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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
09-02-2013, 12:17 PM
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It's probably a good decision to wait for now. The 645d will have a drop in price in the near future, and the expanded collection of P645 lenses you're putting together now will be immediately transferable when you pick up the body then.
But honestly, you really should get the 645d as it is miles ahead of the d800e as far as image quality goes. When I put the images side-by-side, the d800e ones look like they were taken with a lomo camera and scanned with an iphone. Ok, maybe not that bad, but definitely noticeable to even non-photographers. And I'm with you on the placement of the ISO button on the d800e; for me it was the deal-breaker.
From an operation standpoint, for many gigs nowadays art directors/clients won't even consider you unless you're using a medium format system. Now this isn't true for EVERY job. But for the ones where it is, bringing in a d800e will get you laughed out of the building fast. It doesn't matter what you can produce; if you don't have the toys, they assume you can't get the job done. I'm talking multiple IQ280s to shoot a bullet-time sequence, and an Alexa to shoot behind the scenes B-roll. That's of course an extreme case, but the fact is you have to invest in your gear if you really want to get in the game.
I would suggest that you pick up the 645d as quickly as you can. It's not as a good as an P1 or Leaf, but at least it gets your foot in the door for making acceptable images. The 645d combined with a betterlight for product shots will actually get you pretty close to a P1 for much less money. But really, if you're serious about photography, you should be investing in a top-of-the-line P1 back. I don't know if you've already been doing your own retouching, but it's actually cheaper (and better) to hire a series of graphic design interns for next-to-nothing than to waste your own time doing that work (at least for my time that's how it works out anyway). The kids nowadays are really damn good, and they're all starving for the work.
Also, have you looked into getting an M9 and a 1dx? The M9 is especially good for street photography, and the 1dx autofocus and fps is stellar. Both are worlds better than the d800e in their specific applications. You mentioned that you have several systems now; I think that's a very good approach actually. In cycling most folks go for the "quiver" concept: a different bike each optimized for a different riding style. I mean, you wouldn't do a cross race on a downhill sled or ride observed trials on a track bike, right? The same should go for cameras.
Maybe try and think of a specific use that each system is good for, and pick up any additional systems you need. I would suggest: P1 (or 645d) for "serious" shots. K5 for convenience and nostalgia. M9 for candids, plus one of the Fujis for candids in sketchy locations. 1dx for action and low light. m43 set on intervalometer and mounted to the bike or for general crash cam duty. 8x10 film for street cred. Only one lens per body, so you don't waste any time changing lenses. This saves money too. But you should definitely eventually sell the d800e; life's too short to put up with inconveniences like that ISO button. Also, don't listen to anyone that tries to buy it from you for a lower-than-MSRP price. The fact is a used and vetted d800e without left-autofocus-point issues is actually worth MORE than a new d800e, so you should price accordingly and stick to it.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-11-2013, 09:41 AM
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I find this example to not be completely analogous to the discussion of OVF vs EVF. Glass cockpits only deal with the data display. Having ONLY EVFs on cameras would be more akin to replacing all optically transparent viewports in aircraft (front windows for passenger planes or canopies for fighters) with monitor displays. There's a reason that every manned aircraft still allows the pilot to see the environment directly.
Advantages of EVFs are being able to see video as it's shot and magnify live view. The disadvantages are render lag and power draw. The disadvantages can NEVER be eliminated due to physics. Can they be mitigated to acceptable levels via engineering? Maybe. A quick calculation of electron/photon transport speed over copper/optical medium times bandwidth vs the human eye's temporal resolution limits can probably answer that question; I'm too lazy right now. But the main thing is: ALL cameras now already have an EVF (just put a black-felt lined cardboard tube over the LCD). The removal of an optical path is not adding any functionality; it's only taking options away from the user.
