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Forum: General Photography 09-26-2023, 10:46 PM  
Why I might finally leave Pentax... for GOOD.
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 194
Views: 12,856
I upgraded to a KP body a few years ago and decided that I wanted to upgrade my lenses. I ended up with a 16-85 f3.5-5.6, a 60-250 f4.0, a 100 macro that B&H had for $300, and a 50 f1.7 I had for a while. This was replacing an istD and some kit lenses. I did my homework in lens review and have a kit that will handle anything I usually shoot.
Forum: Pentax KP 10-12-2022, 12:27 AM  
Post Your Best KP Shots
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 4,390
Views: 440,237
What is that breakfast?
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 08-23-2022, 09:42 AM  
What is your forever lens?
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 125
Views: 7,889
I don't know if it qualifies as a forever lens, but I have been using it a lot lately, the DA 16-85 f3.5-5.6. I shoot a lot of outdoor bands and events and the focal length works well, the lens is quite sharp, and with the KP's extended ISO, I don't miss a faster lens. A couple of examples.


Forum: Pentax KP 06-25-2022, 11:41 PM  
Post Your Best KP Shots
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 4,390
Views: 440,237
Hi all

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Here are a few band photos. All were taken with my KP and all but the first were taken using the 16-85 lens. I'm surprised how useful the 16-85 lens is for band photography.











Forum: Pentax KP 05-24-2022, 09:28 AM  
The Amazing KP
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 18
Views: 5,044
I'm another delighted KP owner. I've been shooting Pentax since Spotmatic days. When I retired, I decided to update my kit ( ist-D and a couple of kit lenses) primarily because I could start to see a bit of softness with 8X10s and larger; what a difference. Thanks to this site, I found which lenses were sharper and went with a DA 16-85, F50 1.7, DA* 60-250, and a DFA100 2.8 macro. I've fallen in love with the TAV setting and use it for most of my shooting.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 05-11-2022, 10:08 AM  
Having trouble opening RAW images from KP in older PS (CS2)
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 12
Views: 1,165
Thanks, that may have solved my problem. I still have to import to DNG converter but once I do that it opens up okay. I just did a quick test, I need to go out this weekend and shoot to make sure this is going to work.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 05-07-2022, 09:49 PM  
Having trouble opening RAW images from KP in older PS (CS2)
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 12
Views: 1,165
Hi

I keep having trouble opening RAW/DNG files in CS2. I have DNG converter but I keep getting a can not open error code. Any ideas? What further info do you need?
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 05-07-2022, 02:55 AM  
RAW: What is it Good For? Absolutely nothing..? Hmm yeah, say it again
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 155
Views: 9,767
A better analogy would be leasing versus owning a car. If owning was no longer possible and leasing was the only option, many people would be mad and those who liked to buy a car then drive it until it was no longer financially feasible to fix would be out of luck.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 05-03-2022, 12:09 PM  
RAW: What is it Good For? Absolutely nothing..? Hmm yeah, say it again
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 155
Views: 9,767
I'll add to the fray. As others have mentioned, headroom and flexibility have been mentioned. A significant difference is color. JPEG is an eight-bit color space, which will give you a maximum of 16,777,216 colors. You go to 16-bit color; that number increases to a whopping 281,474,976,710,656 colors. What that gets you is subtlety, a more accurate and believable reproduction of the color. Here is a good, simple article on the subject.

Editing Images In 8-bit vs. 16-bit Color | by Vincent Tabora | High-Definition Pro | Medium

I went from shooting RAW to shooting JPEG when I left photofinishing and shooting professionally, and JPEG was acceptable for casual shots. I recently went back to shooting RAW when I upgraded my camera to a KP and started taking more serious photos again. A point to mention is that I like to edit and manipulate my work in Photoshop; it's enjoyable. I also have worked on my workflow to maximize practicality. I shoot RAW, convert to DNG and save, convert to PSD, do all of my editings there, save a copy, then save a copy as a JPEG, often as a smaller email-sized file for posting on Facebook or the like.

