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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
10-23-2013, 07:56 PM
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One last thing: I only have one pttl flash so haven't been able to test wireless HSS.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
10-23-2013, 07:52 PM
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I just heard back from them and though he didn't say what the new firmware is, my impression is that nothing previously sold had this new firmware. That is, I was initially told I had the newest firmware but it seems like someone thereafter they came up with an update.
Anyhow, for the cost of shipping to HK, you can get the new firmware.
ALSO, the guy that helped me said they now have "5-6" in stock of the new version even though they are not listed on the website.
FWIW, I think the replacement was
packaged a little differently than my model from a year ago. I think the box was slightly different and it came with a different fabric storage bag as well.
If anyone gets a different story from GI, pm me and I will send the email address of the person that helped me.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
10-23-2013, 01:51 PM
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I just got a warranty replacement from Gadget Infinity for my AF50p flash. ( It had a zoom motor problem when fresh alkaline batteries were used.)
I wanted to report the following:
-k30 HSS appears to be working with this firmware and meters well.
-You can now use wireless channels other than "1" (previously on both k10 and k30, the flash did not communicate the channel to the camera.)
-Gadget Infinity customer service is pretty great if you can get past the shipping times to HK. If you are going to buy a tumax/ vivitar/ cactus flash, get it from Gadget Infinity so you have support.
-I have emailed them to ask exactly what firmware is used and will update this post when they reply.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-06-2010, 07:34 PM
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For a k10d:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/26961-k10d-gx10-1-30-f...ctivation.html
Briefly, I attached a high contrast target to a 1" high block that I set on a table with a "ruler" and shot perpendicular to the target at 1-3 meters. I aimed to have the focused area on the ruler about 30% in front of the target and 70% behind, while approaching the focus from the front. I started with a tamron autofocus lens then dialed in the focus confirm for my manual 50mm f1.4 then eventually made some smaller changes to dial in the telephoto lenses (not using the aforementioned target though). I left it in debug mode for probably a week or so playing with it.
Keep in mind, a lot of how you adjust it is to personal preference: eg, do you want the light to come on at the middle of the DOF or front.
Also, pentax autofocus is a bit off under tungsten so you should do this in daylight.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-03-2010, 02:33 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-03-2010, 02:32 PM
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If the auto-focus is back-focusing, so ALSO will be the focus- confirmation dot; it is the same mechanism. You are of course correct that a thin DOF really highlights any backfocusing issue (which was my point); it was also super apparent with my manual pentax 50mm f1.4 at large apertures. I've adjusted the back focus through the firmware and am pretty happy with the results. Having the focus confirmation spot on makes this lens a lot more useful.
If I manually stop down another lens to f8, my split focusing screens pretty much black out and the focus confirmation gets real sketchy without good light. I'm saying that with the f6.3 mirror, both the focus confirmation and the split screens work very reliably (provided the camera is not back-focusing to begin with). I think the ability to actually focus in a variety of lighting situations is a reasonable trade-off for a narrow depth-of field.
BTW, I could shim the split-focus screen on my k10d a bit as it back-focuses slightly compared to the focus-confirmation dot which is spot on but this, again is something I only really notice with this lens. It is simply a matter of practice to remember how to line up the split image. (ie, catch the focus from the front and not from the back)
Ahh, interesting. I think I'll add some strips of tape and mark where infinity is. Mostly, so I can set it at infinity quickly but it would also be interesting to see if it varies appreciably.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-03-2010, 04:13 AM
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This was the lens that made me realize my k10d was back-focusing. Here's one of the better shots I've managed with it. IIRC, this is uncropped so he was pretty close (they are usually more shy).
The f6.3 aperture is nice, IMO. On one hand, the depth of field close up is razor thin (a "half duck" thick). On the other hand, why would you be shooting with this lens if the subject was close enough for one of your others and more important, the focus confirmation still works at f6.3 in any light that will give you a reasonable shutter speed. This isn't really true with the f8 lenses. F6.3 also seems to be the bottom limit of my split-focus screens (both an ebay one and my modified ME Super screen).
