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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 11-05-2012, 06:19 PM  
Definitive Ruling on K-30 Shutter Sound?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 71
Views: 14,736
Strange that the K30 is so loud - compared with the K5 and other sealed body versions... I've only used 2 DSLRs - the K30 and a borrowed-for-weekends K200D - and the K30 startled me - it's "more modern" than the K200 - but the 'clack-chunk' is sharper, less "sealed-inside" sounding, and louder.

Perhaps the lower models in the range have to have louder shutters to make the top-of-range models sound more 'Rolls-Royce silent'.

Or it promotes sales of longer lenses to get the camera clear of anything that would be startled by the sound... :D

And in any crowd or gathering, where most are waving their P&S devices - it certainly announces to anyone within 10-metres / 33-ft - in quieter areas, that you have a 'clack-chunky' DSLR - not always to the amusement of Security, perhaps.

Perhaps some padded "camera-armour" around the K30 would suit those who'd prefer it to be quieter.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 11-05-2012, 09:56 AM  
How would you rate the video from the Pentax K-30?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 23
Views: 4,929
JustinK10D - Congrats, mate! Needs "deliberating"...? What in the price level, and available in Oz - gets near it for "imaging functions"...?

Sure - if good video quality and performance is a demand - or a "family need", as can be, nowadays - the Canon 650D sure takes the bikky... But at the awful price of no pentaprism, only 1 e-dial, no water/dust sealing, and "no-comparo" on high-ISO abilities... And if your subjects are in a hurry - shutter at 1/6000th trumps the 650's 1/4000th... Even my P&S Fuji HS10 has 1/4000th....! :lol: (Yes, I know about the K-R and K-X.)

With the bright pentaprism the K30 works nicely with classic manual lenses - the Green Button gets you somewhere near correct exposure - check with a shot and adjust shutter or ISO. Works rather more easily than I thought it was going to.

If you're not set to do RAW - and like the JPEG when you take a glance at it - you can still save the RAW data from the buffer by hitting the +/- button. I initially thought that was a "party-trick" - until I started using it.

Set the EV to "1/3rds" - and you have all the ISO "in-betweens" as well - ISO 100-125-160-200-250 so on... Rather nifty when you just want to lift shutter-speed a bit, say for handheld - without going way-up-ISO.

The K30 is crammed with "nifty-usefuls" - that can turn up in use - even if you thought you'd read the Manual in great detail...

As for the "video" - like my HS10, the 1280 x 720 is better than the 1920 x 1080, though both are at quite low bitrate. The Std HD is okay for short clips to put into other material when editing.

Sadly - unlike the HS10, while you can trim video clips - you can't append (join) them in the camera.

But you can manipulate JPEGs usefully - both image and frame can be rotated - and you can crop to Aspect Ratios 3:2-4:3-16:9 and 1:1 - so you can have a tree - person - tall building - in portrait mode at 9:16 - useful if you wanted to post or email it immediately.

The camera itself does sort-of-HDR - Level 1 picks up shadows detail with some enhancing you might like, or not - Levels 2 and 3 are garish to cartoonish.

If you like doing your own HDR - you're a bit out of luck... Bracketing/AEB, Timer and SR are all on the 1 'drive' in the Menu. Selecting any one cancels the others. You can't put it on tripod and use a Remote to fire AEB - Remote cancels out, too.

Pentax could so easily have allowed Timer with Bracketing - the K5 has it.

But I suppose they have to leave some useful functions out - or who'd buy the new model - or higher model - that has them...?

Unfortunately - Pentax doesn't yet have a Canon style "CHKD" hack function to "add-back" missing functions...

But - for a mere $809.00 with kit-lens - $879.00 with a 2-year Warranty Extension - I'm more than merely pleased with the K30...

Writing this at early a.m. - having coffees and a garlic roll - and the K30 with Tak SMC 55mm f/1.8 is waiting for the dawn light.....

As somebody else from W.A. said elsewhere - "A K30 and Classic lenses - can you have more fun with your pants on...?" :D

Do suss they're right.....

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 11-04-2012, 01:17 AM  
Pentax-F 1.7x Adapter, with AFs and M42s on K30?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 2
Views: 1,278
Gabriel_bc - Thanks. Actually, I got the bundle for $120.00 - so just guessing, the camera about $20.00, same the plug-in remote, $40.00 the 28-200mm, leaves about $40.00 for the Adapter. The Adapter is "Japan" made - and the Accessories Database here accepted the serial number - so I think I have the genuine item.

Googling, I did find a Japanese / English guide-sheet for the Adapter - it says to mount the M42s in the Adapter, with the lens focus ring at infinity, and have the Adapter do the focusing. Now I know it's safe to mount that way, will try it with the Tak SMC 55mm f/1.8 in the morning.

