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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-29-2007, 12:29 AM
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I understand your frustration, but Unfortunately since it was a newspaper company it is common for them to publish logos pictures and even text from someone else's document.
I am not a lawyer but, from what I understand it is perfectly legal, at least here in the US. You see you're not only dealing with the copyright laws, you're dealing with the fair use act as well.
The fair use act, allows news organizations and learning institutions access to any published materials that they need without paying royalties. And if I'm not mistaken it only applies to new stories and learning institutions in the pursuit of higher education of its students, it also includes research groups. It does not include any other moneymaking venture.
There is even a clause in the Americans with disabilities act, that allows people with disabilities access to documents and media in a form that they can use. This allows companies to freely distribute books over the Internet without paying royalties as long as it is intended for use by the visually impaired.
So where it may be understandable that they thought they could use your photos in this manner, And I don't know all the legal points about this, they probably assumed that the fair use act would apply, but in this case it does not sound as if it would. And it will
Also just as a point to clear up any misunderstanding about copywriting any material:
just claiming that certain material is copyrighted, does not give you any legal right of protection under the US copyright laws. You must go through the legal motions, and pay the copyright fees to obtain copyright status.
P. S. A note on using Java script to disable the right mouse button. This is unreliable and can be easily disabled by turning off JavaScript in the browser. This is a common practice used by many Web surfers.
joe1955
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-21-2007, 11:04 PM
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First of all I'm not a fan of Microsoft, and have not purchased any Microsoft products in approximately 8 years. If it wasn't for all the other computers I have to keep up with I would be using a Mac or at least Linux.
Having said that, the memory problem is not all Microsoft's doing, Intel is the one that started all the problems. They had the great idea that no one could ever use more than 1 MB of memory. So they put their bios at the top of memory. Now to access anything more than 1 MB we have to jump over the bios. They came up with a means of doing this, they call it page swapping. It takes a lot more memory and programming effort to keep track of things. Everyone else put their bios at the beginning of memory and has a straight shot right to the end. Although Microsoft has made things more difficult with their memory hungry garbage and digital rights management software. They seem to think that the faster the processors gets, the more memory hungry their software should get. It's a vicious circle with them, you buy a fast computer they eat up the speed and memory with their software forcing you to get a faster computer which allows them to make their software even more hungry for resources.
Although you could have gone to Linux, and utilize a lot of free software, you would still have the same basic memory problem.
I think you will be much happier with a Mac.
joe1955
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-15-2007, 10:45 AM
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Albinar ADG 1:3.9 80-200mm Macro Zoom PK
Check out this eBay listing. I Could not resist posting it, Item number: 120198657036, look closely at the discount description in red text.
If $50 will give you a 10% discount, will $500 give you 100% discount. I do not see a limit on the discount??. How much of a discount can you get, 200%, 300%, does anyone need an 80 to 200 Macro Zoom. Maybe he'll pay you to take it off his hands.
joe1955
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Forum: Photographic Technique
12-14-2007, 11:17 PM
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I also have a package coming from Japan, and I hope it does not go through Canada, if so it will probably be next year before I receive it.
I do not understand why the items being shipped from Canada seem to be slow. And the problem does not seem to be in Canada.
Several years ago I ordered an item out of Canada it took two days to get to the border and then promptly sat on the US side of the border for 30 days.
Oddly I ordered something from New Zealand and got it within 10 days.
Both were sent through the mail.
I've never understood this, it was not on a holiday, so that could not have been the problem.
Also I have noticed that I have never got any pertinent information when I use the US tracking system. I normally get the message
"The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on xxx xx, 200x to expect your package for mailing".
Normally I don't get any further information until after it has been delivered.
Although once I have seen a message saying it had been picked up, but nothing more than that.
So what does this mean for your package, probably that it will set in a warehouse for 30 days or more, and you will probably not be able to track it until it shows up at your doorstep.
I hope I'm wrong, and you receive your package quickly.
joe1955
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
12-10-2007, 10:47 PM
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Those are nice cameras, I have a zx5n, and I really like it. Although I preferred my SP1000, over the years it got much too difficult to focus and I had to go to autofocus to continue taking pictures.
I'm reminded of an article that appeared in one of the photo magazines many years ago, not quite sure which one.
They tested several brands of film including Kodak, Fuji, Agfa, along with several store brands. As it turned out, one of the store brands had one of the highest rated films. Agfa turned out to have a low rating.
The problem with this was, it was the same film.
