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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-27-2024, 11:37 AM
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My wife and I planned a road trip vacation with the eclipse in the middle. The vacation softens the disappointment of cloudy weather on eclipse day, but I'm prepared to relocate early AM to chase clear skies while most people are sleeping.
I already have the gear I need including a tracking mount that will follow the sun. I can pay minimal attention to the camera freeing me up to visually observe the sun. Here's some photos from the 2017 eclipse:
 Eclipse Diamond Ring with Prominences by jvsperoni, on Flickr
 Solar Corona by jvsperoni, on Flickr
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-28-2017, 08:18 PM
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Up to 100mm is fairly easy with some practice. Do a precise calibration to improve tracking. Sample below. 60 seconds and I probably could have gone longer.
Going beyond 100mm, as much as 300mm, can work. It gets more finicky. Composition becomes more of a challenge if you don't know exactly where to aim.
 Lagoon Nebula and Neighbors by John Speroni, on Flickr
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-16-2013, 09:00 PM
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I am putting this thread back on-topic with 3 reasons for not getting a K-3:
1) It can't slice cheese
2) It can't fry bacon
3) It becomes "last year's model" and no longer takes good photos on January 1
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-03-2013, 04:19 PM
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I am glad that the series didn't end with Tony becoming a lumberjack. (Dexter fans will sympathize)
P.S. I'm a little late to this thread, but I like cheese, beer, and whatever Monochrome thinks he means by mobetta.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
04-19-2023, 08:12 AM
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[lots of snipping for brevity]
I agree. Building a PC is a hobby unto itself. If someone just wants to do photography or gaming they shouldn't build their own PC. Build a PC if you are interested in, well, building a PC.
There are good reasons to buy a prebuilt computer but don't buy it from a bad company. If the system builder won't say what motherboard model they use, they may be using a crappy proprietary motherboard. I suggest avoiding Dell and HP because of proprietary parts and unwanted software forced onto the PC.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
04-18-2023, 11:07 AM
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Micro Center, already mentioned in this thread, is my favorite computer store whether in-person or online. I use them for parts to assemble my own PCs rather than buying prebuilt PCs.
"Powerspec" is Micro Center's house brand of prebuilt PCs. I have zero firsthand experience with Powerspec, but I did some research in August 2022 and they seemed okay at the time.
The bigger assemblers like Dell and HP left me disappointed long ago. Maybe they have gotten better, but here's what steered me away 20+ years ago:
- They often used non-standard parts that I couldn't replace later.
- The original manufacturer of parts was hidden. Take power supplies, for example: were they buying supplies from good companies or bad companies? It was a secret.
- They added a lot of garbage "bloatware" to their Windows installation. This slows down the computers, creates complexity, and reduces security. I prefer a clean install and I'll add the software I want.
- Bad case designs with poor airflow, noisy fans, and overheating.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-27-2023, 09:43 AM
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@RandomWindowArt , Bob makes a very good suggestion. I'll add that there could be additional learning to do before photo processing such as camera settings. New astrophotographers often get distracted by gear (because we can read the web 24/7) when what they actually need is more practice (which is too often limited by weather and needing to sleep).
The astrotracer (or a motorized tracking mount) allows longer exposures of the sky but the foreground blurs a little during tracking. That can lead to taking multiple exposures, some with tracking on others off, then merging later; it gets very complex. The astrotracer IMO is easier to use when the foreground is not illuminated and some blur doesn't matter.
What shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and focal length did you use for image #1?
How do you feel your current K-50 is limiting you? What lenses do you have? What processing software do you have? How many hours per month do you have to practice night photography, and process photos later?
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Forum: Product Suggestions and Feedback
03-23-2023, 12:32 AM
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Check manufacturer recommendation for the specific film you buy. Glue might not be recommended. Many solar films need to be installed loosely to allow for some expansion/contraction as temperatures change. A little waviness won't hurt optical performance, but do avoid wrinkles.