Also, I don't know if this is a property of all T-mount lenses but my Rokinon seems to focus well past infinity which is annoying for obvious reasons.
One more PS- Mine came from overstock.com and was only around $125 shipped with the pentax adapter. Some places don't include it.
PS- some sort of homebrew or commercial shade really helps with contrast. I use a modified black plastic plant pot.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-16-2009, 08:15 PM
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Perhaps this is what you mean anyway but:
1. Open notepad
2. type "[DEBUG_MODE EN]"
3. Save file as "MODSDET.TXT" on your memory card (not in a folder)
4. Turn camera on with card in camera and menu button held down.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-16-2009, 02:20 PM
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People running vista have had problems with it.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-15-2009, 10:49 PM
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Just got received this lens from overstock.com ($126 shipped) and wanted to share. This is the jpg from the camera so minimally fiddled with. It was overcast and near sunset so light was on the low side so sensitivity was all the way at 1600.
Today was my second day out with this lens. Observations thus far:
-Just large enough aperture to not black out my split screen too badly. This alone is reason to buy this over a f/8 lens. I really need an eyecup (or hat) to keep light off my eye.
-A little wobblier then a physically longer lens.
-I have a feeling that telling the camera some focal length other then 500 for the SR might help; I will experiment.
-My split screen needs some shimming. The focus indicator (that I calibrated) is pretty spot on but the screen is back focusing a bit. I didn't realize this yesterday and it was VERY frustrating considering there's often not enough light for the focus indicator to work.
-This behaves really nicely with back-lit subjects compared to a tamron 70-300. BETTER contrast, much less CA and no purple fringing.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-03-2009, 11:03 PM
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Strangely, the english version of the debug mode program seems to have stopped working. I installed a newly downloaded version on a new laptop and the shortcut reports it can't find the program. Next I went back to the computer I had previously installed it on and saw the same error (it worked a few weeks ago). Finally, I installed the russian-language version and it worked flawlessly. It seems the person that translated it to English was having a little fun and made it delete itself on 11/01 or something, assuming this isn't some anomaly around me. Has it disappeared on anybody else?
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Forum: Do-It-Yourself
10-15-2009, 09:04 PM
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I drilled indents and filled them with epoxy and drilled the "A" hole all the way through to make a spring-loaded aperture pin and got it to all work on an old broken sears lens. I'm now converting a $15 Beck 135mm lens which is proving much harder just due to how it is built. I think the "M" lenses are more like the sears lenses and rather easy to convert. I will try with a smc-M 1.4 that's coming in the mail.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
10-07-2009, 07:56 AM
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Stupid question or just inscrutably phrased?
(bump)
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
10-06-2009, 11:04 AM
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I found this (M to A conversion) very cool "how too" and am left with two semi-related questions.
OK, I understand prime lenses but what about PENTAX-A _zoom_ lenses where the max aperture is, eg, 1:4 at 28mm and 1:6 at 200 mm?
How does the camera "know" that there is one aperture range at one end of the zoom and another at the other end? It seems that the travel of the lever doesn't actually change; it is just the effective ratio changing because of the length of the focal length. So, with a PENTAX-A lens mounted the auto-metering will be slightly inconsistent through the zoom range and the aperture won't change in the display as it does with a "modern" lens, correct?
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Forum: Do-It-Yourself
10-04-2009, 09:01 PM
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Wait, really?
All you have to do to make a -M lens work like a -A lens is:
1) Drill a couple appropriately spaced holes holes in the mount and fill them with epoxy to indicate aperture range. (per Pentax Lens Modifications for Matrix Metering - Mark Roberts Photography)
2) Tell the camera it is an "A" lens (and in A mode) by either adding a protuberance for a contact on the lens mount (in place of the retractable pin on the lens) or directly grounding the "A" pin contact on the body.
