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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
10-26-2023, 10:45 AM
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Just pulled the trigger on this. I’ve bought from MPB several times before so am confident that they have properly rated it “ Excellent.”
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
11-15-2023, 09:30 PM
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It’s the same one I bought. It’s a beautiful lens in great condition. Takes lovely pictures. But after comparing it to my 150-450, I decided to stick with the shorter, lighter, more versatile zoom. I couldn’t afford to keep both lenses and I saw more opportunities with the zoom for the kinds of photos I take. So, have at it folks!
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-20-2023, 06:14 PM
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I picked up a late 2021 14” Macbook Pro. It’s only running the M1 Max chip, but has 64gb of unified memory and 2 TB of SSD storage. Both of these features will be more useful to me than the newer M2 chip and a comparable configuration with the newer chip was way beyond my budget.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
04-29-2023, 10:31 AM
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I have both a K-5iis and a K-3 II. I prefer the K-3ii's location of the back AF button. To me, it feels like a shorter and more natural thumb movement, leaving the camera feeling better balanced in my hand. I also prefer that it's a stand-alone button instead of sitting inside another dial as it is on the K-5iis. The kicker for me is the position of the AF button on the grip. The AF and Green Button on the two grips are reversed. On the K-5's grip, the Green Button is above the position of the AF button. If you're a big green button user, then maybe you'd like the relatively easier access to that button on the K-5's grip. But I use the AF button much more than the green button. For that reason, I prefer the K-3's grip.
Just to be clear, I'm quite happy with my K-5s (I have both the K-5 and the K-5iis). The position of the AF buttons doesn't enter into my mine when I decide which camera I want to shoot with on any given day.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
12-29-2022, 11:49 AM
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That price didn’t last long. Back up to $495 at Adorama
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-22-2022, 11:11 AM
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Without resetting my own Smart Functions, I'm guessing that what you're seeing in the optical viewfinder is simply the indication that "Crop" is the Smart Function that you currently have enabled. That's why the "inscrutable codes in the top LCD ... says ... 4:CROP/1." That confirms that cropping is one of the 5 functions that you've set and the one you most recently used (or scrolled to, advertently or not). I think it also means that the crop factor is "1", which is why you are seeing no actual effect on your pictures.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
11-29-2022, 07:39 PM
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Welcome!
I don't have a K-70, but I have both of the lenses you bought. They are the two that I use the most. (I also frequently use the H DA 35 mm (Macro) F/2.8. A beautiful prime with 1:1 macro capabilities.)
The K-70 E book is probably as good a place to start as any if you are new to Pentax DSLRs. (I have the corresponding ones for my camera. Much more "narrative" than the official Owners Manuals.)
Pentax eBook Downloads - Now on PF! (purchase here for instant access) - PentaxForums.com
I'd also make sure that your firmware is up to date. The firmware itself can be found on the Ricoh site. A search of our Forum will help you install it.
Enjoy!
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-01-2022, 10:04 PM
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I enjoyed my posts in April, missed May and June, and made it through July with only a couple of misses. Hoping to make it two months in a row now with the August challenge.
Like many of you, I like taking close ups. I have all 3 of the current "true" Macro Pentax lenses. Ordinarily, I reach for the HD DA 35mm F2.8 when I want to shoot very close. I love the IQ of that lens.
In April, I decided to re-acquaint myself with the D-FA 100mm F2.8 Macro.
This month, I'm picking up the D-FA 50mm F2.8. Macro. I bought it from a Forum member two years ago and have never really used it. Looking forward to getting to know it.
Greg
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
04-30-2021, 10:48 AM
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With DCU 5.9.2, I've noticed a large general performance improvement. Unexepctedly positive. Nothing in the release notes suggested such an improvement.
As for using DCU in general, here're my experiences.
I'm an enthusiast, not a professional. I've never used either LR or PS and won't since I don't like paying subscriptions.
I've generally just used the built-in Apple Photos app. It has a decent set of basic RAW editing tools that are generally all I need (although it lacks dodging.)
With my 2014 MacBook Air, however, since Mac OS 10.13 (High Sierra), the Photos App really can't handle the files generated first by my K5 (16 +MB) and now K3-ii (24+ MB.) It either takes forever or just plain crashes. (I don't even try with my legacy but highly upgraded 2011 MacBook Pro.) So I taught myself how to use DCU5. What a clunky interface! Feels like it was designed for Windows 3.0. Anyway, it handles the same size RAW files without any hangups or crashing. I expect that the time loading the the RAW photos in the first place and then processing them to .jpeg would benefit from a faster computer, but It would only be a matter of saving 10 - 15 seconds a photo.