From what I read here on-forum, you can use the Adapter as a 1.7x TC with AF lenses - but it wasn't too clear on how to do that safely.

The lens that was being used with the Adapter on the Z-50P is certainly an autofocusing Sigma 28-200mm - I tried it carefully (by itself) on the K30 - and all functions work with it... Might make quite a usable walk-around snaps-level lens. I can't fully identify it - it's not identical to the ones on the Database Reviews here - or to any I've so far Googled up...

As said, it's a Sigma 28-200mm, on the barrel, it says 'filter-symbol' and 72 - then SIGMA ZOOM - 28-200mm 1:3.8-5.6 - and, other side - LENS MADE IN JAPAN. Under that - the serial number, 1203852. There's no 'Macro' or 'Aspherical' or other writing. That includes inside the rim of the lens face - and there's a narrow flip-forward-back "hood" bayonet mounted. And a Sigma branded edge-pinch lens cap - inside that, it says, "72mm" and under that - "MADE IN JAPAN". Might it have been a short production-run Sigma did as a Pentax-mount kit-zoom back in the mid-90s? Can the "Lens-Sherlockes" here ID it from that?

The Z-50P seems nice, if I knew about film - all auto film advance, AF/MF switch, e-dial, and a centre LCD on top - clear, shows data crisply when switched on. Looks unused - spotless in front and in the film-bay area... Wish I knew how to use it - and film and processing was affordable....

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 11-03-2012, 08:40 PM  
Pentax-F 1.7x Adapter, with AFs and M42s on K30?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 2
Views: 1,278
I've spent a long while searching the Forum for all I can find on using the Pentax-F 1.7x AF Adapter. However, some threads date back quite a bit, and most posts aren't very recent. I'm actually wanting information relating directly to using it with the current K30.

The reason for all the "researches" being that I bought an as-unused 1.7x AF Adapter, in neat padded pouch, amongst a bundle of gear - as-new Pentax Z-50P with new battery + remote, Sigma 28-200mm lens with hood, and padded camera-with-mounted-lens, bag - for about $40.00 - on a local auction site.

The Adapter was apparently bought and used with that camera body and lens for a 'wildlife expedition' overseas.

What I didn't discover so far - is if the Adapter is used on a K30 with an AF lens - I assume the camera should be set to "AF.S" so it reads the Adapter - but, is the actual lens mounted in the Adapter - then in AF or MF mode? There is a switch on the barrel of the Adapter - is that a "Switch Between"...? If so - will it work with a K30?

Using M42 screwmount lenses was mentioned in some older threads. Can I take that to mean that I can install the Pentax M42 Adapter to the AF Adapter, then mount that combination safely on my K30, to then screw M42 lenses into? That would then work as just a 1.7x TC? Or can the "sheets of tinfoil" mentioned to "short pins", in one thread - get it AF-ing with the M42 lenses?

Seems to open up fascinating possibilities - any help and advice would be most appreciated, thanks...

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 11-01-2012, 06:29 PM  
Post Your K-30 Photos Here
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 2,743
Views: 545,148
I'm just experimenting - trying to get the hang of shallow DOF - in shade, f/2 at 1/60th - SMC Tak 55mm f/1.8

Any advice - very welcome, please...!



Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 11-01-2012, 03:47 PM  
Pentax dSLRs in more B&M stores with the new ads?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 7
Views: 1,621
It would be nice if Pentax had proper representation in Australia....

The population here is very much concentrated in the half-dozen main cities - 84% of it. But with Sydney and Melbourne together totaling 8.7-million people - just a bit more than New York - our Eastern region isn't a 'tiny market' nowadays.

We do have C.R. Kennedy - the private importer of both Pentax and Sigma products - and they've been very good over many years, within their private operator limitations.

So - I bought my K30 from DCW - Digital Camera Warehouse. Very nice and helpful people - within the limits of what they can actually do - which is - sell cameras and accessories. They don't do repairs, or accept Pentax product returns for Warranty Claims. They do SELL Warranty Extensions - I paid $70.00 for a 2-year extension on the K30's legally enforced 1-year. (The US $20.00 2-year Warranty Extension would be a marvel here....)

The Extended Warranty is with another contract operator - not C.R. Kennedy (The first 12-months is with Kennedy.) I have no idea "who" - you have to wait for about 6-weeks to be "emailed or sent" a copy of the extension warranty. To quote the DCW site:

Quote: - "Your warranty certificate will be emailed or posted to you separately; dependent on the details you supplied us. You should receive your warranty card within 6 weeks of your purchase." End quote.

Wherever one has to send the camera-etc to make a Warranty Claim (and I have no idea where) - either in the first year, or the extension period - they make it clear:

Quote:- "Should you need to return the equipment you are responsible any loss or damage of equipment while in transport. You may, at your option, choose to insure equipment for loss or damage with the carrier of your choice..." End quote.