Perhaps in the future every camera will also be wi-fi enabled, with boot-up controlled remotely depending on whether or not you've paid for the month's subscription to "your" camera. Also, scene recognition software can then detect whether the camera has captured any "inappropriate" content, and prevent said image from being written to the card.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
06-06-2013, 07:33 PM
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Yeah, I'm sure glad my Arca view camera has that upper LCD, otherwise how would I know what f-stop, aperture, and shutter speed I was set to? The top LCD is especially convenient when I set my f-stop and aperture to two different values, because they are totally different things!
The top LCD shows VITAL information that is displayed NOWHERE ELSE. When I look through a DSLR viewfinder, and I'm wondering "hmmm, I don't remember the two values I dialed in JUST THREE SECONDS AGO, where could I possibly go to find this information?", I don't want to have to move my eyeballs and look down to see those glowing values in the viewfinder. No, I'd MUCH rather take the camera away from my face, ruin my framing and focus, and look at that ALL-IMPORTANT top LCD.
Also, the top LCD has important tools like histogram and magnified live view for critical focusing that you can't get anywhere else.
All in all, I ONLY buy cameras with a top LCD. Sometimes I JUST buy a top LCD so I can look at it. I also put top LCDs on other things, like toasters and umbrellas.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-23-2013, 08:08 PM
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I'm interested in how you define "best".
To say that any pentax product is the "best" without heavily qualifying the statement is a FAR stretch.
Best entry level DSLR? d3200 is cheaper than the K-30 with a better sensor. Canon t3i has superior video capabilities especially with magic lantern. Perhaps your definition of "best" is weather sealing. A heavy duty plastic bag and rubber band is a few cents. It makes any system (including $20k+ digital backs) weather resistant.
Best APS-C DSLR? Even the d5200 has a better rated sensor. The d7100 has higher resolution, and also lacks an AA filter. d300s/d7100 and 7d autofocus are faster and more accurate.
Competitive enthusiast compact? Fuji has this market locked up.
As for pocket APS-C, I agree the Ricoh GR is pretty nice. But it starts with an R, not a P.
Don't get me wrong, I use pentax stuff, and they make nice gear. I just contest your claim that pentax is the "best" in anything. BUT, why does that matter anyway? Even if some piece of equipment is the "best" at some arbitrary metric, it's still just a tool.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
05-15-2013, 07:32 PM
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Grain is called grain because they are GRANULES of dye clouds formed from exposed and developed silver halide. They are NOT called grain "because film is 3D". Also, sensors are VERY MUCH 3D. The sensor wells, microlenses, amps, ADC, etc don't magically exist in a 2D plane.
Noise doesn't apply "because the pixel is a discrete signal". Noise applies because of shot noise, which is due to the distribution of light hitting the sensor, as well as physical limitations in manufacturing real systems. Integer algebra is composed of discrete signals, and does not have noise.
Grain has similar poisson distribution as shot noise. It IS noise. Furthermore, the resulting color of a slide or neg depends not only on the initial exposure, but also on the chemical development process, emulsion batch variation, and freshness of the film. It is far from being always color accurate.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
05-05-2013, 06:32 PM
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Why does one need to "move away" from pentax in order to use another brand? I've used Pentax for a long time as a compact travel camera, and will continue to do so. This is despite using a d800 and a chamonix 4x5 for more serious personal work, IQ140 on an Arca view camera and a 1dx for work-work, not to mention a ton of other miscellaneous crap just for screwing around (favorite right now is a used Red One for video projects, and a pentax 6x7 for a friend's family album I'm putting together).
Despite all that, I still enjoy using the K-30 with the 18-55 WR and the 50 and 135 M primes, primarily because it uses AA batteries and has no glaring faults.
Do I buy a lot of pentax stuff? No. Whatever pentax gear I do buy is used; I sure as hell ain't going to spend the kind of silly money they're trying to charge for their current lineup. Pentax doesn't get used for work, simply because pentax doesn't really provide the tools needed to make a living (or do serious projects) with.
Do I take pentax seriously? Well it's like this: once you get that viper or the new GT-R or whatever, then you get nostalgic and pick up a 64 mustang or an old morgan, then you realize it'd be nice to have some cheap reliable beater to putz around in and you get a used civic or corolla. The pentax is that civic or corolla. So the answer is no, I don't really take it seriously. It's not a "take me seriously" brand.
