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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-17-2007, 08:48 AM
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I noticed no one mentioned that at one time the Sigma web site did list Pentax mount for that lens as 'coming soon' and now no longer lists it at all.
In fact I have had some emails back and forth from Sigma (last spring) saying it would be available 'sometime in the summer' and as of my last two emails I have not even gotten a response from Sigma about this lens.
Leads me to believe they are not going to make it.
I voted that I would buy it, and if it came out I probably would. Though now that I have the DA* 50-135 It isn't as important as it once was. I would rather see a good 300mm f2.8 that was under two grand.
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-23-2007, 02:31 PM
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Sorry, I had to attach the images, my server isnt responding as quickly as I would like so until I find another hosting site I will have to attach them all.
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-23-2007, 08:02 AM
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Wonderful shot, just great!
I was thinking about giving HDR a try myself, and I was wondering if you could post the original individual photos for comparison. I think your final photo was really nice and I am curious how you got there..
Thanks,
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-22-2007, 11:16 AM
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Here are a few more shots from the Hawkfest at the Lake Erie Metro Park in Michigan.
It is a photographers dream, hundreds sometimes thousands of brids come through there during hawkfest, they have the local falconers club there and they catch, tag and release as many as they can sometimes bringing them around to show as well.
A few years ago they had Osprey nesting in the park, and well I could have used a 500mm that day the habitat was a long way from the last point accessable but it was still something to see..
These are a few of my favorites from that day..
Thanks for looking!
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Forum: Pentax Lens Articles
11-21-2007, 09:38 AM
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I know where your coming from on this one, but in order for me to get into a FF DSLR I would have to not only sell everything I already own anyway (Just to pay for it) but I would have to wait a couple years into it for the cost to come down to a point where I could make myself pay for the body alone. So the way I see it, I have at least 4 years with my current set up (if they do bring out a FF camera soon and even longer if they wait) before I COULD look into a FF body and I am going to want some good lenses for that time.
The only thing that bothers me is I was really hoping for a 200 or 300mm zoom in f2.8 rather than f4. Lack of light is my current nemesis and I was hoping the longer DA* would stay f2.8 (yes, I know it would cost a LOT more...)
Besides, when I hit the lottery this weekend it wont matter, I will just buy a complete new FF Pentax and lenses when they come out... ;)
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-21-2007, 09:09 AM
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I live in one of the suburbs of Detroit Michigan.
I don't normally write out my city name because most 'city' text fields are not long enough to accept the full name anyway. (Saint Clair Shores)
-John (I think my location is set right) Tobias
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Forum: General Talk
11-19-2007, 08:33 AM
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Thanks to you both, I really like the way this one came out. I also changed from an attached photo to a linked one, so it's now posted in the original resolution rather than shrunken..
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-19-2007, 08:24 AM
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OK Well, the problem with the text turned out to be the fact that I was attaching the images instead of linking to them. Now that I am linking them they look better and the text is far more readable.
Thanks everyone for the kind words and the advice on the text problem...
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-19-2007, 06:51 AM
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Thanks, I was using 600 in ASW/CS2 and it looks great when still in CS2. It isnt until its posted here that it shrinks.. I looked at the limits and it is supposed to be 800 x 536 on jpeg's which I thought I set the first 3 to be, but I must have missed. The last one I went with 600 wide, but it would be a lot more then 536 high so thats why it got shrunk. I am going to start posting them on my own site and linking as well. That way I can keep the images the correct size..
There is just something about Meerkats isn't there? they have such personality could watch them for hours.. Course, I get so distracted watching that I forget to snap the photos...
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-19-2007, 06:01 AM
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I was drawn to 3 and 5 I really like the color of 3 and I love the crystals on 5. great shots...
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-19-2007, 05:58 AM
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I think the shot of the deer is great, you couldn't ask for a better opportunity and you certainly took advantage of it.. Great shot.
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-19-2007, 05:49 AM
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Thanks, it is the first portrait I have attempted that came out at all well. My daughter thanks you for the kind words as well...
I got a lot of good shots of these funny animals, They are called Meerkats (think Timone from The Lion King) but this one is my favorite..
Thanks, I think it is as well, at least shrunken the way they are when posted here. The originals look nicer in the other font, but this one stands up to the resizing better..
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-18-2007, 04:22 PM
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I think this should be easier to read. I changed the font on this latest post... My first (sucessful) Portrait...