A common technique for homemade filters is to sandwich the film between cardboard. There are many samples shown on this product page AstroSolar® Safety Film OD 5.0 (ECO-size, 20x29, 100x50, 117x117 cm) - Whitelight - Solar
Here's one that I made using foam posterboard. If I did it over again I would have used thinner foam and cut an octagon or circle (instead of square as pictured) so the filter would be less bulky to store.
 My Eclipse Camera by jvsperoni, on Flickr
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
03-22-2023, 02:35 PM
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DPR steered me towards a Pentax Kr when I got back into photography. They had detailed reviews of many camera models and the Kr seemed better (especially in low light) than similarly priced Canons and Nikons. I miss that old DPR. I won't miss what DPR turned into in recent years.
(I didn't even know PF existed when I bought my first DSLR. Searching for more info about how to customize Kr settings led me here. The Kr was my gateway drug to K5 and K1 upgrades.)
DPR is doomed.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
03-22-2023, 02:45 PM
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Amazon is so large that any sale of DPR isn't worth the trouble. Small companies can't pay enough money to get Amazon's attention. Large companies are competitors that might not want to cut deals with each other.
Similar things happen with Google. When they cease a service they often kill it and take a loss, rather than sell to Amazon or Microsoft.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-02-2022, 02:35 PM
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The planets Venus and Jupiter had a visually close encounter this weekend, passing within one degree of each other as viewed from our vantage point on Earth. In terms of true distances, they remained more than 700 billion meters apart.
This photo was taken April 30 with brighter Venus to the right of Jupiter. The following morning May 1, the movement of those 2 planets plus Earth's own movement around the sun caused their relative positions to change with Venus shifting left of Jupiter.
The bright light on the left edge of the frame is a lighthouse not sun. The sun was still below the horizon.
 Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus by John Speroni, on Flickr
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Forum: Pentax Full Frame
07-19-2020, 12:14 PM
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You didn't mention what type of photography you do. That's the most important thing to answer your question. We can't tell whether you'll benefit from f2.8 with the info provided so far, nor can we tell whether a larger, heavier lens will be a hindrance.
Factors in favor of the 70-200 f2.8: Event photography in low light. Kid's events such as outdoor sports after sunset, or indoor dance recitals. Anything where you want very thin depth of field, such as some types of portraits.
Factors in favor of the 70-210 f4.0: Hiking for landscapes that you're taking at f/8. Long photo sessions if a heavier lens will be hard to hold. You can still get a pretty thin depth of field at f4 when you need it.
Speaking from my own experience with the K-1, where I mostly photograph landscapes, architecture, street photography (unposed portraits), astrophotography, and night cityscapes. I almost never do portraits. All lenses below are Pentax brand unless otherwise mentioned. Listed in order of importance to me.
- My primary lens is the DFA 28-105. This can do almost everything I need when there's adequate light. The lens is very sharp, with good contrast, a versatile zoom range, light weight. This lens is always with me because it's so light.
- DFA 15-30 f2.8. I use this when the 28-105 isn't wide enough for a landscape or building. It's also my primary Milky Way astrophotography lens.
- Sigma 50-500 OS (no longer manufactured). Wildlife, air shows, and the very rare landscape where I need more than 105mm. It's a big heavy lens that I don't carry unless I know I'll need it.
- DFA 100 Macro WR. Used when the long end of the 28-105 is too slow or I want thin depth of field. It's a good lens for isolating people in parade crowds, and for astrophotography when 100mm is my desired focal length. The very long focus throw from near to far is not ideal for non-macro uses but has never been a big problem.
- FA 43. Street photography because it's a small lens (but a Ricoh GR is my main street photo camera). Low light landscapes.
- Tamron Adaptall 300/f2.8 (a very old discontinued lens): A special-purpose lens. It only gets used for wildlife in low light and astrophotography of smaller targets.
- DAL 55-300 (an earlier model no longer manufactured). If I'm hiking where I don't expect much wildlife, I'll take this as a lightweight alternative to the 50-500.
In other words, after many years with a K-1, I've done fine without the 24-70 f2.8 and any flavor of 70-200. If you're mostly a portrait photographer, though, maybe those are the 2 most important lenses for you.
