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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-13-2017, 12:43 AM
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I've got a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the Helios 44-2. Just has such a unique quality to it when shot wide open.
For autofocus, I tend to use the FA 50 1.7 or the 50mm 2.8 Macro if I need the extra sharpness.
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Forum: General Photography
05-01-2017, 09:43 PM
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Honestly I enjoyed these overall. Some did seem too overporcessed or too contrasty, but as a whole it was an interesting set. Some angles you really don't see very often in there.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
04-10-2017, 05:36 AM
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I never said that it was bad, just that it falls behind. If you're doing a lot of interior shots the two times crop can limit your wide angle opportunities. And while it still does well in low light, APSC or FF will do better. Hence the "fall behind" part. MFT isn't bad at low light interiors, it's just not the best tool for the job is all I mean.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
04-09-2017, 07:26 PM
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I second UncleVanya, I don't think you're giving MFT enough credit. I shoot with both the K1 and the Olympus Em5mkII and both are fantastic cameras. I currently have two images in a local gallery, both printed above 12in on their shortest side. One is from the Olympus and one is from the Pentax, you genuinely can't tell a difference when they're printed. If that doesn't show how good both of the cameras are then I don't know what to tell you.
Now if you plan on doing a ton of low light interior shots, then yes MFT falls behind. But other than that I have no qualms picking the Oly for a day over the Pentax. If you wan't some great video without spending 2k, I would look to Panasonic's G85. It's got a lot of the features of the GH5 just dumbed down a little and half the price.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
07-23-2016, 01:50 AM
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As everyone has said, if they can get the AF-C tracking to current standards, I'm in.
Tweak all the little things sure, make sure it has a bit better dynamic range, make sure it has a bit better ISO performance and buffer rate. But the one, biggest disadvantage Pentax has is AF. Put a little joystick to select the AF point / group, and pour the lions share of R & D into AF-C. I came from the Nikon D300 to the K1, and that D300 can AF track just as well if not slightly better than the K1 and it came out in the late 2000's. Granted, I don't often shoot sports or wild life, though I would like to get into it more. I'm not expecting a D500, but if Pentax wants to really start converting Canon and Nikon users they're going to have to address this. At least bring it up to the standard of the D7000 series, and more people will come over. If they release a K3mk3 and the biggest change is AF performance, I will most likely pick one up as soon as I can. The K1 is like Nikon's D810, a field camera and work horse, but not made for sports. Make the K3mk3 like the D500 in terms of purpose, make it a sports, wildlife, and journalism camera. And I will buy it in a heartbeat.
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Forum: Pentax K-70 & KF
07-22-2016, 12:21 AM
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Forgive me if someone else has already mentioned this as I combed through the comments though not meticulously. Can the K-70 operate the AF on the older F and FA screw drive lenses?
I would assume it can, though I am spoiled with my K1 (my first Pentax, coming from Nikon) and wouldn't be 100% surprised if this was a feature kept for the flagship models. This would be a big deal breaker for me if it couldn't, as right now I currently have like 5 lenses that would require screw drive operation.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-19-2016, 01:52 PM
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I could see a mk2 version being put out, but not at least until 2018-2019. I would much rather see Pentax put out another flagship APSC camera in the interim than a meagerly updated K1.
Across the board though I think Pentax needs to improve two main things. AF performance and marketing. AF performance is the single biggest disadvantage to the Pentax lineup. It isn't bad by any means, but if you're going to pull users from CaNikon, you're going to have to start at the very least matching their 80D / 7200 series performance. This is the single biggest factor that I wish Pentax would work on. I would much rather see them pour resources into bringing their AF to the modern standard than see little niceties like a touch screen or improved Pixel Shift (though I would LOVE both of those features). If I could have my K1 as my go to powerhouse for landscapes and portraits (which is what it currently is) but then get a... K3m3...K2 (I know I know its a film camera I own one)...whatever they're going to call the next APSC Flagship for Sports and Wildlife with comparable AF performance to Canikon I would be a happy camper. This would allow Pentax to fill all the roles a Canon or Nikon can for about half the price. With the new KAF4 mount we may see more third party lenses coming in as well so the already very strong APSC camp will be bolstered while the admirable though small FF line up will be slowly brought to a comparable standard (in terms of both overall amount of lenses and overall amount of of lenses designed for digital sensors).
