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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-14-2017, 05:15 AM
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Welcome to the hobby and passion that can be photography. The K-x was my first dSLR when I got back into purposefully making images again since using a film camera in high school. My father shot Pentax in the day, and my father-in-law also was shooting Pentax at that time. The K-x is compact, renders well in low light, and is simple to use while offering a good set of advanced options. It allows the photographer to concentrate on the shot, and less on the tool. I am sure you will enjoy the K-x for quite some time to come. And yes, this forum is a wealth of knowledge and support. It will help you to grow in your own understanding, and allow you give back to others as you explore and discover. Cheers !
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-01-2015, 12:24 PM
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Nice to know that they have some local ! On the other hand, I think I will stick with my K-5 iis until FF drives the K-3II early adopter price down under $1K CDN.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
05-15-2015, 07:12 PM
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Those are some nice images :-) I thought that the PP in the first set was very nice, and brought up the contrast and colours nicely. For me, the second set might have been a tad over saturated, but the original images give you lots to work with.
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Forum: Sold Items
04-04-2015, 12:13 PM
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This is a great normal focal length on APS-C, and a really decent wide angle on film/FF. Can't go wrong with this lens !
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Forum: Sold Items
02-01-2015, 02:58 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-04-2015, 01:11 PM
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Advantages or features of the DA* 50-135 are WR and the Pentax colours and rendering out of camera. Otherwise my EX II 50-150 is quite sharp from wide open on the K-5 iis, and good throughout the zoom range, only getting a tad softer from 135-150 -- the range unique to the Sigma anyway. Optically they are very equivalent, however I trust the HSM more than the SDM, and it's faster to focus. The 50-150 also takes great shots with the Tamron-F 1.4x teleconverter, although I would not normally use that. It is a great event, in-door sports, or portrait lens, and despite having recently acquired the DA* 60-250, I will be keeping the Sigma for exactly those occasions.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-16-2014, 11:19 AM
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I can't speak to the FA 28, but I do own the F 28. My research at the time was a draw between them, with advocates of both each espousing different conclusions on which was the "best". The F version has generally fetched a slightly higher asking price that is likely a reflection of availability and whatever cult status it has vs the FA 28. I really like the FOV on APS-C, although I am itching to try 24mm :D Here are a couple of shots as a walk around.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-12-2014, 05:07 AM
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I was using Live View for each of the shots, but can try manual focus with the FA 50 @ 2.8 and see if that improves the focus. It did seem unusually soft at that aperture.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-11-2014, 04:04 PM
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Yes, like Edgar mentioned, the EXIF is incorrect, and is the default choice in Lightroom for lens correction, even though I specifically corrected it for the 50-150. Would be nice to be able to easily alter that entry during PP, but it is what it is unfortunately. And yes, Grindz can cost a tad unless one hunts for a deal online. I usually just end up taking the grinder apart since I don't trust them completely anyway :hmm:
Yes, I have a collapsible hood on the FA 50mm f/1.4. The decreased contrast overall is more a function of my ham-handed use of flash than a limitation of the lenses :o
Ask and ye shall receive using multi-segmented metering this time.....crops inline and full shots linked below....
Pentax-DA* 60-250 f/4 @ 60mm f/4, 1 sec, ISO 100
Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4 @ 50mm f/4, 1 sec, ISO 100
Sigma EX 50-150 f/2.8 HSM II @ 50mm f/4, 1/1.7, ISO 100
Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4 @ 50mm f/2.8, 1/5, ISO 100
Sigma EX 50-150 f/2.8 HSM II @ 50mm f/2.8, 1/4, ISO 100 |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-09-2014, 04:51 PM
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The flash tended to wash out some of the normal colour and contrast, although the FA 50 still managed to retain better contrast in the green and a bit in the red. From a sharpness perspective, the zooms certainly fared well, although also 3-5 x as large and heavy as the FA ;)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-09-2014, 03:20 PM
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Was working out autofocus calibration on some lenses, and as part of the process I thought I would do some comparisons between the following:
Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4
Sigma EX 50-150 f/2.8 HSM II, and
Pentax-DA* 60-250 f/4
using Pentax K-5 iis and a hotshoe mounted flash to provide more even lighting in a dimish shooting environment over time when the ambient lighting was changing.
All were shot at f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/90 shutter, and centre weighted metering on a tripod with the same relative focus point. They were processed in Lightroom from DNG with no sharpening but some slight bumps up or down in exposure to try to create a similar overall look, but didn't monkey with colour or white balance. Calibration profiles for each lens were used as per supplied in Lightroom. There is a comparison between the FA 50 and EX 50-150 @ 50mm, and of the DA* 60-250 and EX 50-150 @ 60mm.
