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Forum: General Talk
04-20-2013, 06:44 PM
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Oh yeah, I was wanting to show off her picture :D
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Forum: General Talk
04-20-2013, 06:41 PM
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Only one week ago I was crying on a stranger's shoulder because I was missing my daughter so much after six years of not seeing her. On Sunday I got a message from my ex saying that she wished things had been different. Wednesday I met my ex and we remembered why we were friends long before we had a relationship, and agreed that the only thing that is important is our daughter.
Today I met my daughter, the most wonderful, perfect, beautiful nine year old the world's ever seen, and I learnt for the second time what it is to truly fall in love. The first time I fell in love was when she first looked up at me in the NICU.
The best thing of all, that has made me unashamedly cry my eyes out, is the message I had from her mum a few hours ago. 'When she went to bed she said, 'I like my dad mum. Everything will be perfect''
My daughter might be perfect but she's wrong there. It won't be perfect, it's already better than that.
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Forum: General Talk
04-03-2013, 02:31 PM
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Have you tried a model shop where they sell parts for model boats? They have the tiniest brass nails you can imagine, as well as loads of other goodies you could most likely use for your dolls.
Oh, and rotary tools are such useful toys, I mean, tools. You'll soon find yourself looking for things to use it on. You can even turn foam and soft wood like balsa and linden (I think you guys call it 'bass wood' over there); could be useful for making all kinds of accessories. Keep the swan-neck lubed though as they can run dry and get quite hot. Damn you Rupert; now I can't help but read a double entendre into that last sentence!
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
03-23-2013, 07:05 PM
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I know what you mean - my d800 is being repaired right now (I dropped it, it landed on the strap-lug and broke the top LCD and flash circuit. And crushed the top-plate. And knackered my 24-70. Expensive birthday this year even if the drinks were free and I was sober when I slipped over and heard the crunch...) yet I'm still earning using my little Fuji x10. I'm constricted with the jobs I can accept, but for portraits etc. I can still earn when I show my clients the final results.
DSLRs are easier to use than smaller cameras once you get used to the ol' aperture/shutter/ISO thing, but any camera will do the job if you learn and work within its limitations. That said; I can't wait til I can make enough to replace my Pentax kit 'cos that just made photography fun - fewer keepers per shutter press, but more fun pressing the shutter.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
03-15-2013, 04:43 PM
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I've never got on too well with Canon ergos myself, but that's more a case of training muscle memory. I've got a D800 now, and get on very well with it, but the best camera I've had for every button and dial being in exactly the right place was my K5. The most important thing though is what you do with a camera, and that comes through familiarity, which teaches you what the camera can do and how to use it. For example, the AF in the D800 is head and shoulders above the K5 (as it should be for the price) but I learnt how to use the K5 within its capabilities so I rarely missed a shot. The flash system for events and weddings is much nicer though, as is being able to buy four YN560s for the price of the equivalent Pentax strobe and control them separately direct from the on-board flash.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
03-07-2013, 06:19 PM
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Forum: Pentax Q
02-23-2013, 09:55 PM
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I got one of these kits for my x10 and they're really good quality. I know the x10 is a Fuji camera but I imagine the skin is similar to the Q. I managed to peel all the originals (which were held on by what was basically double sided tape) off very easily, without stretching or tearing them, and they fit perfectly on the carrier sheet the kit came on in case I ever wanted to go back - such as for a warranty claim. If you follow the instructions on the video on their website and take your time you shouldn't have any problems at all.
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Forum: Pentax K-r
02-17-2013, 07:05 PM
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Hmmn. Sounds like the mirror's sticking to me - as in; the viewfinder only showing a narrow band of image, and live view not working. The kind of motor (really an actuator, and they can stick at either end of their movement, which would explain the black viewfinder) that's used for mirrors needs a lot of power and will stick at a point of resistance such as when they change direction, so if your battery is failing it won't be able to give the power needed. I'm pretty certain that changing the battery - for either AAs through an adaptor or another lithium - will fix it.
My hobby before photography was electric powered radio-controlled planes - aerial videography is great fun - so I had to learn a fair bit about lithium batteries and there's about a 1-in-10 chance that an untested lithium battery will quickly lose the ability to hold a useful charge. The batteries I was using were lithium polymer which sometimes explode if they go wrong; cameras use lithium ion batteries which are much safer, so they're not tested nearly as much, which includes how well they can hold a charge under load. As I said, actuators (basically electro-magnets) like the ones that are used for mirrors in DSLRs need a lot of power, so if the battery can't give it, the mirror won't work properly. The battery meter in your camera needs almost no power so it will still show as full even if there's only a little power in it.
I've found that ebay batteries are as good as any, so maybe think about getting one of these to see if the battery's the problem http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/D-Li109-Battery-for-Pentax-K-R-KR-K2-K-2-Digital-C...item3cbe47d16f. If you're not happy with putting a cheap battery inside your expensive camera you could try one of these. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pro-AA-Battery-Holder-Box-For-Pentax-KR-K-R-DSLR-S...item3cbe47d16f.
Oh, another thought, sometimes battery chargers go wrong... Whatever, I'm sure the camera shop will have another battery to try in your camera and that will hopefully solve your problems.
Shame to not have your camera for your birthday though, I hope you had a good time anyway.
