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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-11-2022, 12:57 PM
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Actually I've sold my D7200 in favor of K-1 and never looked back! The K-1's IQ is superb, somewhat comparable with the MF cameras, especially with Pixel Shift engaged. The AF... well... might be better. K-1 doesn't aligned well with time-sensitive reportage and fast-moving wildlife. I'm not saying it won't fit (it will), I mean there are cameras that would outperform K-1 in AF speed/accuracy. Yet it's still an outstanding camera for landscape and studio work. It also goes down to proper settings, e.g. various AF modes differ in accuracy noticeably. Basically, having set it properly, I don't have any issues with AF most of the time. I didn't try K-3 III yet, but it's said to have AF significantly improved.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-23-2022, 08:35 AM
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The 43 is my favorite lens that stays on my K-1 body most of the time. Small, lightweight, the FOV is very convenient for me. It has some flaws (who is perfect?) but its PQ outweights them heavily. Really sharp from wide open (yet a bit soft, good for portraits), tackle sharp from f/3.2, has its distinct rendering. The flaws are: it doesn't like the sun right behind the frame -- you should include it into or point the camera so that the sun isn't close to the frame. Otherwise the image loses contrast and gets red tint. Sometimes it's enough just to cover the sun with your palm when shooting, but you ought to be conscious with this. Another flaw is the continuation of its strong side: being very good in rendering color and tonal nuances it doesn't like the mottled backgrounds. Just avoid them. I wouldn't recommend it for, say, reproductive work -- it's an artistic kind of lens, great for portraiture, paysage and such. It took me some time to find out how to shoot with it, after that it sits on my body all the time. Well, almost: I do own other great lenses, too. So, if you're ready to spend some time to get used to it and sensitive to the PQ, you won't regret this purchase.
UPD: you may visit flickr.com and search for 43mm lens. Also there is a dedicated group over there. You may also look here.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-23-2022, 08:05 AM
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I'd second 43mm. Incredible PQ, lightweight, "natural" angle. It's been stuck to my K-1 and stays on some 95% of the time...
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
06-02-2022, 10:20 AM
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You misread my statement. I meant "Wine instead a separate Win machine". Actually, I have deep 40-years experience with *nices of all kinds so I know what wine is. Thanks.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
06-02-2022, 12:55 AM
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Then yes. I did use it long ago, too. I should have put it as if you rely on DT you don't need Rapid Photo Downloader.
Great shot! Thumbs up!
Can you just use wine instead?
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
06-01-2022, 09:05 AM
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Not exactly needed. DT is capable to import images both from the SD card or from the camera via USB cable.
+1
Sometimes it needs some fiddling, sometime even consulting the manual, sometimes... well... it crashes. Nevertheless it's capable of making excellent stitching!
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
05-31-2022, 12:56 PM
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I even did not know that...
Be careful! Once you start using the DT masks addiction is inevitable!
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
05-31-2022, 12:08 PM
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Few more things I forgot to mention. AFAIK RT understands Pentax pixel-shift format (as I said I rarely use RT so I may be inaccurate) wlile DT does not. Also, DT has decent retouch module with wavelet decomposition, so I very seldom need anything else like GIMP or Krita to finish processing. Most of the routine retouching, like litter removal or skin improvement may be easily done with DT only. DT also has quite advanced masking that helps a lot as far as it is mastered. RTFM!
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
05-31-2022, 10:27 AM
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As for Darktable. I've been using it since v0.6 IIRC. Last couple of years it augmented with a dedicated developer who is a photographer, a programmer and a mathematician. He has practically developed another developing path within the DT that is more in line with the physics of light, thus gives more natural and pleasing results. (You may still choose "old" vs "new" process in the settings. You may almost dump the old LAB path because LAB is known to misbehave with high dynamic images). The price to pay for this is that UI became sometimes quite complicated because of low-level features that cannot be adequately represented by customary UI without loosing the advantage of using them. Thus, to benefit from this new shiny features one have to dip into the manual (who wants to do this!) and probably see this dev's YT channel to understand how to use new modules and why they cannot be simplified without loosing the final IQ. Also, new modules may behave arbitrary in some situation and you may have to get used to them to be effective: DT won't masquerade the errors (negative RGB values and such) for the sake of usability. You need to understand what you are doing. In spite of what I'm telling here the simple development is still easy with DT. You'll need this advanced stuff if your RAWs are complicated (high DR, mixed light conditions, etc.) So the DT learning curve lately became quite steep, but having made a commitment, I'm personally quite happy with it and I've been redeveloping my old shots to get a better look for them. Because I can see the difference. Because now I can make marginals look normal. And I can produce look I want.
