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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-13-2020, 05:37 PM
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I haven't had the KP, but I did transition from APS-C to full frame and I think the K-1 with the 24-70 is an excellent combination. I'd only move away from that option if I was very concerned about the size and weight of my equipment. I kept my K-3 and DA lenses after moving to the K-1, but they were practically never used again.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
07-25-2020, 04:34 PM
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I was shooting the comet with exposures around 30 seconds last night with the Pentax D FA 70-200 at 200 MM. There were minimal star trails that I probably could have eliminated at around 20 seconds exposure. To me, this is pretty impressive performance for the Astrotracer in my K-1. This was my first ever use of the Astrotracer and i was surprised by how easy it was to calibrate, even with a big lens attached. I certainly hope to improve my technique before the comet returns in 6800 years.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-23-2020, 05:12 PM
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My favorite hiking set-up is probably the K-1, 24-70 mm, Samyang 12 mm and 60-250 mm. I like to cover a lot of focal lengths when possible. I have the Manfrotto Be-Free Carbon tripod and I don't think I could find one any better without more weight. I've been known to steady the camera and the tripod with my hands when it's windy. I almost always use a back-pack even for short trips as it's just so much easier for me than any other type of bag. And a sling strap too. This topic is making me want to go on a photo hike right now!
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Forum: General Photography
02-13-2020, 06:07 PM
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I have quite a few Hoya filters including a 10-stop ND and I've never been disappointed in these filters. I think they represent a very good balance between cost and quality.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-04-2020, 08:25 AM
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For FF fish-eye there are not many options. The Samyang 12mm is one. If you plan to do a lot of fish-eye photography this may be the way to go if you can find one. You could also use the Samyang 8mm but it's not FF so you'd have to shoot in crop mode. I have both of those lenses and find them to be quite satisfactory. I really like the 28-105 and it is my go to lens whenever I wish to take just one lens. However, I find that it's not quite wide enough for many of my landscape shots, in which case I take the 24-70 and a longer telephoto. Depending on how wide you like your landscape shots, the 28-105 might be the way to go. It really is a very good lens. Good luck!
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
11-03-2019, 05:51 PM
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I currently use Adobe Photoshop Elements for photo editing and I may end up getting Premiere for editing videos, but before spending money to do that I checked out the free Photos application in Windows 10 and it's certainly meets my basic needs. I watched one short instruction video on You Tube and within about 10 minutes I had combined four videos, subsetting each video and then resizing the resulting file for sharing on-line. Historically I've shot very few videos and those have normally been landscape panoramas, so no editing was needed. Now I have a grandchild and I'm sure I'll be shooting video much more frequently. So until my needs move beyond the basics, I'll be using Photos.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
10-06-2019, 04:40 AM
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I generally shoot sports in high speed burst mode with AF-C. So while I'm composing and possibly zooming for a shot I have the back AF button held down for continual focusing. Then when I like what I see I use the shutter button. In the past I tried doing all of this with the shutter button, but when you're moving the camera and possibly zooming, it's quite challenging to press the shutter button enough for AF but not so much as to trigger a burst of shots. I'll never go back from BBF now.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
09-16-2019, 05:29 PM
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I think this article is a great illustration of what to expect with various focal lengths. Not that this is important, but I suspect the model height is approaching 6 feet and pretty thin. I say this because I think it's hard to find a shorter or wider model given preferred fashion sizes. Since the model is on a platform, height is probably greater than 6 feet.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-09-2019, 05:01 PM
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The Sigma 17-50 was my favorite and most-used lens for years before I switched to FF. In my opinion I think the distortion is minimal and was never a concern for my shots. I don't think I corrected the distortion more than just a couple of times over the years. Of course my shooting was more landscape than something more revealing like architecture, but I did take urban shots and still didn't see the need for correction.