They used a local developing company, and as it turns out the processing has more to do with the film than you might think. The strength of the chemicals used differed in such an amount that you could develop several rolls of the same film and get a wide range of results.
This also applies to the printing process. Remember you can always have your pictures reprinted, but you can only have the film developed once.
This can be a problem when selecting a film brand.
If you're not doing it yourself make sure that you have a company that replenishes their chemicals properly, so you can get consistent results. Try that brand of film and let several different companies develop it before you decide if you like it or not.
Also note the time of day have a lot to do with what speed film you use.
When I am shooting outdoor scenes I base my film speed according to the available light and just use my years of experience on which to use.
When starting out I recommend you use the following criteria, you can modify it as you gain experience to suit your style of photography.
Morning and evening, bright sun, 200 - 400
noontime, bright sun, 100 - 200
Cloudy days, 400 and depending on how dark the clouds are 800
Deep woods can be very dark, 800 - 1600 depending on the available light.
There's no magic number when choosing film speed, it's all about available light and lens aperture + shutter speed needed.
Landscapes with calm wind will allow you to use a slower film speed. But you will not be able to stop the wings of a hummingbird, if you do not have the available light.
P.S.
I also should mention, the film speed noted above is intended for summer. Spring and fall may have less available sunlight. And Snow-covered winter scenes will have less sunlight, but there will be more reflective light available. This means that the film speed may change with the seasons.
This makes it necessary to be aware of the available light while you are shooting.
A great landscape photographer in the US, " Ansell Adams ", (I hope I spelled h this see to be should just for a few weeks away is yes and yes and you is an element in is more of a life for you high-security areas in the field of criminal Justice name right) had a great knack for judging light. One of his most famous pictures was taken on his way back from a photo shoot, he came across a town with a cemetery in the foreground just before dusk. He quickly took out his camera set it up and took the shot without taking any kind of light readings at all. He simply used his own experience with the camera equipment to judge the light, and it came out beautifully. Although i can judge the light pretty good, I can't come near that level.
Hopefully if you pay attention to the available light, you can come closer to being able to do this than I can.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
12-09-2007, 11:30 PM
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First of all, I would like to clarify the last line of my last post.
I did not mean to impugn anyone, it just breaks my heart to hear about anyone abusing a fine piece of precision equipment such as the Pentax camera system.
I've always taken good care of my equipment, and still have my first Pentax camera, a Honeywell SP1000. It still takes good pictures, and if I could see well enough to focus it properly, I would still be using it.
The only reason I went to autofocus was because of my eyesight, and I still prefer manual focus lenses on my K100D.
now as far as the question on the multi-rail Bellows, the truth is I have no idea.
As I said before I have the x-rail Bellows, and I have never use the one you show in the picture. But from my understanding most of the screw mount bellows did have the removable camera mount. Having to turn the camera several times and still miss the rail assembly would be very difficult. It does not seem reasonable that Pentax would have you turn the camera in an awkward manner to mount to this Bellows assembly.
If it turns out that this Bellows assembly does not have the removable camera mount, I would highly recommend selling it and trying to find one that does. They do come up for auction on eBay every once in a while although they can be expensive.
A Bellows gives you such a wide range of magnification and focusing options, that once you get used to using it, you will probably wonder why you ever thought about extension tubes.
Although extension tubes do have their place, for instance they are much easier to carry in your bag but are very limiting and slow. And in order to get the extension that a Bellows gives you, you would have to have two or three sets.
Hopefully someone else will have an instruction book for your Bellows, that they can scan for you.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
12-08-2007, 10:49 PM
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I am referring to the threads that connect to the lens, not the M42 threads that connect to the body.
The thread diameter of a T,Mount adapter is the same, it is the pitch of the threads that is different.
I have never seen a T2,mount, and have no idea what the thread pitch is.
The T,Mount adapter was originally designed to adapt the camera to a telescope.
I have seen many T,Mount lenses that have been directly attached to the Pentax M42 mount, and in many cases has caused problems.
Cross threading or getting stuck on the camera is only two of the problems that could arise, these lenses are designed to be used with a T,Mount adapter, which acts as a spacer as well as an adapter.
This will bring infinity focus up to where it should be. Otherwise your camera will not focus as close as it should.
You should never take a chance on damaging your camera in this manner.
The worst thing that could happen is that small flakes of metal could get into your camera. If you are using a digital camera, small flecks of metal could short something out.
