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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 07-03-2011, 08:19 PM  
Thinking of switching back to pentax from a canon
Posted By clark
Replies: 10
Views: 3,511
The KR- i'll have to add that to my list as well, a great price- although as I understand it, it doesn't have the silent shutter of the k7/k5?



I think m4/3 is the minimum sensor size i'd like to go, in fact that would be quite nice to shoot full frame 5d and m4/3, would make focal length calculation a snap :lol:
After looking at the price of a 31ltd it doesn't seem so 'low cost' anymore, and no silent motor. I'd really need to handle one to see how it feels during manual focus, i'm sure it's lovely. If this would be be incognito setup, i'd really need it to be totally silent, or at least inaudiable from 5 feet away.



No manual settings? Is there not a workaround though?



Excellent point
well i'm in no hurry to purchase now as i'm flat broke and will be for a while I guess. I really hope they stick with the k5/k7 body, I love it, and it looks so elegant

I would say that they need a small WR wide angle lens to sit under the 16-50, maybe tokina could license them their 11-16 f2.8?
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 07-03-2011, 11:46 AM  
Thinking of switching back to pentax from a canon
Posted By clark
Replies: 10
Views: 3,511
Thanks- i've been spending so much time in my local camera store that I think I have overstayed my welcome. I'm moving house soon though so that will give me some more time to play with the camera in store so I can do a proper side by side test.


I'm also going to throw a gh2/g3 into the mix too
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 07-03-2011, 10:58 AM  
Thinking of switching back to pentax from a canon
Posted By clark
Replies: 10
Views: 3,511
Or more specifically, running 2 systems to reap the benefits of both.


I was a long time pentax shooter, film, and then an ist DL- but sold my pentax kit and switched to a canon pro rig when I started to shoot assignments- I was gifted a canon 1dmk3 (lucky me I thought at the time)

Although the camera is great and it impresses clients with it's heft and image quality, i'm finding I only ever bring it out if i'm being paid to do so. So my personal photography has gone out the window as it's just no fun to carry it around unless there's a heavy lens on it to balance out the weight.

The problem with canon is that it's a system designed for full frame, the best of canon's lenses are huge, heavy, and expensive- canon and inconspicuous are words not heard together very often. Unlike pentax with it's LTD lenses, and comparatively small 50-135 telephoto

the problem with full frame is that you have to work so hard to make every image, you can get a better (in certain aspects) image out of a FF cam but you need more light (which can easily double the amount of lighting required for a shoot) and lack of depth of field hinders more often than helps






I am planning to get a second body that I can take with me everywhere (and I mean everywhere), get great shots (document my life and improve my general shooting awareness) and not get asked 'what paper i'm shooting for' every time i'm out and about with the camera. It would be nice if the second body was up to pro standard and could reliably be used on assignment, and if it could be used for video (we have access to 550d's for video but the more cameras we can have rolling the more coverage we can get).

I have limited the choice down to the fuji x100, an olympus pen (any model), 60d/600d/5dmk2 or pentax k5






The canons would probably be a logical option, but the 600d AF sucks in low light, the viewfinder is tiny, the shutter sound is annoying and the camera is ugly. Good IQ though, and lens compatibility. Wireless flash control, but feels uncomfortable in the hand

The 60d is a fine camera- maybe a little big for a takearound, but I used to take my DL everywhere so maybe the 1d has just killed my love for a d-slr. Also has wireless flash control and fits my hand like a glove

5dmk2- full frame (pro's and con's), 21mp (I am seeing the limitation of printing 10mp files as I work in advertising so my work is often printed poster size), great video but no 60fps. Big, heavy, pro looking. Could probably sell my 1d to use the 5d instead.

The x100 is small enough for me to take everywhere, and good looking enough to go with my hipster look (:p), but the lack of interchangeable lenses is killing me, I'm just not sure I like a 35mm focal length- and i'd like to be able to carry a 90mm around with me in my other pocket. The leica m8 was an option, until I saw the price, and it doesn't shoot video. The x100 does shoot video but with no manual focus during shooting (WTF) and only 720 (would be ok for 720 steadycam work though)

Pentax k5- 1080 video, great IQ, looks sexy, silent shutter, ltd lenses and 50-135, tiny wr macro lens. Most lenses not silent focus, no wide angle weather sealed lenses. Fits my hand. I've heard bad things about the live view display though- although it seemed ok to me.

