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03-04-2016, 10:33 PM   #31
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worth a look My Camera Travels » First impressions with the Pentax full frame K-1, a hands on experience

03-05-2016, 07:47 AM - 1 Like   #32
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Why is Pentax doing this to me... they know I don't need this camera, they are doing things to make we want it. I must revert to my pseudo buddhist state of detachment.

Last edited by normhead; 03-05-2016 at 12:12 PM.
03-05-2016, 07:53 AM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
Not if you were using single-spot AF and wanted AF-C tracking. 'Single-point AF', in Nikon parlance, is for stationary targets and AF-C tracking won't work well, if at all. In Nikon, for best results you would need to switch to AF-C, switch to 3D tracking (or another AF area mode), then select the focus target (AF point/AF point group) you want to track.

It's kind of like how the K-3 works.
On K3II I sometimes use 9 point AFC ,maybe not enough?? on the hawk it was sitting,so single point,then kept that while in flight..so I'd have more luck with 9 or more points in AFC then?
03-05-2016, 07:59 AM   #34
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Doesn't the Catch in Focus of the Pentax negate a lot of the fast focus of the Nikon? It may be only 1 great shot.

I haven't done much birding, and that question/comment may show that...

03-05-2016, 08:18 AM   #35
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
In Nikon, for best results you would need to switch to AF-C, switch to 3D tracking (or another AF area mode)
All that speed of frame rate and focusing really begs for user modes to snap to the right settings for the target - I don't know why Nikon don't do more there?
03-05-2016, 09:57 AM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by Shanti Quote
Ok 1st I have pre odered the K1,as have lots of glass dfa 150-450,da*300,DA70,12-24, old primes etc..
Mostly I am doing birds,BIF & can get a bit frustrated with the AF & noise on the K3II. Hoping of course the K1 has better high ISO 3200/6400 clean would be perfect,as light here is not so strong for 7 months out of the year. And maybe the AF is better on the K1,especially on my DA*300 & DFA 150-450.
BUt with the new Nikon D500 out,I am having second thoughts--should I sell the long glass & go Nikon for birds & keep Pentax for everything else??? Price is the same on both,so only need a 400-450mm lens reach to be happy...
Any suggestions are welcome Thanks
First....Your post is a legitimate post, not bashing Pentax, no threat of "jumping" and asks a reasonable and serious question. I thank you for that....and Otis in particular appreciates your sensible request for advice. Dang he hates those whining Jumpers!

Second.....I have no idea what a D500 has to offer regarding birding that is attractive to you? Not knocking it in the least, I just seriously don't know anything about it. It seems pretty expensive, so there must be a reason? Can you tell me more about it?

I love shooting birds and wildlife, but AF is not an overwhelming concern with my K5IIs. Since I started using the back button for AF the performance has greatly improved. Not perfect, but certainly good enough for me. My squirrels will freeze on command for shots, so they are never a problem.

Best Regards!

Last edited by Blue; 03-05-2016 at 10:18 AM.
03-05-2016, 10:25 AM   #37
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Depend on whether weather!!!!

03-05-2016, 11:52 AM   #38
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QuoteOriginally posted by Shanti Quote
I'd have more luck with 9 or more points in AFC then?
I think so. When you have a small focus target, and you want to track it, and the backdrop (sky) is plain against the focus target, Expanded Area AF (M) or even just Auto would probably be the kind of K-3 AF setting that would work better than Spot. Having a larger AF zone makes it easier to keep a moving subject within the AF system’s field of view.
03-05-2016, 05:04 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
I think so. When you have a small focus target, and you want to track it, and the backdrop (sky) is plain against the focus target, Expanded Area AF (M) or even just Auto would probably be the kind of K-3 AF setting that would work better than Spot. Having a larger AF zone makes it easier to keep a moving subject within the AF system’s field of view.
must try that more often..have been using spot af s, as some said it was quicker to keep it in focus..