Although if you do not care about your equipment, please be my guest, Take whatever chance you want to with your equipment. Just don't do it with other people's equipment
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
12-08-2007, 09:11 PM
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A T,mount adapter is not the same thread as a M42 and should not be used.
I have the X rail type, that is if you look at the end of the rail without the thumbscrew it will resemble an X.
If this is what you have, there's no need for a T,mount adapter.
Loosen the thumbscrew on the side of the bellows and remove the threaded mount.
Attach a standard M42 screw mount adapter to the camera and then attach the bellows mount to the camera.
Place the assembly on the bellows and tighten a thumbscrew.
There's plenty of room for the flash mount housing to clear the bellows assembly.
As far as the other end goes, you are pretty much stuck with screw mount lenses.
If you know a good machinist, they could probably make an adapter for you. Hopefully it would not cost you too much.
joe1955
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Forum: Photographic Technique
11-28-2007, 06:37 PM
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I found this the other day " http://www.shopdawg.com/navmanual/Photography.zip ", and thought it might come in useful. It's the U.S. Navy photography training book,( basic and advanced ).
The first chapter ( basic photography ) covers the theory of light, aperture, focal length, hyperfocus, infinity focus, prospective, and much more.
Table of contents, ( basic photography )
CHAPTER PAGE
1. Theory of Light and Optical Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
2. Light-Sensitive Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
3. Photographic Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
4. Still Cameras and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
5. Basic Photographic Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
6. Photographic Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
7. Portraiture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
8. Copying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
9. Chemical Mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
10. Image Processing and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
11. Black-and-White Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
12. Color Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
13. Motion Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1
14. Job Control and Photographic Finishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
...
It is not written in a roundabout way as many books are. It's clear and to the point.
I think it might help all of us to read at least some of it.
At least it should benefit anyone who is new to photography.
joe1955
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-25-2007, 12:38 PM
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If there is no one in your area that will do slide processing, you can do it yourself. It is not as difficult as it looks, and you do not need a dark room to do it. You can do it in your kitchen or bathroom.
You can find the actual process on the net.
You will need a light safe film changing bag, a film developing can, the developing chemicals, a thermometer, storage bottles for the chemicals and measuring cups to measure the volume of the chemicals, a can opener, a small pair of scissors, a clock/timer and a box of slide frames.
Note: check the volume needed for the developing can by placing the film reels in the can then fill the can with water until the reels are covered. Measure the amount of water that it takes to cover each real and compare this with the recommended volume. Make sure you have enough developing solution to cover the film. If You do not get enough you will not develop the entire frame, also if you have too much it will not give enough room to agitate.
After you have exposed several rolls of film and are ready to develop it, mix up your chemicals according to directions. Place them in a warm water bath and bring them up to the proper temperature. Some of these chemicals do not store very well so do not mix them up until you are ready to use them.
Place the film, developing can, can opener and scissors in the changing bag and seal it up. Place both your hands in the changing bag and open the film can with the can opener, cut off the leader portion of the film and place it on the real. When you get to the end of the film cut it off at the tape if you leave a little tape on the film it will not hurt, just don't cut through the exposed film, Also make sure you do not cut into the changing bag, this will allow light to enter the bag and will destroy your film. Make sure you put film on the real correctly note 2 layers of film should touch each other. Place it in the developing can and seal it up.
Next poor the measured developing solution in the developing can. Tap it on the counter to dislodge any air bubbles, And agitate for the proper amount of time. Poor the chemical back into the container. From here simply follow the directions for rinsing, reversing bath , color Developer, conditioner, bLeach, fixer, stabilizer.
Remove the film from the developing real and hang it out to dry. You can use a pair of rubber gloves to squeegee the water droplets off the film, be careful not to scratch the film.
Once the film is dry, carefully cut the individual frames apart and place them in the slide frames.
You're done.
Although it does take a little time to do this, it is not difficult. Once you start developing you need to finish don't stop until you have done the final step.
I hope this helps.
Joe1955
Update; for a more detailed explanation, you might want to check out this link.
Doing your own E6 processing at home
I have not read it completely, but it seems to have very good information on E6 developing.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-08-2007, 12:44 PM
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A perceive parallax error may be caused by the mirror not returning to the 45° angle. If this happens the image as viewed in the viewfinder will be either higher or lower than the image viewed on the print. If the image is shifted right or left the bearing on the pivot point may be a problem. One side might be loose and not returning to a square position in relationship to the film.