Olympus pen- no viewfinder, too small, uncomfortable to hold, looks amateurish (could be a good thing). 2 lovely new zuiko lenses released with LTD level build quality. I'd really have to spend more time with this camera to see if I like it.






So my questions- I know pentax has always lagged behind in AF performance, but has anyone tested the k5 against a canon in low light? Because if it has similar performance to a 600d then it would be unacceptable to me.

As far as I can see the only weather sealed lenses are mostly bigger zooms, and there is no sealing on the LTD lenses, nor is there a sealed ultra wide zoom

video quality- how does the quality stack up against the canon's- I know there's no 60fps, but I can live with 25p instead of 24, and i've got plenty of HDD space so IQ is more important to me than a space eficient codec. How well does IS work in video?

Flash and flash sync- how does wireless flash work on the pentax system, is the pentax wireless flash system any good? (I currently use canon flashes but triggered manually using radio triggers, I planned on getting a e-ttl compatible trigger system but decided against it). Is the flash sync really only 1/180 on the k5? That seems slow, can you use high speed sync with pentax to shoot faster than 1/180?



If I was to use pentax as a casual system I would get:
k5 and use my 28mm for a while, then get
15 ltd
31 ltd
100mm wr
50-135 (maybe)

and the canon would fill in with
17-40 (wide angle wr zoom)
85mm portrait
150mm macro (if it won against the 100wr, could be replaced with a 135mm f2)
and maybe a wide angle tilt shift down the line if I shoot more architecture


My current lens line up is:
sigma 15-30 which was just sold to make way for a canon 17-40
canon 85mm 1.8
sigma 150mm macro 2.8 (which is also a potential sale item)


and some manual focus lenses
pentax 28mm f2.8 (tiny)
helios 44 58mm (just for fun really)
zeiss 135mm f3.5 (love how compact it is)

I have a gap in the 50mm range, and i'm looking for a 70-200- although the canon f4 is too slow, and the 2.8 too big

Canon lenses are so expensive that a pentax system could fill in those 2 lens gaps and provide better value for my shooting needs, I think my heart says pentax, but my professional requirements say canon...


I'm not sure if this makes any sense, I will try to condense it
Forum: Photographic Technique 02-17-2011, 08:46 AM  
APS-C vs FF : myth or reality?
Posted By clark
Replies: 86
Views: 17,294
guess what, I just bought a full frame camera
but now I want a Pentax again...
Forum: Photo Critique 12-18-2010, 04:28 AM  
Night Experiment with bokeh
Posted By clark
Replies: 3
Views: 1,927
yeah what do you want us to say

it's less of an experiment in bokeh, and more just an out of focus picture of a bridge

it would work better with a subject in the foreground and the bridge in the background becomming the bokeh- the subject isn't strong enough to make the image interesting

also shoot your bokeh shots with the lens wide open


have a read through the 'bokeh masters' thread, https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/31244-bokeh-ma...stions-18.html
Forum: Photo Critique 12-16-2010, 05:53 PM  
People Kathryn.....Potential?
Posted By clark
Replies: 14
Views: 2,587
yes I think spend more time in makeup and less time in post production

and when it comes to post, I work on the 40% principle- i.e. any adjustments are never brighter than 40%

most of my 'retouching' is at a pixel level, going in with a graphics tablet and cloning, repainting and liquifying to perfection, that way the pore structure is kept intact, then
a gaussian blurred layer is put over the top at 30-40% to soften the pores but without making it too smooth



also try shooting from a higher angle, i'm seeing way too much nostril in these shots
Forum: Photographic Technique 12-05-2010, 09:30 PM  
I don't care what gear you use...
Posted By clark
Replies: 43
Views: 7,480
what I am trying to say is that there is an expectation from the client that the photographer will deliver the goods- the equipment they use will create an 'image' which the client will see as professional or amateur; turning up to a shoot with a 1d and a 70-200 is like turning up wearing a suit, turning up with a point and shoot is like turning up with a vest and trainers, obviously most clients are not photographers, so the 'bigger the gear is the better it must be'