---------- Post added 03-06-16 at 01:13 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Rupert Quote
First....Your post is a legitimate post, not bashing Pentax, no threat of "jumping" and asks a reasonable and serious question. I thank you for that....and Otis in particular appreciates your sensible request for advice. Dang he hates those whining Jumpers!

Second.....I have no idea what a D500 has to offer regarding birding that is attractive to you? Not knocking it in the least, I just seriously don't know anything about it. It seems pretty expensive, so there must be a reason? Can you tell me more about it?

I love shooting birds and wildlife, but AF is not an overwhelming concern with my K5IIs. Since I started using the back button for AF the performance has greatly improved. Not perfect, but certainly good enough for me. My squirrels will freeze on command for shots, so they are never a problem.

Best Regards!
Dear Otis... bashing..only when I dropped my K3II+DA300 on the floor
since I have about 5-6K of Pentax gear be a bit silly...but do wonder if new Nikon has a place for me?? but my K1 comes in 4 weeks so I will try that 1st if not satisfied..I sell the long lenses & keep K1 etc.. for everything else,well maybe not all lenses ,) GAS + age hard one to beat..
03-05-2016, 08:17 PM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by Shanti Quote
must try that more often..have been using spot af s, as some said it was quicker to keep it in focus..
Since Pentax has never issued any detailed information on the features or usage of it's AF system , Canon have produced some nice documentation of their AF system that is very useful to K-3 users, since I find the Canon AF system close enough in important ways to the K-3 AF settings. Eg have a look at pp 48-50 of the Canon 7D2 AF Guide Book, where for small birds they recommend the following AF settings:

03-06-2016, 01:52 AM   #41
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QuoteOriginally posted by rawr Quote
Since Pentax has never issued any detailed information on the features or usage of it's AF system , Canon have produced some nice documentation of their AF system that is very useful to K-3 users, since I find the Canon AF system close enough in important ways to the K-3 AF settings. Eg have a look at pp 48-50 of the Canon 7D2 AF Guide Book, where for small birds they recommend the following AF settings:
Well, this snapshot isn't more detailed than K-3 manual. And if you don't know how to apply Pentax K-3 manual, you are not allowed to criticize Pentax AF system over more complex systems such as 7DII, or D500.
04-16-2016, 04:21 AM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by biz-engineer Quote
I read the Canon 7DII AF documentation, they provide the list of lenses compatible with AF zones for tracking. In other words, you may not exactly get what the advertisement shows you if you use a slow lens mounted on your super AF camera. For fast and reliable AF, you need to buy the D500 and mount a fast (300 f2.8) and fast to focus lens on it. If you mount a Tamron 150-600 f6.3, it may work better than a K-3 solution, but you may still end-up using center points AF because peripheral points don't work at f6.3, so almost back to square #1. They demonstrate the Sigma 150-600 Sport with a 1Dx... not for nothing, they use the best AF possible so that to have this lens AF still working at 600mm/f6.3. Then if you replace the 1Dx by a cheaper body, you may have some surprises. However, IMO, the k-3 should get a firmware update from Ricoh, because I think some of the erratic AF situation could be prevented by firmware.
I agree. I am considering the move to a D500 and read the D5 manual. The way I read the manual to really use all the AF ability of the D500 you need to use Nikon's latest FL lenses and to do 3D tracking you probably need a 2.8 lens. The Nikon 400 2.8 FL lens is abut $11,000 so the wildlife rig would probably be about $15,000 with grip, 1.4 and 1.7 TC's. The 400 2.8 gives great results with 1.4 and 1.7 TC's but the move to Nikon is expensive. Less costly alternatives include the D500 the Sigma 500, which is superior to the Pentax version since it uses both HSM and a focus limiter versus the screw drive on the Pentax version of the Sigma 500; another alternative is a one generation back Nikon telephoto. A used Nikon Telephoto one generation back seems to most attractive to me since it is faster all around to the Sigma 500. Both the D500 and the Pentax K1 have not been reviewed yet. I am hoping that the new Pentax AF is much better in the K1 which bodes well for the K3 follow-on and probably means it is worth waiting to see what that camera looks like before making a switch. The limited availability of high performance telephoto lenses also weighs on Pentax.
04-16-2016, 08:54 AM   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by Shanti Quote
Dear Otis... bashing..only when I dropped my K3II+DA300 on the floor
Sorry! I knocked my K5IIs off a shelf with the Bigma 50-500 HSM OS mounted and it severely damaged my camera, though thankfully the Bigma was not damaged at all.