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Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2
08-16-2019, 04:42 PM
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I've been using Photoshop Elements for years. And while I find some aspects of the application very annoying, there is a lot of capability for the money. You can choose to use the software as a beginner, an intermediate or an advanced user. I've normally purchased it for around $60 when on sale and I only upgrade about every third version.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-15-2019, 05:34 PM
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I only find the battery locations a little annoying as battery changes are fairly infrequent. What I find really annoying is that the control positions on the grip do not match those of the camera. Yes, the positions are similar, but if you are really well accustomed to the exact locations of the body controls it's frustrating to have to adapt to slightly different locations. More than once I've established perfect settings only to accidentally hit the green button on the grip when I'm trying to use BBF and I've lost my settings. For that reason, my streak of buying grips ended with the K-1.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
08-13-2019, 05:25 PM
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I switched from the K-3 to the K-1 and I'm very happy with the change. I ended up totally revamping my lens and filter collection which was not an inexpensive endeavor. But I really appreciate the strengths of the K-1. For me, the number one strength is the ability to crop to a large degree and still have a decent shot. I also appreciate the high IQ the camera provides. I have been able to handle the size and weight increase without difficulty. I generally use the large full-frame Pentax D FA zooms, but I also picked up a Samyang 14 mm to provide relief when the 15-30 is just too big or heavy. I think the rear screen is another big advantage as you sometimes have to shoot in a very awkward position and I used to have to do this without actually seeing the screen with the K-1. In general, the K-1 is a significant step-up that has been very beneficial for me. I kept the K-3 as a second body for a while, but I gave it to my son due to lack of use. Good luck with your decision!
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
08-12-2019, 05:20 PM
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Spare battery
Lens brush
Filter wrench, either one or two depending on which filters I have
Identification card in the bag
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Forum: General Photography
07-19-2019, 05:04 PM
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Your planned list looks pretty good. I do think 18 might not be wide enough, but I don't like to stitch photos either. Beyond just covering the desired focal lengths, I would pay a lot of consideration to the IQ of the existing and candidate lenses as the perfect focal length is not so perfect if the IQ falls short of what is desired. You can judge your existing lenses of course and consider the reviews / ratings on this forum when judging candidate lenses. The only item I would add is a pair of filter wrenches. I've had trouble with filters getting stuck on lenses, especially CPLs, while on a road trip and this can be very frustrating. The wrenches are inexpensive and very compact so they're easy to take. I never go on a trip without them now.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-12-2019, 05:08 AM
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My normal travel kit consists of my trusty K-1, my Samyang 14mm f2.8, Pentax D FA 24-70 f2.8 and Pentax DA 60-250 f4. The trio of lenses gives me a very broad range of focal lengths and two lenses that are pretty fast. If weight / size are not an issue, I'll replace the Samyang with the Pentax D FA 15-30 and perhaps add in the Pentax D FA 28-105 as a walkaround lens. It's taken me years to acquire the lenses that seem pretty optimal for travel.
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Forum: General Photography
05-11-2019, 05:18 AM
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For me, the question of "why use a BIG camera when your phone can shoot many of the same shots?" is similar to the question of "why ride a bike without training wheels when you can do similar riding on a bike with training wheels?"
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Forum: Pentax KP
04-21-2019, 06:45 AM
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I've never owned the KP, but I used the Sigma 17-50 on my K-3 for years. It was my favorite lens. Very sharp, good focusing and good color. I found the focal length range to be ideal for a main lens, especially for landscapes. I think you'll find the lens reviews on this forum to be quite positive for this lens.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
04-21-2019, 06:19 AM
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I suggest you start simple and then progress as far as you desire. Assuming you've got enough computer storage space and your SD cards are a good size, you can't really go wrong with RAW+ capture. Some will argue this point, but you can get very high quality images starting with JPEGs if your initial capture is high quality with good exposure. If you need to recover dark areas or make large prints RAW will be better. I've used Adobe Photoshop Elements for years and it meets my needs most of the time. There are many things I don't like about it, but for basic through to intermediate editing it's a good low-cost option. There are three different editing modes, Quick, Guided and Expert. I usually use Guided and Quick. I have used layers in the Expert mode, but frankly I can do 95% of my desired edits in Guided and Quick. I much prefer taking pictures to editing pictures, so I like an application that is easy to use and fast. Good luck!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-05-2019, 05:12 PM
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I was very happy with my Sigma 10-20 before I switched to full-frame. I also used the Sigma 8-16 for years. As stated before, the 8-16 is very wide. 2 MM at the wide end is significant. However, I used the 10-20 much more frequently. The 8-16 is larger and heavier and it does not take traditional filters. In my case, I think the 10-20 had a little better IQ. I actually didn't use the 8-16 much until my main lens became the Sigma 17-50 and the 8-16 was a nice complement in focal length. Anyway, I don't think you could go wrong with the 10-20. The filter size is actually 77 mm, which is not too bad for filter cost. I think it's ideal for many landscapes.