So while DCW and Kennedy are nice folk - there's a definite element of uncertainty about buying Pentax or Sigma products here.

Nor do we get the US - or EU - kit-lens offers here. If you want a nice Pentax 55-300mm zoom as a walk-around snapshotter - there's no "L" version - kit or direct purchase. And if you want the 'full' version - it's a mere $670.00. (The USD and AUD are about on par at present.)

However, you can get "Pentax K-30 Digital SLR Camera with Pentax 18-135mm WR Lens" - for $1269.00. Sadly, I didn't have a spare $460.00 - over the K30 with 18-55mm kit for $809.00.

:lol: If I had - I'd probably now have a K5 - because "Pentax K5 + 18-135mm WR lens" - goes for $1259.00.... Nope - not misreading that on the site - I just screenshot it to have the 'evidence'.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 11-01-2012, 01:13 PM  
IR review of K-30
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 1
Views: 1,071
Yorik - They have indeed, and for once amongst many reviews - particularly from sites that seem to favour the much-advertised 'trendy' Brands of DSLRs - they DO make the point that the K30 is unusual at the price-level ($19.00 less than the Canon 650D, body-only, in Sydney) - for upper-entry / lower mid-range cameras in having pentaprism, not pentamirror, and explaining that.

Ref: - www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/pentax-k30/pentax-k30A.HTM

- I find it 'somewhat unusual' that - if people are going to "review" products - that they all too often "don't mention" critical features that directly affect the use of the product....

The K30's pentaprism against the usual at price-level pentamirror is one. But how can they "compare" with, say, the 650D - without 'noticing' that the K30 has a 1/6000th shutter - the 650D has 1/4000th. Although I'm certainly no expert - I'd think that does relate to "taking photos"....

The K30 has TWO e-dials - that does seem to be about 100% more e-dials than the same price-range comp - example, the 650D.

And just how many entry-mid range DSLRs under $1,000.00 can you buy with any weather-dust sealing - let alone 81-seals worth of it? It's not a very long list...

It might not matter to some - but AAs-capability with about 800 shots on Eneloops or 1600 shots on Lithiums - is quite a difference from, say, the 650D's rated 440 shots per charge. Particularly if doing Video or Time-delay / Interval Movie.

And-and-and......:confused:

Sure - it can work the other way - I'm about to "fwow-up" - at the next review I see that says the 650D has video "Mono Audio" (even our on-P-Forum comparo review missed that one...)

It doesn't - not many cameras, including Bridge cameras in much lower price ranges, do, these days... I don't have a 650D here to do test-shots - so I'll use my Fuji HS10 Bridge - the full PCM Stereo is the same as the 650D's - though it doesn't have the 650D's mic socket....

Fuji HS10


Pentax K30


Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-31-2012, 01:11 PM  
How would you rate the video from the Pentax K-30?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 23
Views: 4,929
JustinK10D - The Canon 650D does. See Page 178 of its Manual. There's a 1-second 'freeze' in the video. The JPEG is a separate file saved in the same Aspect Ratio and size as the video being shot.

The K30 does it better - you can save a single frame as a JPEG from any video clip. Obviously that's going to be the same as the video AR and size, too. But you can playback the video clip, stop it when nearly at the part you want - then frame-step forward (or back) to the frame you want. See Page 135 in the K30 Manual.

Both cameras save your "still" as the video AR and size - 1920 x 1080 is about 2Mpix.

But - where with the 650D you only get "1 bite at the cherry" per shutter-shot - with the K30 you can of course scroll either-way from where that "1 shutter shot" might have been - and while the single shot might not have grabbed the precise moment or movement you wanted as a still - with K30 you can scroll many frames either side of your "stop point" to get the exact frame you need. Or save several - to see which you or friends like best, later.

If you want to save frames from videos other than in K30 - you can use Avidemux - free for Windows, Linux and Mac - to save frames as BMP, JPEG, or a sequence selection of frames as a set of JPEGs.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-31-2012, 12:07 PM  
Can we add Focus-Bracketing?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 17
Views: 3,655
Cfraz - Ahah! That's the explanation I've been needing, thanks. With DSLRs F/B can work with AF lenses, not with all-manual lenses. But - as you and others say - why not add it to the bracketing functions the camera already has?

Southlander - Yes, I think the 2x TC is pushing the friendship a bit much. But, so far, it's the only one I have - so, just playing around with it to see what it does and doesn't do. While the stop-down metering on the Tak 55mm by itself gets surprisingly close - with the 2x TC on - oops, waaay off, overexposing... When the new M42 adapter arrived yesterday, I only had time for a bit of a play - then with the 2x on, a few shots out the front window to the other side of the road.

I was really expecting a blurred mess - but it seems that with more experience, it might not be quite that bad. The image below is the "least awful" of the dozen shots I did. JPEG only - RAW might be more "repairable", though. Early days - but at least it's showing me what's happening.

