Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-03-2024, 09:36 AM
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Pentax has enough circled around their core DSLR business. It’s high time for the K1 Mark III.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-08-2023, 11:54 PM
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I have a MZ-5N and indeed, it supports AE mode and focus confirmation with lenses in KA mount. Not K mount lenses.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-27-2023, 05:27 PM
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I too am itching to rent and try... alas, not Pentax. One of the most interesting lenses outside my bubble and that Pentax will never match is the Nikon 500/5.6 AF-S PF VR etc. Very light due to it's Fresnel lens, it can be paired to a DX 850 body - kind of what K1 Mark III should be (have been already :lol:). I may put this on an unfair trial against K1-II and 150-450/4.5-5.6. Just for fun... or maybe more? :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-27-2023, 01:57 PM
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One conspicuous absence from both CAI and C2PA is Apple. As both producer and image consumer and also the largest in market, an iPhone C2PA compliant would make the standard de-facto and force everyone to align.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
11-26-2023, 10:51 AM
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
11-26-2023, 10:49 AM
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Discount is still on, a great lens indeed!
It looks like people also noticed the HD FA 150-450/4.5-5.6 is $200 less at Adorama, and now is backordered. My contribution too. 😀
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Forum: Sold Items
11-24-2023, 09:49 PM
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PentaxForums.com Marketplace Listing Item for Sale
Pentax K-3 Mark II body shutter count 8822 Asking Price
390.00 USD Item Location
Seattle, WA (United States) Item Description
Camera is fully functional, with no scratches or dents. It includes one battery and two 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro cards. I am selling it for no other reason that I am going full frame only. This body was kept with a DFA 300/4 and 1.4XTC exclusively for wildlife, but now I have replaced it with a full frame setup. Thanks for your consideration. Are you the original owner of the item being sold?
No Are you selling or trading this item?
Selling Item Condition (Key)
Used
Like New Shipping Destinations
Worldwide Shipping Charge
20.00 Shipping Services
USPS Priority Post Accepted Payment Types
PayPal Return Policy & Additional Details
Return window is two weeks, if camera body is dead on arrival. Buyer pays for shipping.
Please send me a private message if interested in the item!
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
09-05-2023, 05:28 PM
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I do use two high gamut, calibrated 27" screens, as a Capture One dual screen setup. My highly spec-ed (for 2018) Mac machine is at its limit with handling 2 4K external screens and the 33MP raw files, so it will definitely need an upgrade with the potentially higher resolution sensor of the K1-III.
And by the way, I am surrounded by 4 Windows workstations here in office, so I don't speak out of ignorance when I prefer a Mac, and I don't really care to entertain an OS/hardware war in a camera thread.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-14-2023, 10:09 AM
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I'll be one of the firsts to pre-order the K1 III, but I don't expect this to happen anytime soon. When it comes I'll probably sell one of the two K1 II bodies, and also get a new Mac Pro to accommodate the larger images. I don't have any expectations from the new body, other than technology updates on the very successful K1 platform. My only request to Ricoh is to be proactive in providing main software raw developers (Capture One and Apple in particular) with raw file format specs and camera prototypes. It's a small effort with disproportionate outcomes in user satisfaction and rate of adoption.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
01-12-2023, 02:23 PM
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Their main focus seems to be the iPad app, live sharing and generally serving the needs of professionals. Also remember they need to support both Windows and Mac, and as a developer of shared code for both platforms, I can tell you this is not trivial and there's a lot of code forking. Generally is tough to release new features on multiple platforms at the same time.
Personally I don't care about iPad tethering, live sharing, nor do I need large imports management, but despite several shortcomings I still find C1 the most compelling tool out there. I upgrade every year the perpetual license, and may even switch to a subscription, but what worries me the most is they will never support, say, K-1 III, and that will force me to move back to ON1 or try something else. Learning curve will be steep but oh well, learning and adjusting is part of staying alert and alive.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-05-2022, 12:41 PM
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I have no expectations for a MkIII, though I would order one as soon as is available. For now I got a second K1 MkII, keep a limited prime always on it and enjoy the photography. Creating photo opportunities is the main concern, and definitely a healthier one than longing for fresh hardware.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-07-2022, 12:53 PM
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I had the Tamron 1.4X Pz-AF paired with the Pentax DFA 300/4 for a couple of years, then got the Pentax 1.4X TC as soon as it was released. The Tamron failed to focus reliably with 300/4 and mounted on a K-5 body. Most of the time I had to focus manually, or at least pre-focus in range. When in focus, the images were not too bad, however Pentax is in a completely different class: there is no image quality degradation between 300/4 and 300/4 + 1.4X TC, and focus is fast and precise (on a K3-II). Truly there is no competition, regardless of price. As for the Pentax 1.4X TC, I only wish Pentax will update it with a full frame version. Things seem to take a lifetime to change at Pentax, but oh well, at least they're still in business.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-13-2022, 02:37 PM
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You may rent the 15-30/2.8 and decide based on your experience. I received one from lensrentals.com and quickly resolved the weight makes it unwieldy in the field. Since I tend to stay around 20mm, I prefer a combination DFA 21/2.4 and Irix 15/2.4. Or for gnarly climbs, when changing lens is not an option, I just take the good old FA 20-35/4. Wished Pentax would re-edit that with an updated WR casing.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-12-2022, 11:44 AM
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Glad to keep the HD FA 21/2.4 in my bag.
Minimal processing as always with this lens, just pulling the highlights a bit.