After I invested a modest amount of time learning the clunky interface, I find that I now have a decent workflow and can get good results.
I have several other applications that seem popular on this forum (Affinity Photo, RAW Therapee), but I'm holding off on learning them until I'm fully retired!
With the new (2021) release of the 23" iMac, I'm looking forward to upgrading my aging hardware (again, after I'm fully retired.) If I can, I'll hold off until Apple releases an updated version of the 27" iMac. With my still decent 2002 20" Apple Cinema Display, the 27" iMac should give me all the screenspace I could possibly use.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
04-16-2022, 03:35 PM
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Well, I'm glad I've dusted (not literally) this lens off. I've always been impressed with its macro capabiities, although I've almost always used the HD 35 Ltd Macro when I've wanted to shoot closeups.
I've been trying hard to take pictures using the DFA 100's full focal length. After a few early April days where I was constantly looking for a zoom ring, I've gotten much better at anticipating a workably framed image, although I'm still always surprised at how quickly the optical viewfinder fills up with an image that I keep expecting to appear smaller. So, still lots of zooming with my feet.
I bought this lens 3 years ago from a forum member who said that she didn't use it much as she had been taking more wider angle, landscape-type photos. I still trend toward the wider end and have two zooms (18-135 & 50-300) that are more than capable of taking 100 mm shots in all but the lowest light conditions. Not sure I'll end up holding onto this. We'll see.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
04-14-2022, 04:27 PM
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Back in the film-only days, I was at an outdoor Buddhist ceremony on an island in Thailand with my Super Program. I tried to discretely and surreptitiously take some pictures from the very back of the crowd. One of the monks saw me and started waving his arms. "Uh, oh," I thought, "I've just committed some horrible cultural faux pas." So I stepped even further back. The monk kept waving. I looked for a place to hide. He kept waving. Finally, he pointed to an area right in front of the altar. "Could he mean ...?" I wondered. Why not take a chance? So I went up to the front and took out my camera. He flashed a big smile at me. Yup, he'd been beckoning me all along to come closer.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
03-30-2022, 12:37 PM
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I'm new to the challenge. Like Rigomatic, I'll be using the DFA 100. It's the nicest lens I own that I never use, if that makes any sense.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-01-2021, 01:13 PM
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The A-version of this lens was the second zoom lens I bought new back in the day. Still have it. The F-version has same optics I believe. Picked it up last year from a Forum member for $30. When I can match the limited APSC zoom range with my subject, it's a great walking around lens. All photos shot RAW with a K-3ii then saved as .jpg using DCU5. Yacht shots taken with polarizer and DCU natural setting. Gnome shot taken without polarizer and processed with DCU5 vibrant setting.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-31-2021, 08:57 PM
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Timely topic fo rme. This afternoon, I rode my road bike from the visitor center to Grand View and back.Took my K-3 II, my DA 18-135, a circular polarizer filter, and a tripod. If ever there was an occasion to use Pixel Shift Resolution, this was it. I shot RAW to Card 1 and JPG to Card 2. These are straight out of the camera jpgs using the "Landscape" Custom Image setting and setting the WB to "Daylight." All of these were taken at Overlooks--no hiking involved. (That was yesterday's visit.) What a place!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-20-2020, 01:19 PM
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The Almeda Drive fire, September 8 - 9, 2020, in Southern Oregon, started 2 blocks from my home in Ashland. The strong, gusty winds blew it north instead of into my neighborhood. The fire moved very quickly and burned very hot. The 2 cities just north of Ashland--Talent & Phoenix--were devastated. About 2,500 structures were lost. Luckily, there have only been a couple of deaths.
One branch of it stopped (all by itself) 2 blocks from my office in Talent. These photos come from the that site, between roughly 4 and 6 pm on September 19. I used my K-5. I took some with a DA 18-135mm and others with a DA 50-200mm. I shoot TAv, with auto ISO. Normally, I shoot RAW. I had not shot anything monochrome for 30+ years, so I had the camera process the photos so I could see how they were coming out while I was shooting. I did crop probably half of them, and did some modest PP on a few to lightly adjust some of the contrast. This was mostly to compensate for the -.7 or -.3 EV i shot many with. All PP was done with the Apple Photos App, v. 5.0.
