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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 04-21-2017, 09:19 PM  
For each Pentaxian buying K-1 another Nikon/Canon shooter jumped ship to Pentax
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 1,039
Views: 100,899
I think Pentax is wise to put a low priority on video, and this article by dedicated videographers explains why: Nikon D5300 Review and why DSLRs are dead for video - EOSHD.

If you really want to do professional-level video, you're getting into an entirely new world and market. The technology and infrastructure leap required could, I think, be compared to the effort to produce the 645D or the K-1. Then, once you've got the camera out, you need a whole supporting cast from 3rd parties—software, cine lenses, focus aids, monitor/recorders, etc etc etc.

If you look at Sony and Canon, they are producing cameras that are either dedicated video cameras (EOS C series) or video cameras first, still cameras second. Based on what I've read, the still camera physical form factor just doesn't seem to lend itself to serious video production, thus requiring a whole new line of cameras with a completely different set of priorities.

In our world of severely constrained resources, can Ricoh pull off an end-run and produce a class-leading video camera system? Not just a single camera, but a system? We already wonder if they can support the still camera lineups they have (Theta, FF and APS-C K-mount, and 645, to say nothing of the late q-mount). Could they really keep these up and produce a video camera system worthy of people investing in?

I think it is wise, as many have said already, for Ricoh to decide they will excel at still photography and spend their money their. It seems the professional-level videography ship has sailed and without a massive, full-comapny pivot, Ricoh does not have the resources in place to catch up. Does this limit their market for those customers who want to do both on the same system? Absolutely. Are they in a position to change that? I don't think so.

Would updated video features for the casual videographer be great? Definitely. I'm just not convinced that it's the best place to spend their limited money on.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-15-2017, 09:02 PM  
Will Pentax revive its A* lenes?
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 18
Views: 2,203
Do you really want to ruin a stellar reputation by subjecting it to the modern internet frenzy?
Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II 05-28-2016, 07:18 PM  
K10d upgrade Do I get a K3 or K1 full frame
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 23
Views: 3,798
Having gone from a K10D to a K5 myself, I can tell you that either camera is going to be a massive improvement. The K10D is a good camera, but the newer cameras are slicker, faster, auto-focusier, auto-exposurier, comfortablier, and all-around cameraier.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 04-02-2016, 04:45 PM  
How much abuse can a weather-sealed DSLR take?
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 22
Views: 3,397
Well then I stand happily corrected :)
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 03-29-2016, 07:13 PM  
How much abuse can a weather-sealed DSLR take?
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 22
Views: 3,397
I'd be willing to bet the D5/1Dmarkwhatever have even better weathersealing. While these videos are impressive, I want to see how gear holds up after a full day in the rain and mud. My guess is that a lot of "weather resistant" gear would fail, while a photojournalist's top-of-the-line body would keep on going.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-27-2016, 07:49 PM  
Convince me my LBA is irrational
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 68
Views: 5,887
I carried the 18-55 (original) on my K-5 to the top of Half Dome a couple summers ago. It did a passable job, but given the choice (and money) again I'd take the 15 ltd in a heartbeat. More compact, better IQ, and wider. Besides, 18mm just doesn't due the sequoias justice.

My dream kit for Yosemite would be the 15 ltd, a fast fifty, and something good in the longer ranges. You've got the 15mm for when you need wide, 50mm (or maybe 35mm) for all-around use, and the longer lens for close-up landscapes (sometimes it's fun forcing yourself to shoot landscapes with just a long lens).

K5, DA 18-55@45mm, f/5.6:
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 02-20-2016, 02:13 PM  
Pentax K-1 "Thank you" Thread
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 104
Views: 10,855
Four years ago I was debating whether to get a K-5 or to sell all my Pentax gear and switch to Nikon. I waffled for a while, waiting to see what Ricoh would do with the K-mount and the Pentax brand. Now three years after biting the bullet and getting the K-5, I'm now more happy than ever I stayed with Pentax. The K-1 looks like an amazing camera, and better still it's at a price point that I might someday be able to afford. I am impressed by the ability and willingness to define a strategy/niche and consistently execute it. Bravo.
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions 01-25-2016, 08:12 PM  
Hello From Salt Lake City, Utah
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 8
Views: 981
Welcome!

Eight or ten years ago there was a lady named Debbie at Inkley's who shot weddings with a Pentax *ist DS. Last I knew she was working at the 2100 South Inkleys but I don't know if she's come back to Pentax after going Nikon, or if she's shooting weddings at all any more. Camera sales are definitely her day job, though, so be ready to talk—she's very good at it :)
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-18-2016, 04:16 PM  
Why Pentax makes you tick ..
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 57
Views: 6,001
Honest answer? The same reason I drive a Subaru, live close to the old main street, and walk to work even when it snows. It's just my way of being different. Are all the Pentax marketing claims spot on and infallible? No, not really. But there's something about wandering around a crowded national park, finding that one other person with the big red Pentax strap around their neck, and feeling like even though I don't know them, we're both part of some secret club that everyone else is too busy playing keep-up-with-the-Joneses to know that it exists.

