|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
04-15-2024, 08:53 PM
|
| |
In 2017, I was able to drive to Idaho from Washington and shot the eclipse with my Pentax fish eye lens (time lapse) and the DA 560 at totality.
In 2024, I had to fly to get to the path of totality. MFT was the way to go with OM-1 bodies and 12-40 and 150-400 TC more easily packed for travel.
Here are shots from Carbondale, IL. Time lapse with the 12-40 up to totality and quick shots with the 150-400 at totality. The experience made special by a northern cardinal singing it's evening chorus as the light faded and temperature cooled just before totality.
 |
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-23-2024, 02:21 PM
|
| |
When was the last time you were on a cooking forum and watched the fur fly over brands of pans?
Doesn't everyone know that Made In carbon steel pans are the best?
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-23-2024, 12:56 PM
|
| |
I have used this analogy myself. We don’t compliment the chef for using gas or electric or teflon or cast iron. We complement them for the finished product.
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-17-2024, 03:53 AM
|
| |
I was surprised by how well the kit lenses performed, both the 18-55 and 50-200 delivered results way better than their low prices would indicate. How lucky we are that Pentax offers us so many choices in lenses. Manual focus, screw drive, SDM , PLM, how the lens focuses isn't really a huge issue for me, the quality of the images is what I look for. A low entry price for someone wanting to try out a better camera than their phone makes sense. Pentax offers , what I consider, a great value option for those starting out.
Tamron has a long association with Pentax, lenses from consumer to Pro grade have been made and marketed, sometimes designed by Pentax, sometimes by Tamron. Currently I have an SMC PENTAX-FA 1:3.8-5.6 28-200mm IF&AL older style superzoom, it is an old Tamron lens, the focus throw goes in the opposite direction to Pentax designed lenses, but for it's time it performs well. I also have the current HD PENTAX-DFA 1:4 70-210mm ED SDM WR another Tamron design, it performs well and is a high quality consumer grade lens. For smaller manufacturers, sharing tooling costs makes sense and both companies benefit. Way back in the 70's Pentax and Zeiss shared lens designs and coating technology between themselves, each benefitting from something they could offer each other. Pentax needed a high quality 15-30mm lens when the full frame K1 was released, Tamron had a lens design that Pentax licensed and used their own lens coating technology on to develop the Pentax version of the lens. There is nothing flimsy about the 15-30mm, it feels very solid and well assembled.
Some pics from the kit lenses I have taken
 rolling open mono by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 lightly curved by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 cons mono by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 surfer by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
 sun shower by Gary Wakeling, on Flickr
|
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
03-20-2022, 01:53 PM
|
| |
before sunrise
XT-2 & XF18-55
|
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
03-14-2022, 07:14 AM
|
| |
So testing just now, outdoor*, High-speed burst, writing to one card:
36 images (give or take one) roughly 12 frames/second before hitting the buffer limit, at which point camera will continue to shoot but slower.
Sony tough UHS-II - 12.4 seconds to clear.
Lexar 1667x UHS-II - 15.8 seconds
Lexar 633x UHS-I - 38.8 seconds to clear the buffer
Medium Speed Bursts were av. 44 images before buffer filled and low-speed 57 images.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
07-22-2021, 03:06 AM
|
| |
This player doesn't cover songs, she elevates them above the norm. In this video, she takes on some new rhythms and styles. So much talent combined with the intuitve feel for what belongs in just the right place.
Youtu.be
|
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ouxG8IaikEA?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
|
|
|
Forum: General Talk
07-11-2021, 07:19 PM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
03-10-2021, 02:05 PM
|
| |
I usually just listen for the focus confirm beep and AF.c. No pushing buttons, no futzing about, focus and go. Worked fantastic with my A 400 5.6.
 Bird-1-Starling by Norm Head, on Flickr
 Bird-1-Great-horned-owl by Norm Head, on Flickr
 Bird-1-Turkey-Viltures by Norm Head, on Flickr
 Northern-flicker by Norm Head, on Flickr
I actually have a few BiFs taken that way.
I'll take your word for it it's easier, but since I didn't find mf with older lenses hard , it's not really an issue for me. But then, I really prefer AF to MF, and when I do use MF for macros, I use Live View, the focal plan is highlighted front and back so I can see my whole depth of field and I've never once lost an image because of too bright sun.
So for me you're solving problems I don't have, but clearly, you guys have different work flow. A much less efficient one from my perspective, but, maybe a more accurate one. I have no way to evaluate that.
I do have hundreds of Live View focussed images many using pixel shift.
Mushrooms and Fungus | Flickr
So I'm curious, but I probably have a lot less appreciation of old glass than you guys. To me MF means futzing, and I hate futzing. When I do it I don't find it difficult, but I guess if you do it enough, and it's just a little bit easier for every shot it adds up and it's worth buying a camera for.
I was looking but didn't find an old seagull in flight I took, in low light right at sunset. The point being, an EVF could easily have had trouble panning smoothly in the light I had or that image. But then I get the impression that's not a problem you guys would encounter.
This reminds me of the old adage, "A Pentax user is a guy who buys a $1300 camera to use $50 glass.' These Nikons take that to a whole new level.
|
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
02-16-2021, 01:11 PM
|
| |
Grabbed a Pixel5 late 2020 after three years of good luck (and a moment of bad luck) with a Pixel2. Here are some images from the first week with it. After comparison I don't believe the main camera to be any better but the additional of a wider option is useful at times - image 1 and 3 here - though fixed focus and of lesser image quality. If I get another three years out of it I'll be happy enough.
 [
This last one was used on the official @GooglePixel Instagram page, NYE 2020. (Yes, they asked permission)
 |
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
02-02-2021, 04:41 PM
|
| |
I think phones have a long way to go before I can give up my cameras and lenses.
I took these shots a few month ago when I was bored and waiting for the hawks to come out for dinner. Taken at Valley Forge NP of a pair of cabins 617 yards away, I used a laser range finder for distance. One shot with a iphone the other with a Canon R5 and 600 F4 with 1.4 TC. both are full frame no crop.
|
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
12-19-2020, 01:03 PM
|
| |
just before sunrise
XT-2 & XF 55-200
|
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
12-21-2020, 10:17 AM
|
| |
X-T1 + 27mm f/2.8
Wrapped
From the X-T1 with a Kodachrome like preset.
The next 2 are made in Lightroom
Blue hour for the vineyard
Lights and colors
 |
|
Forum: General Photography
12-08-2020, 12:54 PM
|
| |
I knew there was a reason I liked ya. :)
Old Mainiac here too.
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-06-2020, 02:38 AM
|
| |
For the most part, as I am still alive, so 2020 is a good year. Mean while, another year has passed and my wife still awaits a firmware update for me to address a number of ongoing defects.
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-11-2020, 03:41 PM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-22-2020, 08:26 AM
|
| |
Wow! Thanks for that information LeeRunge. That's extremely interesting. My thoughts were with lister6520 in thinking that the proximity to the repeater might have been responsible even though their frequencies shouldn't have caused a problem. My other thought was that the forest service was deliberately jamming GPS at the site for some obscure reason. I want to return to that site again (for more photos and to check on the outage conditions) but that looks like next year at least right now. Winter is moving in and at 9000 feet it can be brutal early-on so don't want to become a mountaintop popcicle, but I do intend to get back there again.
|