Presumably, you would install the lens stopped all the way down.
And that's it- no modification of the aperture lever or anything else?
Incredible. I'm surprised nobody's selling a $50 kit consisting a $1 drill bit, $.50 of epoxy and a stick of gum (for the foil). ;)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-30-2009, 03:00 PM
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After I picked up my used k10d, I stopped by wolf down the street for a lens cleaning kit, charger, etc. All they had was a "starter kit" with some little tripod and other BS and a small cleaning kit for ~$7. No separate lens paper, lens pens, or anything. I bought the $7 kit and the first time I went to use the blower, a brass washer fell off it an nearly into my camera body.
Oh, and they didn't have the charger or any used lenses but kindly recommended a place for each. (very nice guys) Some of their business seems to be taking portraits and printing/ matting things but otherwise the place is empty. Many others in the area have closed.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-30-2009, 08:54 AM
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With this guy in particular, he managed to get the nomenclature correct on all the other lenses and, perhaps not coincidentally, provide better pics of them.
I had my suspicions so my bid was low enough that I would have done OK even with it being a 2.0 but the heartbreak... :o
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
09-29-2009, 07:10 PM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-28-2009, 06:45 PM
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Found this thread looking for info on your Kimunor but here's a pic from my first day out with new (to me) k10d and quataray 70-300.
The sun was below the trees so it's nearly wide open. Monopod mounted at 300mm.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
09-25-2009, 01:18 PM
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It seemed like a great buy (about 1000 shutter actuations- it looks new) and I was concerned it was stolen but seeing the guys house (mini-mansion) and the amount of dust on the outside of the UV filter, it had clearly been shelfed unused since almost new. It was something his mother was letting him sell for pocket money or something.
Thanks once more for the noise-reduction answer.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-25-2009, 01:04 PM
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OK, a semi-related question:
How the heck do the WR/ DA* lenses seal at the body?
Also, zip-lock bags are amateur:
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-25-2009, 12:57 PM
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Heh, DA* seems to go contrary to my cheap-@ss sensibilities.
There was a thread on here that mentioned sigma developing something.
Anyway, I guess all the k10d, k200d, k20d bodies out there will continue to soak up any WR lenses that come to market.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-25-2009, 11:41 AM
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Is there a cheaper alternative to the pentax weather-resistant lenses?
There seems to be no used copies around yet and new ones don't seem to list on ebay except for near (and well above) what they cost from pentax.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
09-25-2009, 11:09 AM
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...where I'll be for the next 8 months.
I just graduated myself from psuedo- dslr land (Minolta Dimage7i) last week with a k10d that I picked up with a tamron 28-200 and quantaray 70-300 for $400USD (including a nice case but no charger). I've a sears 135mm f2.8 ($11 shipped) coming in the mail and will hopefully pick up a 50mm 1.7 or 2.0 pentax-a this weekend and the hoods missing from my zooms. Hopefully that will be all for now.
Anyway, I wanted to confess to my first noob mistake(s): I ran a 8" ISO 400 jpg through "deadpixeltest" _before_ the purchase and it reported "0" hot pixels. Surprised but happy, I bought the camera.
So, a few days pass (waiting for a new charger) and I was raw pixel peeping a bit and noticed a couple hot pixels after updating to firmware 1.3. I ran DPT again on a ufraw-generated tiff and it reported thousands. EEK! Turns out there is something funny with ufraw TIF output in my hands that DPT didn't like. Same raw saved as a TIF in GIMP and (drumroll) ....about 5 hot pixels. Anyway, after all that panic and a little RTFM, I realize that 8" was long enough for the camera to decide to do a black frame and its own subtraction. Very glad it wasn't worse.
I was convinced that the PO had a noisy sensor mapped clean and the new rom deleted the mapping.
More stupid stories to follow...
PS- the "lens review database" is fantastic and unbelievably helpful! Thanks.
PPS- do you leave noise filtering on if you are going to process the raw file anyway?
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