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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
2 Days Ago
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I am considering a lens for similar situations. I used to have the da 35mm 2.8 and it might be what I end up with again - I used it as a walkaround lens on travels, and I was happy with it (it was stolen or I dropped it - I am not sure what happened). What do you feel it lacks? It is not the fastest, I know.
But I am also considering the new HD 35 f 2.0 Have you thought about that?The 35 f 1.4 is due to arrive in 2050 I hear.
When I lost the 35 macro I bought the 20-40 ltd. It could be a possibility too, but personally I plan to go back to primes again - or complement it with a faster lens. I want more light than it provides.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
2 Days Ago
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The film was not shot for IG. The result is a tiny horizontal video-area integrated in some Pentax graphics. It is social media management like if we was in year 2000. But that's how they like it, apparently. Since Pentax seems to go all in the vintage and history theme now, with film cameras and quirky lenses, you could say it sort of all comes together. When I saw it, I slapped my forehead, though, since they actually make a point of spinning the camera as Instagram-friendly.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
03-23-2024, 06:28 AM
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Paul recently brought John back from the dead so that he could finally finish a song from 50 years ago.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
03-22-2024, 06:31 AM
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Biz, maybe you could get in touch with Musk, Altman and so on to tell them how this fad "actually works" because they are some of the prominent people who have publicly admitted they can't claim to know how AI actually works or where it will land in the future.
But yeah, it will likely go like other fads like the Internet, personal computers, cell phones, cars, electricity and so on - none of which had any long lasting effect on our human world.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-05-2024, 09:26 AM
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I think there will be long between new digital cameras, film or no film. The way I see it, DSLR is such a mature technology that Pentax has pretty much reached the ceiling for what THEY can do - unless they want to try to become a completely different brand (Leica. With just as high prices). They rely on sensors and all kind of specialized stuff, they cannot make themself - they "just" stitch all these units together. Film they can make - it is mostly mechanical and optical engineering, what they are best at.
Each and every guy here waiting for a K1 III have slightly different needs and wants, and half will be disappointed once it arrives (and slam the door). Meanwhile the APS C-brigade will start talking about how their life have come to a halt while they have been waiting for K3 IV (which should have feature A and B, but absolutely avoid feature C.
I am pretty sure we'll see an K1 III eventually, and then later another C. But there will be several years between each release now. Enter film ...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-05-2024, 01:08 AM
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Ergonomics of smartphones make people gravitate towards vertical. But it is also recommended if you want to share your photos/videos on social media - and this goes not only for young people on TikTok but also professionals working for companies' Instagram profile. Vertical orientated photos/videos fill the screen better and therefore have more impact.
So old folks can complain as much as they want here ... This guy, TKO?, even explicitly make clear the camera is made for young people who will be gettng their first film camera, not for people who started with a K1000 60 years ago and now would like the same camera, only new and shiny and with AF with bird detection.
None of this was actually aimed at you. One guy on Instagram gained a big following shooting with old cameras and expired films. He call it "Expired Film Club" As he stated he began shooting with expired film because he was tired of perfection and demands of being productive and effective. To "escape" he began exploring old film stock. Don't throw your old film to the trash yet!
This is more like the kind of customer TKO is betting on. They are not on this forum. And with AI generated photography exploding just now this will just be getting bigger - there will be a counter trend, people wanting the aesthetics of photos that look like it is from the days of their grandparents as this is the aesthetics of autenticy before AI and layers of filters. Personally, I don't see why this attitude has less merit than wanting to shoot birds with a huge lens. Pentax have all but lost the "serious amateur" to Sony, Nikon etc. They might find a market here.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-03-2024, 10:22 AM
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I'm probably the odd one on this forum, but this is the exact feature that caught my attention, and I have been puzzled that most everyone else here seems to think this is a big problem. I would have fun shooting deliberately with this in mind, but also just see what kind of pairs I happen to end up with.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-02-2024, 01:31 PM
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Sorry, I was just riffing on the theme vertical vs. horisontal. The answer to your question is "yes"
Looking forward to see the actual camera once it arrives.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-02-2024, 06:17 AM
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Instead of making jokes, maybe one of you super smart engineers could make a process flow chart or something like that? Because after 20 years with (D)SLRs I have only managed to shoot in landscape orientation, and I would sure like to know what I do wrong. I plan to buy this new film camera just for the vertical orientation, but if there is a cheaper solution, I would love to hear about it.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-01-2024, 01:11 AM
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I think the concept of two vertical images on one print is clever - pitching a potential weakness (high cost of film) as a obstruction, which some will see as an creative opportunity. I don't really need a film camera in my life, but If the camera isn't silly expensive I might buy it just for that feature.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-23-2024, 12:36 PM
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This being an US-based forum, I'll call it! Half frame is the biggest mistake ever. It might work in Japan with slim Japanese people. But let's be honest, the average American is twice the width since the days were half frame cameras were a thing. Even with Reh's pragmatic approach to people's portraits - just shoot them in landscape mode! - people just wont fit easily on a frame in half width. Square format and as big as possible is what we need!