I'm thinking that a 1.4x or even a 1.7x TC would be "less lost" and so actually more usable - at least for "snaps".




- Yes, all over, like a mad-dog's brekky - that's about the 8th I did with the 2x TC... The last 3 were blown-out only slightly higher than airliner cruise altitude.... :eek:

There again - c'mon, admit it - you guys needed a laugh....! :lol:

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-31-2012, 11:09 AM  
Crossover for Mac or Linux free
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 4
Views: 1,122
Boriscleto - Thanks for the heads-up! Much appreciated. :D

Their RPM version suits PCLOS (PCLinuxOS) very well.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-31-2012, 04:32 AM  
Can we add Focus-Bracketing?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 17
Views: 3,655
Southlander - Sorry, I was being sarcastic, there... Read in context, I said - "Certainly - the K30's AF works extremely well - the accuracy and speed is amazing, if you're used to Bridge cameras! However - that doesn't work too well with the manual lenses I really bought the K30 for....."

The comment was a joking reference to the K30's having very good AF - but which doesn't "work well" - with full manual lenses. I should have added a couple of Smilies after that comment...

Yes, I do know - there's a Tak SMC 55mm f/1.8 on my K30 at present - using the excellent, as-new, genuine 'Pentax-Japan' Adapter I just bought from 'Ddhytz' on this forum, after a run-in with a semi-jamming rather crude clone. Actually the Tak is on the camera along with a 1973 vintage M42 APS Auto Teleplus 2x TC my landlord gave me... No, I don't think I'm quite going to make the cover of "Nat Geo" by trying to convince the otherwise very neat little 55mm Tak that it's a 110mm lens - but I'm just having fun... :D

It's evening in Sydney now - but tomorrow I'm going to see just how much the Tak "55/110" improves my K30's Video.... :lol:

That's "fun", y'see - I do have a somewhat warpy sense-of-humour....

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-30-2012, 10:35 PM  
Can we add Focus-Bracketing?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 17
Views: 3,655
Cfraz / Southlander - From what you folk are describing, the Canon P&S must have an additional function that DSLRs don't...

That is - it's doing it in a different way when using MF. Put the camera in M-Manual Mode, and turn off the AF by selecting MF. And it does Focus-Bracket at that setup. I'm not "misreading" the SX10 Manual - I use it often. It's a Bridge-Zoom - meaning, often you have to put it in Manual Mode to persuade it to do do what YOU want it to do, YOUR way...

But - I'm not insisting that Focus-Bracketing has to be in Manual Mode - and it is apparently "do-able" in DSLRs. Which is why I assumed that the K30 would have the function.

Possibly why others above are also indicating that they'd like the function in Pentax DSLRs....

Or maybe we just need a "hack" (apparently not related to CHDK) like this one a chap has created for Canon DSLRs:

Quote: - "DSLR Bracketeer is a simple program I made for controlling CANON EOS DSLR cameras. It is used for focus bracketing on for your Canon DSLR...." End quote.

Ref: - DSLR Bracketeer by Milos Paripovic


Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-30-2012, 07:32 PM  
Can we add Focus-Bracketing?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 17
Views: 3,655
Na Horuk - As with a DSLR the lens focal lengths / DOFs can change from lens to lens, I agree - you couldn't tell the camera - "As set - with -40mm and +40mm" or, "As set - with -40cm and +40cm" - closer and further than the 'Set' focus, so on.

What you could do - as the SX10 does, but more refined for a DSLR - is say "amounts". Where the SX10 - see screenshot above - has 3 settings - 1. Close to 'Set', 2. Further from 'Set', 3. Much further - you could have 5 settings, with "1" just a few millimetres each side of 'Set' - to suit precision lenses with very shallow DOF - then "2" to "5" at multiples or increments of the "1" distances from there.

You would need to learn for each lens just how far in physical distance each of the 5 settings were from the Set focus point. And allow for DOF increasing as aperture decreased.

With the SX10 - the "amounts" of those 3 settable distances fore-and-aft do vary with amount of zoom used. Once you've been using F/B for a short time, you learn to "allow" an amount with length of zoom. Starting with the middle "2" until you find out what it's doing.

Close in, 'Wide End', or Macro - "1" works best - but at long zoom, where it's more-or-less infinity - use "3", because it's easier to be further off with a Bridge zoom on MF.

Sadly - there's nothing like it to "MF compensate" with Macro-Video - that's very much a case of learning what "looks right" and adjusting from there.

Also - if you're saying that "most people" don't use video in a DSLR - which is likely true of those at your experienced level - the two questions I'm getting most from friends about the K30 are - "Does it take nice bright sharp pictures?" - Yes, it does, if the person driving it does...