The other thing I'd love to see, as stated above, is better marketing. There is no reason for Pentax to not market their cameras in the way Subaru markets their cars. They're rugged dependable workhorses made for the outdoors with a bit of charm. I would love to see Pentax just take that fact and run with it. Have marketing of people using their cameras rock climbing, Kayaking, out in really rough landscaped with the K1. People love to be outdoors, whether they actually go out often or not is a different story, but people love to do it. Subaru's brand marketing is a testament to this. Go to Vermont or Maine and like 60% of cars on the road are subarus. Now imagine if Pentax could tap into that very market of outdoors-men and people who search for adventure. It would draw more people into the system, therefor bringing in more third party support and making it stronger over all.
I'm sorry I went on a bit of a rant, but I'm keeping it in. This is what I would love to see Pentax do. Improve AF performance and improve their marketing.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-11-2016, 07:27 PM
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All I said is that it isn't ideal. If I had the 300mm I'd definitely have a higher hit rate, but with the autofocus points all clustered to the center and its decent though not stellar tracking ability there are some limits. I also shot with the 24-70 2.8 and had a very similar result all under the same conditions.
It's definitely capable of doing BIF, though with all the cropping I had to do anyway I would have rather had an APSC camera for it for that "free" 1.5x crop.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-07-2016, 08:28 PM
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While you are correct in the fact that image blur is not indicative of quality, what I also meant by "advantage" was light gathering advantage. If you set both cameras to f/8, shutter speed of 1/125, and ISO 100 the FF camera would be brighter and have less noise. That's more what I meant by an advantage.
If you read the rest of my post I actually describe an exact situation where I WANT more depth of field and where my Olympus OMD EM5II actually gives me an advantage in that area over my K1.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-07-2016, 04:55 PM
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The K1 isn't ideal for wildlife, but it is definitely doable. While I was in Greece I shot some swallows in flight using the crop mode and my 100mm 2.8 macro lens. Putting it in crop mode helped because it increased the FPS, and the autofocus points filled the frame more. However I did not get a stellar hit rate. Granted using a screw drive 100mm lens isn't ideal in any way for birds (especially with them being so small) BUT I did get a few keepers out of it, I'd say 35% in focus out of around 70 shots. I would have much rather had a K3 with a long lens, I'd get that extra reach plus a higher MP count. Though if you have a long full frame lens for the K1 I think you could definitely get some good shots. Being able to use ISO 12800 could really make a difference so that you could both have a fast shutter speed and be relatively stopped down for a more reliable hit rate.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-07-2016, 04:46 PM
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I haven't meticulously read through every comment so I appologize if anyone has already posted this video, but Tony Northrup clearly shows (with photos!) how FF affects the depth of field and bokeh when compared to APSC and M43 sensors.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f5zN6NVx-hY?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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These demonstrations show how that crop factor affects your images. You are definitely able to match FF with and APSC body by adjusting your settings in many circumstances, but FF does still have an advantage when using the exact same F-Stop / ISO / whatever.
However I often use M43 and when shooting macro I actually enjoy "gaining" the additional depth of field because it allows me to not have to worry about diffraction nearly as much because I can acheive a deeper depth of field (super important when you're 6 inches away) without stopping a lens nearly all the way down. Sensor size does affect your photos, but you can also definitely work around it.
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Forum: Sold Items
06-29-2016, 06:20 PM
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Looking for the hood throughout my apartment now, I know I have it but seem to have misplaced it at the moment. If I find it I will definitely add it to the sale!
