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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 5 Days Ago  
New Pentax MX Owner needs Lens Advice
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 8
Views: 382
As has been said the 1.7 is superior to the 2.0 and a no brainer to keep. If you are better of with a 35 mm or a 28mm depends on your personal prefernces and so is difficult to say. For people and street I would recommend a 35 mm for Landscape a 28 mm.
But it is also a question of availability. The once cheap M 35/2.8 now sells at least triple the price of the M 28/2.8 which is quite affordable.
Third party 35mm do vary a lot in quality, so if you want to go that way I would suggest an own thread. And none of them has the high contrast and colors of the SMC coating.
You might also take into account a zoom in that range.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-19-2024, 08:55 AM  
Pentax F 50mm/1.4
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 16
Views: 1,041
This test is 17 years old. But it should describe the lens quite well.
Pentax SMC-FA 50mm f/1.4 - Review / Lab Test Report
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-19-2024, 02:52 AM  
Pentax F 50mm/1.4
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 16
Views: 1,041
Welcome to the forum!
Do not be to disappointed about buying wrong. The 50/1.4 might not be a stellar lens for astography, but it will take very nice portraits on your KF. If Mossy rocks tells you, you can use it at f=2.8 for astrophotography, you can bet on that as well. But you can also try the Sigma Macro you own. So do not worry but start taking pictures of the stars.
There is also a group for astrophtography on this forum. Join it and you will be able to post your questions there. You will find very nice and helping people there.

Astrophotography - PentaxForums.com
Forum: Photographic Technique 02-19-2024, 02:31 AM  
Question regarding DOF.
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 13
Views: 686
DOF is not a main decision criterion for a lens for close-ups. Simply because you usually have too little and therefore have to stop down anyway. The fact that a fixed focal length is faster than a zoom is not an advantage in this respect.

So why a prime above a zoom for floral shooting?
First a good prime, even a consumer one, has often better image quality, then a consumer zoom. The more, at it is faster, you can stop down until you reach the fastest f-stop of the zoom and most often the prime be better the the zoom as it is stopped down, while the zoom is wide open. The zoom often even never catches ab in sharpness and contrast.
Second, the focal lengths you have mentioned, are typical for macro lenses. These are corrected for the close-up range and are therefore even sharper than a normal lens in that regard. Lets not talk about a consumer zoom.

Of course if you use a good zoom with the abilty to close up, there you will have a good to very good image quality too. Say you use a 70-200/2.8, those will often be suited for flora photography and will give you good results. The 55-300 will also be a valuable choice. More generally, if you are satisfied with the results, then you don't need to worry about the well-intentioned suggestions.:)
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-15-2024, 02:09 AM  
K-70 : where's the zoom mode ???
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 24
Views: 921
Set the camera to Auto mode next time. The camera will do most of the decisions for you then. Use the 55-300 in this mode.
Forum: General Photography 02-15-2024, 01:55 AM  
Advice and review of travel setup for next trip
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 8
Views: 537
The 18-135 is a travel kit in itself. But I understand if someone is not happy with it. I too have my reservations.
However, over 14 days in Scotland, it performed quite well. It has its shortcomings from 70mm onwards, but it is quite sharp up to 50mm, a good lens when stopped down by one aperture.

So my suggestion would be to see if you can get warm to the 18-135. For the telephoto range you'll be carrying the 55-300 and the 15mm will give you ultra-wide angles. The 43mm will be good for low light and portraits.
An alternative would be the 16-50 and 50-135 combo. This reduces the setup to two faster lenses with very good IQ and a better aperture range. On the other hand, you lose at the long end and they are not really compact.

My own travel setup is K-70, 18-135 and Sigma 10-20. I used to use a Tamron 17-50 and a 70-210. But the 18-135 is more versatile and robust than the Tamron, so I accept the reduced aperture range and as I rarely need more than 70mm, I dropped the 70-210 for the 10-20, which is quite handy in the city.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 02-13-2024, 06:54 AM  
Why highlights are clipped at +2.5 EV ?
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 137
Views: 3,661
If we are not talking of you taking pictures of a grey card, but of an every day motif like for example a landsape, then it is as follows.
The K-1 has about 10 to 11 f-stops dynamic range if you are using RAW.
Now you dial in +3 EV, which means you cut of your exposure headroom from middle grey to the highlights by about 3 f-stops. That leaves the highlights of your motif with about 3 f-stops dynamic range to be recorded. More often then not this will not be sufficient.

If you want to get the results Ansel Adams intendend with the zone system, you have to measure the highlights and the darks in your motif which you still want to have details in and set exposure exactly between those two values. If the dynamic range of the motif is within 10 f-stops and you use RAW the K-1 should get all brightness values with details (good luck). You have to set the right exposure in post process then.

