Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
23 Hours Ago
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Thanks for all those who responded. Here are a few first results:
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Forum: General Talk
5 Days Ago
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Soooo. after many years shooting only APS-C bodies (everything from the K110D to todays KP) I acquired a decent used K-1 MKII last year and only last week I scored (eBay) the elusive SMC-F 28mm/f2.8 lens which I understood to be somewhat magical. I did use my Irix 30mm/f1.4 in the past half year but wanted something small for travel. What also attracted me was the 49mm filterthread - same as the DA35mm/f2.4 and the FA43mm/f1.9 Ltd. which means I can use my 49mm infrared filters (550nm and 720nm) on my full-spectrum K-3 body with the 28mm.
First impression was a bit of a let-down TBH. Focus confirmation in the OVF was twitchy and the shots at f2.8 missed that very distinct transition from in-focus to OoF on the subject and directly in front and behind it. That is....until I dialled in some AF fine tuning after printing out the Migalvanas focus calibration chart and printing it out at 200% size across 4 pages A4 stuck together (resulting in an A2). Turned out this lens needed quite a bit of adjustment (+8) but once I had that finetuned and dialed in...OMG!!!!
Noam honestly had no bloody idea why I was getting in his face like this but he is an attention seeker and any attention is way better than no attention after all! |
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
5 Days Ago
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Feel very lucky as I'd been after it for some time now. It was very reasonably priced and I need something wide for my K-1 MKII. Used the Irix 30mm/f1.4 but have trouble nailing focus TBH. I'm going to put it throught its paces over the next few days. It neatly fills the gap I have in my FF glass with the FA43mmLtd, Sigma 85mm/f1.4 and Irix 150mm/f2.8
Side effect: it has a 49mm filter thread so I can use my 550nm filter on the full-spectrum K-3 with the trio of 28mm/f2.8, 35mm/f2.4 and 43mm/f1.9 now. Quite curious what the outcome of thŕt will be...
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Forum: Photographic Equipment for Sale
03-10-2024, 07:46 AM
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Allow me to start listing and add images and descriptions as I go along. I ship only and exclusively withing the EU27 in order to avoid Customs and VAT issues for potential buyers (will make exceptions but need specific assurances). Shipping will be PostNL €22 insured and tracked.
All photos were shot today, of the actual items and the available accessories. If you think I'm asking too much, feel free to make an offer but I have researched and think the prices are more than fair. Sold to forum member 1. Kenko Pz-AF 25mm Macro extension tube with 7 electronic contact points, allowing for autofocus. This is the version with the extra SDM contacts (originally meant for powerzoom if I recall correctly). Purchased when I started doing some macro. Replaced by various macro lenses since. Excellent condition.
Price €95
2. Sigma 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 AF lens. Great condition, few specks of dust. Not a stellar lens by any means but kind of fun on an older body. Complete with original front and back caps, no hood (it didn't come with one).
Price €25 (and I'm willing to use economy shipping on this €9) Reserved 3. Tamron 90mm/f2.8 AF macro lens (model 172E) in great condition with hood and original caps. Optics pristine, AF works, MF works (push/pull system). Hood did get scratched - see photo. Lens scores incredibly high on PF and rightfully so. I eventually bought the Irix 150 and ended up not using the Tammy so much. Ready for a new owner.
Price €185
4. Kenko 2x converter Pz-AF Teleplus MC7 - excellent teleconverter optically great. Disclaimer: I've been able to use it with AF lenses and have reliable auto-focus but have never had much luck with SDM even though it has the contacts. Example would be the above Tamron macro, it and this converter provided some great results at times. Front and rear caps included.
Price €40 (and, as with the cheaper Sigma lens, willing to use €9 intl shipping within EU)
5. Lensbaby Composer Pro with 50mm as well as 35mm (Sweet35) optics, boxed. Looks great, works great but never end up using it anymore. All of the stuff (aperture inserts etc.) included.
Price €185
6. Samsung OVF1 viewfinder - pristine condition and boxed. Bought it and used it a bit on my Ricoh GR back in the days.
Price €55
7. Pentax charger D-BC50 + battery for K20D and earlier models
Price: €10 (and cheapest shipping option applies) Sold to forum member 8. Pentax HD-DA 1.4x converter boxed. Pristine condition with original caps. No further details required, everybody know its the real thing.
Price €250
9. Samyang 8mm/f3.5 fisheye, boxed. Both caps. Excellent condition not a scratch anywhere.
Price €240
10. Yongnuo YN585EX P-TTL Flash boxed
Price €50 |
Forum: General Photography
03-09-2024, 09:13 AM
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Today's catch with the K-3 and DA35mm with a 550nm filter and a bit of TLC in Darktable and Gimp/GMIC
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Forum: General Photography
03-04-2024, 12:14 PM
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So I'm experimenting with the new-to-me full-spectrum K-3. Here some shots with the DA16-85mm with a 720nm filter and the DA35mm/f2.4 with a 550nm filter. PEF conversion as always in Darktable.