Either way it is something that a professional technician should investigate
joe1955
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
11-07-2007, 11:41 PM
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It has been a long time since I did any developing and printing, but maybe I can get you started.
If I remember correctly the Bogen 22A Special is a black-and-white enlarger. Any standard enlarger lens should work fine although I would stay with a name brand that you recognize. Since you do not have to worry about movement you do not need a fast lens. These are available on eBay.
You should not use a black-and-white enlarger head, for color.
Simply adding filters to a black-and-white enlarger is not sufficient to make color prints.
The light temperature is not high enough to give proper color rendition. You can however use a color enlarger for black-and-white prints. The color enlarger also has three built-in filters that allows you to correct the color of the print.
There are several other items that you will need.
A timer preferably a digital but a standard clock timer will do.
A focusing unit, this allows you to see the grain of the negative at the point of focus. When the grain is in sharp focus your print will be in focus.
A set of developing trays, preferably plastic.
For black-and-white a safe light, so you can see what you're doing.
And above all a dark room large enough that you can work in, preferably with a stainless steel sink. Stand in the room that you intend to work in for several minutes in the dark. Make sure there is no light coming into the room. Seal up any light leaks. It must be absolutely dark.
I also suggest you get a copy of the Kodak Darkroom Dataguide,
There is one for color, and one for black-and-white.
There is also several good books on the subject.
I hope this helps.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-02-2007, 03:08 PM
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I did not say it would act as an automatic lens, nor did I say it would see the maximum minimum aperture, or even the focal length. A standard K mount does not use any of that information. It simply grounds out the contacts.
If the pain is left on the lens, the camera assumes no lens is connected, and steps down the metering.
If the paint is removed, the camera assumes the lens is attached. But since all contacts are grounded the camera assumes it is a standard "non-automatic" k mount lens. Nothing more was insinuated.
I have tried this with both a screw mount and a T-mount lens they both function normally as a standard K mount lens, and must be treated as such.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-02-2007, 12:58 PM
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There is two things that you need to check.
The first is kind of a moot point since you said everything was working perfectly now, but if it happens again, remove the lens and see if it's still exhibits the same problem. If it does the problem is probably in your camera.
If it does not check the lens mount, specifically in the areas that is around the electrical contacts. If there are any scratches in this area, one or more of the contact will be making connections, and the camera will think that you have a different type of lens other than a screw mount.
Note: This only applies to screw mount lenses that are large enough to cover these contacts.
This will also apply to T-mount lenses.
Note: if you remove ( all ) of the paint from the areas around these contacts the camera will see it as a standard K mount lens and it will eliminate the need to press the AE-L button before you shoot. Otherwise the exposure will be approximately 2 stops darker.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-29-2007, 01:35 PM
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If you read the note at the bottom of the page you will see, " It will not have any effect on any of the Pentax digital cameras ".
Apparently the digital camera does not use the five electrical contacts to establish maximum and minimum aperture, instead it uses a serial data contacts to communicate with the lens.
If you're not seeing the correct aperture values, check your camera and make sure it is set up to use one third stop.
I am not sure but This may make a difference.
If this does not help, and it is still under warranty contact the vendor and get it repaired.
It's better to have it working right, than to try to live with it.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-29-2007, 09:42 AM
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If it is a rare mount tele-converter for the Sony DSLR cameras, Sony is now using a Minolta mount, and it will not fit a Pentax.
If it is a front mount tele-converter, see previous thread, "Is this a teleconverter or a tele-photo lens?".
joe1955
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-29-2007, 09:32 AM
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Physics tell us that anything at rest tends to stay at rest, anything in motion tends to stay in motion.
In order to start something moving we must apply a force to the object equal to the speed that we wish to achieve, in order to stop the object we need to place an equal but opposite force to the object.
The shaft going through a normal tele-converter is very light and easy to move. The lenses that I have seen on eBay would have a very large mass in some cases several thousand times that of a small shaft.
In this case there would be a rotational force suddenly applied to this mass, and then an equal force suddenly applied to stop it. Over rotation would probably be a problem forcing the lens to change directions to compensate adding more of a load to the motor. This would at least shorten the life of the batteries, the worst thing that could happen is it could damage the camera.
The only rear mounted tele-converter that I know of that moves any lenses within the tele-converter, is the Pentax teleconverters that would convert a manual focus lens to autofocus, "these lenses are no longer available from Pentax, although I have seen them on eBay, they go for about $350 each.
