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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-31-2016, 08:38 AM
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The Pentax flash system is one of the reasons I haven't upgraded since purchasing my K30.
14 months ago I picked up a used Canon 60D and 18-135mm (Non STM) lens and it had only 1748 shutter actuations. I bought it from from e-bay for less than $325.00 delivered.
The canon flash system is eons ahead of Pentax. Their on board flash can be set to E-TTL and FEC used for fill flash.
I've purchased 3rd party Flashes with all the bells and whistles including radio receiver for less than a low end flash for Pentax. All the functions of the flash can be controlled from within the camera but I do have an external transmitter that controls all the settings I'd need.
I've settled on manual flash which can be accomplished with my K30 using the same equipment (YN 560 III and YN 560 IV with a 560 TX transmitter-canon version) I use with the 60D.
I find myself using the 60D much more than the K30 just because I have the option of HSS and ETTL if I should need to use them.
I'm waiting for the new Pentax to come out but if it doesn't make some attempt to up it's flash capabilities I'll be leaving the Pentax fold for good.
Flash has become a very important aspect of my photography over the past 2 yrs. I now find photography quite limiting without flash. I enjoy that I can use flash to create beautiful lighting and don't have to rely on "available light" it's so invigorating.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
07-21-2014, 06:19 AM
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I'm just getting into off camera flash.
The photo is of my 11 yr old granddaughter she had just returned from the beach with her grandmother. I talked her into posing for me as a test of off camera flash using a light meter (Sekonic L 308S) to add fill flash in this case. I was mainly concerned with exposure and ensuring the flash didn't look like flash. Processing was nil it's a Jpeg straight out of camera and cropped and 2 stray hairs removed from her face.The meters exposure recommendation was right on according to the the histogram.
The off camera flash is a Metz 48 AF-1 set to manual 1/128th power held to the left side high by me it was triggered by the K30's on camera flash. I'm waiting for my triggers, light-stands, 5 in 1 reflector, and umbrellas (shoot through and reflective) to come in can't wait.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-17-2013, 02:40 PM
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An exceptional resource for understanding Photography is You Tube.
I enjoy Mike Browne's videos they are short and succinct. He is an excellent presenter of information not to mention very knowledgeable.
This is a link to his PLAYLISTS. I suggest you start with the Exposure Playlist.
He is quite knowledgeable.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-05-2014, 10:53 AM
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To do a Custom White Balance:
Take your shot with the disk. If you have the display set to display then let it run it's cycle.
With the 4 way controller select WB It will select the last shot you took which should be with the WB disk in the background.
Move the controller to Custom WB (there are 3 you can save) select 1
Select the info button if there needs to be changes such as get rid of blue cast and etc
[B]When done press OK
Leave it on that custom setting and you're all set.
Do the same for a Kelvin Adjustment or any others.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
03-25-2014, 06:28 AM
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I had all but forgotten the Sunny f16 rule. This technique was used with great success by photographers for decades.
I'm not going to explain the rule it's done on the link provided above. I Can say that if a beginner wants to learn how to manually set exposure, using this rule will move you in that direction very quicky. This rule isn't infallible it is however a great starting point for manually controlling exposure settings.
Above all it's very simple to understand and use:
- Recognize the type light you're photographing in
- Set you aperture according to the light you recognize
- Ensure your shutter speed and ISO match
There are considerations such as DOF, higher ISO needed, or a faster shutter speed to stop action but making those adjustments are as easy as counting clicks.
Example on a sunny day taking a portrait you may wish to have a shallower depth of field. If you just set your aperture to F4 to get the DOF you want without changing your other settings you'd get a beautifully blown out image.
Normally the rule is:- ISO - 100
- Shutter Speed : 100
- f Stop - 16
Adjusting the rule to get a proper exposure will give you the same exposure as the rule above (for sunny) but with the DOF you want. if you change one adjustment you must move another in the opposite direction to maintain the same exposure.
Sunny F16 rule changed for DOF- ISO - 100 (no change)
- f Stop - 4 (DOF)
- Shutter Speed to 1600
The above settings are the same exposure at ISO 100 (f16 & Tv 100 = f4 + tv 1600) you've just added DOF for the portrait. There is chart at the link above. As well there may be times when you need to increse or decrease exposure setting by a stop or partial stop to obtain proper exposure using the cameras meter.
As I said the rule isn't set in stone but it provides an excellent starting point as well as the opportunity to see how each adjustment interacts with the other.
