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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-02-2010, 02:11 AM
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"Full day of shooting" sounds sooo "nice" after I was shooting on Energizer Ultimates for 40 days. I got some (maybe fake ones, but they looks nice / lightweight) from the internet today, will see if they will last.
BTW, 12 pcs. of these batteries cost me $9, that means $.75 / each, or $3 for (expected) 40 days shooting.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-01-2010, 10:48 PM
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Thanks for the reply.
I'm talking about some batteries like these: UltraFire Éñ»ð 14500 µç³Ø AA 5ºÅ 3.7V 900ºÁ°² ³äµç﮵ç³Ø-ÌÔ±¦Íø
BTW I've decided to give a try and ordered a pack of Ultimate Lithiums. They arrived today, despite they are a bit different in terms of package design from the ones that were in the K-x box, overall look and feel is pretty much the same. Very light, as you say. I will give them a try.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
03-31-2010, 04:35 AM
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Hello Pentaxians,
A few days ago my K-x ate a full pack of cheap alkaline batteries for breakfast, leaving me without shots when I was in need. So I'm searching now for a good 8x batteries pack to keep running. I hate charging, so I want to get some batteries which are as good as box Energizer Ultimates (which lasted for 2600 shots / 40 days for me, wow).
I live in China, so Eneloops and Energizer Ultimates are 90% fake here. What I need is some high-grade batteries which are hard to fake. Moving around I found some UltraFire Li-ion batteries that seem to be good looking. What bothers me is their voltage - 3.6V - which is 3x more than typical rechargeable cells. But afaik li-ion batteries are better in terms of current stability, so they will last longer.
Will my K-x die in flashes, sparkles and fire if I put four 3.6V cells in it? Or it has the current limiter inside?
Thanks!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-28-2010, 04:55 AM
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Yep, I saw the ISO analysis gives ISO "100" is ~127 for K-x sensor. However, you have to choose between DR compensation and ISO 127 over 200... Maybe I should really give it a try. I didn't test it in battle conditions yet. Thanks!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-27-2010, 07:50 PM
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Hey, opiedog, here they go. Shoot some test pic on every ISO possible, use "Make defaults specific to camera ISO settings" and set "Develop > Set default settings...". Or use it just like any other user preset, if you like it.
BTW I don't use ISO 100, this makes sense to me. Expanded ISOs over 6400 are also just a darker pics with K-x software positive exposure correction under the hood.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-27-2010, 07:53 AM
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I use 200-12800 + ISO steps as EV steps custom setting. Also I always shoot in DNG and have default presets in Lightroom 3 Beta 2 based on camera model + ISO for every possible ISO with custom noise removal settings (Lightroom 2 is ok for this purpose too). 0 luminance noise removal on ISO200 and up to 75 on ISO 12800. Very convenient, Lightroom is a brilliant piece of software.
E.g. one test pic with FA31 on ISO 12800, applied only my default settings. This is a ~50% crop from the frame. Seems to be acceptable for most conditions. For me, of course.
BTW if someone is interested I can try to share my default L3b2 settings.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-01-2010, 06:57 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-01-2010, 06:35 AM
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FA31 sits just in between on 16 and 50... :) Zoom by legs, f/1.8, and The FA31 Magic is here too. Just kidding, but you know there is a part of joke in every joke.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-28-2010, 06:38 AM
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Hmm... I tried and discovered the same! Not so pronounced (I shoot with FA31), but it exists. Well then, how do we calibrate our phases, eh? %) I cannot imagine using LV even only for sharp landscaping.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-23-2010, 10:51 PM
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Yeah, I understand it will be heavier. However that's not a constructional limitation as I imagine, as there are relatively fast pancakes. Maybe the cost / performance / engineering efforts are really out of balance for this kind of lens I dream about. And I'm not a pro, doubt I would go for more than $1.5k even for such a fine glass.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-23-2010, 10:02 PM
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Hello everyone,
Just interested why there is absolutely no zoom lenses below f/2.8? So much f/1.2-1.8 primes in every range from 20mm to 200mm... Why no zooms?