... bye? ...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-16-2024, 04:14 AM
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I don't mind fun and funky, but the problem is Pentax is already all over the place - some retro, some sober functionalism, some cheap plastic, some high end, some exotics and oddities. Our discussions about the film cameras reflect this - we have no idea what to expect. The speculations might be fun for diehard Pentaxians but everybody else don't care one bit. In that situation it takes time and money to teach the potential customers about the product - think about how long it took for KP to gain a following, and by then Pentax had moved on to different things.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-14-2024, 07:14 AM
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Good job on the knives. I made a few knives for leather craft some years ago (hardening was done with a hairdryer to boost temperature haha) and still think about making some for the kitchen - I still have some steel waiting. But I think I'll just buy the blanks from Etsy and do the handles. Unfortunately, I don't have access to the proper tools.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-11-2024, 06:43 AM
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If they wanted to make a cheap, basic model they could have used AI to make the design and outsource production to China long ago. The camera would be in shops now. I hope and think they have a little higher ambitions than that. I think the market for cheap cameras are gone, anyway.
I think the monochrome and the decision to enter the film market are two good decision after a decade of treading waters. But they can't just show up with any camera and a 200.000 yen price tag while announce "but it's film! It's cool" I don't know what to expect, because I wouldn't consider the Pentax point and shoot-cameras of the past an attractive well of inspiration.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
02-05-2024, 11:07 PM
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Thank you. I actually would have preferred that, as the interface is much more user friendly. I just don't want it enough to order from the US (I'm in EU). I ordered the same old xPro P - we'll never make friends, but will have to get by, I guess.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
02-05-2024, 07:58 AM
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Just found this thread, since I bricked my xpro P trying to update its firmware. I need a replacement, and finding this thread I am looking for the the xpro II for Pentax and ... well, it never materialized? I can only find versions for Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Olympus, Sony ... every other existing company. Ok, I am going to buy the same old again, then.
Have you guys ever updated it?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-20-2024, 07:02 AM
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Maybe Mistral here have data, I don't. Leica have invested a lot of time and money in the position they have today. As far as I can tell, they spend a lot more in RD and they certainly spend a lot more in branding/marketing. Same with Fuji. Leica is not just a rangefinder. It is guys Hermes bag. It is competing with Rolex more than with Fuji. And from a branding perspective they already came from a much more solid background than Pentax.
Ricoh's strategy seems to be to cut RD and marketing to an absolute minimum and rely on customers reluctancy to change brand (for several reasons - simple habbit, brand loyalty, a preference for optical viewfinder, reluctancy to take a loss selling and start over). This might be enough to keep it afloat. But not enough to turn it into a boutique brand.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-06-2024, 04:44 AM
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Meanwhile Monochrome, who apparently trademarked this meme seemed to have retired himself as a pentaxian and sold the gear?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-25-2023, 02:23 PM
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I have a da 21 with the same symptoms. I figure it doesn't even make sense to have it repaired professionally. Last time I sent a lens in for repair it ended up costing me more than I paid for the (new) lens. This was at the time when Pentax suddenly doubled the prices of everything ... to make the stock look more valuable or something.
So ... I might take the lens apart some day
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-14-2023, 05:26 AM
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Maybe you can buy a sensor on Aliexpress or something and enjoy walking around with that :-)
You are arguing a 1500 euros digital pinhole cam.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-25-2023, 03:19 PM
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Having used my phone for two weeks I trusted it too much. The phone would pick a face and indicate the actual focus point.
My conclusion in this context is that to Pentax' AF there was seemingly no qualitative difference between faces and barrels - both was a number of discrete objects with clear borders. The AF went for the barrels - maybe because there was writing on them? Of course there are situations where you do want to focus on the barrels rather than the faces. But in general an AI powered AF would be biased towards focusing on the face, as that is where human interest.
