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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
09-03-2021, 08:16 AM
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Forum: General Photography
05-28-2021, 10:27 AM
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Depending on how heavy I'm traveling, I've got a little K+F Concept sling bag for a body and a couple of lenses, or a Wandrd Prvke 31 (old model) for carrying a complete kit (2 bodies, suite of lenses, speedlight, filters, laptop, etc. etc.) on a long trip.
Can easily recommend the Prvke, despite the ridiculous name. I sat down with the sales guy at B+H in Manhattan and went through damn near everything they had before settling on it. Sturdy construction, flexible design, and will fit a good chunk of gear and still fit under an airplane seat. A little pricey but I haven't regretted it.
For a strap, I went Black Rapid Curve style shoulder sling and will never go back. I have never used a neck strap that I didn't hate after a half an hour. Even with lightweight compact cameras. Just not a good place to hang weight from.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
05-28-2021, 09:46 AM
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Sure, the D-FAs are great, and wide angle was a gap that needed to be filled. I will admit, if they came out with a long D-FA zoom, I'd probably buy it. The FA 150-300 is just OK (or my copy is) and I use that range a lot for landscapes.
The Hasselblad H system is essentially of the same vintage, though, and originally designed for film like Pentax FA. Ming Thein's assessment of those lenses (Mid term assessment of Hasselblad H lenses (UPDATED 29/5) ? Ming Thein | Photographer) is... pretty close to my assessment of the Pentax equivalents, where I've got overlapping experience. I like the 35 and 75 more than he likes the 'blad 35 and 80. And 'blad didn't have any problem going full frame high res. So I don't think there's any reason to assume ahead of time that Pentax would perform any worse.
New lenses would be awesome but I think for a lot of the range not totally necessary.
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Forum: General Photography
05-28-2021, 08:39 AM
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Might also look at two-way pan/tilt heads like the Acratech long lens head. Leofoto makes a knock-off that I bought instead, very nicely constructed.
They weigh less than gimbals and take up less space in a bag.
Best with a leveling base tripod though.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
05-28-2021, 08:28 AM
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I've been incredibly impressed with the old FA lenses on the 645Z. Big, heavy D-FA replacements were mostly not necessary so I can see why Pentax didn't invest in them.
My understanding is that this is pretty much true of the 'blad and Phase One/Mamiya DSLR lenses too. The bigger your sensor, the less important it is that the lens is incredibly optically perfect. And the professionals who shoot that stuff don't pixel peep wide open performance to death.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
05-28-2021, 08:19 AM
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I bought a 645Z in 2021. If you wait for the right deals on ebay (or here) you can get a comprehensive kit for prices that would be impossible in the Fuji system.
I got a Z with about 7k clicks, FA 35, D-FA 55, FA 75, D-FA 90, FA 120, FA 150, FA 45-85, FA 80-160, and FA 150-300 (not all from the same seller) and imported the whole pile into Colombia for the price of a new GFX 50s and a 110mm. Of those lenses the only one that didn't completely blow me away was the 150-300, and it's fine, just not staggering like the others.
I've used it in the studio (my main use case) and in the field and it has been a joy, I can't imagine needing to upgrade it for years. So the fact that it looks like a dead system means little to me. When I wear out this body and there's no more used market I'll worry about changing again. It's actually nice to get off the GAS train.
If ultrawide is important to you (28mm equiv is plenty wide enough for me) then you'll probably have better bang for your buck with full frame. But for landscape, there's no reason to go mirrorless (and good reasons not to, like battery life). D850? Or the 5DSR is on crazy sale right now.
If I need a wider view I'll probably stitch, using a more normal focal length like the 55 or 75 (for a more regular image). For my field tripod I picked up an Artcise AS80C with built-in leveling base (critically important), and a Leofoto VH-30R 2-way head. Chinese knock-off version of Thomas Heaton's landscape tripod setup. Perfect for panning, no matter what you're putting on top of it.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-27-2021, 07:38 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-70 & KF
05-17-2021, 09:39 AM
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I think it's normal for a camera to come with a >0 shutter count due to factory testing. 26 isn't crazy.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
05-17-2021, 09:14 AM
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I just picked up some Artcise AS80C sticks. So far seem like a really good value for very sturdy carbon fiber legs with a built-in leveling base. As far as I can tell, there's no substitute for leveling at the base.
I've paired it with a Leofoto VH-30R 2-way tilt/pan head for my field/landscape kit.
This is basically a Chinese knock off of Thomas Heaton's setup, which is an iFootage Gazelle with an Acratech pan/tilt head, which he settled on after getting sick of ball heads.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
05-12-2021, 03:52 PM
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What killed PureRaw for me was the file size increase. Made it prohibitive to just process all of my files through it as step 1. And if I'm having to pick and choose files to process, well, I already have DeNoise.
I also noticed that the output wasn't particularly 'clean.' I saw color shifts and exposure changes that I would much rather be controlling myself in a real raw processor.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
05-12-2021, 03:45 PM
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I'd say there's one more. If a K-1 and a Nikon Godox trigger both go into power save mode, when you wake the K-1 up with a shutter half press, the trigger won't wake up with it. Pentax Godox triggers don't have this problem.
It can be worked around by turning off power save mode on the trigger, but less than ideal.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
05-12-2021, 03:39 PM
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I started using screwmount on a K-7, and immediately upgraded to a K-1 to take advantage of the full field of view of the old lenses. I've found the focus confirmation on both cameras to be reliable with adapted lenses if you're stopped down a little. Wide open, it's better to use Live View and zoom in if your subject permits and focus is critical.