The exposure of my K-1 (just tested with a grey card) is quite in line with my Gossen Sixtomat F. They differ about 1/2 f-stop, which in my experience is as close as you can get using a exposure meter and a camera measuring TTL.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 02-12-2024, 03:20 AM  
What is your street camera and film stock?
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 4
Views: 574
My standard film camera is a Pentax P30n. But I also shoot other K-mount film cameras from my small collection. As I only want to keep working cameras, each one has to prove its worth. At the moment it is a Revueflex SC-3, which is a re-released Chinon CM-4s. Next will be my Pentax MX or a Ricoh KR-10 super, depending on whichs light seal I change first.

I have restarted my film photography with HP5 and FP4. As I do not develop the film myself, I then switched to XP-2 for monochrome photography. Standard C-41 process and much cheaper when scanned by the lab.
I have also tried various colour and slide films and for colour I would probably use the Fuji Pro 400H if it was still available. But as it is not, I have to look for another colour film. Currently on my list: Kodak Professional Pro Image 100 (which, despite its name, is a consumer film), Kodak Porta 160 or one of the Lomo negatives. I think it will end up being a Lomo. I will definitely buy a Lomo Metropolis as well.

Back in the days of film, I used to shoot Ektachrome 64 and Kodakchrome 25/64 when I could afford the latter.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 02-07-2024, 02:58 AM  
Pentax K-3 use with an iEXOS-100-2 PMC-Eight Equatorial Tracker System
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 4
Views: 370
You can find the manual easily by searching the internet. The difficult part is aligning the mount. Attaching the camera is the easy part. The manual reads:

Attaching The Telescope To The Mount
The telescope attaches to the mount via a dovetail bar bolted to the bottom of the telescope. Before
you attach the optical tube, make sure that the declination and right ascension clutch knobs are tight.
This will ensure that the mount does not move suddenly while attaching the telescope.
To mount the telescope tube:
1. Loosen the knob on the side of the telescope mounting platform.
This allows you to slide the dovetail bracket of the telescope onto the mount.
2. Slide the dovetail bar of the telescope tube into the mounting platform of the mount.
3. Tighten the knob on the side of the mounting platform to hold the telescope in place.

All you need, is a dovetail rail with an 1/4" screw to adapt your camera. The camera should of course be in good alignment to the dovetail rail, when mounting it.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 02-07-2024, 02:44 AM  
Perfectly clean optics
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 16
Views: 878
I would use distilled water and a microfibre cloth for the glass elements.
Distilled water is what is used in the manufacture of spectacle lenses.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-07-2024, 02:34 AM  
Poll: Is Pentax about to launch the Film Project Camera? Best of Pentax Forums Feb. 7 poll
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 93
Views: 5,237
I feel myself unable to vote in this poll, as I have no knowledge of the state of development at Ricoh. Like most of the other members I think.
But as a poll of the expectations it works quite well, I can see. My expectation is, that they will start production this year. But who knows (except Ricoh)?
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 02-02-2024, 04:39 AM  
Going smaller and enjoying it!
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 18
Views: 1,670
Size matters in fact, I am with you. But I would have called your starting point lightweight and good, no need to change.
Thus I would not be very happy with your new set up, but I find your explanations as to why you have exchanged which lenses very interesting. Thank you for sharing you thoughts!
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 01-31-2024, 07:07 AM  
Poll: Do you put Pentax weather resistance to the test? Best of Pentax Forums Jan 31 poll
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 53
Views: 2,783
I really do not care wether a lens is WR or not. I do expect all of my lenses to work in very light rain. Also, I am less WR than my lenses, so I go to a dry place or under an umbrella to shoot when it rains. Sandstorms, blizzards or the surf are also out of the question for me.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 01-25-2024, 01:47 AM  
K-70 TAv mode doesn't seem to be working correctly
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 13
Views: 562
Just did a try with my K-70. As I stated above the reason for the K-70 not going under ISO 200 is that the highlight correction was set on auto. Switching of the highlight correction enables the camera to got down to ISO 100. The interesting thing is, that highlight correction is priorized over correct exposure.
And yes, the ISO value does flash in that situation.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 01-24-2024, 01:48 AM  
Poll: Do you collect photography equipment? Best of Pentax Forums Newsletter Jan 24 poll
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 72
Views: 2,955
When film equipment was really cheap about ten years ago, I resisted the temptation to buy the cameras I had dreamed of in my youth, such as an OM-ti or a Canon A-1, on a whim. A decision I later regretted, especially for the OM. I collect Pentax K-mount film cameras and others that I like, if they come to me by chance and for no or almost no money. I bought a small collection of M lenses in pristine condition for these cameras, for almost no money of course, so that I now have what in the 80s would have been called quite a good set of equipment. The restriction is that I only keep cameras that work. I do not display those, but they are stored in bags and boxes around my desk.

