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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-16-2019, 11:46 AM
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Thank you for providing a useful perspective which is hard to have for me, as I was not into the photography world during all those years. When I have come across such reviews of those cameras in 2019, I have tended to gravitate to the ideas you mentioned. I am very happy with the results of the K3II for professional work always shooting RAW. But I do have to post process almost 100% of the time to fix the warmer tones and some colours. Although I guess this is entirely subjective.
---------- Post added 10-16-19 at 11:56 AM ----------
I agree wholeheartedly with your approach. I looked into the d700 mainly because I own some Nikon glass which I use to shoot film on an F100. Since the AF system on the K3II with a SMC Pentax-F 28mm 2.8 lens & the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 has disappointed me at times, I started wondering if the D700 could offer a different experience worth the investment. I am not looking to replace the K3II, but for shooting events, I wonder. Either that, or adding the AF 50mm 1.8 from Pentax to replace my M series 50 1.7
As I said in other replies, it is easy to come by biased and inflated information, and it is difficult to maintain perspective sometimes.
Thank you very much to everybody for taking the time to reply. Have a nice day.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-16-2019, 06:01 AM
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There we go,I guess that is what I meant. I refer to setting the "number of recorded pixels" smaller than L** in the menu. If what the camera does is to compress the jpeg after capture, that immediately answers my question.
Thank you.
---------- Post added 10-16-19 at 06:06 AM ----------
I appreciate that you took the time to bring together a series of highly-specific, relevant and interrelated concepts. It would have taken many hours of research to eventually piece those together on my own. This will sure be of value next time I consider diversifying my tools. Thank you.
Have a nice day
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-16-2019, 04:09 AM
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Hi! Here is a potentially technically-obvious question you can help me with:
I am curious about what happens when you shoot with a lower megapixel count on a sensor like the K3II's (24mp). Is there any benefit in terms of color rendition, dynamic range, etc? (provided you don't care about printing, cropping and pixel peeping).
I have read a lot about how certain old cameras, like the Nikon D700 or the Canon 5D, have a "legendary" image output because of –in addition to their color processing and many etc.– a "magical quality of spreading 12 mp accross the size of a full frame sensor". I swear I must be quoting someone on this, credit where it is due. So I am wondering if I would obtain any benefit from shooting my K3II at 14mp on purpose, depending on the assignment. I am aware that the k3II has an APS-C sensor smaller than the Fx cameras I mentioned.
Thank you for you help.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-29-2019, 03:39 AM
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After developing my 2nd ever roll, I noticed some (but not all) of the pictures display strange "rainbow rift artefacts" in relatively different parts. I wonder: is this an issue with the camera, or with the lab's scanner? These are all taken with the same lens and on the same roll of Fujicolor C200 in an overcast day (save the one with the house). Please see below. You can notice the artefacts in the first 3 pictures, with the trees on the grass and the door.
P.S. The lens and its UV filter are tested and work properly on APS-C.
Thank you all,
Kind regards.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-27-2019, 03:00 AM
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Thank you everybody for chipping in to share and help. It certainly makes me feel reassured and encouraged to keep discovering film.
I finished my second roll yesterday, and what do you know, the shutter was stuck again :lol: Only this time I didn't mess up the frame count, it just felt as though no space for a 36th frame existed on the roll. From what you all have shared, I am assuming this is because of how I wound the film when first loading it, maybe I skipped the first frame inadvertently. The ME Super's manual states that you should wind the film until the frame counter reads 1, and I quote "indicating the first frame is ready to be captured". Maybe there is a mismatch between this and the actual length of the roll?
At any rate, a slight extra push of the lever completed the cocking and the shutter released in B mode. For the sake of entertainment, I'll have you know that being a noob, something I tried when faced with the problem the 2nd time (before I realised the lever could be pushed even further back) was to activate the self-timer lever to hopefully trick the shutter into firing :D. Ofc this did not work: the mirror just stayed up waiting for the shutter.. :lol: Just spare a thought for my naive soul, crying in despair at the sight of a stuck shutter, stuck mirror, and a seemingly useless lever! Analog and film are definitely an emotional rollercoaster compared to digital. So far I am very happy that the ME super's engineering is built to withstand my idiocy :D
QUESTION: any easy fix to clean an almost negligible oil smudge on the shutter blades? (Without taking the camera apart)
Good day.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-24-2019, 02:17 PM
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Thank you for a quick and helpful reply Eric!
Kind regards
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-24-2019, 01:45 PM
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Looking for help to understand shutter / wind mechanism issue with my ME Super today.