(Yes, I probably just self-selected myself into just about every focus group they've run, proving my attempt at being unique is laughable at best and 100% corporate brainwashing at worst..)
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 12-07-2015, 08:06 PM  
Very good article on sample variation between lenses
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 18
Views: 2,569
The article at petapixel is written by Roger Cicala, the founder of LensRentals.com and the author of a lot of their blog posts on lens variations and all that can be learned by testing hundreds or thousands of lenses. He's probably the most knowledgable person about overall lens characteristics and sample variation outside of the manufacturers themselves (at least, among those people who write about this sort of stuff).

This article should be required reading for every forum member.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 12-07-2015, 07:06 PM  
PENTAX Digital Camera Utility 5.4.2 Update
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 40
Views: 8,603
Don't you know that paying money to Adobe is like paying money to the devil?! GNU software is the Only True Way (CC BY-SA 4.0) to photographic enlightenment and will make your photographs 147.8% better!

:p
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 11-27-2015, 10:35 AM  
Upgrade from K10D / GX10
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 8
Views: 1,251
Having gone from a K10 to a K5, you'll be blown away even if you just get the k5. Much more responsive, much better dynamic range, and (IMO) way more ergonomic.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 11-24-2015, 09:49 PM  
Ideal lens kit to Zion/Bryce/SLC in December, and camera backpack recomm.
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 12
Views: 1,570
Welcome to the beauty of the desert in the winter! I've spent a lot of time in Bryce/Zion/Arches, and my suggestion is this: one wide lens, one long lens, and if you absolutely have to, something in between. The more time you're switching lenses, the less you're shooting. Travel light, and force yourself to think of new shots with the same lens rather than switching lenses.

Bryce is kinda difficult to get a good wide expansive landscape shot—if the lighting's not absolutely awesome, it ends up just kinda being blah. If you're going to shoot wide angle, get up close to something and fill the foreground with it. Or try for intimate, tighter landscapes with your longer lens.

I second what wpresto said—I've been to Bryce and Zions many times and have never seen any large animals more exciting than a deer or antelope. Granted, I've never been trying to find them so maybe I'm in the wrong places at the wrong times, but it's not like Yellowstone where you can usually see a bear before you get to Old Faithful.

Also, it might not make sense, but remember, even in the desert the winter is cold. Ice on the canyon walls cold. That makes changing lenses that much more challenging. On the flip side, Weeping Rock in Zion in sub-freezing temperatures looks really cool. You're not getting into the Narrows, though, unless you're a) superman and b) have a really good dry suit. That water is cold.

Where are you staying in Salt Lake—are you in the city proper or are you at one of the resorts? Downtown can be fun with a wide-angle.

If you're going to be shooting while you're on the ski slopes, I'd almost say just bring your camera and the lens that's on it. This might be a good time for the 12-24 or a standard zoom.

Really the long and short of it is this: I think that if you take too many lenses you wast too much time switching between them or worrying if you've got the right lens on. Especially on a trip where time is a precious commodity, just bring a few and if you don't have the right lens for a particular shot, take a mental image and enjoy the awesomeness of the moment.

Welcome to Utah, and I hope we've got some snow for you when you come :)
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 11-11-2015, 10:35 AM  
a surprise discovery and a request
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 67
Views: 6,879
A couple points I want to make here.

Zerost (Zerst? Zeroist? 0*ist?): Guys, optics are confusing. This post involve way more rabbit holes than I thought it would. Still not sure I've got it all right.

First, almost all stated f/ numbers are approximations in one way or another. For example, this f/4.5 lens is really f/4.6, and this f/2.8 lens is really f/2.9-3.0.

Second, while we like to refer to f/stop being defined by a physical property (the aperture opening), it's a little more nuanced than that. It is defined by the focal length divided by the entrance pupil (source; I know it's wikipedia, but the source is an optics textbook). This pupil, as bdery said, is a projected opening, not a physical opening. If there were no lenses bending the light between the thing you were taking a picture of and the aperture assembly (like a pinhole camera), they would be the same (source).

This MIT lecture gives a slightly different definition for f/# calculation; this OSU presentation shows the math on how they are equivalent. Also note that the field stop, which defines the field of view of the lens, is normally placed within the optics near the rear of the lens (but not always). My guess is that telephoto and retrophoto designs make what sounds simple—the location of the various stops and pupils—and makes it totally counterintuitive. Because complex engineering always does that.