Pixco makes the best cheap m42 to K mount adapters in my experience.
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Forum: General Talk
05-12-2021, 03:30 PM
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Latest acquisition: Tripods! I figured a 645Z should sit on beefier sticks than a K-1 or an Olympus E-M1 II...
Studio: Slik "The Professional" 4. I wanted something heavy with a geared center column. Mission accomplished: this thing is a monster. 15 lb, goes high enough to require a ladder. Clearly bomb proof, I will be passing these sticks down unto the third and fourth generations. I thought I was going to get a Manfrotto 475b, but I picked the Slik thanks to a crazy good deal on the last one Amazon had in stock. The Slik pan head it came with isn't bad or anything, but I'm standardized on Arca clamps. I'll mostly be using it with a Sunway GH-Pro II geared head.
Field: Artcise AS80C. Thick carbon fiber, integrated leveling bowl. Early days but it looks incredibly well-built for the money. Paired with a Leofoto VH-30R tilt/pan head, for the Chinese special version of Thomas Heaton's iFootage/Acratech landscape setup.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
05-11-2021, 11:30 AM
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Don't forget the old 85mm 1.4, which is also extremely good and available for much better used prices now since the new 85 came out.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
05-07-2021, 01:58 PM
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Nope, Mamiya 645 has a shorter flange focal distance than Pentax 645 (per the table here). You can adapt a longer flange mount to a shorter one (that's why mirrorless cameras are so promiscuously adaptable) but not a shorter one to a longer one.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
04-28-2021, 08:27 AM
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Exposure X6 is a thoroughly credible alternative to Lightroom these days. I have switched my workflow from Lightroom/Photoshop to Exposure and Affinity Photo.
Exposure's main claim to fame is that it has a ton of built-in film simulation presets which make for good editing launch-off points. But even without those, the management and editing tools are comparable to Lightroom Classic.
It uses metadata files stored alongside your photos instead of a central catalog, so edits can be synced between computers using normal file sync tools.
I can even use it for tethering - Image Transmitter 2 does the actual work, and Exposure can monitor a folder to bring up the newest image for viewing with metadata and presets applied.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-21-2021, 01:54 PM
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I bet the Takumar-F one is worse! Practically a soft-focus lens wide open. But not on purpose.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
04-20-2021, 07:18 PM
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When I wanted a lighter camera than the K-1, I got an Olympus. The F1.8 primes are very reasonably priced and extremely compact. The pancake kit lens for the E-M10 IV is quite good too.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
04-20-2021, 01:49 PM
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I may have gotten lucky, my purchase was roughly timed with the announcement of the Fuji GFX100s. I kept my eyes peeled for a month or two before buying. Ebay is a little dry at the moment but I've seen more than one similar bundle go on sale. Saved searches help, and if there's a good deal you have to be ready to jump on it. 645Zs seem to move quick, especially when they're below market rate.
As for buying cameras on ebay, if the pictures look good, the shutter count is low, and the description seems like it was written by somebody who knows what they're talking about, that has gone pretty well for me.
But bodies also show up on KEH, B+H used, etc. for a bit more money if you'd feel more comfortable with a better return policy. Low price lenses are pretty widely available from Japanese sellers (just watch the descriptions closely - 'excellent' in Japanese apparently means 'has just a little haze/fungus'). 10-25% of new price for most of the SMC FA lenses. The zooms in particular, they practically give those away. That's where the real savings come in vs. Fuji.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
04-20-2021, 09:54 AM
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I wouldn't buy a new 645Z. Used, though, is another story.
If you're patient on ebay you can find camera and multiple lens bundles for insane prices. I recently picked up a 645Z with 7k on the shutter, bundled with AF 55mm, 75mm, 120mm macro, and 150mm lenses, for less than the price of a new 50R or 50S body.
I rounded out the kit with used AF 35mm, 45-85, 80-160, 150-300, and 90mm macro lenses, and paid to import the whole pile to Colombia, all for the price of a 50 mp Fuji and a single lens, or a 100mp Fuji body. There isn't a strong used market for Fuji lenses yet. But used Pentax 645 is plentiful and cheap.
Is it as slick and fast as a mirrorless? No. But the results are still impressive, the lenses are still very very good.
Film is extra difficult/expensive in Colombia - there's no local professional infrastructure for it at all, as far as I can tell - but if I were in a better market I could get a 645n II and use most of the same glass on it. So if you're interested in both medium format film and digital, there's no contest.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-19-2021, 05:02 PM
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I'll pile on with the praise for Map. I just bought a D-FA 645 90mm from them and it went great, I got the lens from them practically overnight.
You do have to watch out for Japanese seller grading, in my experience. Excellent+++++ usually means there's fungus or haze in it. I won't even look at anything that doesn't say "near mint." The descriptions are always good but the titles are misleading if you're used to Roberts or KEH.
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Forum: Product Suggestions and Feedback
04-19-2021, 02:05 PM
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The Lightroom plugin that uses Image Transmitter 2 should be able to do this (because Image Transmitter 2 can do this).
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
02-18-2021, 02:24 PM
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That's just the going deal. On Adorama it is more explicit.
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Forum: General Photography
02-17-2021, 04:05 PM
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I like the SanDisk Extreme SSDs. They're not very expensive ($160 for 1TB), fast, no moving parts, rugged protective shell, and tiny.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
02-17-2021, 12:56 PM
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It has been like that for awhile. Can even get an FA 75mm thrown in for that price. To keep it competitive with the GFX 50s more than anything else, I expect.
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