After shooting my very first roll of Kodak Gold 200, I pushed the wind lever once more when the frame counter window already read 36 (:fedup:). The counter went up to 37, and the "shutter-cocked" orange indicator dot was engaged (aka the shutter was cocked), but the shutter would not fire. It got jammed instantly. I pressed the rewind button, and proceeded to rewind the film but at first it would not rewind. After pressing the rewind lever slightly, more firmly, and attempting to rewind again, the film rewound properly. I was able to open the back cover and retrieve my film roll. At this point, with the camera empty, in exposure modes L, AUTO, M and 125x exposure the shutter remained cocked (indicator orange, shutter mechanism engaged in ready to fire position), but unable to fire. Shutter button felt as though it was in L mode. The film rewind release button (bottom of the camera) also remained engaged (pushed in). The film advance lever would move, but without any tension, the mechanism was not engaging. After a quick browse through the forum, I solved the problem by seeting exposure to B, advancing the lever, and when I felt some tension, pressing the shutter, which finally fired. After that, the camera went back to normal.
I am asking because the camera has behaved like clockwork so far, and there seemed to be a clear causal relation between me messing up the frame count and the shutter issue. The user manual also states that this should not be done, so I understand I messed up. Nevertheless, since my knowledge of SLRs is very limited, I would like to understand the details of why this happened. Was it just because of my negligence, or could this be related to something being faulty inside the camera? If anyone wants to share their expertise, I will appreciate it greatly. Thank you very much.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-23-2019, 07:24 AM
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Thanks, I appreciate it. I figured this was most likely the case.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
08-23-2019, 06:47 AM
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Alright, now for a potentially appalling doubt,
Can I change the batteries on my ME Super halfway through my film roll?
The camera is in eerily pristine condition, accurate light meter readings and all, so I started shooting right away. After noticing that the LED indicators for OVER and UNDER have a slight flicker, I have now read it could help using new batteries.
Thank you.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
09-24-2018, 12:42 PM
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Heisann!
I joined the forum earlier in the year when I was looking for advice on which pentax DSLR would be a better purchase. After reading much advice, I opted for the K-3 II.
I just wanted to send warm greetings and a kind thank you message to all the members who helped out back then! It has been a while shooting with it, and I could not be happier. It is an incredibly performing machine and a fantastic learning tool.
These days I am working hard to land a photography job shooting the northern lights, and it is in part thanks to the constructive discussions from this forum :) shoutout to the lens discussions database :D
I wish to share my journey especially with those who helped out, so feel free to check out my Instagram page while I don't set up a website. :confused: I can't bring myself to using Flickr so far, nor the photo albums in here (images are too large?).
Thank you again, and happy shooting to everybody in the forum.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-06-2018, 11:14 AM
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Thank you for being helpful here, great to hear from experienced people :)
---------- Post added 05-06-18 at 11:16 AM ----------
Thanks. I did edit my reply stating that I basically understood your point right after posting.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-06-2018, 09:12 AM
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I believe I understand your input but I remain somewhat puzzled here. I have come across sources explaining that you have to multiply crop factor by aperture to understand your exposure. They say that even when the camera settings don't change, the smaller sensor means each pixel gathers less total light, even if the lens allows the same amount of light per square centimeter. The result is less total light in the image because there is less sensor size capable of gathering the light that comes in at a certain aperture. What am I missing?
To me this means that even if I own an f1.7 lens, I will never be shooting with the real world equivalent. Granted that if one has never experienced it, the equivalent of f1.7 with a crop may become their new "normal" definition of a 1.7, But in terms of learning and accuracy, that doesn't mean it represents what you can do on the same scene with f1.7 if you are really getting the exposure you would get with approximately f2.55 on FF.
EDIT: I just realised the crop factor multiplication is for bokeh and noise considerations, not exposure. Your answer was right on point and my big misconception prevented me from fully grasping it. Ignore what I said, my bad :) thanks for the patience!
---------- Post added 05-06-18 at 09:13 AM ----------
This is very informational. I will have to take a closer look at this chart later on. Thank you very much!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-06-2018, 06:55 AM
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I take the point on learning from experience and the individuality of every piece of gear. I am aware of this and use forum knowledge form experience.
Nevertheless, as I see it crop factor does become relevant when choosing what to invest my money in, since I will be limited in terms of maximum aperture and this will affect my range of choices to set the exposure. Light conditions are rarely optimal where I live and aperture makes a huge difference. Especially in buying old lenses designed for 35mm, I want to know what maximum effective aperture (or whatever you want to call this) I will be shooting with.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-06-2018, 06:39 AM
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Thank you for a useful an educational reply Photoptimist. Comparatively this stands out as an example of how to appear knowledgable yet helpful and educated. Putting it together with UncleVanya's, I understand that I'll be better off by setting the aperture rings to whatever f stop is agreed as peak performance among crop sensor users. Then adjust exposure with all other variables
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-06-2018, 05:39 AM
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Ah, understanding it correctly now, I see how there can be no confusion. Thanks!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-06-2018, 03:56 AM
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Hei, just a simple question about how the crop factor affects shooting, which I am probably overthinking:
I see lots of discussions about the f sweet spot for every lens in terms of CA's and sharpness. So, using an example:
Let say it is agreed that my 50mm f1.7 has the sweet spot between f5.6 - f8. Should I set the AR to f5.6 in order to achieve the desired performance, or is it enough to set it at, say f4 (f4*1,5=f6) so that the lens is behaving within its "sweet spot"?