-John
Actually now that I post this, it is on the site quite a bit smaller than the original size and that may be what's making it harder to read... I think the site is changing the size to a maximum allowed (though I thought I was keeping them under it...) It is about half the size I posted, and no where near as nice and sharp.. I will have to resize again in Photoshop and see what I can do...
-edit I linked the photo and it looks much nicer now..
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-18-2007, 02:22 PM
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You know, now that I see them posted I have to agree with you, that lower text is a bit dodgy isnt it? It looked fine in Photoshop, but here I can barely read it as well and I know what it says...
I will change the font for future posts. Thanks!
-John
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-18-2007, 02:09 PM
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These are a few I took at the Toledo (OH) Zoo last time I was there...
I do like that Zoo a lot, very nice layout for photographers..
-John
-edit - linked the photos now, much nicer at full resolution..
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Forum: General Talk
11-18-2007, 07:25 AM
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Well, this is the last good soccer photo I took. I shot it with my *istDS2 and a Quantaray 70-300 f4-5.6 @ 250mm - f5.6. I can honestly say that while I love the K10D I have not taken a single good soccer photo with it. On top of that, while the DS2 loved the Quantaray lens the K10D HATES it. (H8!) basically I need to find a good xx-300 that the K10 likes... (that or buy another DS2, boy I regret selling that camera...)
-John
Edit - now I KNOW I was in the 'post your photos' forum when I clicked "new thread" how I ended up here is beyond me.. I know it glitched on me and I had to reload, but huh. well if the mod could move it for me I would appreciate it. Thanks.
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Forum: General Talk
11-15-2007, 09:14 AM
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This brings me to the obvious follow up question, is there a prosumer printer that outputs good enough prints to feel comfortable giving (selling?) them to others for framing and hanging?
I know my 7760 aint it, a friend of mine has an Epson R1800 and its a LOT nicer than mine, but still not quite that 'pro' look you get from photo centers. Is there something under the cost of a rather nice german car that will give that look?
Thanks,
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-14-2007, 12:51 PM
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I agree with you, I live in the USA but I live in a border town and I spend a lot of time in Canada, There are a lot of products that now with the Canadian dollar standing on the US dollar your getting the short end of the stick. For example Books, a hardcover edition in the US has a cover price of around 25.00 the same book in Canada has a cover price up to 10.00 higher. I could almost understand it when the US$ was 50% or more higher but now its robbery.
The only thing I can come up with is that there is a lot of stock that was purchased at the lower exchange rate and to sell it at the newer rate would loose the retailer money. Not that it is an excuse, just a possibility is all. Well, at least the way I see it anyway, see if you buy something for say $1000.00 Canadian and thats with a exchange rate of -50% you still spent $1000.00 on it. just because OUTSIDE Canada your dollar is worth more (or actually the US dollar is worth a lot less) it's still a 1000.00 dollar item you can not suddenly sell it for 800.00 Canadian and say oh well, the exchange rate makes up for it. Especially if you bought the item from Japan, where your exchange rate probably didn't change much.
Of course, if I was an economist this would make a lot more sense but I would need charts, graphs and a lot of underlings to do all the work...
I think NEW items coming from the USA into Canada should be cheaper now than ever, but I doubt thats the case as well...
Course you could do what americans always used to and drive across buy it and take it back with you... ;) Especially if you live near Niagara and can pop into NY fairly easy... (or as you say, fly into Florida...) ;)
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-14-2007, 07:24 AM
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You know had I not been so shocked by the entire thing, I probably would have, but as it was it was all I could do to keep an even keel.
There really should be some kind of written posted policy about it in the store. What exactly constitutes a "Professional Photograph" and what a photographer has to do to prove his/her own work. On what conditions printed photographs will not be sold and what recourse the customer has. Without this information available then it's all a crap shoot whether or not you get your photos..
Yesterday I took the same photos to the kiosk at a Walgreens pharmacy photo counter and tried again to print them. At Walgreens the kiosk prints back to the photo department and does not come out the bottom of the kiosk. So When I went to the counter to pick them up I almost expected the same problem (this time however I had my Camera and kit with me (in the Tamrac Pro 12 case which if you've never seen it is a HUGE bag, very impressive looking) however I didn't need it. The counter person took no notice of the photos, and just gave me the total (cheaper than Sam's Club btw) and gave me the prints.
Well, so much for pathos.
Like anything else in the world a law is only as powerfull as the people enforcing it. The kiosk at Walgreens had the same disclaimer on it about professional photos as every other one I have ever seen, but if the counter person doesn't care there might as well not be a law.