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Forum: Sold Items
06-29-2016, 02:17 PM
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PentaxForums.com Marketplace Listing
Item for Sale
Pentax D-FA 24-70 2.8 (Free Shipping to US / Canada)
Asking Price
1,100.00 USD
Item Location
Manchester NH (United States)
Item Description
Selling an HD Pentax - D FA 24-70mm 2.8 ED SDM WR lens. I have used it over the past month and a half and just found that my needs would be met better with the 28-105mm 3.5-5.6 lens and as such am looking to sell this lens to come up with the funds for that.
There are no noticeable marks or scratches anywhere either on the lens body or on either of the elements. It is in fantastic condition, the only reason I could not mark it as 'Like New' is because I lost the original packaging during a recent move.
The lens comes with a front cap, rear cap, and a valid warranty card plus warranty info.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to PM me.
Are you the original owner of the item being sold?
Yes
Are you selling or trading this item?
Selling
Item Condition (Key)
Used
Excellent
Shipping Destinations
North America
Shipping Charge
Charges Included
Shipping Services
USPS, UPS
Accepted Payment Types
PayPal
Return Policy & Additional Details
Item may only be returned if arriving DOA/in damaged condition. Buyer pays return shipping unless otherwise arranged with seller.
Please send me a private message if interested in the item!
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
06-21-2016, 05:26 AM
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I have been busy traveling around here in Greece so I apologize that this response is so delayed. I'm really in a pickle right now with the 24-70 2.8 vs that 28-105 lens. Everything you say about it is true, its optically great, lighter, and has a great range. My issue with it however is that variable aperture. I'm not worried about sacrificing some ISO to get a shot, that's fine, what im worried about is the fact that at 105mm and f 5.6, the depth of field isn't shallow enough to isolate subjects well. When I schlep around the 24-70, I know that if I quickly have to go into portrait mode and throw that background away, I can. I just go right down to 2.8 and get within a few feet of the person I'm shooting and bam, perfect portrait.
With the 28-105, that will be much much more difficult. Id want to zoom in to at least 50mm if not 80mm to get the facial features rendered nicely, and by then I'd be at around 5.6 (please let me know if that is incorrect) which would mean that I would have to get very close to my subject to isolate it via DOF.
It really is a conundrum that I've been toiling with the whole time I've been here in Athens. I want that extra lightness and range the 28-105 brings, but I don't know if I can give up that constant 2.8. I could obviously buy a prime or two with the money I'd save by selling the lens but then I have to worry about switching lenses mid walk and that brings up a whole other concern.
Let me know what your thoughts are on this issue! and if you have any portraits taken with the 28-105 I'd love to see them and how it well it can throw out the background!
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
06-08-2016, 04:27 PM
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I have checked both of my bags multiple times and searched my entire hotel room, unless a miracle happens those contacts have left the nest sadly. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll spot them playing hide and seek!
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
06-08-2016, 10:06 AM
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Thank you for giving me the proper name for them!
The K1 does have internal storage for the terminal covers I just never put two and two together until the day I lost them. When I learned about it I went to go find the covers in my bag and they were missing, which was quite a nice dose or irony for me.
For now I will just keep the grip on, I actually prefer it this way. But it is nice to have the covers for when I'm traveling and need to separate all my gear in the most space efficient way possible without worry.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
06-08-2016, 07:13 AM
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I knew this day would come. I knew no matter how hard I tried they would leave the nest to become full grown battery grips themselves. It is a sad day, but I must say they were loved while under my care.
I have lost the contact covers for my D-BG6 Battery grip and the little rubber piece that attaches to the K-1 somewhere on the streets of Athens. Have any of you guys ever lost the covers for any previous camera's and been able to procure new ones? I know the K-1 is very new so small replacement parts like that may not be available now, but I was curious if anyone has ever been able to replace them in the past on other Pentax cameras?
Also, with the rubber cover missing now, can that damage the camera if water touches the exposed contact?
With all that said, how many of you guys also managed to immediately lose the covers and what have you done to remedy the problem?