Regarding the longer focal length I'd recommend the 55-300 also. I think the IQ of the really wide range zooms results in a loss of IQ. I had the Tamron 18-250 and while it was a good lens, I think a lens with less focal length range would have better IQ. I think it's almost impossible to have such a wide range of focal lengths and provide good IQ. It's just too much of a compromise. Good luck!
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-30-2019, 07:43 AM
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That looks like a masterpiece! Well done! I have a Manfrotto tripod that I love, but I could not live with the proprietary quick release system so I replaced the ball head with an Arca-Swiss compatible ball head. So now I use a standard L-bracket on my K-1, which is good because I have two other tripods that also have Arca-Swiss compatible ball heads. If I only had Manfrotto tripods your bracket would be a good solution.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-17-2019, 07:43 AM
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That's a very good list. I'll add one more that is relevant to this discussion: the Pentax FA 20/2.8
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-10-2019, 06:23 PM
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Definitely one of my favorite shots!
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Forum: General Photography
02-08-2019, 05:38 PM
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I may be somewhat non-conventional, but I use a series of Op-Tech quick connectors and attach my Black Rapid strap clasp to the nylon straps of the connectors. The connectors come in male and female versions and each has a strong nylon loop. You can join connectors together using the male-female connection or I can join them by the loops. The Op-tech straps also have these connectors. So this gives me ultimate flexibility. I can have the Op-Tech connectors fastened to the strap mounts on the top-front of the camera, and on the the L-bracket if desired. And I can easily switch between one of my two Op-Tech straps and the Black Rapid Sling strap. Not conventional, but very versatile.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-13-2019, 03:23 PM
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I mainly shoot landscapes and the D FA 24-70 is my main lens. It's a very good lens and its wide enough for the vast majority of landscapes I shoot with my K-1. If I was shooting APS-C I would use a wider lens in the range of 10-20. If you need to go wider, the D FA 15-30 is very good, but large and heavy. I only need to go that wide for about 10% of my landscape shots. I recently added the Samyang 14 mm 2.8 and I use it when I want to have less size and weight than the 15-30. If I only use one lens, it's the 24-70. It I want to go even lighter, the D FA 28-105 is good with the Samyang 14 for ultra-wide, but the 28 is sometimes too narrow in view.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
01-09-2019, 06:12 PM
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Depending on the stage of the sunset, sunset exposure can be very tricky. If the sun is still visible and not weakened by haze then you have a very bright object relative to the rest of the scene. This actually applies to daytime shots too, which is why you generally don't include the sun in daytime pictures. If the sun is visible in a sunset shot, I tend to let the sun appear as totally white (blown highlight) in an attempt to make the rest of the scene have the best exposure possible. You could also try HDR if your camera has that feature. In most cases my preferred sunset shots are after the sun has disappeared, which usually maximizes the color, or when the sun is an orange globe due to haziness that diminishes the brightness. I will always let the actual scene determine the lens / focal length as I only want to capture the area that is interesting / attractive. I have used a gradient ND filter a few times when the top half of the scene is very bright and the lower half is dark. You can also adjust the exposure if you do post processing, perhaps lowering the highlights and raising the shadows.
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