I'd love to hear from a real optical engineer to see if I've got this all correct or if I'm way off course.

And finally, some lens design humor.

Further reading: photozone's series on lens design

Edit: The calculations for the nerd-level of the author of this post is left as an exercise for the reader.
Forum: Lens Clubs 10-23-2015, 06:03 PM  
HD Pentax-D FA 24-70mm F2.8 Club
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 1,278
Views: 211,249
Wow. Just... Wow. Nice image!
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 10-22-2015, 10:03 PM  
Some Crappy shots of the new FF Camera
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 560
Views: 109,971
So, when I think professional, I think D4/1Dx, and they are built like tanks- nothing superfluous that can break. That LCD screen, marvel of engineering it may be, looks far too fragile for the rigors of everyday work. I wonder how well it is protected when it's "retracted."

Not saying I don't want one... :)

Edit: replies take forever to type one handed on a tablet w/o autocorrect. What he said ^
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 10-22-2015, 05:14 PM  
Some Crappy shots of the new FF Camera
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 560
Views: 109,971
Movie mode, maybe?
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 10-22-2015, 04:58 PM  
Some Crappy shots of the new FF Camera
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 560
Views: 109,971
I know that they'd have to have had something solid if they were going to launch on October 6th, but even still it's encouraging to see a camera that is more than just a 3d-printed mock-up.
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories 10-15-2015, 06:41 PM  
Thematic Just Another Brick in the Wall
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 71
Views: 5,597
Hey, Teacher, leave them kids alone!

Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-23-2015, 09:26 PM  
DFA 24-70mm to be launched soon
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 323
Views: 43,779
Anyone else confused that it's not a star lens?
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 08-05-2015, 04:28 PM  
Poll: Which lense would you choose and why?
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 28
Views: 4,390
Shultz, here are some galleries comparing the lenses:

Sigma:
https://students.cs.byu.edu/~jadams5/teamquick_semis/ (you can see how the k10 and small aperture of the sigma made life difficult in the darker conditions)
https://students.cs.byu.edu/~jadams5/tq15may/index.html (ranges from 15 minutes before sunset to 45 minutes after)

DA 50-200:
https://students.cs.byu.edu/~jadams5/teamquick_finals/ (all before sunset)

I only shot one game with the 50-200 then used the sigma for the rest because of it's longer reach and quicker af.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 08-05-2015, 09:54 AM  
Poll: Which lense would you choose and why?
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 28
Views: 4,390
Not that you need another option to murky the waters, but my experience shooting ultimate frisbee has been that the sigma 100-300 4.5-6.7 makes a better sports lens than the 50-200. It focuses faster and has a further reach. The only downside is the relatively slow aperture, which made night-time games with my K10D an exercise in futility.

edit: link: https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/sigma-100-300mm-f4-5-6-7-dl.html
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 08-04-2015, 05:49 PM  
Search for a FF normal prime and wishlist
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 90
Views: 8,474
I accidentally dropped my k5 and 18-55 wr onto a wooden walkway. It landed hood first and cracked the hood by the filter window (but if you leave the window in it still stays on properly).

Another time I was rappelling with my k10d and da 14 when i swung into thr cliff a little harder than i would have liked with the camera between me and the wall. The impact stripped the threads of the three screws that hold the hood/filter mount ring onto the rest of the body.

In both cases the camera and lenses worked just as they had before the impact. I cant say for certain that the hoods saved them, but if i understand physics correctly the more bits that fly off the more energy goes with them and not into the main object- this is why bumpers and race car body pannels are designed to come off. So, it makes sense the hoods may have absorbed energy that would have otherwise borked the cameras and lenses.

Though to be fair, becaue the da14's filter ring holds the cap on, its tendancy to slide down to the focus ring does cause the cap to contact the first element, which is rather dangerous considering that the ring (and thus cap) now spins freely. But i digress.
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom 07-13-2015, 09:19 AM  
Fujichrome Velvia 4x5 will be gone in under 2 years.
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 4
Views: 1,684
That's just the Velvia100F stuff—it looks like the original Velvia 50 and the similar-but-speedier Velvia 100 will still be available. Maybe I'm jaded from certain websites railing on the F variants, but it seems to me that they never really gained a foothold anyways.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 06-29-2015, 04:36 PM  
Sigma 100-300mm 1:4.5-6.7 DL
Posted By clawhammer
Replies: 5
Views: 1,579
I have the Quantray re-badge of the one on the left (your lens B) and it works just fine. Its become my poor-mans sports lens thanks to its very short focus throw ( = faster focus than the DA 50-200) and has done pretty well.
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