Here are two samples both using this rule the sky photo required an adjustment to the ISO by 1/3 stop (my K30 is set up to allow the 1/3 adjustment) to ISO 125 to get the camera meter to the center position. These photo's are JPEG straight out of camera, resized, and a partial exif posted with a script.
They are for illustration purposes only: Very bright and cold day- the first just after noon and the second around 1:15 PM. In both cases I made the initial sunny and bright sunny settings in my home before going out to shoot.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
03-12-2014, 05:06 AM
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One thing not mentioned is the use of the scene mode called Blue Sky. I've experimented with it and it has worked well you might give this a try.
Just move the mode dial to scene and select blue sky.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
03-12-2014, 05:27 AM
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Thanks for the quick answer. Hope your problem is resolved.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-07-2014, 02:19 PM
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I've posted a PDF to Drop box on setting a CUSTOM/MANUAL White Balance on the K30 but I'm sure it's the same on other Pentax Camera Models.
Hope it helps
It's the first time I've used the publishing program (Serif Page Plus X7) so don't laugh. How ever please do make suggestions.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
03-20-2013, 06:22 AM
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I haven't had the opportunity to take many photographs with it, just playing with it around the house. Unfortunately the weather here in upstate NY isn't being
very cooperative. While the equipment may be weather resistant the user isn't. :D
Anyway, coming from the Kr and having also had the K100 & 200 I am very familiar with Pentax cameras and their menu and button system.
However the k30 is different and it will take me some time to get used to the layout and modes. This AM I was playing with it with the mode selection dial in
M but the OV finder was showing TAV. I was scratching my head trying to figure out why, it wasn't till I'd just about run out of options that I thought of
checking the ISO setting and low and behold I had left it on Auto ISO while playing with it last night.:o
Probably the biggest adjustment; I will have is using the two E-Dials to adjust Aperture and ISO, I find myself wanting to press a button to
switch between them. That adjustment will come in time with use.
My impression of the K30 is that this camera may be used by a beginner but it is no beginners camera. By that I mean there is so much room to grow as
a photographer. If the user wants to invest the time to really learn how to use the camera and not just take snapshots then this is the camera to begin with.
This camera has advanced features that many manufacturer's save for their higher end cameras.
I am impressed by the solid feel of the cameras construction. I actually like the different textures and find the rubberized texture on the grip very reassuring in my hand.
I don't find myself squeezing it so much which allows me to hold the camera steadier than with the Kr.
The grip is much better than the Kr but not as good as either my K100 or K200. I don't mean it's bad I like like a beefier grip better. The height of the grip
is good considering it's lack of width. The grip is nothing like Canon and Nikon has on their entry and mid level camera's. Their grips are both low and not beefy (small)
and it's the main reason I won't purchase them. They just aren't comfortable in my hand.
While there are several substantial differences between the Kr and K30 like two E-dials, User modes, ability to save lens fine tuning adjustments, Horizon and
Vertical indicators, the one I am most excited about is the ability to make custom white balance adjustments and save them.
With the Kr you could do a custom white balance using a white card (like the K30) but in the K30 you can save additional user settings which was impossible with
the Kr. I'm also glad to see the display of Kelvin when adjusting WB.
I have no doubt that the photographs coming out of this camera will be stunning if the user can harness and use it's awesome capabilities. I look forward to the challenge
and will be showing some of those shots when the weather breaks.
I am again excited about photography and this camera is the reason. I just had to tell somebody and you all are that somebody. :)
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Forum: Pentax K-r
10-31-2012, 05:58 AM
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Thanks for catching that. Center Weighted is what I meant (not Spot Metering).
I didn't realize that I could edit my post after being up so long. I just went back and changed that portion.
Again thanks
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Forum: Pentax K-r
05-27-2011, 07:03 AM
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I'm neither angry nor a fan boy. I've also never said that the Kr is perfect.
I said I don't have the FF or BF problem that has plagued others.
I have nothing to prove to you or anyone else, only to myself. If you believe that 100% of the Kr (s) produced suffer this problem then move on to anohter camera.
Personally I think that's a pretty moronic position to take.
What is the benifit of me testing for a 4th time? If I posted a shot that showed the problem you'd scream I told you so and if it didn't show the problem you'd scream that the test wasn't set up properly or some other lame argument. You're mind set is already made up.
If yours suffers the problem then do something about it besides posting on a forum and accusing others of lying and whether you admit it or not that's what you're doing.
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