And - "Does it do really good video with clear stereo?" - No, your SX40, HS20, FZ150, etc - will totally clobber the K30 for video... Superb camera, the K30 - astounding if ones are used to P&S - but if you get a K30 - take your SX40-etc-etc along to do the video - as I'm doing with my HS10.

So at least with the folk thinking of moving up to entry or bit above DSLR - the quality of HD Video - AND the Stereo Audio - rates very highly in their interests. Of 7 friends here - 3 are thinking of buying a DSLR 'soon' or 'for Christmas'.... None will be buying a K30 - let alone a K-R "that doesn't even do proper H264/MOV...".

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-30-2012, 04:19 PM  
HDR, SR, Timer, and RAW
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 4
Views: 1,723
Canada_Rockies - You're most welcome! Incidentally - I do like the way in which in your posts you usually describe or explain things clearly in plain words - not 'assuming everyone knows'. Being one who doesn't, often, that's very helpful.

Yes - does seem odd that the Makers - not only Pentax - could put in a lot of software functions that might even exist in their P&S ranges, but are left out of their DSLRs.

Another example - Focus-Bracketing - which I just posted about today. As the K30 already has AEB as a set function - why not write a few more lines of script to put F/B alongside it?

They might even do that - when they re-organise the Menus / Drives - so Bracketing, Timer and SR can be used together. As in both of my Bridge P&Ses - or the 650D...

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-30-2012, 04:00 PM  
Can we add Focus-Bracketing?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 17
Views: 3,655
Wombat2go - Er, by that, do you mean the K30's "computing power" isn't up to Focus-Bracketing...?

I hadn't realised that my 2008 P&S Canon SX10 has more "computing power" than a K30... (Might surprise both Canon and Pentax, too...)

I'm not talking about "contrast focus stacking". That's clearly an advanced operation.

By Focus-Bracketing - I mean just 3 images - one where focused - one a bit closer, one a bit further - spread range adjustable - which my SX10 does rather neatly and very usefully.

How the spread is set, is shown here - and works in any mode from Program to Manual, but in MF only.
Canon SX10 Manual, Page 130 - "Focus Bracketing (Focus-BKT Mode.)"

(attrib. Canon Australia)



Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-30-2012, 03:14 PM  
Can we add Focus-Bracketing?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 17
Views: 3,655
When I used (pre K30) the Focus-Bracketing on my Bridge Canon, I assumed it was an advanced "DSLR thing" unusual to find on a P&S. So thought it'd be a function the KR - then changed to the K30 I actually bought - would have. Which it doesn't.

I keep reading of DSLR lenses having back and front focusing problems. With a testing or borrowed lens, Focus-Bracketing might adjust the focus-error to usable - or by adjusting the spread of the Bracketing - show where the error is - fore or aft, and by how much. Obviously - that's not what pro-level testers / adjusters would do, having advanced abilities and equipment - but not all of us have anything like those abilities or testing gear.

It would also be workable in ordinary use - while the K30 has very nice mag-up abilities in Live-View - and the Focus-Peaking - it can't, unlike my Bridge with EVF - "mag-up" the centre section of the Viewfinder to help with focusing. Often, particularly on tripod, as the K30 LCD doesn't tilt, you can't use it in sunlight - you still need to use the Viewfinder. Certainly - the K30's AF works extremely well - the accuracy and speed is amazing, if you're used to Bridge cameras! However - that doesn't work too well with the manual lenses I really bought the K30 for.....

Sure, the MF is very good indeed - but the "further out you go" - the more awkward to get "right-on" with Viewfinder. Being able to Focus-Bracket - with adjustable distances "fore and aft" - as my P&S Canon does - would result in more 'keepers'. F/B isn't an AF function in that camera - it's MF only. I did wonder if DSLRs could combine F/B with AF, not just MF - but it seems, at least in K30's case, they don't do either.

It would seem that - when you can see the K30's LCD - even with Live-View mag-up and the Peaking - being able to Bracket a shot, maybe with the shortest fore-aft adjustment, it would fine-tune the accuracy. Or for moving targets - widen out the Bracket spread a bit to allow for changing distance.

Focus-Bracketing probably isn't a function the Pros would want to use - as they get long-distance and fast-moving targets in tack-sharp focus, first-time, every-time - but not everyone is that good - and I'm certainly not with cooo-eee of it...! :confused:

For DSLRs like the K30, where the makers put in dozens of Scenes, Automatics, and Filters modes, to help the newer users - which certainly aren't 'Pro level' functions - Focus-Bracketing would be a huge boost to usability and results.

It would also increase Pentax popularity, because it assists usage of all the K-mount manual focus lenses from K-series to A-series, even if some wouldn't want to go back to the M42s. And that's based on my own experience - assuming that K-R, then K30, would indeed have Focus-Bracketing.

Could it be done with a firmware update? The camera already does Bracketing - so could it be added alongside AEB?