The bottom line is to do what works for your needs, but never forget that you can sometimes take an unexpectedly good photograph that could be improved in post-processing. The extra few minutes could make all the difference.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 02-15-2022, 08:46 AM  
Why use post processing?
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 100
Views: 4,453
If you make a print from a slide, that's post-processing. Pushing or pulling a slide is altering the processing. Save a slide digitally, that's post-processing
.
Forum: General Photography 02-01-2022, 12:00 PM  
Did you prefer your old camera?
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 96
Views: 5,076
I started with a Spotmatic that I bought used in 1970. I've owned that, a K1000, Z1-P, ist-D, and a KP. Each has its fond memories, but for what I do now, the KP fits nicely. To the poster that questioned obsolescence, I used the ist-D for over 15 years before upgrading to the KP. I did that because I could start to tell a bit of softness in enlargements of 8X or larger due to the six mp sensor. I doubt that I will need anything higher than the KP's resolution, and given my age, I doubt that I will need to upgrade. I also love the KP's Tav auto setting.
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 01-18-2022, 10:32 AM  
Is photography dead?
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 147
Views: 8,516
Times change, people change, technology changes. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Being older than dirt, I remember being captivated with push-processing B&W film to shoot without flash. Then I fell in love with Panatomic X. My first real camera was a Spotmatic. I consider the inability to know how to manually adjust a camera the same as not being able to drive a stick shift car. Comparatively few Americans know how to, they manage to get around, but they miss out on something good. Even my own shooting, what little I do these days, has changed. I bought a KP and fell in love with the Tav setting. I remember first getting into Photoshop. I was working in photofinishing at the time, and Photoshop gave me the promise of doing things that I always wanted to.

I don't think photography, the science of taking pictures, is dead or will die in the near future. What worries me is the belief by many that a smartphone camera can replace a DSLR. I answer questions on Quora, and I get that question in some form almost daily. Can you take a good photo with a smartphone? Of course. The caveat is that you have to understand light, composition, etc., to do so consistently. Otherwise, you fall into the shoot tons and hope something good comes out camp. There will always be people with a good eye interested enough to learn how to take a good photograph. What I fear dying are the amateurs learning enough to want to take the next step.
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 12-07-2021, 06:50 PM  
Where would Pentax have been if ....
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 55
Views: 4,068
This may be where Pentax was a lens manufacturer who made cameras may have saved it. Minolta tried to break into the pro market with the Maxxum series bodies. Sony probably wanted a lot of their technology, more so than Pentax's
.
Forum: Winners' Showcase 10-09-2021, 10:56 AM  
September, 2021 Winner: Big Boy Heading to the Golden Spike, USA
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 73
Views: 2,364
I would like to nominate this photo
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-23-2021, 11:38 AM  
Digital film roll concept
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 62
Views: 6,775
I often comment on photography questions on Quora. One thing that keeps coming up is believing that a camera (or worse, a smartphone) can handle every shooting situation perfectly. Most of these posters have little idea of how to take a photograph properly. My recommendation is always, learn basic photography if you want better photographs. I recently upgraded to a Pentax KP and love the Tav setting, which is basically setting both SS and aperture, and the camera adjusts the exposure via ISO. I've been taking photographs since my Spotmatic days, so it all makes sense to me. The other recommendation that I see other people posting is to slow down and become deliberate when you shoot. I still try to shoot as if I have a finite amount of film, as one of the drawbacks with digital is that it is too easy to just shoot away and hope you get a keeper among them.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 09-21-2021, 08:28 AM  
55-300 PLM vs 60-250 DA* for plane spotting
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 17
Views: 2,760
Another thing that you might want to have checked is if the lens is focusing correctly.
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 09-21-2021, 08:22 AM  
2021 slow camera releases
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 55
Views: 3,475
Good question. We may be getting to the point of diminishing returns on MP count. Faster AF and better metering will always be useful, but we may be at the point where resolution is high enough to satisfy most people. It's sort of like cars. The fast supercars look good, but most people are happy with the much less expensive family sedan or SUV.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-21-2021, 08:12 AM  
Digital film roll concept
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 62
Views: 6,775
Those "good old film camera days" gave us one-hour minilabs. I'm assuming this was in jest as I can't imagine anyone wanting a camera that could only take 72 pictures before shutting off for three weeks.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-20-2021, 02:25 AM  
Introducing the HD Pentax-DA★ 16-50mm f/2.8 ED PLM AW
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 143
Views: 10,761
I was referring to the 16-85 not the new 16-50.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 07-19-2021, 02:02 PM  
Introducing the HD Pentax-DA★ 16-50mm f/2.8 ED PLM AW
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 143
Views: 10,761
It looks nice but I already have the DA 16-85 3.5-5.6 and I don't need the extra speed.

