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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
07-18-2012, 03:02 PM
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Over a year since I've posted anything, I still wander around here to read stuff and find help for some of my friends who use Pentax gear.
Jori Hulkkonen - Selkäsaari tracks 15th anniversary party
Klubi, Turku
Lunta!Lunta! puppetry show by Kuuma Ankanpoikanen
TIP-Fest 2011
Cleaning Women
Klubi, Turku
Viikate
Klubi, Turku
After 1.5yrs of using D700 shooting gigs and performances I still kind of miss some of the small user friendly and intuitive stuff of K5 but couldn't be happier for the change.
Henrik Mikander
-HenrikM.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
02-07-2011, 07:41 AM
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I had severe FF on 2 DA*'s, 35mm ltd and D-FA 100mm = all my daily lenses. Couldn't be corrected with the camera. Sold the K5 just yesterday after giving it to test for one week, the conditions the buyer is shooting doesn't show FF and I told him about the possible problems in certain situations. Most of my shooting is in those conditions and I have some paid gigs coming that need to be taken care of.
A bit of a shame I had to part with that camera but to me the focusing issues were that big deal. I hope Pentax deals with these issues asap because everything else in that camera is just near perfect.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
02-04-2011, 06:31 AM
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3hrs in -17C to -10C and K-5 + DA* 50-135 kept clicking without any problems, I started to freeze before the camera.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-29-2011, 08:34 AM
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After using my friend's D700 (seven hundred, not a typo) + top of the line lenses for the past few days I'm confident to say, if Pentax upgrades their autofocus system to modern level they'll create the best aps-c sized camera for the price. Pentax sweeps the floors with Nikon in usability, ergonomics and build quality for the price. After comparing images taken with high ISO the k5 has nothing to shame in that compartment.
I just love everything else but the AF on the K-5, but that is enough for me to get a 2nd system.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-24-2011, 03:27 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-20-2011, 12:37 AM
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Same or even lower light levels. We started from 1 flash w/ softbox and built it to 5 flash setup, taking a picture with each addition or adjustment. I cannot post the pictures online because I don't have a permission from my schoolmates.
I know it shouldn't be that bad but it is, the camera is pretty much useless in anything that's in dim light, like I've said before, I have quite poor sight and can't focus manually with the small viewfinder. I had Katzeye in K200D that helped a bit but at the moment I'm not going to invest anything in Pentax gear because of this focusing issue.
I've been trying my friends D90 and 50D in school, very fast focusing (esp. 50d w/ 24-70 usm) but the ergonomics is just not there. Mant functions seem to be illogical compared to Pentax. And the comments from those users are always the same, "Why does your camera focus so slowly?"
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-19-2011, 03:57 PM
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Our schools studio is very small, 50mm in portrait "mode" is barely wide enough for full body shots. We were shooting quite basic head and 3/4 portraits /and everything between) for our first studio course.
Looked at our very first studio shots today from the beginning of Nov and no focus issues there.
We started film course today, I'm cheating the K-5 with my Pentax ME...
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-17-2011, 03:02 PM
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Hensel 500Ws+250Ws studio flashes with halogen modeling lights. Didn't take a reading since I was shooting with max sync speed anyway, there's no other thing going on, just that af, or should I say focus lottery. In daylight, no problems.
There was enough contrast (caucasian skin w/ black hair) where I tried to focus, Beauty dish as modifier for the key, gridded hairlight, background light and a silver reflector opposite to the key light. No tripod, and no it's not some kind of movement blur because I can see the fiber pattern on the front of the shirt.
This failure means I didn't pass the studio course because the rest of the studio time is already reserved. I've had 3 cancelled shoots (people had to go to work) before this one and one with the same FF problem shot with 50mm@f8-11 same distance.
I'm beginning to think is there a saboteur in the Pentax factory...
I just got a paid gig that's less than 2 months from now and I can't f... that up.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-17-2011, 01:19 PM
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So, I was at the studio today and most of the ~100 shots I tried to take were so horribly FF I can't use them, again! If I focused on the shoulder that was behind the focus was almost correct, still leaving the edge of shoulder out of focus. Most of my time I tried to get the focus right and just had to call the whole thing off because these focusing issues just killed the mood completely.
75mm @ f9 from 3-3.5m = 0.57-0.77m total DOF and the poses we tried to shoot were not that deep.
I'm keeping the K-5 for outdoor stuff but getting another system for gigs and studio stuff.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-12-2011, 05:48 AM
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"Dear Sir,
Thank you for your enquiry.
Pentax is aware of the front-focussing issue in darker lighting-conditions and is working on a solution.
At this point however it is is not solved.
"
Pentax support contacted through pentaximaging.com.
I asked a rough estimate on the fix.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-07-2011, 08:21 AM
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Well that wasn't meant to be a racist comment. My apologies if people were insulted.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-21-2010, 07:51 AM
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Clarkey, that first shot is so beautiful.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-19-2010, 02:53 PM
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I had K200D that wouldn't lock focus at all at the "end of it's life". Lots of hunting and very slow focus even in good light.