This has left me with a K5IIs that will only MF and has no aperture control on lenses without an aperture ring.

That is how I ended up ordering the K1. I'm not in the same league as most shooters here, and the K1 is massive overkill for my needs, but if forced to buy a new camera (and I was) then it did make sense to go for the latest greatest.

I don't do BIF or action sports, in fact most of my shots are sitting at my desk and shooting out the windows at birds and squirrels. For this I will enjoy the crop mode on the K1 which will give me some K5IIs size shots with a few added benefits of better high ISO and the 5 stop SR. I do intend to do some portrait work and the FF will be of great benefit there.

My general feeling has never changed.....that a shooter should use the gear they desire and need the most with the best benefit for their needs. Pentax has more than satisfied me in this regard over the years, so I have felt no need to switch. Great cameras at reasonable prices with the features I use most.
If I was younger, and a BIF or sports shooter, then I might go with Nikon and invest there. The shooter should come first and not the brand. We get locked into a brand conversation when in my belief, it should be a shooter conversation. If fair comparisons are made, I think Pentax wins most of those conversations, but where there are exceptions that meet other needs, we should not look down on those that take advantage of what is out there....and I don't.

Sorry for the long reply...I am old, have two broken feet, am cranky in the mornings, so I get carried away at times....Mrs Rupert says "too many times".

Best Regards!
04-16-2016, 09:36 AM   #44
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That's a heck of a way to order a new camera.
04-18-2016, 12:52 PM - 2 Likes   #45
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rupert Quote
Sorry! I knocked my K5IIs off a shelf with the Bigma 50-500 HSM OS mounted and it severely damaged my camera, though thankfully the Bigma was not damaged at all.

This has left me with a K5IIs that will only MF and has no aperture control on lenses without an aperture ring.

That is how I ended up ordering the K1. I'm not in the same league as most shooters here, and the K1 is massive overkill for my needs, but if forced to buy a new camera (and I was) then it did make sense to go for the latest greatest.

I don't do BIF or action sports, in fact most of my shots are sitting at my desk and shooting out the windows at birds and squirrels. For this I will enjoy the crop mode on the K1 which will give me some K5IIs size shots with a few added benefits of better high ISO and the 5 stop SR. I do intend to do some portrait work and the FF will be of great benefit there.

My general feeling has never changed.....that a shooter should use the gear they desire and need the most with the best benefit for their needs. Pentax has more than satisfied me in this regard over the years, so I have felt no need to switch. Great cameras at reasonable prices with the features I use most.
If I was younger, and a BIF or sports shooter, then I might go with Nikon and invest there. The shooter should come first and not the brand. We get locked into a brand conversation when in my belief, it should be a shooter conversation. If fair comparisons are made, I think Pentax wins most of those conversations, but where there are exceptions that meet other needs, we should not look down on those that take advantage of what is out there....and I don't.

Sorry for the long reply...I am old, have two broken feet, am cranky in the mornings, so I get carried away at times....Mrs Rupert says "too many times".

Best Regards!
I do find your post extremely amusing considering yourself and Norm have flamed every thread of those photographers who moved to a full frame setup

How many times did both of you express that you had no use for full frame and that your K3s were just as good as full frame, yet now you have bought into the hype and you Norm having to use meditation techniques to control your urges in buying the K1

Rupert, you now use the weakest of excuses to move to full frame - I mean why not purchase another K3?

There is one word that describes this and I'm sure even in your old age you are intelligent enough to know what it is - hypocrisy
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