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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
10-24-2019, 09:30 AM
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That is a really good input.
I DO switch often between P-ttl and wireless P-ttl and on the Yongnuo it switches to wireless as soon as I remove it from the hotshoe.
I guess I'll go to the Pentax since its unreilability has not been confirmed by the users of this forum
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
10-24-2019, 07:21 AM
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Here you go.
Pentax AF540FGZ II Flash problems. - PentaxForums.com
---------- Post added 10-24-19 at 07:25 AM ----------
Thanks for your input on the 540 working fine, anyway I would like to avoid a transceiver since I alredy own a camera with that capability and a flash unit that can work wirelessly.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
10-24-2019, 06:37 AM
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Hello folks,
The Yongnuo YN585EX I own has a dead AF assist light, I still love it but I want to change it and for a definitive solution this time.
I'm considering the Pentax AF540FGZ II aganist the Metz Mecablitz 58 AF II.
I was going for the Pentax, even if the only feature I care that the Metz does not have is the illuminator for videos and I don't really care.
Then I read around that some units of the Pentax AF540 just plain start to act weird and then die on their own.
Now, I care more about reliability than the extra features it has, expecially if I think that my camera can alredy be a master flash unit on his own (KP).
So, is really the Metz 58 AF II more reliable than the Pentax AF 540 FGZ II?
I am willing to trade the video illuminator for added reliability alone and saving a few bucks can't hurt.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
10-24-2019, 06:12 AM
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The only inexpensive flash for Pentax I feel like suggesting is the Yongnuo YN585EX.
But I have to say that I own one of those and after a year of usage AF assist light is dead. And there's no way to turn it off, so the camera doesn't use its own when the flash is mounted.
Now I'm looking for a definitive solution like Metz 58 Af2 or the Pentax af540fgz ii, so I can't say it was really a deal but if you are on a tight budget it's absolutely a blast for your bucks.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
02-26-2019, 03:56 AM
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I have surfed the web for a long time but I could not find what I'm looking for: an adapter ring for using my Pentax lenses on other companies bodies, with AF-confirm AND aperture ring.
The reason behind this is simple: I'd like to take 4K videos with my collection of Pentax lenses and we all know that no Pentax camera allows that, so I'm considering buying a "movie body" just to do so.
But before choosing the body I need to find the right adapter for my needs: I need an aperture ring because my good lenses lacks it and AF confirm may be a really nice thing to have. Are you guys aware of any adapter like that, for any body mount?
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Forum: General Photography
12-14-2018, 09:53 AM
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Hello everybody,
I'm planning to bring my photograpy gear at a music festival this summer, but I am worried about dust damage to my lens and camera and since I'm ruining my first DSLR I don't know what to do.
I know that dust inside your lenses doesn't degrade your pictures unless you are in extreme situations when you can see it move around rotating the lens kit, but I know the conditions at the festival are extreme too since I have alredy been there.
If you ever attended a crowded festival during summer you know what I am talking about: it was a sunny hot period, the ground was dry and dusty and there was thousands of people walking around and dancing, there was so much dust in the air I happily wore a dust mask during a crowded concert in August at 3 o'clock. I could literally see dust stacking on my watch in just few hours of walking around and you could see the cloud of dust over the stage. Tents were covered in a layer so thick you could barely see the company logo on them.
So, the questions are: I am going to rent a guarded locker inside the festival area, but there's a high chance it's going to be in a high density area of the festival and therefore a dusty one... And it may also rain, should I store my gear inside sealed bags?
I also have a few more Limiteds, which I know are far from sealed. Should I worry about dust when I carry them around in the camera bag? Is the zipper and covers enough? Should I put them in a sealed bag too?
Then, I own two lenses that happen to have some sort of sealing. They are the Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL WR and the PENTAX DA* 50-135 mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM and if I understand correctly the 50-135 is weather sealed while the 18-55 is weather resistant. Is it OK to use them both without worries no matter how much dust is in the air? What about rain? Or I'm just nuts I can use any lens without worries for dust?
At last, I was wondering how bad would it be to swap lens if I am in a dusty place. If all I risk is some dust on the sensor, I alredy planned about wet cleaning lens and sensor both before and after the festival. Or there's more about dust I don't know?