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Forum: General Photography
03-03-2024, 08:16 AM
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Lovely, I did some flower vases last year and the results are always surprising for their otherworldly "ghostliness"...
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Forum: General Photography
03-02-2024, 11:41 AM
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Playing around with the DA35/f2.4 and a 550nm filter today
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Forum: General Photography
03-01-2024, 12:54 PM
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Forum: General Photography
02-29-2024, 07:49 AM
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Why not get a full-spectrum conversion so you can experiment with various wavelengths using screw or clip-in filters?
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Forum: General Photography
02-28-2024, 06:45 AM
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First K-3 results in the field. Color images taken with the FA43mmLtd lens and a 550nm filter, B&W are Tamron 10-24mm with a 720nm filter. |
Forum: General Photography
02-27-2024, 01:48 PM
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The full-spectrum converted K-3 has arrived and it's a beaut! Spotless body and LCD, minimal wear on some of the button inprints but that is to be expected. The body has only 25K clicks and came with a Pentax branded battery so all is well.
The camera arrived with DHL in the early evening so I haven't shot any IR with it yet but I did get a chance to test the STC clip-in hot mirror filter I ordered online just so I could get a feel whether I will be able to use the camera as a stand-in for my KP when on vacation. I was also curious to see whether the STC clip filter would pose any particular issue. It went in very easily and after mounting the 43mm Ltd lens, the camera seems to work as it would pre-conversion. Focus and Av exposure through the viewfinder are spot on. With the various IR screw-in filters (550nm and 720nm) both AF and exposure need to be done via live view of course but being able to dual-purpose this camera will be awesome when travelling!
So, uninteresting/uninspiring shot of my dining table with red chairs and some fruit on the table - color is spot on after raw conversion of the PEF file. Sharpness and detail are good, noise is as expected indoors at ISO800 with a 10-year old camera and easily take care of by Neat Image - does my KP do better? Of course it does but that is not why I bought this K-3. Tomorrow I'll try to do some 550nm and 720nm shots although the Dutch weather seems to be thwarthing my plans somewhat...
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Forum: General Photography
02-25-2024, 01:43 PM
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IRrecams is the one who did my original K-5 conversion about 2 years ago and I was very satisfied with them. The guy's name is Sven Lamprecht and I wrote down some of my experiences with him in a blogpost here.
I was very happy with the work he did on my K-5 and, like you said, he's in the EU so no hassle with import Customs and VAT. When I inquired about getting a full-spectrum body, he offered me a decent credit amount on the K-5 if I send it to him in part exchange. Also, he sends the camera and allows you to test it before actually paying his invoice which I find incredibly rare nowadays. I hope no one abuses that fair treatment.
Also his website has full English translations and he has a Youtube channel with incredibly useful information about IR post processing with Darktable which happens to be my preferred raw converter for the last 10 years now. His youtube videos in English as well as German are here.
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Forum: General Photography
02-24-2024, 10:26 AM
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My full-spectrum K-3 is on its way as a replacement of the 630nm K-5 which I've had so much fun with over the past years! I'd been contemplating this for quite some time now for two reasons:
1. I've become pretty decent at raw conversion of IR images at 630nm and 720nm inclusing channel swaps and everything else and have become increasingly curious about other wavelength cut-offs such as 550nm and 590nm(aka "Goldilocks").
2. I want to be able to take a regular DSLR as well as an IR converted one with me on vacation without lugging around two separate bodies.
3. I found out the K-5 legacy model with its 16mp sensor with AA filter leaves a lot to be desired in terms of ability to crop and detail resolution.
(yeah, yeah, I know I said "two reasons" so I lied...)
So I got me a lightly used K-3 which has been converted as we speak by my German supplier (Sven of IRrecams) against a bit of credit for the K-5 I sent back. I also got an STC hotmirror clip-in filter so I can occasionally use the camera for visible light shooting (if my trusted KP or K-1 MkII are not around) and a 550nm screw filter to try out next to the Hoya R72's I already have for my most used lens threads (49 & 77mm). If the STC hotmirror filter works out well, I intend to order the STC 590nm clip-in as well so I can use it with all of my lenses. Until now, the bulk of my IR shooting was with the 43mm Ltd and the Tamron 10-24mm
Watch this space! I hope to see the K-3 delivered somewhere this week.
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Forum: General Photography
02-21-2024, 01:22 AM
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Here is one I reworked from last year. Just a 720Nm shot with a RB channel swap in Darktable
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
02-13-2024, 08:08 AM
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Owwww, go away and let me sleep...
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-11-2024, 07:01 AM
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A few of this morning's doggy walk in the local forest. Apart from converting the PEF files in Darktable and a bit of cropping here and there, not a lot of changes in post. |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-09-2024, 01:27 AM
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I was walking along a cold wintery beach when I saw these surfers (many more) frantically paddling away from the beach to wait for THE wave, then riding it all the way to the beach. What attracted me was the emptiness, the overcast weather with some ice-cold rain at times, and the bravery of these men/women who go out just for the thrill while lookers-on such as me in their thick duffel-coats try to shelter from the rain.