Please forgive the boring subject matter and decor of the kitchen ;) Inline images are what I believe are 100% crops of the focal point, and clicking the following links should take you to the full version of the photos, where you can download them in full resolution. Hardly scientific, but for fun :)
Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4 @ 50mm f/5.6, 1/90, ISO 100
Sigma EX 50-150 f/2.8 HSM II @ 50mm f/5.6, 1/90, ISO 100
Sigma EX 50-150 f/2.8 HSM II @ 60mm f/5.6, 1/90, ISO 100
Pentax-DA* 60-250 f/4 @ 60mm f/5.6, 1/90, ISO 100 |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-29-2014, 01:33 PM
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Thanks for the up vs. down clarification ! And yes, I don't normally use a polarizer on the wide-angle lens, but felt that the enhancing filter wouldn't be a problem. If I decide to give one a try, I might just have to anti up for the less expensive 67mm and see if it is useful to me, and if so, then save for a larger 77mm if required.
---------- Post added 10-29-2014 at 02:38 PM ----------
Now that I have spent the money, I will need to increase my use of the long glass ;) I am looking forward to the utility of the 60-250 at the short-end and through out at the wider apertures vs. the 55-300 which is weaker until f/8-f/11, where it starts to improve towards it's bigger brother. Will be hard to decide whether to keep the non-WR 55-300 once I am using the 60-250. It is still a decent lens and MUCH lighter for certain circumstances, and in the end, may retain more value relative to what a selling price would fetch.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-29-2014, 07:08 AM
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Thanks for posting the photographs. It is useful to see the manner in which the filter bumps the saturation of the Fall colours. It would be helpful/cost effective in my situation to get such a filter in 77mm so it could be used on my 12-24 as well for landscape, however using step-down rings to get 77mm on the 67mm 60-250 would likely preclude using the hood on the long telephoto.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-28-2014, 05:22 AM
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Thanks for the tip on the enhancing filter narual ! Are you aware of any difference between the Tiffen you suggested and the Hoya red enhancer (didymium) ?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-26-2014, 08:39 AM
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Well, I pulled the trigger on this one after asking a few questions of the seller :D I have been oscillating between looking for a Sigma EX 100-300 f/4 or a Pentax-DA 60-250 f/4 for quite awhile now, but price and availability have always been an issue. It is rare to find either of these used lenses in Canada for a good value, and the exchange on the US $ right now is a killer. This will be my first SDM lens, and that scares me a bit, but having the remaining Canuck warranty gives me a bit of wiggle room if there are any issues. Excited to receive the lens and mount it to the K-5iis. Too bad everything is so grey/brown right now deep into the Fall on the prairies, but I am sure I can find some subject matter :p
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-24-2014, 11:59 PM
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I have asked about it several times in Pentax mount. They simply suggest regularly submitting a request for future inclusion. I imagine it would take heavy balance of interest for them to take the time for profile measurements.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-05-2014, 01:53 PM
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The 28mm focal length is the dSLR version of the 43mm on film, and I really like it. I think the 43mm on film was a better "normal" than the compressed 50mm, and more intimate than 35mm had been with some photo journalism, so it works for me. I might like 24mm on digital as well or better, but haven't had the opportunity to grab something like the old Sigma AF 24mm f/2.8. The F 28mm f/2.8 is a nice all-rounder.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
06-05-2014, 12:40 PM
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It's nice to see some recent Pentax-F 28mm f/2.8 images. I keep that one on my K-x which resides in my brief case for momentary opportunities (when I am not so focused on other things to miss said opportunities).
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Forum: Sold Items
04-09-2014, 08:47 PM
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PM'd interest in taking the lens.
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Forum: Sold Items
04-03-2014, 11:27 PM
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Bump for a great normal prime on the crop dSLR. Sharp, compact and nice colours. Scoop it while you can.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-14-2014, 09:45 PM
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Thank-you for the generous feedback. I normally wouldn't be looking for a photographic opportunity during a brief connector stop, but the lines did capture my attention, and the overcast weather helped prevent things from being too blown out.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-14-2014, 03:59 PM
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Killing time waiting for a connector flight coming back home from Christmas, and was quite enthralled with the central atrium roof.
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-14-2014, 03:45 PM
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Bonnet Lake Avon Park, FL
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-26-2014, 07:51 PM
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Don't know much about that one, although for $70 + free shipping from Amazon right now, it wouldn't be expensive to find out. Amazon ratings are generally good, but not sure what the respondents were using for gear relative to what you want to use, or how you want to use it.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-25-2014, 11:50 AM
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+1 for the Slik Sprint Pro II as well if you don't have the bank roll for a high end carbon fibre travel tripod and/or you are not overloading it. It is light and easy to pack along with feeling the weight. The ballhead isn't too bad, or you could replace it with a Slik SBH-200DQ.
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