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-30-2016, 11:39 AM
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I would go down to a store and feel both of the cameras side by side, especially with a lens on them to get a feel for the ergonomics.
When I purchased my K1, the Ergonomics are one of the things that really won me over. It just fits in my hands so nicely. I enjoy just carrying it and holding it, where as my Nikon D300 felt like it was always about to fall out of my hands.
However it is heavy, there is no way around that. The camera body itself is fine on weight, it's just when you throw a lens on it like the 24-70 2.8 or the telephoto's, it can become difficult to use over long periods of time. I've been carrying mine around Athens with me the past week and there are times where I just take off the 24-70 and opt for my 100mm 2.8 just for the weight savings. After 6 hours, it becomes annoying. If you plan to work for long hours, this weight affect is definitely a noticeable one, and may actually sway you over to the D500.
According to the Camera Store TV reviews the D500 is fantastic with low light performance when compared to the D750, practically on par with it. So If the D750 has low light performance that you need, then it will be on the same level. The K-1 is a step or two above both of them though, especially when considering you can shoot at very low shutter speeds and consistently get sharp shots. That can be very key, getting shots that you otherwise couldn't get at all. I'm able to take this camera out at night and have no issue at all shooting under available street light, it just works fantastically in ways the D500 just wouldn't be able to do without stabilization and the benefit of the K-1's clean higher ISO's.
The K-1's focusing is no slouch, it works well, but the D500 will do better. Not only do the focus points fill the frame, but there are more of them and they are more sensitive. If very accurate tracking is the main concern, or if you just need the "free" 50% range boost APSC grants you, then the D500 will be a better option. It will also be lighter overall, which when working for long hours can make a possessive difference.
However if overall performance, IQ, high ISO, and image stabilization are major factors, then the K-1 will suit you very very well. I adore mine, and it really allows me to get shots that I couldn't dream of on the D300 I used prior to this.
Either one you decide to choose will be a workhorse of a camera honestly. They are both absolutely fantastic, and may be some of the best DSLR's ever produced with everyone slowly switching over to Mirrorless systems. Both of them perform superbly, and have their own strengths, but at the end of the day you will be happy with your decision. You just have to really ask yourself which factors are more important.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-28-2016, 03:41 AM
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Can you point me to a test of that so I can see how big the difference is?
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-27-2016, 07:07 AM
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is there any comparisons out there between the DFA 28-105 and the DFA 24-70?
I have the 24-70 and honestly, its damn heavy. Like to the point where it becomes hard to actually walk around with it for long periods of time. If there isn't a massive drop in quality the 28-105 may honestly be a better choice for many people specifically because of this.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-19-2016, 12:37 PM
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The K1 definitely has a mushy shutter button. I use back button focusing so it doesn't interupt my shooting, but if you do use the half shutter focusing it will cause some issues. It just seems vague as to how hard you have to push for focusing and how hard you need to push to fire.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-19-2016, 12:30 PM
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I would double check the images you're noticing this in to see if the objects in the right side of the frame just happen to be closer than the ones on the left. I just popped into lightroom and noticed that the very edges of some of my landscapes were soft, but it was evenly applied to both sides as the rocks were the same distance away. For me I'm just assuming this is a side effect of a 14mm lens, where the edges just can't be super sharp unless you're really stopped down.
So I can say that there is some corner softness, but its evenly applied for me on the very edges, leading me to assume that its either a byproduct of the design of the lens or that I didn't have it stopped down enough.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-19-2016, 01:28 AM
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I haven't owned any other Pentax's, so I can't compare against them. However I don't need to. I just tested this out because I never even knew that it was possible for the SR to "warm up" as you mentioned. With SR on, there is no warm up time. It is just on, it just works. Even when you look through the viewfinder with the camera off, as you turn it on the green hand pops up at the exact same time as the rest of the overlay within the viewfinder. There is no delay whatsoever.