Now, this counter person might have been sharp enough to tell that they were not "Professional Photos" or perhaps I just looked honest to her, I dont know. Whatever the reason I got my prints without faking a business card, faking a waver from a non-existent photographer or arguing untill they gave in. I actually liked these prints better than the ones from the Kodac kiosk at Sam's Club they had a bit more saturation and the color was more accurate.
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-12-2007, 12:54 PM
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My first Pentax was a K1000 I got in the early 80's ('83 I think) but when it was stolen I got a P3 which I still have to this day, I have to admit however that I have not used it since I got my first *ist DL a few years back... (then the *ist DS2, ghad I regret selling THAT one, gotta pick another one up..) and now my K10d.
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-12-2007, 11:59 AM
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I use this one at work, I certainly didn't make it, but I like it..
At home, It changes from day to day depending on my mood, but normally it is some landscape of the Isle of Man or the Isle of Wight (soothing relaxing visuals) ;)
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-12-2007, 08:00 AM
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And I think thats where my frustration really comes from, if I was trying to steal someone elses work, it would have been far easier.
Fake business card and poof, stolen work.
There you see the problems inherent in the system. Amateur photographer can not print his own work, but theives can copy and print as long as they fake they are photographers.
Oh, well. I am going to start using one of the online services I suppose, I will have to start looking at them and decide who works well at a good price.
-John
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-11-2007, 06:45 AM
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I am also considering this lens as my next purchase (unless Pentax brings out a DA* in similar [well 300 would be fine for me] focal length before I save up the money)
And for those of you who have it, if shot at the narrower end (well ok not all the way out to 400) on a tripod how sharp is it? I understand hand holding a lens this long is asking for blurry photos (heck I blur a lot at 135) but it would be the perfect next lens as it would give me unbroken coverage from 18 to 400 (sigma 18-50, pentax 50-135, sigma 135-400) Could someone point me to, or post some samples from this lens?
Thanks,
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-11-2007, 06:31 AM
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Right!
Now with the online services, did you have to sign a waiver or something to be able to send you photos there?
I used to send my film out to be developed and printed (The last few years of my film usage before digital really took off the local stores just didn't develop properly, consistantly or IMHO professionally) and when you send undeveloped film (or for that matter negatives) into somewhere they PROVE you took them (well again as much as possible).
Unless you signed something for the online processing company someone could just as easily scan a pro photo, upload it and order prints. Which if the case is yet another hole in the protection for photographers..
-John
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Forum: General Talk
11-11-2007, 06:01 AM
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I don't think that exif info or anything on the image for that matter would have helped. It was a photo kiosk not a computer not a deal where they have a computer that they use to print the photos for me, so I dont know how I would have gotten them to see this info.
I would assume a pro photographer would not, for exactly the reasons you stated, so again I can understand the concern on the stores part, but even so as I said in the OP they were ok, but not 'pro' quality shots in my opinion. But the background is what set them off. I also printed the final installment of my boys soccer team photos (its what happens when you spend too much time on the sidelines with a long lens, the team asks you to take them...) which WERE pro photos (simply because I got paid to take and print them) and they had no problem with those.
I agree it has almost everything to do with the location. I am sure if I had gone to my local Ritz Camera store to print them where they deal with amateur photographers and sell the low cost backgrounds to them I would have gotten my photos. But I shouldnt have to, plus they charge a LOT more for the larger prints (8x10) then Sam's Club does.
The really bad thing about all of this (and thanks to everyone who posted links on the exif and photo info, I AM going to start using and adding this info to my photos as part of the work flow) is that NOTHING I do or can do really proves I did or did not take the photo in question just that I convinced the store clerk that I did. Which means those of you who DO take pro portraits are no more protected with this law (if there indeed is one, perhaps they mean the DMCA or something similar) than if there was not one. becuase I am positive that had I thought ahead and made a business card up I would have gotten these photos eventually and it would not have mattered if I had taken them or not. It honestly didn't occur to me that I would have to prove I did. I guess thats because I wouldn't consider stealing photos from someone like that and I think everyone knows I wouldn't... kinda naive I guess.. :o
I still dont know a good way to actually PROVE I took a particular photo as anything I can do short of carrying a photo of me taking the photo in question can be faked (if I can do it someone else can fake it) and I bet someone who wants to bad enough could fake the photo of themselves taking the photo..
-John
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