And, I don't really use RT much, so I cannot suggest between the two. For editing I'd suggest Krita against GIMP. The UI of the latter is really awful AFAICT. Hope it helps.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-10-2021, 02:16 AM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-10-2021, 02:16 AM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-10-2021, 02:10 AM
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Love the color combination on the 1-st shot! Your photographic eye hasn't let you down.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-10-2021, 02:07 AM
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This one to be printed, certainly.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-10-2021, 02:05 AM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-10-2021, 02:03 AM
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Nice volume! Very artful!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
12-10-2021, 01:58 AM
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Forum: General Photography
07-26-2021, 01:05 AM
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You seem to be right. I've just had a bad experience with Tamron in a past. Also, the times when they made a cheap low-quality glass with unstable IQ and all loose have probably gone. I tried Tamron's primes at a shop and found them quite interesting, concerning build qualiry and IQ. In the same time, it's another price range already. So one can't get anything for nothing... But I still don't understand why Tamron lens from Tamron is significantly cheaper than Tamron lens from Pentax, provided that latter don't need a stab. Markenting policy? OTOH, one of the main reasons why I migrated from Nikon to Pentax was Nikon's native lens which were solid performers... and that's it. I could see no soul in the pictures made with them, if you know what I mean. They're too technical, too right -- like a nerd scoolgirl -- and I find it a little bit boring. So I mostly shoot with Sigma or legacy D lens. Flaws do have another, positive side, that's why we love Limiteds)))
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Forum: General Photography
07-25-2021, 04:48 AM
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I used to have this lens and was disappointed with it. Maybe I just was unlucky to get a worse copy, I don't know... I'd sold it in favor of Sigma 17-50/2.8, then I got 18-35/1.8 when it's available and liked it very much. It sat on my camera all the time except I did closer portraits that demanded a longer lens. In fact, I still miss this glass and would be happy if Pentax offers something like it for FF. It always has 20-40 for APS-C, and my lens of dream would be analogous lens for K-1.
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Forum: General Photography
07-24-2021, 11:54 PM
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I've always been suspicious about Tamron zooms since I've had one. Even rebadged ones))) And I find both Pentax FF zooms overpriced, TBH.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
07-24-2021, 02:23 AM
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Thanks normhead. That's what I wanted to know.
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Forum: General Photography
07-24-2021, 02:20 AM
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Maybe, but TBH, I don't care. I'm not planning to keep this lens for a long time, and meanwhile I know how to obtain the good results from this lens. As for infinity, stopping down to f/5.6 of narrower does the trick. And frankly, "awful" was too strong word -- it's really OOF on infinity wide open, but not this bad. I just were disappointed with it after 18-35. And AFAIK legacy 50mm glass is prone to this kind of behavior, my copy is just has this effect more pronounced. Yet it's good at portrait distances: reasonably sharp and contrastive.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-23-2021, 12:57 AM
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Yet another shot in chasing Limiteds)))
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-23-2021, 12:57 AM
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This beautiful rose must have a name)))
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-23-2021, 12:55 AM
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Great shot (and a story)!
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Forum: General Photography
07-23-2021, 12:43 AM
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I'm new to Pentax ecosystem. Just bought K-1 body, immediately added used FA50/1.4 as a stub for awile. Surprisingly it appeared a decent piece of glass (I'd had Nikon 50/1.4D which was usable only stopped down to 2.0 or more) -- a little bit soft but still quite good wide open on short distances (yet awful at infinity. Tried to shot landscapes in low light with no success. Had to stop down and rise ISO. Warmly remembered my favorite Sigma 18-35 I shoot landscapes on f/1.8 with... Now I'm thinking about exchange it to 50/2.8 macro for landscapes, maybe DA*55). Added 77 Lim to the package, now I'm equipped with two portrait lenses only)). So I'm thinking about getting 28-105 as a all-weather walk-around lens and getting some wider primes. 31 Lim is way too expensive, maybe used 43 or something. After getting the body my budget is quite tight, so I'm hesitating...
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