Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
12-12-2008, 10:19 PM   #1
Veteran Member
PentaxPoke's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,411
Pentax k10d in Space II

As promised, I am back to post some more photos from our recent flight of ASTRO-12. This time we flew the mission with the Pentax 10-17 fisheye (at 10mm of course) on the k10d. First a picture, and then the story...

Oklahoma from 98,514 ft. Picture is "defished"



12-12-2008, 10:31 PM   #2
m8o
Veteran Member
m8o's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: 40°-55'-44" N / 73°-24'-07" W [on LI]
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,092
WOW! That is one sharp beautiful photo. I'm on the edge of my seat awaiting the write-up!
12-12-2008, 10:31 PM   #3
Veteran Member
jct us101's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Rohnert Park, CA
Posts: 3,793
Wow! This is as amazing as the first set of photos!
12-12-2008, 10:42 PM   #4
Senior Member
allill's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco, California
Posts: 267
Beautiful. I am a fiend, I want more!

12-12-2008, 11:05 PM   #5
Veteran Member
PentaxPoke's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,411
Original Poster
Here are a few more selected pictures from the flight:

ASTRO-12 - a set on Flickr

The equipment was basically the same as the last flight except for the lens. I am really happy with how it performed. The camera was full of about 450 images in RAW format, and every one was a "keeper." As you see in the picture above, even when facing directly into the sun, the exposure of the k10d and lens was perfect. If you don't recall from the last thread on ASTRO-09, the exposure settings are Tv mode, 1/3000s, auto ISO. The lens was set to MF in infinity focus, and electrical taped so that the zoom ring and the focus ring would not slip.

If you look in the list of pictures you will see that on this occasion, I was able to get a rare picture of the balloon from the ground. You may not believe it, but when conditions are right, you can see it from the ground with the naked eye. Conditions were perfect this day. We could see the balloon before it burst at 98,000 ft. clearly, and it was over 10miles down range and 20 miles straight up. At that altitude it is over 40 ft. in diameter. I grabbed my k20d and set my 18-250 zoom to 250mm and shot some pictures. To minimize shake (even with SR on, I couldn't allow the slightest blur due to motion since it was just a speck) I set to shutter priority mode at 1/1500. Below is a 200% crop of one of the ground photos:



Note that you can not only clearly see the balloon, but you can just barely make out the payload string as well. I then got out my binoculars and I was determined to see it burst for the first time ever. I was not disappointed! The best way to discribe how it looked is like a large 4th of July firework exploding in the daytime.

Last edited by PentaxPoke; 12-13-2008 at 02:00 AM.
12-12-2008, 11:37 PM   #6
Veteran Member




Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Australia
Posts: 435
Way to go PENTAX.. & PENTAXPOKE The DA 10-17 fish looks at home in space! You guys really live up to Pentax's new marketing mantra
'BE INTERESTING'
12-13-2008, 12:24 AM   #7
Veteran Member
ryan s's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Madison, WI
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,383
That

is

awesome


As a closet astonomy "enthusiat" I love these kind of shots. How much area is photographed at a given height...say...46000ft? What's the distance scale?

12-13-2008, 12:41 AM   #8
Veteran Member
pop4's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: YMML
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,879
That's awesome mate, awesome.
12-13-2008, 01:19 AM   #9
Veteran Member
PentaxPoke's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1,411
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by ryan s Quote
As a closet astonomy "enthusiat" I love these kind of shots. How much area is photographed at a given height...say...46000ft? What's the distance scale?
Theoretically, at 100,000ft. your line of site to the horizon is approaching 400 miles. Your actual line of site is less due to haze, clouds, etc.

Now the 10-17 fisheye at 10mm has something like a 169deg lateral field of view. So by my rough calculation, the theoretical area photographed would be on the order of 236,000 square miles.

Last edited by PentaxPoke; 12-13-2008 at 01:24 AM.
12-13-2008, 01:49 AM   #10
Veteran Member




Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 385
Amazing...
12-13-2008, 06:42 AM   #11
Senior Member
Mark2100's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 185
Wow! That is mind blowing! The pictures are awesome!

Another Okie,

Mark

Last edited by Mark2100; 12-13-2008 at 02:24 PM. Reason: questions answered in another thread
12-13-2008, 07:19 AM   #12
Veteran Member
slomojoe's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 788
Fantastic, congratulations!
12-13-2008, 07:26 AM   #13
Kei
Senior Member




Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Toronto, Canada
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 207
Awesome....I'm simply lost for words
12-13-2008, 07:30 AM   #14
Site Supporter
Site Supporter




Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Bronx NY
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 5,631
Another winner Pentax Poke. To quote my 10yr old next door neighbor who saw these shots,
"Way cool! That be awesomer than awesome!" Then he wanted to hold my K10D.

NaCl( proud owner of a K10D "Space Traveler" camera!)H2O
12-13-2008, 07:41 AM   #15
Junior Member
ecce38's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Arkansas
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 43
Very nice indeed!
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, dslr, k10d, pentax, pentax k10d, photography, picture
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Pentax k10d in space PentaxPoke Pentax DSLR Discussion 170 02-01-2013 09:51 PM
Pentax k10d in space III PentaxPoke Pentax DSLR Discussion 41 04-14-2011 12:34 PM
Pentax cameras are not just for going into space with (: Projcet pebble Adrian Owerko Photographic Technique 4 08-16-2009 03:09 PM
Pentax Moving Forward... Into Space denisv Pentax News and Rumors 4 03-12-2009 06:46 AM
To space and beyond Katsura Photographic Technique 8 02-23-2009 03:40 AM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:01 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top