I'm a happy owner of FA31 f/1.8 and cannot imagine I will have to deal with slow f/2.8 on my beloved evening streets of China. Or perhaps it isn't so slow as I think it is...
:hmm:
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2010, 08:39 AM
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Wow, I checked it and it's really mechanical. Well then, holding lens release button seems ok for me. Thanks everyone for answers!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2010, 08:32 AM
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Yeah, I just love how photos look on f/1.8 on FA31. Of course I use higher apertures for landscapes etc., but f/1.8 is my "most working" f-stop for now. Maybe I should try "3-step-shooting": center & focus by AF button, center EV spot & meter exposure, recompose and shoot. Tricky. Will try.
Ah, that reminds me of my third most desired frimware feature: shoot all three bracketing shots at one click. With 4.7 fps on K-x it should be possible.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2010, 08:21 AM
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Nope, TAv is K-7's feature. That's why I'm whining. :) P mode is also ISO/auto-ISO only.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2010, 07:42 AM
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Hello everyone,
It's a great feature of K-x to have auto-ISO. I usually operate whole day in the range of auto 200-6400, and it seems ok. A few 3200 shots, couple of 1600 or 800, and most of 400 and lower. Also if you set custom setting to manage ISO by EV steps, you get all these ISOs like 400, 500, etc.
However, when shooting at night, even with aperture set to f/1.8 K-x sometimes choose low ISO like 200 or 400. Seems that Pentax engineers set the slowest shutter speed value in Av mode to 1/60 sec. It's ok for static pics, but real issue is shooting moving people at night. I'm ok with ISO 3200 or 6400 (especially with K-x great sensor) in these conditions, but the camera doesn't allow to set lower margin of ISO, which is always 200, and this 1/60 shutter speed value is also unconfigurable. I'd like to tune it to, say, 1/200, but it isn't possible (now).
Should I write a firmware proposal? Or am I missing something?
PS: K-x is amazing camera!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2010, 07:32 AM
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Telfish, you mean AF/MF switch operates some mechanical clutch inside the body? :) Don't think so.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2010, 05:12 AM
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Yes, pschlute, I understand, just think firmware engineers can electronically enable / disable AF for a couple of milliseconds needed to AF.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-21-2010, 08:46 PM
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Ah, thanks for the tip, Eruditass. It's not convenient, but it works. :)
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-21-2010, 07:49 PM
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There is a AF/AE-L button which can be assigned custom function #2: disable shutter button focus, focus only by pressing AF button. But it just doesn't work in MF mode. I wish it could switch to AF programmatically, focus (in AF-S-ly manner), switch back to MF in milliseconds.
The main reason for it is unbearable stiffness of focusing ring in AF mode.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-21-2010, 07:36 PM
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Hi everyone,
Just got my new K-x body, played with it for 1-2 days and it's wonderful. However, I've run into an mispleasing issue with my FA31. When MF is on, the focusing ring of FA31 is sooo sweet!.. And when you turn on AF, you have to "fight" with the in-body focusing motor everytime you need to correct the focusing.
However, there is a AF/AE-L button which can be assigned custom function #2: disable shutter button focus, focus only by pressing AF button. I thought, oh yeah, I found it! But it just doesn't work in MF mode. What made Pentax engineers not to do it also for MF: switch to AF programmatically, focus, switch back to MF in milliseconds? Ah, HOW convenient it would be!.. Dream of adding it to 1.02 firmware.
How do you fight this issue?
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Forum: Sold Items
02-17-2010, 09:00 AM
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:confused: Where are you all, guys? :hmm:
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-11-2010, 10:47 PM
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Steve, do you mean there is the same DoF in viewfinder as in lens at wide apertures? Sounds like a good feature.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-11-2010, 07:22 AM
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Ah, thanks all for answers, think I'll try to live without it, and if I will miss my canon red dots too much, I will give the screen a try.
Now another question bothers me... also in viewfinder department. :) Does viewfinder magnifier (e.g. 1.36x) worth it? I do wear glasses.
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