Obviously aesthetic choice is a consideration, i.e. if you wanted grainy, push processed film shots that looked like they came from a 1920's view camera then you'll choose your photographer based on the shots they make- but then when you move into specialist equipment (rather than standard pro gear), there is increased risk of equipment failure (as it might not have been designed to be used in the environments you're using it in)



When you absolutely have to get that once in a lifetime shot (and if you don't you'll be fired) then you have a different set of priorites than a casual shooter, when i'm just out with my camera and some manual focus glass it doesn't matter if I miss the shot or it's out of focus- but when i'm working with models I have to depend on the AF system like my life depends on it, and if one of the flashes doesn't fire then I have a serious problem, i'm not a professional, but I like to appear so when i'm shooting for a client- so I need gear I can trust, and the client (who doesn't understand that sometimes things just don't work) won't use me again if things start screwing up. I'm not Annie Leibovitz, I can't take liberties





But yeah, I totally agree, it was a terrible example
Forum: Photo Critique 12-04-2010, 04:49 PM  
Streets Coin Laundry
Posted By clark
Replies: 7
Views: 2,503
it's a box made of plastic and metal- what do you think will happen to it if you put it on the floor?


your equipment is designed to be used- 'used' means getting good photographs with it, and in this case I think a lower angle would work better, so you should 'use' it to do that
Forum: Photographic Technique 12-04-2010, 04:45 PM  
I don't care what gear you use...
Posted By clark
Replies: 43
Views: 7,480
1. by 'the difference' I don't mean that they're 'pro' because of their equipment, but because when you buy the best equipment, you no longer have to spend your time on a gear discussion forum; a technique forum, or an art critique forum (as has been mentioned already) is somewhere you will pick up tips that will genuinely enhance your photography, but with gear- once you have the best there really isn't that much need to compare it against other people's gear

but yes half the fun of the forum is gear comparison, useless product knowledge, and the idiosyncrasies of equipment. Which is the reason I often use my helios instead of my 50mm 1.4- because I like the 'character', and the history of the lens

If I was pro i'd buy a top spec camera, and top spec lenses to go with it- but because I don't have the need (or an infinite pot of money) I have to spend hours of my life mulling over which lenses to buy


2. Yes I was referring to the statement in general, it wasn't aimed at you at all
Forum: Photographic Technique 12-04-2010, 03:26 PM  
I don't care what gear you use...
Posted By clark
Replies: 43
Views: 7,480
the difference is that the 'masters', and 'pro's' use undoubedly good equipment, where as us amateurs will fret over which offers the best 'value for money', the pro's will just lay down £5k for a 1ds and an 85mm 1.2, while i'll spend 3 weeks on a forum trying to decide whether the vivitar 85mm is sharper than the pentax m 85mm


if you buy the 'best', as in what has been proven to give results, then you can distance yourself from gear discussion as you don't have to consider the trade-offs that the other options afford you

also, I think it's really shallow minded to say equipment doesn't matter- i'd like to see your face if you hired someone to shoot your wedding, and this guy turned up
Forum: Photo Critique 12-04-2010, 11:28 AM  
Streets Coin Laundry
Posted By clark
Replies: 7
Views: 2,503
the car on the right (hidden by the coin laundry sign) completely ruins the shot

sky is totally devoid of detail

isn't really wide enough to give enough context, nor is there any real focus point



I'd reshoot this with no cars in the scene, using an ND grad to properly expose the sky, and use a wider lens. I'd have shot it lower too, like with the camera on the floor
Forum: Photo Critique 12-01-2010, 11:21 PM  
People Lacie Returns....
Posted By clark
Replies: 7
Views: 3,066
1. Pose is ok, but could be a bit more engaging- but why the softness?