Thanks for anyone willing to share his experiences.
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Forum: Pentax KP
12-06-2018, 03:10 PM
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Can't answer about how it performs compared to other cameras as the KP is my first one.
But I can tell I wear glasses and I shoot without removing them and I can see pretty clearly through it. I can also tell my father used to shoot with Pentax MX and had nothing to say watching inside the viewfinder.
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Forum: Pentax KP
12-06-2018, 02:55 PM
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I started doing photograpy with film era lenses and a Pentax KP.
With Pentax-M serie, you are limited to Manual mode, the camera can't move aperture on its own so only times priority may work. Same thing using adapters.
With Pentax-A serie, all the modes in the camera work, if you set the aperture ring to A.
I don't have an old autofocus lens kit so I can't tell about autofocus with old lenses.
What I noticed anyway is that putting togheter the difference in performances between old and modern lenses and the light the crop factor takes away is that they perform as IQ as modern cheap zoom lenses, but with a ****ton of aberrations, flares and so on. Aside from vignetting, ofc.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-06-2018, 02:41 PM
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I have only the wide angle as limiteds, aside from that I have a DA 50 and a DA 50-135. I'm sorted, yes, but I know one day I will fall for the DA35.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-06-2018, 01:49 PM
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To whoever may concern, I realized how much I would have missed the DA 21 Limited so I ended up getting a DA 15 Limited for my wide angle needs.
And I realized that I got way more than just a compact wide angle prime lens with great IQ, the closeups it delivers are just lovely.
Also, shooting at parties with all my gear in a bag, I realized that big zooms are way more impratical than small primes. Having to switch between two big zooms is horrible, with primes you switch more often but it's way more fast and comfortable to do.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-06-2018, 01:37 PM
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After taking a few manual test shots bouncing light with the Vivitar 283, I understood how I love the dramatic effect of light coming from the side and the importance of lighting. So I buyed a flash that allows also horizontal orientation for my own purpose.
And since I was buying one I got one with wireless capabilities thinking about these parties: I plan on making a designated portrait point at some point with flash coming from the side. This way I will avoid the effect of fog getting hit by light head first and I won't have portraits asked at random during the night in the darkest and smokiest place ever.
I hope this will help but I belive I will still have to remove the fog in LR and struggle with color fidelity, but at least I should be able to use proper apertures and exposure times without pumping ISO. To whom may interest, I'm waiting for a YongNuo YN585EX.
I'd like to thank everybody for the great help and patience you had with a newbie in photograpy, I learned a bit from every post and now that I realise how much I missed I'm really curious about how will my shoots improve at the next birthday party.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-21-2018, 11:43 AM
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I got advantages of the smoke at times, but only when they first shoot it or playing with long exposures and laser machines :D
But maybe the picture attached helps to understand how smoky the room gets the whole party: aside from this kind of shoot, I can't get anything else good.
What I should do is to NOT illuminate the smoke between the camera and the subject at all, but illuminate the subject only... :(
I'll try to bouce the flash to the ceiling, that old thing should perform well since it's SO bright. Besides, I checked it, it's safe to use.
And since they pay me with free drinks, the Vivitar 283 is more than enough :lol:
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-21-2018, 08:25 AM
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It's a Vivitar 283, I have alredy used it for a few shots, should I be worried?
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-21-2018, 06:47 AM
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The dancefloor is REALLY, REALLY dark.
Take a look at the picture attached: 12800 ISO; 50 f/1,8; 1/8 on monopod.
But I can't shoot at people at 1/8, I would have used flash if I could but the smoke machine was running, I just got lucky there.
So you guys say that if I use a tiltable flash pointed up with a diffuser it may work? Guess I found a use for my dad's 80's flash, will test and report back.
But I still think that if you light up smoke you still can't see the other side no matter which side the light comes.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-21-2018, 03:44 AM
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Hello!
I found myself shooting often in some of the WORST conditions you can imagine: private parties, with people moving and dancing, with the only lights changing constantly, coming from lasers machines, color changers and fire projectors.
It's a hard job but I am pretty happy with the results (and free drinks I get) with bright prime lenses and the built in flash of my KP; at least until they start the smoke machine.
Yes, they also have that. And that's why I am here, it's ****ing me up.