Unrelated question. I see posts about converting the lens to use the manual screw autofocus. If I need that done sometime in the future, where do I get it done, and about how much is it?
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 07-12-2021, 02:09 PM  
What is the lens that lives on your camera?
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 318
Views: 19,259
My KP usually has my F 50/1.8 on it. As much for it fitting in my bag as it's a good focal length for the things that I am shooting. I am starting to use the DA 16-85 a bit more.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 07-05-2021, 05:07 PM  
Cheap camera/expensive lens??
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 31
Views: 2,423
As many others have mentioned, the 150-450 is probably too long of a lens to be useful. If your team needs pictures of many on the court as well as individual and one-on-one shots, you'll want a modest wide-angle to medium telephoto. IMHO, a good combination would be the DA 16-85 F3.5-5.6 coupled with a KP body. The KP has an extended ISO range and is surprisingly clean until way up there, so you can manage with the slower lens. The good news is that both the lens and the body would be almost $400 less than the lens you're considering. Another nice feature on the KP is the TAV mode, where you can set both the aperture and shutter speed, and the camera varies the ISO to set the exposure. That mode would work well for basketball. If you find you need something longer, the DA* 50-135 or 60-250 would work well, or just get a used prime like a 100 2.8 macro or 135 2.8. I recommend borrowing a camera or lens with a wide-angle to telephoto zoom to see what focal lengths you'll need before you buy, as you're looking at a good chunk of $$. I have the KP, the 16-85, and the 60-250 and love them. Both lenses are razor sharp with great Bokeh.

Good luck, keep us posted.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 06-27-2021, 05:33 AM  
Win a Pentax Forums T-shirt: Weekend Giveaway
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 138
Views: 5,466
Forum: Pentax KP 05-24-2021, 06:13 PM  
KP with a D 50 1.7 in TAV mode.
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 9
Views: 775
Rule#1. Be sure you know how a feature works before using it. The one I posted was the only one I was able to edit anything vaguely useable. After that shot, we changed location, I changed lenses and was okay. I now know to check to make sure that it's not overexposing and to adjust the SS or aperture if the preview doesn't look right.
Forum: Pentax KP 05-23-2021, 07:08 PM  
KP with a D 50 1.7 in TAV mode.
Posted By butchblack
Replies: 9
Views: 775
Thanks. All of this is making sense. I've been using Tav mode indoors to photograph my aquariums. This was my first foray outdoors using it. I was trying for shallow depth of field so my lens was set for 1.7 and I believe my ss was 1/180 as I wanted the option for fill flash. The location was very bright. We moved location, I switched to my 16/85 which meant my maximum aperture was 3-4 stops slower and the location was a bit shaded. I had no more trouble. It seems like time to reread the manual and maybe go with aperture priority in a shooting situation like that. This was the one semi-salvageable image. Hopefully, the EXIF is available.
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