2. Lighting is too harsh I think- soften them up, light position is a bit weird too, I'm not a fan of lighting below eye level
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 12-01-2010, 05:05 PM  
Telephoto lens comparison, 50-200 vs. third party non Pentax
Posted By clark
Replies: 5
Views: 3,088
1- neither, save up a little extra and get the pentax 55-300, great lens, the 50-200 isn't terrible though, and it's probably better than the sigma- but shooting 300mm at f5.6, your shutter speed will have to be at least 1/320 (maybe 1/500) to get sharp photos, so good luck in anything that isn't mid day sun
2- again, probably neither- save up and get the tamron 17-50 f2.8, the kit lens is good at f5.6, but that's pretty slow
Forum: Photo Critique 11-30-2010, 01:53 PM  
Nature at the park, playing with the wife camera
Posted By clark
Replies: 10
Views: 2,637
this reminds me of a project I did last year: I shot a couple of models in a way which evoked holiday snapshots, closed eyes, awkward poses, mis focus, front flash, awkward composition- juxtaposed against obviously 'fashion dressed' models, was interesting to say the least, aha
Forum: Pentax K-r 11-28-2010, 09:38 AM  
Two defective K-rs in a row? For real?
Posted By clark
Replies: 25
Views: 5,907
too right, I ordered some umbrella's off ebay from hong kong- saved about £10, figured that 7 days wasn't too long to wait
2 months later and they're still 'in transit'.

Returning lenses/equipment is such a PITA that it's less hassle to buy instore, plus I see the excess cost as 'the price you have to pay to be allowed to touch/experience', I think i'd gladly pay a bit extra to keep camera stores open, I'd hate to live in a world where there were no physical retail stores
Forum: Photo Critique 11-28-2010, 09:26 AM  
Nature at the park, playing with the wife camera
Posted By clark
Replies: 10
Views: 2,637
also, don't ever EVER use the onboard flash


at least until you know where it can and can't be used, i.e. it shouldn't be used to add all the light to the scene, it should be used to add 'fill' light to subjects to balence out the light that's coming from the background

so, don't use it at night to add light to a scene

but do use it during the day to balance out scenes, so for example if you're shooting a person who's back is against the sun, the background would be very bright but the subject would be in shadow- flash is used here to add some fill to balance the subject with the background




also: 1+ for lightroom 3
Forum: Photo Critique 11-27-2010, 08:56 AM  
People Black Tuesday.....
Posted By clark
Replies: 17
Views: 6,359
the face is nice, but it's quite an awkward body shape

I advice you to do some reading into classic poses and model positioning
Forum: Pentax K-r 11-27-2010, 08:51 AM  
K-r vs. T2i
Posted By clark
Replies: 40
Views: 11,929
my film camera had no IS, my first pentax digital had no IS, my current camera has no IS
I get by fine with no IS thank you very much ;)
Forum: Photo Critique 11-27-2010, 08:48 AM  
People fashion show
Posted By clark
Replies: 13
Views: 3,988
I work on a ratio of about 10 to 1, but i'm an inexperienced photographer generally working with inexperienced models- so it's usually about 4 in 10 which is acceptable, and 1 photo in 10 which is 'stunning'- AFAIK the 1:10 ratio holds up at most levels of professionalism, although the difference is that all 10 will be acceptable, but one will be a standout.

The better the photographer is at delivery consistent deliverable results, the more it comes down to the model to deliver the award winning pose. As a model myself I always thought it was the photographer who made the shot, but then when I moved into photography I realised that a good photographer can make anyone/anything look good, so it's just down to the model to put in that extra 10% to make the shot sing



You have to be really harsh on yourself- go wild with the delete button, anything that you have any reservations about just delete, the keepers will be obvious. All the deleted photos you should keep on file though, as a reference to how you've progressed as a photographer
Forum: Photo Critique 11-26-2010, 09:10 PM  
People fashion show
Posted By clark
Replies: 13
Views: 3,988
that's the benefit of autofocus- you can let focus tracking do the work of focussing the image, and concentrate on framing/composition




Yes, I get that it is a fashion show. I am a fashion photographer, a designer and a model, i've been in fashion shows, i've worked on set for fashion shows, a lot of my friends are textiles students so I know how shows are styled, but I just don't like it, I don't like it at all. Also the pose is maybe a little unflattering, her eyes look a little lifeless, the lighting isn't great either (not that you have any control over that though)

The girl 3rd from last has the strongest 'look' I think, perfect face.

The first image is lovely, but the mis focus kills it. also the model should be creating a stronger 'frame', I know you say they're amateur models, but you can get good poses out of amateur models, you just have to know how to direct them.