P.s. - I dropped and broke nearly 4,000 euros worth of camera on my birthday, so I know how it feels :(
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Forum: Pentax K-r
02-17-2013, 10:04 AM
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Is the mirror in its usual place? It sounds like it could be jammed. If that's the case and it's under warranty you shouldn't have too many problems. That said, have you tried taking the battery out, fully charging it and trying again, swapped lenses over, and cleaned the contacts? I really hope it's just something simple for you.
Oh, and happy birthday, hope the rest of your day goes better.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-12-2013, 11:56 AM
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Firstly, what's your budget? Cheap tripods tend to be a bit of a waste of time, as are cheap heads. Second hand can be a good way to go if your budget's low. As a rough rule of thumb, go for fewer sections as that tends to lead to steadier legs, lightweight tripods aren't as stable as heavier ones, and the head is as important as the legs. This guide might help you a bit. Best tripods and camera supports: 15 tested | News | TechRadar |
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-12-2013, 08:18 AM
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
02-12-2013, 07:21 AM
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Could you deliberately over expose her skin with the flash to make it appear paler so the blue 'takes' more?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-11-2013, 07:17 PM
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The Sigma 24-70 2.4 lenses are great - there're screw-drive and HSM versions available.
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Forum: General Talk
02-06-2013, 09:56 AM
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I'm trying out a 300W LED growlight at the moment and it seems to be helping. Very intense light - apparently equivalent to over 1000W of sodium lamp - with a good spectrum. An old trick a doctor told me is to put a couple of lights behind your curtain attached to a timer so they come on at about 4.30. This tricks your sleeping brain into thinking it's summer.
This is the light I'm using - if you try one watch your eyes; it's seriously bright. Cool purple light as well, I'm thinking about whacking it in a softbox to see what it can do for portraits. Despite coming from China it only took 3 days to get to the UK.
New 300w LED Grow Light 8 Band Lamp For Flower Hot Sale Hydroponic System | eBay |
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
02-01-2013, 11:16 AM
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Ha ha, unfortunately not. Though it's not actually much bigger than my K5 was, esp. when I put the grip on it. I really don't notice the difference; but I do tend to use fast zooms and they're so big and heavy that the size of the body doesn't have much effect.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-30-2013, 12:40 PM
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You do get both with the D800 - you can set it to a couple of crops including APS; it projects grid lines inside the viewfinder for composition. 15 mp for the dx crop.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-24-2013, 03:36 PM
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Can't speak for others, but I still hang out in the non-Pentax section here (where this thread is) as I like the group on this site. As for talking about my new kit, I know others are considering the same change I've made and would possibly be interested in the first-hand experience of someone who's just switched from Pentax.
Outside of the non-Pentax section I wouldn't post about my D800.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-24-2013, 12:17 PM
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Welcome, it's a very friendly forum so you'll be fine. I love your city by the way; so much that I'm moving there in the spring to teach English, and had the best Silvester ever there this year. This was the view from my window at midnight, overlooking Hackesher Markt and just missing the Telecom tower to the right.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-24-2013, 12:04 PM
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I'd disagree with that in this case. Having such things as autofocus that works perfectly almost every time (3D is just... wow. That's all I can say about that), much smaller focus points and a flash system that not only works as it should but is affordable enough that I can buy nearly five TTL strobes for the price of a single Pentax one means that my tool is fitter for the job in hand, and I'm not fighting the camera to get the shot I want as it works in harmony with me to get what I want to shoot. And then there's the huge difference in resolution and better lowlight performance, not to mention the massive, bright vf and fantastic lenses for a fraction of the Pentax price; have a quick look at the price of Nikon primes and you will see how I bought a brand new 50 and an 85 (both 1.8, wr and SDM) for less than a single, slower limited, whilst supporting a local camera shop 20 mins walk from my house.
I did feel a bit sad selling all my k mount stuff - until I took my '800 out to shoot a gig for the first time. I sold up as I was just plain fed up with having to mail order everything - without the returns policies that guys in the States and Canada have - and with my cameras failing at the worst possible times. Both kx and k5 going down simultaneously at the start of a wedding ceremony, and then the k5 missing focus completely on the bouquet toss? Not good for my business so bye bye Pentax. Seriously though, I used to take two or three shots each time with Pentax and hope one of them was focused. Now I take one and well over 90% of the time it's focused perfectly on what I was composing for which means happier brides as there's less strobing going on, and a faster workflow for me.
I wish they'd released a camera better suited to my needs and weren't as unreasonably expensive for everything other than their bodies, but I felt I had little option than to put my money where my mouth is.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-24-2013, 05:07 AM
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Have you considered the Tamron 24-70? I got that instead of the Nikkor and saved best part of a grand and gained VR; and all for the tiniest loss in absolute image quality.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-23-2013, 06:38 PM
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You'll love the D800; I made the switch in November and haven't regretted it once. It's not that much bigger and the focus and flash will bowl you over. BTW have a look at the YN568DX - fully auto TTL flash for £100.
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Forum: General Talk
01-19-2013, 06:06 PM
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
12-13-2012, 01:16 PM
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Can't speak for the D600 but I've had a D800 for a few weeks and it's one hell of a camera. Absolute bargain with the price drop.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-12-2012, 09:23 AM
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Great shots, and look at the size of those mandibles. I assume it uses its disguise to prey on ants?
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