I know the crop factor must be calculated to know the real aperture on APS-C sensors, but I am wondering if there is a difference between altering the physical shape of the aperture ring to a specific extent or simply accounting for the sensor crop (with a bigger shape on the aperture ring). As I said, probably overthinking, but you'll make me very happy if you can dispel this bothersome query.
Hope this makes sense,
Thank you for your input!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
03-24-2018, 05:29 AM
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Thank you one last time to all of you who weighed in and shared your knowledge to help me make a decision.
I opted for the K3II in the end :) It will be with me by mid April and I can not wait to get shooting!
Here are some photos I took yesterday when out with the K 20 D and the SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.7 lens (Please be advised that my Lightroom skills range from non-existent to intuitive atm ;))
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
03-20-2018, 01:41 AM
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Thank you for the good points you have all made - these knowledgable explanations do help a lot :).
Unfortunately buying from the US is not an option with 25% VAT on imports (over total price including shipping costs!*) - Still love the Scandinavian social welfare utopia though :) - Good to know about the marketplace anyway.
I'm considering a "new" k3 II body with (slightly) reduced price which might have been a display model (in a photography store) or an externally damaged box. Comes with a full warranty like a brand new model and there is return policy. Thoughts on that? Is it a terrible idea?
*Maybe I'm just whiny but I find it funny that shipping costs sound like they should be taxed as "human service providers" (or however you call it) which is a lower VAT, but they are thrown together with the item price under the 25% jab:lol:
P.S. The image comparison link was brilliant by the way, thanks!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
03-19-2018, 02:30 AM
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Thank you all for a warm welcome and sharing your thoughts, makes me glad I decided to shed the lurker cocoon:)
I would like your expertise on low-light performance
When considering the ISO specs offered by both cameras, I wonder: What should I realistically expect from such high ISO numbers?
After shooting with the K20D, which makes pictures scream +800 ISO and goes up to only 7200, I wonder if I will ever go up to ISO 51000ish for a good photo. Let alone +100.000! I imagine higher max. ISO may also mean better shots at the same value for two cameras, but still:
Is the jump in ISO capabilities (51.000 to 100.000) from the K3 II to the K70 something I am going to notice / put to good use? Is it very relevant when it comes to non-professional shooting?
Thanks,
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
03-18-2018, 10:47 AM
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Hello all, [Skip to 4th paragraph for advice-giving:rolleyes:]
Quite excited to be joining this community at this time, feels just right. I have been living in Norway as an expat for close to 2 years now and digging deeper into photography is just the
hobby I need in my life going forward. Jokes aside it lands a special target in my priorities because it feels like I owe it to my father. He was always a very good aficionado and never got to convince me to pick up his mantle. Until now that is. Needless to say, the choice of Pentax comes from him. He always championed Pentax as the forgotten, kickass maverick vs. Canons, Nikons, etc.. Love the idea + I get to use his old equipment + sentimentalism is priceless.
Have been using his old K20D + 2 (Slow) kit lenses & x2 Tamron Teleconverter (DAL 18-55 F3.5; DAL 50-200 F4) for the last year and a half, to wrap my mind about everything technical there is to photography. Don't get me wrong, there still a lifetime to go, but you have to find a platform to learn the basics. I know the camera is obsolete by today's standards and I have read reviews tearing it apart in this forum. Strangely enough there is also praise going around, and I have to say I agree to both. While very limited, the camera performed surprisingly well in a VERY narrow window of situations, which forced me to truly engage with all variables to get any good shots (or so it felt). Good learning imho.
Very recently I snatched a couple of good vintage primes (the non-radioactive ones:D) and I am looking forward to shooting with them soon: Pentax SMC-M 50mm f1.7 & Pentax SMC-M 28mm f2.8. Of course it is finally time to get a new camera!
:rolleyes:My budget doesn't allow for a full frame atm, but I am (quite literally) on the eve of purchasing a new APS-C. Here is where the penny for your thoughts part comes in:
K70 or K3 II? --> I have read / watched loads of reviews and closely considered the specs for what i want to do, but I am curious as to what you have to say. I am sure your opinions can be very helpful. I am planning on shooting mostly: Portraits (I enjoy making friends look beautiful), Landscape & Street photography in low-light conditions (weather is terrible AND beautiful in Northern Norway), and Northern Lights. If I am very lucky, the occasional reindeer, eagle or even moose might step into the picture, but they are not exactly speedsters when they do, so in principle I am ready to forsake autofocus and burst speed (+ The vintage lenses are fully manual anyway).
I am looking forward to sharing pictures of this very beautiful place I live in with all of you. It stole my heart from the start and I can't wait to try and do it some justice!
Thank you and happy shooting!
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