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-30-2012, 12:49 PM  
HDR, SR, Timer, and RAW
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 4
Views: 1,723
Canada_Rockies - I wasn't saying there's anything "wrong" with DNG, as a generic RAW format, there isn't. Probably why Pentax has wisely had it as an option for many years. How many other Brands allow both their proprietary RAW format - AND DNG?

Anyone who's had, say, Fuji cameras that use Fuji's RAF RAW format - that also changes editing parameters 'per camera model' - would be delighted to have DNG as an in-camera option! I waited 5-weeks after buying a Fuji HS10 before UFRAW had the HS10 in its list - though it already had a dozen-plus other Fuji cameras in it. But the update on the free Adobe converter about 10-days after I bought the camera, allowed conversion of HS10-RAF to DNG - which then worked well in Digikam, RawTherapee, so on.

So I don't have a problem with K30 having been changed to DNG-only - though long-experienced Pentaxers, set up for and used to using, PEF for years, might.

And, yes, of course you're right about TIFF being a 'lumpy' - large file-size - format. My point was that many computer users are very used to using several formats - including TIFF as a "non-lossy" to convert JPEGs, to work on them. Like PSD and XCF, TIFF also saves layers - which can be useful if there's a need to work between operating systems. TIFF is usable in Photoshop and Gimp - in both Windows and Linux. (And yes, some of us do also run Photoshop in Linux, though Gimp can now open and convert PSD.)

However, more and more P&S cameras now do RAW - one being the extremely popular Canon S95/S100/S110 series - and more P&S folk are moving up to entry-level or more DSLR, and not all of those are familiar with RAW processing. Most of those people would be familiar with TIFF in their non camera related work.

Also - from other Forums - it's clear that not all want to use the RAW abilities of even their new DSLRs. They say that RAW processing is difficult to learn, is hard to do properly - or just that it takes a lot of time per image. Not everyone finds learning to do RAW processing properly, as "fun and interesting" as I, and a lot of others, do!

So there's a place for cameras - probably applies more at the mid and higher range of P&S, which already has RAW - and the Entry and Lower-Mid range in DSLRs, where the new to DSLR folk are arriving - for the TIFF option.

While TIFF saved in cameras doesn't have the whole range of RAW data, or save that image-data "as the camera saw it, unchanged", the way RAW does, TIFF does save vastly more information than does a JPEG. So it's not only "non-lossy", unlike JPEGs - it can be worked on directly in any graphics program with the same user-skills as they have been used to with non camera sourced TIFFs.

The TIFFs could be downloaded and used immediately at friends' places, at work, on holiday with relatives or friends - anywhere the borrowed PC has a graphics program. And at home by the folk who don't yet know RAW processing - or don't have the time to learn that - or to do so even if they do know.

As for TIFFs being a lumpy-large format - yes, they are - and it would have been a problem in the days of 128MB or even 1GB and 2GB SD-cards. These days, as most don't use cards under 4GB, and now usually larger - it's not much of a problem.

The demand for camera-generated TIFFs does exist - or other Brand Makers wouldn't be putting it in their cameras...

As they do for hand-held AEB - with both IS(SR) and Timer working while doing such.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-29-2012, 08:36 PM  
K-30 Vs Canon 60D
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 6
Views: 5,163
Docrwm - Okay, your point is valid.... :) Actually - on seeing the K30 compared with the Canon 60D - I was being a little tongue-in-cheek sarky... So did a comparo with the HS10 - 10Mpix 1/2.3" sensor and all..... :lol:

(Although with full PCM Stereo at 48,000Hz, the HS10 bags the K30's Mono 32,000Hz, which has nothing to do with having an integrated lens or not.)

A more buyer-level comparison for the K30 in Canons, is the 650D / T4i.... Where I am, the 60D costs $120.00 more than the K30 - while the 650D and K30 are within $20.00 in price.

The 60D is a mid-mid level Canon - it has pentaprism, top-deck LCD, and 1/8000th shutter. (5.3fps)
The 650D is a lower-mid-level Canon - it has pentamirror, no top-deck LCD, and 1/4000th shutter. (5.0fps)

At buyer-level comparison - the K30 has pentaprism, no top-deck LCD, and 1/6000th shutter. (6.0fps) Well ahead of the 650D.

However, the 650D does have a fully articulated 3" LCD, 1,040,000 dots - which likely appeals to those who want video as a "big feature" of their DSLR - to go with just on twice the K30's video bitrates - and full bitrate PCM stereo with mic socket.

Video aside - the K30's overall features and abilities make the 650D look a little sad, though. (Though the 650D can use IS/SR and Timer along with AEB - the Manual shows how to do it...)

Maybe we should wait until the big Forum Comparo, K30 with 650D, so on, is out - then comment further...

