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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-29-2017, 03:39 AM
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Thanks, I have to admit , that's what I thought , shoot in RAW, with Auto WB or bright picture setting. I think her camera was a Canon, but not sure which one, and her shots were ace.. I guess practice and trial and error are more educational than countless photo courses!
No, there was no exposure compensation set, and multi segmented metering as far as I can remember
I do have some issues with screen calibration, my macbook pro is much brighter and bluer than the monitor I use in conjunction with it, which isn't an Apple monitor.
Thanks so much for your help, I'm mentally still back in the darkroom, where I worked as a printer for over 20 years, I'm slowly getting to grips with this digital malarkey  |
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-28-2017, 03:32 AM
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I recently attended a course shooting action pictures of horses and riders at a one day event (dressage, cross country, show jumping) The course tutor said she always shoots in jpegs at these events because it's faster and also uses the cloudy day setting as it "bumps up" the colours. I tried this and it was moderately successful, the colours were richer but the images required editing in Photoshop to get the exposure right. I assumed it was my inept photography, but at a recent dressage event, I found the same thing. (it was a cloudy day) The photos looked fine on my Macbook pro display, but on my calibrated monitors they looked darker and flatter. They were all recoverable in Photoshop and were some of my best action shots so far, but took a lot of time Photoshop editing.
Why should the cloudy day setting affect exposure, or am I doing something wrong? I just want to get my exposures right so that I don't have to spend hours editing:confused:
On the bright side, the sharpness of my images is much improved!:)
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-09-2017, 07:00 AM
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Forum: Winners' Showcase
11-03-2016, 05:09 AM
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love this shot, very different.. nominated
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-27-2016, 04:01 AM
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Thanks, everyone, this is very helpful. I am using RAW images, opening them in Photoshop Camera RAW and adjusting them, then open in Photoshop where I usually adjust the levels and apply sharpening. I have Photoshop CC at work and a different version at home.(think it's CS5) I also have Lightroom 5 which I haven't got to grips with yet. I am more familiar with Photoshop, so tend to use it for purpose of speed. I am just concerned that I may be sharpening twice, in CAMERA RAW and Photoshop, as I don't really know what I'm doing, just judging by eye..
On some recent shots that I'd edited, I noticed later when I looked closer the images looked "grainy" in parts which I took to be oversharpening. I always keep the original DNG file and after photoshopping save as a tiff or jpeg
Any advice gratefully received... I have a few you tube links to watch when I have time..
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-26-2016, 06:34 AM
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Hi , I've been advised to sharpen images using unsharp mask in Photoshop , amount about 95, radius 1.5, but be careful the camera doesn't also sharpen, and if so disable sharpening. I have a K5ii s, what does everyone think?
:confused:
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-12-2016, 08:31 AM
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... thanks guys.. so... if I'm panning, on a moving horse for example, would it be best to use AF-C?
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-12-2016, 06:57 AM
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After being registered on this site for just about a week, I have learnt more than being on 3 separate digital photography courses ( where I have been the only person with a Pentax) I have a K5 iis and have just had a DA 18-135 delivered and am waiting for a DA 55-300 to replace my "walk around" Sigma 18-200
I take quite a lot of shots of animals, especially horses and horse related sports. There seems to be some contradictory advice about using AF-C or AF-S, for example;
"... seldom go for AF-C unless you want to track the action; not only that, if you wait for the "hand" to come up before tripping the shutter, you will get higher percentage of in-focus shots. "
and;
"Yes, I used to use centre spot AF in AF-S on my K-7, because AF-C didn't work very well, and automatically set the K-5 in the same way, but was getting heaps of out-of-focus captures, so I actually found the complete opposite to this worked brilliantly on my K-5, AF-C, 11 point multi mode, 7fps , followed action amazingly well at a surf comp recently "
I've also been told AF-C can use more battery as it's searching for focus?