AF is not top priority for me, so I live with it.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-25-2023, 02:17 PM
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I bought my current camera K3ii in Tokyo 5 years ago to replace a camera that I lost earlier on the same trip. During two weeks without camera I had been taking photos with my phone. One of the first photos I took with it was of 5-6 girls in front of a wall of wine barrels. And my new Pentax focused on the barrels - even with me doing my best to align focus points with a face. I thought: "This thing is still stupid as ... My phone is more advanced."
I haven't tried anything more recent than my K3ii, so I don't know much about new cameras, but I am sure they take advantage of the larger computing power of chips to make more advanced and ... intelligence-iike AF and stuff.
I am from the humanities but also play with programming. I recently signed up for a university course in AI. It is scary shit for us, because it puts massive pressure on a lot of "our" traditional jobs (not to mention the even more devastating consequences it makes possible. On the other hand, the hallucinations are real. I hate it when super brilliant people make advanced technology, but at the same time appears to be moronic in their abilities to see the negative consequences when these technologies are used in a society, where people don't act like textbook altruistic citizens. Why don't they use their own AI to predict those consequences haha
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-25-2023, 10:25 AM
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What is AI then? HAL from 2001 A Space Odyssey and Androids from sci fi? Maybe you don't agree with that definition, but AF that has been trained to recognize faces in a photo - and maybe will learn to recognize and automatically tag the face of your wife, that recognize subject and background and makes automatic adjustment (making the sky more vivid but not the blue car in front) uses AI as we talk about AI today.
Scientists talk about strong AI and weak AI, about AI and machine learning. Please report back when you find a definite meaning, AI scientists agree on. There are several definitions and they are changing all the time as the field evolves.
It's a nerdy discussion. The relevance here is perhaps, that Pentax seems to be left on the station in this regard. MILC will use improved AI in their cameras - tracking subjects is the most obvious. Pentax will have a steep learning curve (going from "this seems to be a subject in front of a background - focus on that!" to "this is my wife among other people - focus on my wife!", and I.wonder if the focus on film cameras and vintage this and that is because they have realized that the gap between them and their competition will be widened year by year. That's what I would do if I was in their shoes: Make a point of the process, the fun and challenge rather than the features of the camera. I think we see signs that this is in fact their strategy now.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-07-2023, 11:08 AM
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For what it is worth, I am in Essaouira now. A very photogenic Moroccan town on the Atlantic coast. I just tried to get a chap to chat with me, but he wasn't too keen. He was of Asian origin so maybe he just wasn't ready to communicate in a foreign language (it's mostly French and Arab, you don't get far with English) I complimented his Mamiya medium format film camera. He acknowledged my interest, but moved on.
But anyway. The thing is, I try to observe what people use, and not use. And the thing is, it is all over the place. I haven't seen a Sony digital marvel. I see some Fujis and I see some bridge cameras. A few Nikon DSLRs with huge lenses. I don't think I have seen anything mirrorless from Nikon or Canon. But seriously, I see plenty of young people with film cameras (they write postcards too!) but these are SLRs, not point and shoot. I see a few film Leicas. And then I see people don't spend 2 seconds thinking about composition using their phones. More often than not the latter are part of a tour group.
So my feeling is, the market is being polarized and where we sit is eroding quickly. You can call film cameras a niche, but we are already being sidelined. Maybe this is part of the reason why DPreview are being dumped by Amazon. The serious amateurs' camera of yesterday, the one we use, are mostly gone. There are people searching for an authentic or quirky experience using slow and non-assistive kit and there are people with phones that throws algorithmic wizardry at their captures.
I am biased because I feel my own interest slipping from the current Pentax cameras. I bring my K3ii and 3 lenses here adding up to 1 kg of glass, which isn't too bad. I capture some good shots. But honestly, similarly exist on the net already. Would I be just as happy with and actually perhaps bring back some more original photos if my gear instead restricted me to shooting B&W and 28mm? There are times I wished I just had a GR iii converted to B&W with me. My interest in a K1iii is almost zero, but I will watch what happens to the teased film cameras (I expect it will take years, sadly)
...
(Off to snap a few ... )
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
03-10-2023, 06:51 AM
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In EU that is an illegal practice, it is not even in the grey zone.
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