---------- Post added 05-19-16 at 04:32 AM ----------
I did some more tests on the SR last night and what continually blown away. I mentioned previously in this thread that I was able to get 1s exposures that were completely usable, so this time I tried to test the SR until it failed. I set the shutter speed to 1/60th, the ol rule of thumb to never go under. Then I proceeded to shake the camera more and more as I took shots. It works to an insane degree. I could hand this camera to a drunk person and every single photo would be sharp as a tack. This gives another big buffer zone so that if you have to take a very quick shot, I know it will be sharp every time.
And I didn't even know that the lens light coming on when the camera was off was a feature. I love this camera more and more every day.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-19-2016, 01:06 AM
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I don't have any DA lenses so I can't attest to their performance myself, though from what everyone is saying many of them nearly cover the FF size.
This leaves you with a couple of options. If you do decide to get the K1, you can shoot in FF mode, and then in post crop them to where you believe is an acceptable level, there's a good chance that many of the lenses will give you a wider accaptable field of view than on an APSC sized sensor, and you can take advantage of that. Some when stopped down are 100% effective and will require no post cropping at all.
Another option is to, of course, put the camera in crop mode. Doing this will allow all your DA lenses to be 100% effective, though you may lose out on some of that extra range you could be getting out of each particular lens. You will also be getting only around a 16mpx image as well, which if you're used to a K5, will probably look very similar, though the K1 sensor will probably have better dynamic range. If you're used to a K3, other than the dynamic range, it will probably seem like a downgrade in overall quality since you're losing around 8mpx of resolution.
There is two big pros to using the Crop Mode however, the frame rate and buffer rate are DRASTICALLY increased. Firing in FF mode, the buffer will fill up reletively quickly since it has to deal with 36mpx files, I've found that you'll get about 15 shots of FF raw's max before the buffer tells you to slow your roll. In crop mode, you're looking at just north of 30 raws before it tells you to chill out. If I remember correctly at least. Ontop of that, like I said above, the frame rate is crop mode is doubled (if not more) as well. It may not fire like a Nikon D5, but it sprints past the 4.4fps in FF mode.
So essentially, crop mode will be very useful if you find yourself shooting fast paced action. I know that fast paced action is not the K-1's strong suit (nor is it Pentax's in general) but we all find ourselves at a reletives soccer game or basketball game every now an then. Having the ability to fire off just north of 8fps will be very helpful in those rare times that you need it.
Otherwise, shooting in FF mode will probably be better IF you can post process the images. That way you can decide how far in to crop to deal with vignetting, or just edit out the vignetting entirely. This way you get the absolute most out of those DA lenses, though it will take that extra step of work.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
05-19-2016, 12:45 AM
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I just recently got the 14mm Rokinon and did some tests with it the other day. I can definitely say that you will need to stop down to around f4 for the best results, at 2.8 its perfectly usable, but has noticeable vignetting and isn't tack sharp. f4 and above it works flawlessly, as long as you have your focus nailed that is. Focus peaking can help, but from some close up tests (within 5 meters) I did I found it to be somewhat inaccurate on where the actual point of focus was. Stopping down again, of course, aids this a lot. So I suggest if you wish to use the 14mm for objects closer up (within 5-10 meters probably) I would stop down to at least f4 or 5.6 to make sure you have some breathing room for the focus peaking to be accurate.
At longer distances, for landscapes and such, just setting it to infinity (the marked spot for infinity, making sure not to roll past it) worked like a charm. The images came out nice and clear, with a very good amount of sharpness considering this is a $300 lens. There is some very noticeable distortion at the edges though, partially because it is hitting a full frame sensor rather than a APSC, but mostly because, well, its a 14mm there will be noticeable warping near the edges. For landscapes it actually gives an interesting mood to the image, and doesn't detract from it. If you were shooting something with strait lines however, it can be distracting and unfavorable. This rule also applies to strait horizons (such as seascapes) as you will notice that the horizon will dip down on the edges. However, once again, this is a $300 lens, and for that price the image quality just can't be beat. Very glad that I decided to pick one up!
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