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Forum: Photographic Technique 10-12-2013, 08:17 AM

Combat Photographer Tells All
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 540
Views: 168,328

This is a very sad day.

My condolences to Bob's family.

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-26-2013, 10:50 AM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

Version v. 5.1 has SOLVED THE PROBLEM for me too! It performs flawlessly for both new and legacy lenses in both A, M, PTTL and PTTL-HSS flash modes.
I urge anyone who has v. 5.0 installed on Metz 58 AF-1 or v. 4.0 on Metz 58 AF-2 to consider updating to the newest firmware for Metz 58 AF-1 and Metz 58 AF-2.

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-26-2013, 10:38 AM

Metz 58 AF-2 f/w v4.0 released
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 20
Views: 2,992

Firmware v. 5.1 for Metz 58 AF-1 WORKS as it should have been from the start. PROBLEM SOLVED!

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 09:57 PM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

Yes, the flash confirms the installation of v5.0 firmware by displaying this version number after powering up.

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 02:24 PM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

Yup - you're right... I re-tested it and it does not work. This proves that I need to go back and reevaluate everyting.

It seems I am more tired than I thought... Maybe I did something wrong?

Here is everything I did:

Camera used: Pentax K-7, firmware 1.11
Camera settings: "X"-mode on the wheel, manual-only (MF) focus, 70mm as focal length, ISO 800, "F---" (obviously), Time: 1/180 (again, obvious in "X"-mode), "fast serial" drive mode [sorry, I am using a Polish version so the translation may not be accurate], Auto white balance, RAW+JPEG mode (with raws in DNG format), center-only exposure metering mode.

Lens: Tamron SP 70-210 (19AH) Adaptall-2, set to manual f/3.5,

Flash mounted on hot shoe: Metz 58 AF-1 digital for Pentax (58AF-1 PEN V5.0)
Firmware version: v. 5.0
Possible flash settings: PTTL (!), PTTL-HSS (!), A, M, multi-flash ('three thunders' symbol), SB. No TTL mode possible
Flash setting selected: "M"anual mode (P1/1), 24m, F/4.0 [20m] with main flash pointing up, "TILT 28"

Result: Result: front flash fired before taking the picture ("shutter down, front flash on the Metz flashes, pause of about 0.5sec, a picture is taken"). no firing of the main flash and severe underexposure of a shot.
----
Same camera, same camera settings (except for aperture, now at f/4.5).

Lens: SMC Pentax-DA 18-55 AL WR (the kit for Pentax K-7)
Lens settings: f/3.5, 18mm focal length

a) Flash settings - same ("M" mode, flash displays "24m")
Result: front flash fired before taking the picture ("shutter down, front flash on the Metz flashes, pause of about 0.5sec, a picture is taken"). no firing of the main flash and severe underexposure of a shot.

b) Flash settings - same, except for ("A" mode, flash displays "24m")
Result: front flash fired before taking the picture ("shutter down, front flash on the Metz flashes, pause of about 0.5sec, a picture is taken"). no firing of the main flash and severe underexposure of a shot.

c) Flash settings: PTTL mode
Result - front flash fired before taking the picture ("shutter down, front flash on the Metz flashes, pause of about 0.5sec, main gun flashes while a picture is taken"). Picture is exposed and lit correctly.

d) Flash settings: PTTL-HSS mode
Result - front flash fired before taking the picture ("shutter down, front flash on the Metz flashes, pause of about 0.5sec, main gun flashes while a picture is taken"). Picture is exposed and lit correctly.

e) Flash settings: Multiflash (3 thunders), M15, f15Hz, 4.3m, P1/32
Result: front flash fired before taking the picture ("shutter down, front flash on the Metz flashes, pause of about 0.5sec, a picture is taken"). no firing of the main flash and severe underexposure of a shot.

If there is any information missing / something is unclear or I did a mistake again, please do let me know.

If there is anyone with Metz 58 AF-1 (v. 5.0 firmware) or AF-2 (v. 4.0 firmware) with Pentax K-7 and its kit 18-55 lens - please help to confirm or deny the problem!

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 12:20 PM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

You are absolutely right. The issue seems to be for Metz 58 AF-1 v 5.0 or (possibly) Metz 58 AF-2 v. 4.0.

This is the error you get when writing as fast as possible :) .

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 12:11 PM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

I just tested this on manual Adaptall-2 Tamron SP 70-210 f/3.5, on X-mode, using Pentax K-7 and problem still persists. PTTL works, A or M does not...

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 11:59 AM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

Zafar, could you post the camera model and lenses you've tested this on?

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 11:40 AM

Metz 58 AF-2 f/w v4.0 released
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 20
Views: 2,992

WARNING! Please do read this post before upgrading the firmware. It may have a SERIOUS BUG!