When the conditions are at the edge of af assist lamp kicking in or not the focus tends to front focus with K-5. I've lost a lot of shots because of that, some people say that there is a firmware fix coming, I really hope there will and fast.
The only real complaint I have, other than that it's so good camera I could get married with it. I also use 16-50 for a lot of my shooting in parties, clubs and gigs. Focus locks without a lot of hunting, compared to my copy (which is "dying", I suspect that the af sensor is dirty or something) of K200D I'd say 2/3 faster to lock.
The overall speed of focus is not improved, like said above, the sdm is the limiting factor. Screw focus lenses are faster.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-19-2010, 02:30 PM
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I said this in another thread.
I was shooting at a snooker club and missed all but one shot because of this, the tables have compact fluoros. Deleted 50 or so shots. Same thing happened in studio in a moody film noir shoot, Hensel heads with halogen modeling lights, everything was front focused, even at 50mm, f6.7-11! Can't show the pictures because the model won't allow to put them online.
In the snooker club I tried to fiddle with the focus adjustment and it didn't help at all. I really don't think the AF should work that bad. That's completely unacceptable from a camera with a price tag of 1200e.
If I can't trust the gear to do what I'm telling it, then I think it really is time to change system. K-5 was the last chance I'm giving to Pentax. If these issues (flash overexposure, unreliable focusing under artificial light) are not being solved in the next 1-2 months it's byebye Pentax. If that is even possible through firmware.
Kind of shame, I reallyreallyreally like Pentax lenses and the ergonomics of the bodies but I need a camera that I can trust. I don't have time to look the focus after every shot I take especially in the clubs and gigs etc. where I usually have one chance to get the picture.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-17-2010, 05:16 AM
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I was shooting at a snooker club yesterday. Out of 50 or so pictures only one was focused correctly. All the rest had front focus, tried to use the lens correction but it had no effect on the front focusing.
K-5 has so much issues that should be corrected and fast. What's the use of ISO 6400-12800 if the camera misses focus almost every time, it basically has 10 focus points. The outer 2 aren't usable at all. I shoot quite much in clubs and gigs with poor lights and I need reliable focusing, the reason I upgraded from K200D that stopped locking focus.
Had a film noir style studio shoot (Halogen modeling light in Hensel strobes) that were also front focused, so bad that I cant use those in my school project, 50mm @ f8-11. It's like I had used completely other focus point. Tried to focus on the eyes/face but camera focused on the hands that were on table.
I'm seriously thinking another system, K-5 was the last chance I'm giving to Pentax. I just love the optics and ergonomics with Pentax, but that won't help in this situation.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-14-2010, 09:23 AM
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I had K-x manual in the box...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-10-2010, 07:29 AM
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I just bought a 2nd hand 35mm ltd and oh boy am I impressed. Showed some landscape shots to hardcore Canonians and they were awed by the quality of the optics and how that is built. Both wanted to take shots with it.
I've been thinking of a af prime lens (I have Pentax M 50mm 1.4 and Panagor 28mm 2.8) and was checking between 31mm and 35mm and went with the 35. One of the reasons was quick shift and at some degree the close focusing abilities, would've liked the bigger aperture but life is full of choices. Just got it yesterday morning so no pictures to share, yet.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-03-2010, 12:18 AM
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I talked to UK technical support via email and pointed to this thread. They said they are aware of this issue and the software development people are working on it.
Metz support told me that K-5 works differently than the older bodies and they too are working on a software update for the Mecablitzes.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-02-2010, 12:53 PM
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I've been trying to see the photos since this was posted but that page doesn't load. No idea why, been having odd problems like this for a while now.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-02-2010, 10:45 AM
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They are working on it as are the folk at Metz. Contacted both about the flash issue.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
11-30-2010, 10:34 AM
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My creative photography teacher always reminds us to "kill your darlings".
To Planedriver: I've seen some nice shots from you. Keep 'em coming.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-30-2010, 10:31 AM
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Thanks!
I really like the colours I got out of the K-5 file, I froze before the camera did. Took nearly 150 photos while walking around. Everything was so nicely coated with frost, shame that I loaned my DFA 100mm macro to a school buddy.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-30-2010, 10:26 AM
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3, 8, 14 & 16! Very nice work with lighting and especially the processing in the last one!
Thanks for sharing.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-30-2010, 09:57 AM
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I've wanted to shoot these steel orbs for a while, don't even know what's the use of those. Had a long walk in the fresh winter air with my camera and happened to pass by one these, had to take a picture this time.
3hrs in the cold -17-10C and everything worked perfectly.
Processed with LR3.2
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
11-30-2010, 04:26 AM
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There is an option in the menu for different batteries, have you checked that? I can't check it for you because I just came from outside and the camera is warming up.
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