As well as being confused about which focus mode to use, I'm unsure of when to use spot focus and when multi point focus?
Also seen this recommended;
"For sport or moving animals, I like to use 5 point AFS and hi speed continuous shooting"
"Spot focus, TAV mode aperture around 5.6 and shutter speed 1/500th ISO set to auto 100-3200"
(I've only just discovered how the TAV mode works, after searching this site, and will be trying that out soon :D)
then there's this;
"I think AFC is ideal for sport and OVF gives better real time framing"
See why I'm confused?:confused:
Basically, I would like to have opinions on what focus modes to use for action shots, bearing in mind I'm not too familiar with abbreviations ( I had to look up OVF AND fps) and am something of a
beginner?
Sorry for the rambling , and any advice gratefully received!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-09-2016, 06:24 AM
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Many thanks, yes I am shooting in RAW or RAW+
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
08-09-2016, 02:34 AM
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Ha ha .. know what you mean about the courses..got more out of taking shots and discussing with fellow course attendees.. managed a few shots I quite liked with my soon to be replaced Sigma 18-200 though...:D
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-09-2016, 01:55 AM
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Thank you so much, that's very comprehensive! I have actually got some Pentax lenses from my old Pentax film camera that I haven't tried. Can't remember what they are offhand, probably a 50mm, 28mm and a 135. I'm assuming I could use these if I enable the aperture ring setting and use manual focusing?
I also have a cheap Sigma telephoto 70-300F4-5.6 Macro DG, Not great, but I got some reasonable swimming competition shots with it.
Quite excited at improving my image quality, just wish I was able to afford something of real quality. I've looked at pictures taken with the DA18-135 on this forum and they look pretty good, have got my eye on a couple on eBay!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-08-2016, 05:29 AM
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Thanks, that's a brilliant article. A great help, cheers!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-08-2016, 03:52 AM
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Hi, I'm wanting to get a decent lens or two for my K5 ii s . I've been using a Sigma DC 18-200MM 1:35-6.3 (all purpose for most eventualities, lazy?) and am discovering limitations in sharpness. On the forum, someone suggested a Pentax 18-85 or 18-135 might be a good option. Started browsing through lenses, and am confused by their descriptions! What are DA, SMC, DC WR, SDM ED, D-FA, DC-WR etc etc etc? Sorry if this is a stupid question!
Also, I'd be looking for a longer lens for action shots,(sporting activities, animals, etc) My budget wont extend to something like the DA 560, unfortunately... Maybe Pentax 55-300? I ask tentatively, having virtually no idea what I'm talking about :confused:
Advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
08-08-2016, 02:23 AM
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Hi and thanks for your welcomes and advice. I've taken on board what you said about the Sigma lens and had sort of arrived at that conclusion after taking action shots at the long end of the focus. I've got some questions to ask about action shots (mainly horses and related sports) and focusing, but guess I should do this on another part of the Forums? I've done 3 different "get off auto" type courses and had contradictory advice from all 3! However, all helped me understand various setting to some degree and I feel I am getting there (slowly) :confused:
Questions to follow...:)
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
08-05-2016, 06:35 AM
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Hi, after years spent studying creative photography in the 70s, followed by 20years+ working in the dark room as a colour printer, I invested in a cheap Pentax K100D bought off ebay, to utilise my old Pentax lenses for my film camera. I've recently upgraded to a Pentax K5 II s, and am struggling through the transition from film to digital photography, with the aid of u tube and forums like this! I'm rediscovering my enthusiasm for photography, but hampered by lack of knowledge and no longer having the 20/ 20 vision I had in the 70s! I found this forum while searching for an answer to focussing problems (i.e sharpness) in action photography.Mainly using a Sigma DC 18-200MM 1:35-6.3 (all purpose for most eventualities, lazy?) Wondering if I should invest in a really good lens that wouldn't break the bank?
I'm sure I'm going to have some stupid questions to ask...stand by:)
KP
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