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Forum: General Photography
11-14-2022, 03:54 PM
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At that distance emphasize the rocket arc rather than rocket details. Expose for the sky background and don't worry if the rocket trail is perfectly exposed. That approach will let you take some practice exposures prior to launch.
Yucky complication: the rising Moon. The moon will be rising at 20 degrees above the eastern horizon at scheduled launch time. You might need to adjust your composition or exposure length to avoid bright moonlight washing out the photo. Or use a longer lens to limit your field of view, perhaps sacrificing part of the rocket's arc in order to avoid getting the moon in frame. If you can visit your planned photo site 25 hours prior to launch the moon will be in roughly the same position and brightness as it will be at launch time.
The arc will look best if you live north or south near the Atlantic coast. If you are inland west of the launch pad you might get more of a vertical arc than a wide arc, and will be aiming more directly into the moon.
If you are at all familiar with photo processing, use raw DNG mode so you can tweak your exposure settings and white balance later. A single 5 minute exposure would show the arc in a single frame but you can't go so long while the moon is up. As a more complex alternative, set your camera for 30 second exposures in high-speed continuous shutter mode (in order to minimize gaps between frames) then combine them (with photoshop-like software or in-camera if your specific model offers that).
At 50 miles a 35mm FF lens (24mm APS-C) should keep the top of the arc in frame, especially since the rocket will be moving away as it climbs. You can lookup the vertical FOV angle for a lens then do some trigonometry to estimate how many miles altitude you'll cover from 50 miles away to verify the arc fills a reasonable part of your image. Right Triangle Calculator
The attached photo is not mine. The photographer states they were 24 miles from the launch site. The linked article mentions camera settings and other tips Night Photography: Rocket Launch! - Photo Masters Workshops
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
11-10-2022, 01:09 PM
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Your problem might be as simple as one bad button that is partly stuck and activating randomly. I think the "Disp" button would cause most of the problems you mentioned, but other buttons could cause it and there's still the chance of multiple controls having problems at the same time.
Electrical contact spray cleaner might help you. Carefully spray it into the camera around the buttons. Don't use too much.
Some buttons on my GR (model i, not ii) became overly sensitive after my camera got wet. I waited several days for it to dry but merely moving the camera could trigger random button presses. My problem improved over time, I guess continued use of buttons scraped off whatever residue was left behind by the water.
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Forum: Repairs and Warranty Service
10-17-2022, 09:58 AM
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I didn't know Harbor Freight was in New Zealand ;) They are the USA home for junk tools, but their new stuff can cost less than renting a tool for one day from a rental shop so they serve a purpose.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
08-31-2022, 09:51 AM
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+1 that the middle lens is filthy and has high risk of fungus. Save yourself the trip to inspect it unless the seller is selling for very cheap.
The knobby grip on the other lens to the left looks like it's decomposing. That doesn't affect lens operation but depending on how bad it could be a sticky mess to use. You may need to cut the grip off and rewrap the barrel with grip tape.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-19-2022, 11:32 AM
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Your thread title says walkaround but some of the things you said make we wonder about what type of photos you have in mind. Do you want to take photos of whatever you happen to come across, or closeup photos of strangers, or slightly wider streetscapes of buildings plus people?
The K-1 body is fairly large so the choice of lens may be secondary to how "unobtrusive" you are. Anticipate that photo subjects, ignorant security guards, and potential camera thieves will sometimes notice your camera.
When I'm doing general "walkaround" photos I like the 28-105 for its versatile zoom range and it's fairly small size (for a zoom).
28mm is still a good focal length for stealthy street photography "shooting from the hip". I pre-focus around 2 meters away, set the aperture to f/8 or f/11 for good depth of field, relatively high shutter speed to freeze motion, use TAv mode to let ISP drift as needed. This can be done with the K-1 but IMO works even better with the tiny Ricoh GR. Going as wide as 28mm often gets clutter within the frame so I crop for composition later.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-14-2022, 01:22 PM
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How long will you be travelling for?