Pentax cameras are cute and cheap, and there's nothing it can do that some other piece of equipment can't do better. But it's damn good for being cute and cheap, and I enjoy using these little cameras (and the big 6x7 of course).
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Forum: Homepage & Official Pentax News
05-04-2013, 02:13 PM
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PRAC sells product on their webstore, directly to end user. So we are their customers. End users might not be their main or most profitable customers, but we are still their customers. And all marketing/finance/business semantics aside, without end users all their middlemen "customers" are nothing.
Some folks like to pay a premium for pampering and the luxury experience; the trinket souvenir tossed in as an afterthought is just a bonus. Nothing wrong with that. Other folks want to buy a useful tool at a good price so they can use it to make stuff. Also nothing wrong with that.
Oh, I didn't realize Fuji and Phase One and Hassleblad and Leica and the 645d and Red and Arri are all using Sony sensors now. My bad.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-23-2013, 07:55 AM
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When the actual announcement comes out later this year (and it won't be a FF announcement, or even a pentax announcement for that matter; think very very opposite...) pretty much everyone on this forum is going to feel gut punched. I'm hoping to pick up some cheap pentax stuff in the ensuing mass firesale. But then again that's just me; I still like to buy and use bronica and contax stuff. Let's just say some Ricoh folks in Japan can't hold their liquor.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
02-15-2013, 01:21 AM
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If someone points to a dog in front of you, and says "this is a hippo", do you believe that it's a hippo? Or do you believe your own sensory organs? Nevermind what the dpreview writer writes. After all, "roughly" and "almost" are not exactly precise terms of measurement. From what I see of the results on the screen, the K-30 raw vertical resolution starts giving false detail at 28. The d600 is still giving accurate line count at 32.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
10-09-2012, 07:14 PM
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So in summary:
Pentax Advocate 1: Pentax is better than other brands because they are weather resistant! Because neither Nikon nor Canon have any seals at all! Truth!
Pentax Purchaser: Hm, I poured some water on the body to test it out, and it doesn't seem to be as resistant as I thought
Pentax Advocate 2: It's not WATER proof, you silly! It's WEATHER proof! Even though there are youtube videos of Pentax reps pouring water over pentax lenses and cameras, YOU should NEVER test your gear! For example, the shutter life is just an estimate; it may be more or less! That's why I never actually use the shutter: this way it'll always be ok! I wear latex gloves when using my Pentax, to prevent skin moisture from damaging it!
Pentax Advocate 3: Blasphemous newb. Pentax cameras are completely waterproof, sandproof and even ranger proof. Not only that, but I've built houses for the locals using it as a hammer. It has even deflected a .338 Lapua round thus saving my ass.
Pentax Purchaser: Wait, so it's not really waterproof? Wait, but it actually is??? Huh?
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
10-09-2012, 06:57 PM
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Hi David&Karen,
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I have to agree, shutter sound was the main reason that I continue using the K5. I compared it to the new Leica M, as well as an IQ180 that was on loan in the studio, and also a buddy's Red One. Though some were quieter than the K5, they were all so expensive! Also, I didn't like the midtone and bass of the shutter in the Rodenstock (the IQ180 was on an Alpa): it sounded kind of like "kchk" instead of the beautiful "ktchkk" in the K5. The new M sounded nice, but I don't use items with brand names that start with L. And the Red One's fan noise was the deal breaker. Like most serious photographers, I have a good mic and spectrum analyzer. I mean, how can you call yourself a real photographer if you don't know what harmonics your shutter is putting out? Right?
All in all, K5 is the best camera, and I wouldn't think of using any other crappy sounding camera. Pentax 4 life!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-02-2011, 09:52 PM
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Hi all,
I'm a pentax user from a while back, and just getting back into film. Gotta admit that I shoot another system for digital. But, just got the KX body CLA'ed, and am looking forward to sharing and learning.
Thanks!
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