Could anyone who upgraded either Metz 58 AF-1 or Metz 58 AF-2 confirm whether "A" and "M" modes work as before?

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 06-25-2013, 11:36 AM

Warning! Read before installing new metz firmware for 58 af-1 and 58 af-2
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 26
Views: 9,332

UPDATE: Firmware version 5.1 for Metz 58 AF-1 SOLVES THE PROBLEM. If you have v.5.0 installed, consider updating to v. 5.1 . The update is available on the Metz website.

For Metz 58 AF-2 the v.4.1 firmware that most probably solves it as well, is available here. If you have v.4.0 firmware installed, tou may want to consider updating v.4.1 due to the bug outlined below.

----------------------------------------
The following information is for version v.5.0 and v.4.0. The newest firmware (v.5.1 and v.4.1) solves those problems.

The newest firmware (v 5.0) for Metz 58 AF-1 released on 18.06.2013 has a very serious bug. The flash WILL NOT FIRE on A and M modes! PTTL and PTTL-HSS works as always.

This issue MAY ALSO APPLY to the newest Metz 58 AF-2! It was confirmed on Taiwanese pentaxfans forum.

PROBLEM CONFIRMED by Nfrw on DPReview K5 II, firmware V 5.0 on Metz 58 AF-1 is affected by this.

K-30 using 70mm Limited WORKS as confirmed by Zafar Iqbal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have upgraded the firmware to v 5.0 on Metz 58 AF-1. The flash will make a preflash on A and M modes but will not fire the main flash thus rendering A and M mode useless. PTTL and PTTL-HSS work flawlessly. I confirmed this issue using Pentax 18-55 AL WR kit lens on Pentax K-7.

Can anyone confirm this bug?

Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 05-04-2013, 10:08 AM

Pentax K-5 electronic viewfinder ?
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 7
Views: 1,933

Adam, I hope you are not talking about the LCD loupes (something like this). This is one of the best things I've bought for my Pentax K7! It's perfect for focusing manual lenses (e.g. the excellent Takumar 50mm f/1.4), but rather useless for anything else :). Yes, this rear-mounted monstrosity falls off very easily, looks stupid and makes the camera much more difficult to handle but... it just WORKS.

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 10-04-2012, 12:39 PM

Manual Focus Help Please...
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 25
Views: 2,940

I must say that despite having a focusing screen (a cheap Chinese brand) it is still rather difficult for me to focus manually. It may be because it may need some shims or due to my poor technique - I don't know...

What has really helped me with manual focusing (a true, definite, easily-seen difference) was buying an "lcd viewfinder" - a small gizmo that attaches to the camera that magnifies the Live View screen. I think this is the way to go. The problem with this solution is that:
1) it can't be left on a camera (accidentally pointing it at the sun WILL destroy the LCD)
2) it's awkward to use - the camera is much more difficult to handle and does not balance as well as it does without it
3) the whole live view technique is much slower that catch-in-focus or focus confirmation

The only advantage is that it produces outstanding results :).

Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 06-20-2012, 11:25 AM

Lightweight Processing Software
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 21
Views: 3,954

If you want it light, you cannot go wrong with the free UFRaw. Compared to Lightroom or its free alternative Raw Therapee, the UFRaw is tiny, loads in seconds and does 70% those behemoths can. It also perfectly integrates with the Gimp.

About the raw-saving capability. I don't think this makes any sense. To edit file you need to change its pixels. To get access to them, you need to debayer the RAW file. Then you would have to re-bayer the file to save the finished work as RAW. This process would be time-consuming and would introduce massive degradation in quality, so there is no practical benefit in doing so. You could try saving in Foveon-like RAW format (wild guess :)) but such a thing would not offer any benefits. It would be much easier and simpler to just save in a popular TIFF format (something that you can easily do today - all sensible programs read and write in this format, including Gimp and Photoshop).

The only real possibility would be to write software to apply directly to data in Bayer format. This would have possible benefits but I am not aware of any program that does that.

Forum: Photographic Technique 02-05-2012, 02:54 AM

Combat Photographer Tells All
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 540
Views: 168,328

Bob, one thing before I forget - could you make sure the book can be shipped internationally? I think there are plenty of people (myself included) who are interested in your work but don't live in the US...

Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 02-01-2012, 01:10 PM

Is there a way to clean up these filters?
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 18
Views: 2,115

SpecialK I am not 100% sure that a filter won't have any effect. The magenta ones sure can be useful at times (Using Magenta Filter for Shooting With a dSLR Camera Under the Daylight | LibRaw). Does it work? I just don't know. For some shots the effect is very visible and highly positive, for others - visible and negative (after white balancing the scene does not look good) :). There are also some shots for which this technique does not seem to do anything. My conclusions may be wrong as I have checked this a long time ago.