(Hmm... attachments are butchered to jpeg 85% quality, need to figure a decent way to post photos here)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-07-2021, 01:06 AM
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Before I got the HD FA 31/1.8 my favorite “normal” lens for many years was the FA 35/2, and a good argument for “good enough”: why would I want an expensive limited when the 35/2 covered my needs in sharpness, flare control, etc.? I didn’t know it until I finally broke down for 31: the difference was more than apparent, the pictures were good out of the camera, with no post processing needed. The same appears to be true for the HD FA 21/2.4: images come out rich and having depth, and I simply don’t feel the need to open the shadows, or to add to the clarity. Moral of the story? The great 35 is already here, it is 31/1.8.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-04-2021, 06:13 PM
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This is what my mainstay is. Of course I would use the lens that suits best the subject, but the question is what stays on the camera the most. :) And yes, I do use the HD FA 31/1.8 a lot, it is surprisingly versatile.
P.S. The limited portrait is taken with yet another limited, a strong contender for mainstay title, the 21/2.4. Fortunately there's a body for it too.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-04-2021, 03:15 PM
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It took a whole month to take delivery, and a couple more days for the rain to relent. Late evening low light was a good excuse - and a tough lens test - to go for a quick series at f/2.4 in the nearby park. At this first glance, colors rendition, sharpness and bokeh all exceed my expectations.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-30-2021, 01:20 PM
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I skipped the K-3 III and got a second K-1 II body in lieu, taking advantage of the recent discounts. The latter is still delivers very impressive results, and will likely be the permanent site for the limiteds 21/2.4 and 31/1.8. As for wildlife, my K-3 II shall do just fine still. If next year Ricoh doesn't follow up with K-1 III, I may reconsider the K-3 III.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
11-08-2021, 09:34 PM
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Fair enough. As a software engineer however I am acutely aware of how expensive the development of such specialized software is. As a photographer, I may not need the new features, but I pay also to keep alive an exquisite, yet of limited use tool. Would you prefer a world with only PS and LR, or for that matter, Canon and Sony? I do the same with ON1 (about the same price range) even if I only use it occasionally to complement C1, especially since they show more enthusiasm in supporting Pentax.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
11-02-2021, 11:05 AM
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I wonder if C1 will finally add support for reading the individual raw images from K1 HDR file. It would make perfect sense in this context, but then again, only to us, the small Pentax alternate universe... Capture One 22 Pre-Upgrade |
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-02-2021, 10:53 AM
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On this summer's climb of Mount Rainier I took the newly arrived HD 31/1.8. I limit myself to only one lens on hard mountaineering outings, and that is usually FA 20-35/4, but this time I felt I want to try something different, particularly in the low light of the eerie dawns on the mountain. Not convinced 31mm is wide enough I added the dependable 20-35/4 to the bag, just in case. In the end I took a series of great photos solely with the 31/1.8, from evening to next afternoon, not ever considering I might need the zoom. Indeed wide angle zooms are overrated, one judicially chosen fix focal covers a lot. That's why I (pre)ordered the 21/2.4 Limited the moment it became available, not second thoughts.
Oh, and the Samyang? I owned two copies of the Rokinon 14/2.8 (same manufacturer). First I returned with defective electric contacts, second developed the same issue one year later. I cannot afford to be let down by gear in a remote, difficult trip. Pentax is inexpensive relative to the photo opportunities.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-01-2021, 07:16 PM
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I just preordered it at B&H, and I see Adorama offers it too. Here's to more of the awesomeness of the HD 31/1.8 Limited - a fenomenal lens that became my de facto field lens. When the 21 arrives I will probably relegate the ancient (yet trusty) FA 20-35/4 to exhibition shelf. :)
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Forum: Repairs and Warranty Service
09-27-2021, 12:18 PM
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With the occasion of Mark II upgrade procedure, my K-1 was found with significant corrosion underneath the base plate. (While the camera was still functional, I have agreed to the board replacement else the service shop would not warrant and perform the upgrade).
After the initial disbelief and much consideration, I have traced the corrosion source back to using the combo K1 - DFA 28-105/3.5-4.5 in heavy rain conditions. The water did not go past the seals, it was the water vapors being sucked in by the zooming operation, which displaces a significant volume of air on the 28-105 lens. (Ever since I limit the use of this otherwise excellent lens to casual photography; in the field I prefer fully sealed lenses or with less pump effect.)
While I sympathize with your situation, I find it hard to build a case against the manufacturer. In my case I was shown detailed close up photos of the corrosion area and offered thorough technical explanations. I expect no lens interchangeable camera is or will ever be warranted for water damage - the liability is there by design.
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Forum: Pentax Full Frame
09-21-2021, 09:16 AM
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I had the F 70-210/4-5.6 on K1 for a short while: the lens is quite sharp and yields good contrast in low light. Looking back and comparing the pictures against the modern DFA 70-210/4 - is not too shabby. However it’s optical design implies moving a rather large block of glass to focus, making it very slow to autofocus on K1. More on the negatives, despite the outer metal build is actually quite fragile: the camera bag dropped from a couple of feet height with lens inside (body mounted) taking a frontal shock and despite the cushioning the inner plastic helicoid broke. Now is a nice looking piece of history. 🤣
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
06-25-2021, 11:24 AM
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It's a pleasure just to peer at the world through Mx's viewfinder, however only with really bright lenses. Prior to HD 31/1.8 I used to mount on it the K 28/3.5, a wonderful lens in all respects, except it would darken the viewfinder below low light requirements. Now 31/1.8 has restored the balance - the perfect lens for MX!
By the way, the viewfinder technology made huge strides to achieve such brightness in K1 II, for apertures as low as f/5.6; only wished K1 II's viewfinder was as large as MX's. Perhaps in K1 Mark III - I would buy it just for that.
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