You are planning to bring way too much stuff IMO. The way you described it you'll be staying at a base with family, so once you arrive you'll be able to just bring whatever gear you need for smaller photo trips, but think about the hassles of traveling internationally with multiple cases of fragile, bulky, expensive gear. I'd only bring so much if your trip will last several months.
I also don't like buying many new lenses at the same time, because I'd be inexperienced at using all of it. It takes a while to master new lenses and astro mounts.
Here's a more modest gear recommendation than what you were planning:
- Landscape: Your Pentax 28-105 is a versatile landscape lens. Sharp, compact, contrasty, etc. Add one wider lens, discussed below under nightscape.
- Nightscape: You said you were thinking of an Irix 15 and 30. Good choices and an alternative is the Pentax 15-30. The Pentax is heavy but offers the versatility of zoom and a single lens.
- Astrophotography: The same Irix'es or 15-30 for nightscapes will be good for wide field astro. Learn and use the astrotracer with your Irix 150 for narrower targets. Forget buying a physical tracking mount for this trip; it takes time to learn quirks of astrogear and your trip might be done before you learn how to maximize new gear.
- Macro: Irix 150.
- Wildlife: You already have a plan for the Nikon D500 and 600mm zoom.
- Travel: Already covered by all the other lenses.
- Cityscape: Already covered; if it can do landscape or nightscape it's probably good for daytime cityscape.
Filtering: Add a CPL for the 28-105. 28mm wide is plenty for many landscapes, and if you want to go ultrawide 15mm it's often fine to skip filters because CPL can create uneven sky color at wider angles. Optionally add ND filter(s) if you like daytime long exposure.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-04-2022, 09:59 AM
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Maybe. I don't know, but I know that the people who do know can't answer if they want to keep their jobs.
There are only 2 possibilities long-term. One is to come out with new camera models. The other option is to exit the market as parts needed by current camera models are discontinued.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
06-29-2022, 09:16 PM
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Sony will eventually discontinue the current K-1 sensor. We'll get a K-1 Mark III (or renamed model) with different sensor or Ricoh will exit the FF market. I can't predict when it will happen and I'm just another outsider making guesses.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-28-2022, 12:39 PM
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@sajith, Decide whether you want f2.8. If yes, get the 16-50. If no, then 16-85 or 18-135. The best decision might also depend on what other lenses you currently have or plan to buy.
- Pentax HD DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 ED Limited. IMO the restricted 2x zoom range defeats one of the main selling points for a zoom. For versatility I'd need to pack 2 other lenses with this to fill in the wider and longer ends.
- The new Pentax HD 16-50mm f/2.8 ED. A good choice. If you liked your old 16-50 it's obviously a good focal range for you. Downside is the bulk of a f2.8 lens when you don't need low light or thin depth of field.
- Pentax HD DA 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6. Another good choice. As wide as the 16-50, with more reach and less weight.
- Pentax 18-135. Another good choice. Twice the reach of the 16-50, much less expensive, much smaller. If you'll miss the wider 16mm of your old 16-50 and don't really need f2.8, maybe add a DA 15 Limited to the 18-135 and that combo still costs/weighs less than the 16-50.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
06-06-2022, 11:39 AM
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Manufacturers brought this on by their own policies.
Staying on-topic, I'll use a repeating example with Ricoh. They only have one authorized repair center in USA and do not make parts available to consumers. So, when someone breaks a removable lens foot and needs a simple replacement part, the customer is forced to ship their entire lens and pay for a "lens repair".
Ricoh's policies are hostile to consumers. 70-200 "lens repair" costs $478; that's insane for a lens foot. Shipping the lens when it doesn't really need to be shipped needlessly risks damage to the lens. Customers can't use the lens for several weeks while it's in transit and sitting at the repair center.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
05-19-2022, 08:27 AM
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How to make money with photography? Get a bunch of other photographers to pay you $139 ;)
Joke aside, I don't know whether that conference is any good or not, but in general the photography business is very challenging. There are many hobbyists who will work cheaply or for free.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-18-2022, 02:04 PM
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