room. There is a shadow from a desk chair that is very distinct and looks slightly out of place in such a well-lit room. Interesting.

12-18-2009, 11:12 AM	#26
eigelb Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 174	great exampels that shows the k-7´s small dynamik range

12-18-2009, 11:20 AM	#27
Daemos Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 106	Originally posted by eigelb great exampels that shows the k-7´s small dynamik range Is this supposed to be an insult?

12-18-2009, 11:46 AM	#28
ivoire Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,381	Originally posted by dragonfly I checked out your pics and I liked the one with the child's room. There is a shadow from a desk chair that is very distinct and looks slightly out of place in such a well-lit room. Interesting. I believe the shadow comes from the wall light above the bow of the boat. The rooms lighting is mostly a product of using the metz af1 flash while shooting with the HDR 1 setting. Color, dynamic range and depth are best achieved with a lighting setup, so there is always a trade-off when using HDR and a camera mounted flash. The shadow is less obvious in the non flash raw pics I took as backup to HDR, but the room is much darker.

12-18-2009, 12:40 PM	#29
eigelb Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 174	Originally posted by Daemos Is this supposed to be an insult? Can I insult a camera? No its only an observation....

12-18-2009, 05:13 PM	#30
chrisdm New Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Palm Springs, CA Posts: 21 Original Poster	Originally posted by Daemos Is this supposed to be an insult? I think it was sarcasm. With its HDR feature the K-7 beats the nearest competitor in terms of dynamic range by at least 6 stops. Dpreview measured 17EV of dynamic range!! That would be a world record for a DSLR if Guiness tallies such things...

K-7 HDR really works!

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