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-29-2012, 04:34 PM  
HDR, SR, Timer, and RAW
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 4
Views: 1,723
Hmmm.... I've been experimenting a bit - after finding that Bracketing / AEB, Timer and SR are mutually exclusive in the K30. Trying to find a workaround.

After playing with the in-camera HDR Capture - while you can't actually "do bracketing" to get the 3 images Under/Std/Over - you can get Timer to steady the camera, and get a RAW to adjust later.

With the HDR Capture, I find that AUTO is "fun-only", Level 3 is 'funny-pix', "2" is a bit much - but "1" can be quite usable - particularly if you get a RAW to work on later.

Enable HDR Capture, as shown on Manual Page 149. Then on Page 150 - select the mode, under item "3".

In the first option, if you have Auto-Align checked in the list, it uses that, and if SR is enabled, also uses that. It will now do the 3 images with SR enabled, Auto-Align them, and generate an HDR JPEG.

Or, you can set up as above, go back to screen, then enable the Timer, 2-sec. This will cancel the SR, but give you the option of using the Timer - works well if well braced or using a rest. Again, of course, you get your HDR-Level-1 JPEG.

Now press +/- button - and you can save that JPEG as RAW - and it also retains the HDR-1 JPEG. You can use the JPEG immediately - or use it when processing the RAW to compare your changes with "what the camera thought".

A bit sadly, the K30 can't save TIFF from RAW in the camera, as the Canon 650D does - but there again, the 650D can't save its last JPEG as a RAW from the buffer - which is likely more useful.

But - the ability to convert and save RAW as TIFF in the camera is a big advantage for those not yet experienced with RAW processing, or not wanting to take the time, per image. TIFF isn't as good as RAW for processing - but they are non-lossy, hold a heckuva-lot more info-data than JPEGs, and of course can be edited quickly-directly in Photoshop/Extensions/Gimp, etc.

In Linux, Digikam will Batch-Convert RAW to TIFF (or JPEG/PNG), allowing choice of 8 or 16 bit, adjust WB, Corrections, Colour Manage and Save. I've used this to get a "quick set" from my Fuji HS10's RAF RAW, and have tried it with K30's - it's usable, but the RAWs need to be those captured under relatively similar conditions - or you just end up needing to 'process' TIFF instead of RAW. ( Digikam/ChangeFormat - KDE UserBase Wiki )

But that might suit those who'd rather 'edit-process' TIFFs in an image-editor, quickly, than use the time to properly process RAWs.

Windows will of course have programs that can Batch-Process RAW - but having been out of Windows for years, I don't know any to recommend - others might help with that, please!

No, I wouldn't 'swap' K30's ability to save-last-JPEG as RAW - for the 650D's ability to save RAW to TIFF in the camera - I'd just like that for an "as-well-as" - maybe next Update, pretty-please, Pentax!

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-29-2012, 12:26 PM  
File extensions
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 3
Views: 847
Adam - With all due respect, might I suggest that you glance at the K30 Manual? Pentax PEF has been dropped from the K30. Maybe a future Update might return it.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-29-2012, 12:09 PM  
K-30 Vs Canon 60D
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 6
Views: 5,163
Professor Batty - Put a K30 and a Fuji HS10 on the bench in front of you - as I'm doing here....

The HS10 has a 3" tilt-only LCD - 90-degrees up, 45-degrees down. This camera is 2.1mm wider than the K30.

However - if it didn't have the row of 5 functions buttons to the left of the LCD - ISO-AE-AF-AF/CSM-WB - it could be at least 5mm narrower than the K30 - and still have a 3" tilting LCD. To the right of the LCD, both cameras have 4 buttons and the 4-way pad. The HS10's 'rear' (1 only) 'e-dial' is on the top deck.

The tilting LCD makes the camera much easier to use, for macro - holding the camera near ground, above head, so on - on tripod - and when the light-angle makes the K30's LCD unusable, particularly when on tripod.

The idea that modern technology couldn't make a tilt-joint watertight - particularly when you look at the K30's flimsy battery door, which is meant to be at least 'WR' - is indeed quaint... Perhaps Pentax could ask the US-Navy about making articulated joints watertight - if not quite necessarily 1,000ft underwater....

(attrib. Fuji Australia) - (Yes, that's an 'e-dial' to the right of the Modes dial, on a P&S.)


Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-28-2012, 08:19 PM  
Shutter count
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 8
Views: 1,518
Hcc - That's a nicely detailed Exif program. Some might be interested to know that it runs stably and quickly with Wine in Linux, and file-browsing works properly.

In addition, the 36-item online update ran quickly and worked through to program verification box, with no problems.