Remember you can always crop in post but you can't go wider.

White balance is fine, but the first one is way too orange/red/yellow

I think a zoom would provide you with the most flexibilty, and the 50-135 is pentax's best. Don't forget that it is the equivalent of the 70-200 on full frame. Trust me, as soon as you start doing it seriously lens changing no longer becomes an option, and you're going to want to be able to shoot more than one perspective.



Still, if you had fun and learnt something then that's great. I'm sure you've got some good shots from the day, but from the ones you've posted the second one is perhaps the only one i'd use
Forum: Photo Critique 11-26-2010, 06:27 PM  
People fashion show
Posted By clark
Replies: 13
Views: 3,988
ok, so- unfortunately all but the second and the second to last have focus issues- the first one has too slow a shutter and has motion blur, the others are mis focussed, the second to last one is pretty hideous (but that's more the makeup than your photo) and the second one would be ok if it wasn't so tight

None of these work for me i'm afraid

if you're at all serious about this, get a 50-135 f2.8
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 11-26-2010, 04:03 PM  
K-x for boxing photography
Posted By clark
Replies: 17
Views: 5,474
5fps is more than enough
my camera can do 10, I only put it on 10 to impress people, most of the time it's on 3

you have to learn to anticipate the moment, don't just spray and pray

the kx would be a great camera for this, the pentax 75-150 f4 lens would suit you well I think
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 11-26-2010, 03:59 PM  
K-5 live view blurred photos
Posted By clark
Replies: 16
Views: 4,345
you sure you're not just moving the tripod when you press the shutter button

if it works fine when you're on 2 second delay, and it's blurry when you don't use delay- then surely that's user error, i.e. movement of the tripod as you push the shutter button
Forum: Pentax K-r 11-26-2010, 12:47 PM  
Two defective K-rs in a row? For real?
Posted By clark
Replies: 25
Views: 5,907
fair point about SR, but I shoot pentax and canon- and my canon takes pentax, nikon, m42, olympus and many other lenses
the k mount compatibility is not that much of a selling point anymore, yes you get automatic stop down on a pentax body, but unless you're shooting f11 in the dark you can still see fine on the canon (and the canon viewfinder > pentax viewfinder)

also on a full frame canon the noise control is 1 or 2 stops better than the k5 (yes, it really is), which counter acts the in body SR

and this is the kicker, flash control- you get full E-ttl automatic flash control when using pentax lenses on a canon body- you don't even get that on pentax!!



although for the price of the canon I could have bought 3 k5's,
the canon is also huge, unsubtle, and heavy

so they both have their merits- but for me, pentax's strength is not absolute performance, but performance at a price- ergo you're likely to see more issues. If you can afford the canon system then go for it, but if not, then stick with pentax. Just depends on what type of photography you're going to be doing.
Forum: Photo Critique 11-26-2010, 12:31 PM  
People Black Tuesday.....
Posted By clark
Replies: 17
Views: 6,359
shooting at large apertures helps with this too, when you're shooting at f7.1 and you're retouching the skin, you need to be top of your game to make anything that isn't 'fake' looking, especially when the lighting is so flat there's nothing to hide behind. It's so hard to get the balance right, especially as you get tunnel vision- I've done professional retouching work for years and I still over/under retouch sometimes. It helps having an art director standing over you telling you when to stop.

Retouching is a lot more than just blurring the skin or pushing a button on photo pro, you need to spend time to judiciously blend the tones and repaint the surface. Here is another tip, always keep a copy of the original file on top of the layer stack, do all the retouching to perfection, then step it off to about 50-70%. Continue to work on the image and periodically check your image against the unretouched image to see how far you've come, if necessary blend some of the original file back into the retouch. Also it helps to run a 'high pass' filter on the unretouched layer to get a grayscale 'bump map', you can then use this in overlay mode to add back in the bumps and imperfections to the 'smooth' skin

i'd also recommend more makeup, thick foundation. This is essential because the strobe light scatters under the surface of the skin, making all the red veins show up. Using makeup means the light bounces straight off so naturally you get a smoother image. She doesn't look like she wears much make up, but try it

If you thought lighting was tricky- retouching is another PITA, not so easy is it this photography mallarky :D
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