Since they start it, I have to remove the fog in post prodiction and do miracles to keep a bit of color fidelity , but I just can't get the picture if I need to use the flash.
The fog lights up instead of your subject and you get nothing out of your picture. It annoys me, there are many wonderful shoots in the fog I want to get.
Anyone knows a way around this?
I'd like to avoid the flash but I have to, and when I have to, the fog doesn't allow me to do my thing. Any ideas?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-21-2018, 03:24 AM
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You got the point here, 21 renders wonderfully but I have to go so close to the subject they are going to pose for the picture, and I'd rather avoid it.
Also, I'd prefer to avoid 18-135, it costs a lot and it performs similarly to the DAL 18-55 which I found myself discarding when possible.
I think you guys are convincing me to wait a bit and get to own both...
But I just got the DA 55-135, I have to calm down :-)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-20-2018, 03:33 PM
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I feel what you say about the composition of the DA 21. Its brokeh is odd, it's soft and lovely but it's odd in a way that gives prominence to your subjects. And if they are at the center of the picture, they seem like "floating" over the blurry background.
And this is why I am here, I love that.
Thing is I don't usually use it for portraits at those parties, I use it for getting the whole full room of people, for portraits I tend to prefer the DA 50. Expecially at parties, f/1.8 helps to give some brokeh when there's little space before the background.
I think I will have to think about it and try some portraits with the DA 21.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-20-2018, 02:15 PM
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Hello, as the title states I'm considering about selling the DA 21 I own and to buy in its place the Sigma 17-50, but I want to hear some advices before since I'm not really an expert.
I'm considering to sell it because I shoot more than often at private parties. I can do with my Pentax DAL 18-55 f/3.5-5.6, but I end up using the DA 21 and 50 prime lenses for better results.
But of course I dream about how confortable the 18-55 is and the wiiiiide shoots I got at 18, so the 17-50 seems the obvious choice since it can open 2/3 of a fstop more.
But I'm afraid that the performances in terms of sharpness, flare control, distortion and vignetting could be far worse in these zoom lenses. Still it should be noticed that 21 is enough far from 17 to avoid the worst. If anyone happens to own both, I'd love a comparison picture at 21mm.
I'd also consider the Sigma 18-35 f/1.8, but the focusing issues on Pentax, limited zooming range and availability keep me from considering it.
I should mention that the 21mm lens is really really compact compared to the 17-50, I swear the 21 is so small I forgot it in my jacket pockets after a party, it's really comfortable to bring around to switch it. But if I can do with a single lens kit it's even better than having a small one.
So? Should I worry about the difference in performances between the two? Obviously, at 21mm only.
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Forum: Pentax KP
10-16-2018, 11:40 AM
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I still think it was because it was shoot in Custom Image - Landscape. It pushes yellows and greens.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-16-2018, 11:30 AM
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Hello!
I found at a interstring price a lens kit that got converted to screwdrive. For who doesn't know, it's just a software hack.
Anyway, the seller claims that the SDM motor is still working and that he converted for increasing the focusing speed. Let's say we belive him.
So, I'm asking if there's a known method for playing with the LENSEEP.LNS file other than PK_tether as I don't own a compatible camera.
Or if I should keep the 50-135 that way... I just hate the noise.
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Forum: Pentax KP
07-24-2018, 01:08 PM
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Hello!
I keep wondering if it's possible to set the KP to electronic shutter only mode and to intervals at the same time.
Explanation: When I shoot timelapses I'm on my tripod, so I don't really need image stabilization and I'm worried that taking a thousand of pictures straight every time I shoot a timelapse may kill my precious machanical shutter prematurely; even before than my CPU death from renderings.
I know exactly where the internal timer is and how to set it, but enabling the "interval shooting" mode disables the "electronic shutter only" one. I need to shoot hundreds of picture, not only a few like the shutter menu allows.
Do I need an external timer to turn around this issue and is my worry worth it?
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-24-2018, 12:53 PM
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Hello!
I'm a newbie that just started doing photography with the right gear. I just bought a KP and I'm using mainly my old dad lenses from his Pentax-M that we still dedust sometimes. Love those lenses.
Anyway, I'm into timelapses and hyperlapses in Italy, where I live, but I use my camera for basically everything.
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