My biggest take away from this session is that I would prefer less depth of field. These posted ones are generally OK for DOF, but the ones I'm not posting look too flat. I'll probably go out again, maybe shooting some B&W film on my old Super Program. I'll open the aperture more.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
10-15-2020, 07:35 AM
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Wow. As the OP, the conversation has come full circle for me. I had never heard of the Morgan Motor Company. I wonder how many people first discover Pentax via a Wikipedia search.
Maybe Pentax and Morgan should do cross-advertising on each other's websites. Or better yet, on each other's dedicated fans' websites.
Home - Morgan Sports Car Club
There's a lot that's been posted in this thread that makes a lot of sense to me. I don't need a Pentax dangling from everyone's neck. A lot of us like using a seldom-seen, classic brand. We think Pentax stands out; why shouldn't we? I have just always liked the cameras and the lenses (and the users). I'd like others to have that same experience--at least enough of us to keep the brand (and what it stands for) going. I'm fine in a niche; there's not much future, though, in an anachronism.
So, for K-New, I'm not expecting billboards, glossy magazine copy, Super Bowl ads or infomercials. I'm sure we all agree that the internet is where most marketing happens these days. Still, it's not enough to have a Facebook site, a YouTube channel or an active Twitter feed. Somehow, you've still got to drive (Morgan pun intended) people to the site/feed. That's the Catch 22.
Given the extent and sophistication (no praise intended) of the internet data collection and mining industry, I assume that if Pentax knows the demographics of its market, or its hoped-for-market, it's easy enough to do targeted internet advertising. Although perhaps Pentaxians are the kinds of folks who use VPNs and ad-stripping browser plug-ins to keep from being distracted by all of the Canon, Nikon, Fuji & Sony ads that we don't know are actually out there, targeting us.
PS-I drive a RAV 4 hybrid.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
09-29-2020, 12:32 PM
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It's 4:30 AM in Tokyo on the 30th. Can't wait for today's announcement!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-09-2020, 06:51 PM
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A living legacy to add to his many other contributions (including the K-5 and K-50 books I have.)
Greg
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Forum: Lens Clubs
05-10-2020, 03:45 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-28-2020, 12:08 PM
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I recently purchased a copy of the SMC Pentax-F 28-80 F3.5-4.5.
SMC Pentax-F 28-80mm F3.5-4.5 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database
(Mine is actually the Takumar-branded version.)
Like many kit-lenses I've used (although the SMC-A 50mm 1.7 that came with my Super Program is a superb kit lens that I still use frequently), this is a modest lens that takes decent pix stopped down.
I like the zoom range although on APS-C, I'd prefer something wider. (I generally use the DA 18-135.)
One thing I really like about this lens is its macro capability. Granted, its macro capabilities are also modest, as the two attached photos show. But as a simple walking around lens, it offers both decent zoom range as well as macro.
I also have an ancient Takumar 70-210 F4.5-5.6 that also offers a macro setting.
I've searched the lens database and can't seem to find other zooms that offer macro settings. Unless I'm doing my search wrong, the only macros that show up seem to be the ones that have Macro in the official name.
So --- finally the question -- is there a way to find other zoom/macro combination lenses through the database, or some other resource? I have a couple of very good contemporary macros (DA 35mm 2.8 Ltd & D-FA 100 mm 2.8) for when I am specifically shooting macro. But I love having a macro option with a walking around lens.
Thanks for any insights.
Greg
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-04-2020, 12:06 PM
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Thanks to both of you. I had spotted Ace but wasn't sure if it carried any new gear. I'll definitely plan a visit.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
11-22-2018, 10:18 AM
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I run Sierra 10.12.6 on a MacBook Air. I recently installed Digital Camera Utility 4.41 from the updater file even though I did not have 4.0 installed and do not have a CD drive.
I found the updater file here:
Software Downloads : Support & Service | RICOH IMAGING
After downloading it, I unzipped it and PBLU0441.pkg appears. In my folder window, I highlighted the file and clicked on "Get Info." One of the options is "Show Package Contents." In the new window that opens up you will find "Archive.pax.gz." I created a new folder on my desktop and copied that file into the folder. I then unzipped it and a new folder "Archive" appears. In that folder is the full Digital Camera Utility version 4.41. I dragged the icon to my Applications folder and it works fine.
This is a lot easier than it sounds!
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