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12-22-2009, 07:22 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by BobRad Quote
My K-x appears to be as sharp as my K10D when shooting in RAW format (converted in LR 2.6). My K10D died before I got the K-x, but I had a couple of K10D shots of a world map that I could replicate with the K-x and my Pentax 18-250 mm lens. The shots of the map from the two cameras were virtually identical with respect to sharpness (and color). In addition, I have now taken about 300 shots with the K-x, most with the kit lens, most at low ISO and outdoors, and IMHO the IQ, including sharpness, is comparable to the K10D. Dynamic range seems greater with the K-x - less lost detail in highlights and shadows for high contrast, outdoor shots. The snow/surf scene mode works well to get the WB right, too - have had lots of opportunity for that this week (the snow part).

Can you post any samples (picture of the world map)? That would be good to see for all of us who have doubts.

Andras

12-22-2009, 07:52 AM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by planedriver Quote
This picture has the the same softness we are talking about
I agree, the cropped turkey photo looks very soft. It's a kind of smoothed plasticky look. Not appealing to me at all.
12-22-2009, 08:06 AM   #18
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Please post examples, first the entire image then a crop to show the softness. We need the exif data, otherwise, frankly, i just do not beleive it's a jpg engine issue.

As for the turkey, quite the image toi show sharpness, it's clearly suffering from user shake.
12-22-2009, 08:16 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by Alfisti Quote
As for the turkey, quite the image toi show sharpness, it's clearly suffering from user shake.
What makes you say that? At f8, 28mm and 1/120s, it should be sharp.

12-22-2009, 08:44 AM   #20
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QuoteQuote:
I agree, the cropped turkey photo looks very soft. It's a kind of smoothed plasticky look. Not appealing to me at all.
Hm... IDK, maybe I'm less demanding when it comes to sharpness... Think it's because of K-x or because it's an unprocessed raw file?

The smooth plasticky is because of the surface of turkey being covered in some stuff and baked - so it is plasticky until you cut it and see the meat. That, plus flash- and it turns out like that...

QuoteQuote:
As for the turkey, quite the image toi show sharpness, it's clearly suffering from user shake.
I don't really think so... Shake, well, looks different.
12-22-2009, 08:53 AM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
What makes you say that? At f8, 28mm and 1/120s, it should be sharp.
Yep it should be, but it aint. Maybe the SR had not spooled and caused problems, something is not right.
12-22-2009, 08:54 AM   #22
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K-x is slightly softer than the K-7 and K20D, but not by much:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/78098-k7-vs-kx-pic...available.html

12-22-2009, 09:43 AM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by harleynitelite Quote
Any opinions on a reasonable freeware program that can reduce the filesize?
Pretty much any of the popular image editing programs can resize an image - picasa, irfanview, etc. There are tons of existing threads where people discuss their favorite image editing programs. Actually, can't the program that came with your camera do that?

The other alternative is to get a free account somewhere like Flickr and simply post links to your images there.
12-22-2009, 10:12 AM   #24
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I'll try posting this evening - haven't posted any images on this forum yet, so I'll have to figure out how. Meanwhile you can see some K-x shots I took this weekend at: Flickr: Bobrad's Photostream

They are all sharp to my eyes.
12-22-2009, 10:27 AM   #25
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If you use Windows, try FastStone Image Viewer. It is free, will crop, resize and add notes. It will display PEF's and DNG's. It also has a very useful image comparision tool. There are many other good image browsers, but I've been using FastStone for the last few years.

Also you can add images directly to your posts. Use Insert Image (mountain icon). Information on albums, galleries, inserting is in the PentaxForums News forum:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentaxforums-com-news/
12-22-2009, 12:35 PM   #26
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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll give it a shot tonight.

Bob
12-22-2009, 02:24 PM   #27
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Bob,

Your Flickr shots are quite sharp! My Kx w/ 18-55 are not as sharp (jpegs, no PP), even shot on tripod.

Are yours raw? I may have to get serious about raw.

Thanks,

Bruce
12-22-2009, 02:42 PM   #28
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I have yet to do any head to head comparisons with my K20D, but the K-x seems perfectly acceptable to me. Here's a link showing what the camera can do at ISO 200. Taken in RAW with the FA 77mm f1.8 Limited at f5.6. Converted using ACR. No USM applied.
12-22-2009, 05:07 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
What makes you say that? At f8, 28mm and 1/120s, it should be sharp.
This may in fact be the problem: I have noticed that in photographs taken at shutter speeds of 1/100, 1/120, and all the way up until 1/200 show distinct motion blur. With the SR switched OFF this does not occur, so it is clearly a problem with the SR overcompensating at these shutter speeds, for whatever reason. Pentax should be able to fix this via firmware.

That aside, I also had a lot of problems with softness when I first got my K-x. Since then, I´ve found that I simply need to be more careful with my shooting technique, keep the shutter speeds between 1/25 and 1/80 or 1/250 to 1/6000, and use the smallest practical aperture with the kit lens. It does, undeniably, seem more finicky than previous cameras I´ve owned, but when you get it right the results are very, very satisfying. I feel like it may be sharper on the pixel level than my K20D was.

Also, buying a sharper lens might help. The DA-L kit lens that came with my K-x definitely seems inferior to the DA II version I had before, even though they´re supposed to be optically identical. I picked up an M 50mm f1.7 for $35 and it´s very crisp at all apertures on the K-x (again, provided good technique).
12-22-2009, 05:13 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by bnorikane Quote
Bob,

Your Flickr shots are quite sharp! My Kx w/ 18-55 are not as sharp (jpegs, no PP), even shot on tripod.

Are yours raw? I may have to get serious about raw.

Thanks,

Bruce
Bruce,

I shoot RAW almost all of the time. With the price of memory these days, there's really no reason not to. I've posted jpg versions of the two images I have that compare the K-x and K10D on my flickr site:
Flickr: Bobrad's Photostream.

They were originally taken in RAW and converted in LR with the default settings (Sharpening of 25). They were both taken at f/8 and base ISO with the camera mounted on a tripod and using the Pentax 18-250mm lens at 18 mm. They are not exactly the same size because of the MP difference. To my eyes they are equally as sharp.

Bob
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