Adam - This very good Forum Function also works directly from Linux.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Sold Items 10-27-2012, 12:44 AM  
For Sale - Sold: Tamron P/KA Adapter
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 4
Views: 1,286
PM sent re M42 adapter

PM sent re Pentax Eyecup
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-25-2012, 01:43 PM  
Visible Focus Location?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 6
Views: 1,597
MSL - I meant that with all 'other-brand' lenses, even current digital-era ones, and anything of any brand pre-digital, if they're stuck with centre-focus only, it makes it awkward to focus, hold shutter button half-down, then recompose, on a tripod. Or even using focus-lock. I was hoping that, as with my Bridge cameras, there was a "manual" way to shift the focus point. Even if not quite the 493 manual-select positions in the frame that the old - 2008 - SX10 has.

It seems to go with other useful functions the Bridge cameras have, that the K30 doesn't. I won't forget the totally incredulous expression on my teenaged godson's face when I told him that while my new $879.00 ($70.00 for 2-year Warranty extension) "real DSLR" does have Continuous, Timer, Bracketing, Remote and Shake Reduction functions - only ONE of those can be used at any one time. So - hand-held, you can't use the 2-second Timer to "settle" the aim on-target, with SR on, for single-shot - let alone do that to steady the camera for AEB. With my Bridge cameras - and the $300.00 Fuji I bought that kid last year - you can set AEB, have SR running - plus 2-second Timer to brace the camera - all at once - for the bracketed set. Or - on tripod - set up for AEB - then use the 2-second timer to avoid any movement from pressing the shutter then removing hand from the camera. And NO - the K30 can't use a Remote to fire the AEB sequence - selecting "Remote" then excludes both Timer and Bracketing.

Jatrax - Yes, agree - trying to use Live-View for anything hand-held is a no-no. However, as the design doesn't allow video via the Viewfinder, hand-held Video has to be via Live-View... Which is woeful - so it isn't surprising that for doing Video, Pentax says that the K30 should be put on a tripod and "not operated" while Video-ing.

Yes, again - if you're used to Bridge cameras that can do a focus-helping magnified centre-area in the EVF - discovering that DSLRs can't do that, was a surprise. Along with that - finding that the K30 can't do Focus-Bracketing, either - was another surprise. Perhaps in a later model Pentax might delete a few-dozen of the trendy automatic "Scenes" and "Filters" functions, and use the then released programming-space to add Focus-Bracketing, and the "advanced" ability to use Timer and SR with Bracketing, Timer with SR for single-shots, so on.... Pentax might note that such is not impossible in DSLRs - others do actually do it.

Regards, Dave.
Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50 10-23-2012, 06:33 PM  
Visible Focus Location?
Posted By exwintech
Replies: 6
Views: 1,597
Jatrax - Thanks for that. Yes - I did realise that the flashing red device is just an indicator for the position, not a 'box' outline. That's why I described the box outline - as in the SX10 - differently.

The K30's 11 focus points seem to cover the same the same small area - about a quarter or so of the frame area - in the centre, as the K200D which I'd been borrowing to get some 'DSLR experience'. The K200 and this K30 are the only DSLRs I've held to use, so I'm not too sure what to expect from a current model DSLR.

The actual tiny white box - or rectangle - in the SX10 - moves via the 4-way Arrows from corner to corner, left-right and up-down - and is a positive indication of where you've shifted the focus point to. That's in both EVF and LCD - though I mostly use it in the EVF.

According to the Manual, the indicator flash should work fully with the kit 18-55 DA L we get here. That is - centred or shifted, the location should get a red flash 'every time' you press the shutter halfway to the focus-beep point. Mine seems to only once after each shot - if I then decide to recompose or shift target - and half-press again, it does beep - but no red flash. Is this how it's designed? It only flashes 1 time between shots?

I've already realised that the 11-point system doesn't work with off-brand lenses that do auto-focus - I have a couple of Sigmas I was given with an old MZ-50 SLR - 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 and 100-300m f/4.5-6.7 DL - that do auto-focus at centre only. The 28-80, if very plasticky, seems to be a usable walk-around lens with a bit more reach than the kit, and is quite sharp with AF - while the old 100-300 works fairly well to about 200mm - and after that the AF is 'off' - though it works 'adequately' on the short-throw MF. I'm watching the local auction-site for Taks - 135mm, 200mm, and-and-and...... Might I be getting a sort of "classic-LBA-disease...?"

As I'm going to be using my K30 mostly with earlier lenses - suits my disability pension income, which is why I waited and saved a bit more for the K30 instead of the K-R, to get pentaprism - I'll be very surprised if there's no "manual" way - even in Manual Mode with MF would be okay - to move the focus point manually as in both of my Bridge zooms....

In my 60s and with a left arm problem, I'm not able to hold the camera out in front of me, like a cheap viewfinder-less P&S, even if Live-View does have a way to move the focus-point / indicator.

Unfortunately, it's starting to look as if I'll only have centre, hold-button, recompose, with most of my lenses. I do that fairly often with the Bridge cameras for casual shots, but it makes it a bit awkward for tripod use.

Regards, Dave.
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