About cleaning the filters - are you sure there is nothing on the filter itself that should be removed? If yes - maybe try hydrogen peroxide. If nothing works, try using a highly concentrated (about 5 times the recommended dosage) hot water solution of oxygen-based bleaching agent (something like a Vanish or anything with "active oxygen"). WEAR GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION! Leave a filter to soak for a few hours, checking it regularly. It is an extreme measure, with a very high chance of being a complete failure...

Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 01-31-2012, 08:54 AM

Is it me or my K5? Impossible to shoot red skies!
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 71
Views: 10,975

(I don't know if this has already been suggested, if it was - I am sorry for wasting time).

Before you shell out on Lightroom, try its free alternative: Raw Therapee, RawTherapee Downloads .

If this is a bit overwhelming, try a no-frills approach: UFRaw - Download & Install - super fast, super easy, super quick-to-load, more than enough for simple tasks.

Forum: Visitors' Center 01-31-2012, 08:48 AM

K-5 for beginner?
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 15
Views: 3,932

Well - I was almost exactly in your situation. I had a Canon PowerShot S5 IS and decided it was time to move up. I ended up buying Pentax K7 due to its exceptional build quality (it was a "love from the first touch" :) ). It never was a problem for me that I had so many options to select from - quite the contrary - I really enjoyed it. Now, after all this time I can honestly say that getting the best was a really good decision! Just for the record - K5 is everything good that K7 had minus the problems. GO FOR THE K5!!!

Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-23-2011, 01:09 PM

RAW -/ GIMP novice
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 5
Views: 1,998

I have no problems with UFRaw so I think it is OK to spend the time and test it for yourself :). The RawTherapee (RT) is a different beast. Sure, some versions can be (or, to put it bluntly, are) rather unstable. It does not change the fact that RT is a very powerful program that is a superb companion to UFRaw. I use RT when I need 110% of what the raw has to offer. For all other tasks, UFRaw is simply much faster. Try both!

Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 10-14-2011, 08:42 AM

Birthday Giveaway Discussion/Questions
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 174
Views: 25,161

I have received the remote. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
A super-micro review: it's much, much smaller than it seems - it's 53x22x6.5mm (about 2/3 of a small finger in height, a bit wider and much thinner). Works like a charm and does not have to be aimed exactly at the receiver. Tiny thingy but very useful!

Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 09-24-2011, 12:41 AM

Normal vs high-capacity Eneloop for flash
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 9
Views: 9,835

wildweasel, I do not think this is that simple :). Take a look at Charles-Augustin de Coulomb's C-Rate for Batteries

Forum: Visitors' Center 09-07-2011, 04:40 AM

Best UVFilters
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 60
Views: 8,272

cats_five, please excuse my lack of reading comprehension, but could you point me to the test of Hoya Pro-1 Super HMC filter on the Lenstip.com? I can only see the Hoya Super HMC (non-Pro-1 version) or Hoya Pro-1 Digital MC (no HMC there)...

Forum: Visitors' Center 09-07-2011, 02:17 AM

Best UVFilters
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 60
Views: 8,272

Those tests, while a bit outdated, sort of confirm Spock's suggestion: UV filters test - Introduction - Lenstip.com and UV filters test - supplement - Introduction - Lenstip.com

I think I would go for this Hoya Pro-1 Super HMC. The only question remains - do you really need a UV filter as even the best one introduces some quality loss? :)

Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 09-06-2011, 03:09 PM

[ENDED] Post to Win a Remote (September 6th 6pm-7pm EST)
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 86
Views: 9,014

I want to win too :]

Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 09-06-2011, 08:56 AM

[ENDED] Post to Win a Remote (September 6th 11am-noon EST)
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 56
Views: 10,972

Me too :)

Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 09-01-2011, 01:09 AM

Monitor Calibration
Posted By Howdy

Replies: 7
Views: 2,404

Take a look at https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/digital-processing-software-printing/1547...-please-2.html (but read the WHOLE thread :) )

I think the only option that makes sense is a spectrophotometer (e.g. eyeOne Pro). All Spyders are OKish for standard gamut monitors but have problems with wide gamut displays. The most important drawback is that you cannot profile a printer with the Spyder (there is a version for this - Spyder 3 Print - but I think it is better to just get the eyeOne).

As far as I know, there are no fundamental differences between Spyders, so get the cheapest + install ArgyllCMS (Argyll Color Management System Home Page) to get the most of them.

Before you do anything, read the Real World Color Management though! Really do! Honestly :).

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