I made several straight-on shot which to my chagrin did not capture the dynamics of the situation, the almost graphical feel and the body of the waves with the raging clouds overhead.
Eventually I experimented with slower and slower shutter speeds such that the scene (and the surfers) was still recognizable but became more of a reflection of what I felt, watching them. In the end I ended up using 1/13th of a second with a bit of pulling the camera with the movement to keep the surfers outlined while emphasizing the waves. Of course, diffraction at F32 was not an issue for the effect I was after. Post processing was a photo-illustration effect in GMIC and some sharpening of the edges in Gimp. PEF raw was converted with Darktable.
Full exif:
Date and Time : 2024:02:08 10:48:37
Document Name : EMG20466-Haifa3-ISO100-dt.jpg
Processing Software : digiKam-8.2.0
Software : GIMP 2.10.36
Exposure Bias : 0 EV
Exposure Mode : Auto
Exposure Program : Aperture priority
Exposure Time : 1/13 s
FNumber : F32
Focal Length : 60.2 mm
ISO Speed Ratings : 100
White Balance : Auto
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-30-2024, 06:12 AM
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I played around a bit with manual focus on the window, balancing the aperture until I got barely recognizable buildings in the back ground. For the first one I used the HD DA1.4x converter, the others are just the lens. |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-26-2024, 08:05 AM
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There is a little grubby cafe on the ground floor of the - once artsy and avant-garde Bauhaus-style - Sartori Hotel in a rundown part of midtown Haifa
Three old geezers (my age or up) are sitting on the sidewalk on rickety chairs and a wobbly table having a coffe, waiting for ... who knows?
Luckily, on the first floor of the building right behind them is the "Hevra Kadisha" - the funeral company - so should they pass there and then, things are taken care of.
And, once they rest under ground, our eyes could drop to the ground floor where the Rabbi of Lubavitch promises "The Mashiakh (=Messias) is here!"
Across the street, the same Rabbi watches over the square
I can only conclude these guys have all eventualities covered on those few square meters of city sidewalk. They thought things over for sure.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-25-2024, 12:37 PM
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The shots by day were edited with a bit of a sketch filter. The night shots had their sharpness and microcontrast enhanced a bit with the photo illustration filter (GMIC).
The port and Haifa bay by day. One can see all the way up to the Lebanese border from the 17th floor
Busy intersection on Herzl street
The view up mt.Carmel towards the central Carmel area
Same port and bay view by night
And the view due West along the major arteries og Herzl and Hehalutz street |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-20-2024, 10:58 PM
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Here's a few shots I took yesterday on a walk through downtown. I still have about 10 days before I go home so I'll just keep posting!
Maronite church
Some funky wall-art (wouldn't dare call it graffiti!)
Chinese lanterns and hats in the garden of Haifa's municipal museum
Just a random window in a back street
Hanging out the laundry
An idyllic balcony |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-19-2024, 01:52 PM
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The German Colony (HaMoshava HaGermanit) (Hebrew: המושבה הגרמנית, Arabic: الحي الألمانية) was established in Ottoman Haifa in 1868 as a Christian German Templer Colony in Palestine. It was the first of several colonies established by the group in the Holy Land. Others were founded in Sarona near Jaffa, Galilee and Jerusalem. Some of the original buildings are still surviving today, and the area continues to be visited, lived in, and in use.
The affluent German colony stood out in its poor surroundings. The only doctor in the city lived there, and one of the residents was a construction engineer. By the end of the Ottoman era the colony had 750 inhabitants, 150 houses and dozens of businesses. The colony was the first model of urban planning in Palestine, with a main street running from north to south (today, Ben-Gurion Boulevard), leading down to the harbor. Smaller streets branched out from the main street. At the southern end of the colony were the Templer vineyards (where the Bahá'í World Centre stands today). The colony was built as a garden city with single-family homes surrounded by gardens and shade trees lining the main boulevard.
Some of the original Templer homes have been restored in recent years. Buildings along Ben-Gurion Boulevard have been turned into cafés, boutiques, hotels, and restaurants. One houses the Haifa City Museum, and the colony has become a center of Haifa nightlife with pubs and bars being a common sight.
Technically, not in the German Colony but right next to it this beautiful church
Original building which now houses the Haifa Guest House, a small hotel
And one of the original buildings at night
Further downtown, near Paris Square this beautiful church, the St. Louis the King Cathedral which serves as the headquarters of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land (Archieparchia Ptolemaidensis Maronitarum in Terra Sancta) which was raised to its current status in 1996 by decision of Pope John Paul II.
It was built by Ibrahim Nasrallah and Salim Khoury, as its name suggests was dedicated to St. Louis IX of France (1214-1270). Construction began in December 1883 and the foundations were laid in January 1884. The work was interrupted on August 24, 1885, but resumed in August 1887 and the church was completed in November 1889. |
Forum: General Photography
01-17-2024, 02:48 AM
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Forum: General Photography
01-17-2024, 01:54 AM
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Anything that starts out as a still image on film or on a digital sensor.
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