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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 08:41 PM
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Hand warmer packets. Keep one in each pocket. When you're not warming your hands, take the batteries out and stick them in the pockets with the warmers. Most hand warmer packets don't get hot enough to worry about damaging the batteries. After a few minutes put batt's back in the camera and shoot some more.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 07:07 PM
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Dry, cold air is no problem if going from a warmer car. Still advisable to let camera acclimate to reach ambient temperature before shooting, more important for astro telephoto work. However, if outside humidity is high in a freezing airmass, be aware of frost buildup on camera and lens and anything else metal. Agree with others on taking SD cards out first thing after a cold shoot session before going into a warmer environment. For those models with two SD slots, take both cards out in case it recorded to the "other" card by chance. Try to insulate camera from the warmer inside air, either by putting it inside sufficiently large ziplock bags, inside a well sealed camera bag, wrapped in a thick coat or parka or a combination of any or all of these. The objective is to slow down the heat transfer between cold camera and moisture-laden inside air. Take lots of extra batteries - battery power decreases with temperature.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 06:31 PM
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K5 + DFA100wr, DA15
Weather: daytime 3-4 hours outdoor, moderately heavy snow, strong wind
pre-shoot: I always left camera in a room with no heater to avoid condensation.
post-shoot: again, I left camera in a room with no heater to avoid condensation.
during shoot: I had no camera bag with me. An unused lens kept inside a pocket. Camera performed well, lenses have no condensation issue.
To avoided condensation issue, you can leave your camera bag in the car trunk. I guess.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 06:23 PM
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Don't breathe on the lens.
Keep the batteries warm, perhaps in in inside pocket on a jacket. Put them in the camera when you are ready to go out and shoot.
To avoid condensation, cover the lenses before you go inside, and don't open the camera in side to swap lenses before letting the camera warm up. You are better off not swapping lenses at all outsdie or inside, condensation will build up even in that short time.
Throw a few silica dessicant packs in your camera bag, they take a lot of moisture out of the air.
I have fingerless gloves with a piece that folds over to create mittens. very nice. If you are going to be in one place, or using a support, consider using a remote.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 06:15 PM
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There's no special precautions to take when you'll get the camera outside the car. It's when you get from cold to warm that problems with condensation could occur. And when you,ll get back in the car, I guess it will be as cold and slowly warm up. So, no problem there either. However, don't forget bring some extra batteries. They can get low quite quickly in cold temp.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 05:31 PM
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I store my camera in a sealed plastic bag, then inside a sealed plastic container. Usually when I go somewhere I take it out of the container and plastic bag, put the fully charged battery and SD card in the camera, put the camera in another sealed plastic bag for travel, and either put it in a pack for the driving or just ride with it on top of a towel on my front passenger side seat, keeping it in the plastic bag whether in the pack or on the seat. When I get back, I take the camera out of the sealed plastic bag , take the SD card and battery out of they camera, then place the camera in the other sealed plastic bag and into the sealed plastic container where I store it. If you do not take it out of the sealed plastic bag that you drove it home in right away after you get home/inside, you can also let it stay in that bag if you feel you have any reason to.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 02:59 PM
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I did a trip last February to Amherst Island in Canada and it was -13F with a wind chill of -25F. I had no problem at all with condensation. If you have a car and will be driving a bit maybe stick the camera in your trunk so it's not going from a warm car to the cold if you have a suv maybe keep your gear all the way in the back and keep heat on low.
I had a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top so even with the heat on high it was still cold inside.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-05-2016, 02:47 PM
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I don't do the plastic bag trick. Instead, I use my backpack as an insulator. Keep your batteries close to you to keep them warm, take the SD card out before you put the camera away (so you can play with photos when you get home!). I'd say 15-30 minutes in a backpack is usually what I give it, depending on the temperature difference.
The K-x is definitely a trooper. I took it to Mount Rainier right after I got it, despite the lack of weathersealing, my accidentally dropping it in the snow did it no harm. :lol:
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:07 AM
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Pentax-A is the 3rd series of Pentax K-mount lenses and cameras. The first two, K- and M-series (lenses labeled "SMC Pentax" and "SMC Pentax-M", respectively) have no electrical communication between lens and camera. The A-series mount introduced electrical contacts for transmitting aperture data. So an A-series lens can be used in any exposure mode on your K-x; you simply have to put the lens's aperture ring to the "A" position, and enable this setting in your camera. You're right that A series does not have autofocus.
The Pentax-A 1:2 50mm was the kit lens for several years and these lenses are ubiquitous and not in high demand, so you shouldn't pay much for one (I'd suggest US$35 as a max, and you should be able to find one for quite a bit less than that). It's a fine lens but the Pentax-A 1:1.7 50mm is worth considering as an upgrade.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:17 AM
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If you set Catch-In-Focus (Custom Menu 3 Item 21) to On you can leave it set to AF. The camera will not take a picture until you get a focus confirmation or set the camera to MF. This acts as a kind of poor man's autofocus.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:28 AM
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There are no limitations except that you have to focus manually. All automated and all manual shooting modes can be used.
BTW, the 50mm F2 is sort of a poor lens. I would opt for the F1.7 version instead, as it's still quite cheap.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:37 AM
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As noted above the 50mm f/2 is not by any means the best of the Pentax 50mm lenses. It will certainly work provided you enable "Allow aperture setting other than A" in the menu and the price is certainly attractive. See here for more information on using manual Pentax lenses.
Pentax also made 50mm f/1.7 and 50mm f/1.4 versions. Both are good with the 1.4 commanding a premium price but still very reasonable. See here for reviews of the various Pentax-A primes.
I have f/1.4 version and used it on the k-x and now on the k-5 with good results.
There is also an f/1.2 version but that is very pricey going for at least $500 and usually more.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:41 AM
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+1 Reading the referenced thread is the best advice in this series of replies. Your camera is intentionally designed to support your manual focus efforts with "A" series Pentax lenses (and all the others, too). You will find all the resources you need to make great images on Pentax Forums!!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:05 AM
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No, you do not have to change anything on the camera, as there is no connection to the AF system at all (mechanical or electronic). The camera will automatically be in manual focus mode, no matter what the AF switch says (same with all other manual focus lenses).
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-16-2012, 11:01 AM
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Bonjour,
I use the above in manual focusing and "Av" setting ... works great. I do not have any experience with a K-x, but should be the same ...
Also, you may find that a fixed focal length forces you to think about your composition, etc. The f2 should be good ... get it, experiment and enjoy.
Salut, John le Frog |