The Mamyia 645j I bought four years ago, I do not count into my collection, but into my equipment.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 01-23-2024, 05:49 AM  
K-70 TAv mode doesn't seem to be working correctly
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 13
Views: 562
Probably you have set the highlight revovery to auto. If the exposure does create blown out highlights, the camera will attempt to correct those. Highlight recovery needs ISO 200 lowest, so if you have set ISO to auto the camera will set ISO to 200, so that the highlight recovery works.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-19-2024, 12:57 AM  
K-1 article: “Why I’m not over DSLRs”
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 31
Views: 2,181
Nice to read some praise of the K-1.
Funny thing, that the author likes to use his M42 lenses on the K-1. If I used my manual lenses on a digital camera more often, I would go the other way round and buy me a Sony Alpha III. If I had to sum up focus, manual lenses and the K-1 in one word it would be "uncertain". The conclusion for the Sony would be "satisfying".

---------- Post added 01-19-24 at 09:18 AM ----------


Is there a camera with a RAW based histogram? That made me search the internet. Perhaps the Leica M monochrome in liveview? Any else?
Forum: General Photography 01-17-2024, 02:24 AM  
What is a photograph?
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 56
Views: 1,715
If I do show someone a picture and it is a single picture taken with analog equipment, I call it a photograph.
If it is stacked, composed or else visibly worked on, I refer to it as a picture.
Me personally I do not call any of my digital pictures a photograph, but I call them pictures. I would include a single digital shoot into the definition of a photograph, but in practice I do not call them so in daily live. When I use the term photography, it is to emphasize that it is a picture taken on film. I was already using the term in this sense before digital photography even existed.

Please keep in mind, that my mother language is german, so that might influence my use of the english language.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 01-17-2024, 01:50 AM  
Poll: Do you shoot digital? Film? Or both? Best of PF Newsletter Jan 17 Poll
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 39
Views: 1,534
Most of my pictures are ditgital ones.
But I like using film cameras mainly for the joy of using a tool that is simple to use and fun to operate. And the keeper rate is much higher then with digital.
I have a small collection of film cameras and the aim is to use them all at least once. Since I do not shoot more then two rolls of 35mm a year, the collection has a stop for new aquistions at present, which is not so bad either.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 01-10-2024, 01:48 AM  
Poll: Will you buy the new Pentax compact 35mm compact? Best of PF Newsletter Jan 10 Poll
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 182
Views: 6,744
If I would buy the new Pentax film camera only to support Ricoh. In the end it is a question of features vs. price. My fear is that the price will be in regions that i don't want to afford.
However the prices for the better used point and shoots have just gone through the roof again. That might support higher prices for the Pentax.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 01-09-2024, 11:54 AM  
The DA40 on the K-1; Street Heaven
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 36
Views: 1,951
It is one of the best lenses on APS-C. Maybe you got a faulty one?
Pentax SMC DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited - Review / Lab Test
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 01-09-2024, 11:47 AM  
in-camera Jpeg film presets?
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 20
Views: 1,043
Pentax has no special presets for emulating film, but they do have a choice of presets (see link) and of course you can set the parameters of the jpeg engine to your liking and create your own preset (read "Minute parameter settings" in the link).

Give further expression with PENTAX "Custom Image" | RICOH IMAGING
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 01-08-2024, 11:45 AM  
When APSC Image quality is 2 stops better than FF...
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 51
Views: 2,397
I have seen some sample shots on a german magazine of people performing hurdles or long jump, taken at ISO 1.600, 3.200. Alltough I love my littel K-70, I have my doubts it would perform as well (AF I am looking at you). And I can imagine, that 120 frames per second come very handy at these sport events. You do not have the opportunity for a second take in those sports. There will be no spray and pray, but spray and get the image, that will for sure impress some professionals. And thinking of all the sports events in the world, I guess the niche is quite big for the A9 III.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 01-08-2024, 02:18 AM  
M-mount lenses
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 11
Views: 728
If I had to pair a lens with the MX it would be the M 50mm f=1.4 which is the one it has been always advertised with. I really think a 50/1.4 is normally not worth the premium on a 50/1.7, but if I ever will get to use my MX (I haven't done the seals yet) I will probably have to buy one.
Forum: Pentax Medium Format 01-05-2024, 02:51 AM  
Pentax 645 film advance noise.
Posted By Papa_Joe
Replies: 6
Views: 544
If you you are really in mid-format film cameras and want a quieter one, there is the Mamiya 645 lineup. You will get a 645 1000 with some lenses for the price of a 645N, might be even a 645 Pro.

Forget about the last sentence. The Pentax went to quite cheap, since when I last had a look.
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