I would rather spend my money on a good autofocus lens.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-28-2007, 09:43 PM
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I was wondering if these teleconverters were any good. I keep seeing them on eBay both as a stand-alone auction and combined with many digital cameras. What always bothered me about these lenses is it added mass at the end of the lens which could interfere with focusing and put an extra load on the focusing motor. I definitely do not want to burn up my camera focusing motor with these converters.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-28-2007, 09:36 PM
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In astronomy, true infinity is a measurement of an infinite distance that cannot be expressed easily in any other way. Light emitted from these distant objects is said to be traveling parallel to each other. When we focus a telescope to view distant objects in space we first focus on the moon. If we focus on any object on earth, even an object that is 10 miles away, it will not be a truly infinite focus, and the images that we get would be out of focus. By focusing on the moon we can get a reasonable infinite focus.
Before you condemn your lens or camera I suggest you check your focus on the moon. I think you might find that your lens will be closer to infinite focus.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-13-2007, 08:52 PM
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Something you might want to try.
1. Set your camera to center point focus, see page 128.
2. The OK button can be set in one of four different ways that might help you, see page 126, 129. You can use the OK button to energize the autofocus on a specific point of the subject. When you press the shutter release button the focus will not change. You can also set the OK button to lock the focus, in this mode the shutter release button acts normally. When the OK button is pressed and held the autofocus is turned off. When you release the button autofocus will act as normal.
Either one of these two modes might help you. It will allow you to focus on a central point, and then reframe and take your shot.
Otherwise the camera will continuously focus on what ever it can lockon to.
I also recommend that you use center point metering page 136.
This will help you get the best exposure regardless of the background.
I hope this helps.
joe1955
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-06-2007, 01:32 PM
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Another tip for keeping your lenses/camera sensor clean.
When going from a cold area to a hot area, lenses may condense moisture. This may leave condensation on the lenses/sensor.
For instance if you have an opportunity to go through a cave and take pictures, you might find when you leave, moisture will collect on your lenses and glasses. If left their it can collect dust and lead small dirty spots on the glass outside and inside the lens..
Moisture spots that develop inside the lenses are very difficult to clean, and should only be cleaned by someone who specializes in cleaning the inside of lenses, preferably the factory who made it.
To help combat this, I recommend keeping several Ziploc bags in your camera case. Put your lenses and anything electronic in Ziploc bags, before going from cold areas to warm areas . This will prevent moisture from condensing on the glass or sensor. Also when going into a cave only remove what you're going to use, leave the rest in the plastic bags. Before you leave the cave put your camera in a large plastic bag preferably with some silicon gel packs. As a rule Caves are very humid.
Also, When I'm out taking pictures, I use a hurricane blower.
When I am at home I like a little bit more control and volume, so I can really get into the nooks and crannies. I took and bought a garden sprayer ( do not use one that has ever been used, it must be clean and dry inside ) and a cheap airbrush paint gun. I remove the standards spray wand and connected the air brushed hose to it.
Now with just a few pumps, I have a steady stream of clean air for several seconds. This allows me to be more precise of where I'm going to blow, and in what direction.
I also recommend a good air filtration system in the room where you work.
PS " Never used canned air inside your camera, " this could damage your mirror or sensor.
And I cannot recommend using a Q-tip to clean a sensor, they are not lent free. You may get the speck of dust or hair off the sensor but you may leave a piece of the Q-tip behind.
Only use swabs that are designed for camera sensors. If you can find one specifically made for that camera sensor use it.
joe1955
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Forum: Photographic Technique
10-03-2007, 11:28 AM
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I understand that.
I guess that I did not make myself clear.
TOKINA, HOYA, and PENTAX has always shared a close-knit business relationship with each other.
From what I understand HOYA has always provided glass for TOKINA.
TOKINA has had a long term business arrangement with Pentax. As a result of that, they do not produce the pro line of lenses to Fit Pentax.
HOYA now owns Pentax, which places them in a new position, as camera and camera lens manufacturer.
I doubt they would purchase Pentax just to get rid of competition.
I am sure that they feel Pentax will be an asset to their company, and will work at making sure it will survive.
The question was what will this do to the PENTAX TOKINA agreement.
If Pentax no longer produces high in lenses, can TOKINA start making Pentax Pro series lenses.
And would there be enough of a market for them to do this.
Note Samsung also has a close business arrangement with Pentax sharing the same camera design.
However several threads has referred to Sony as using the Pentax K mount. From what I understand Sony does not use the Pentax K mount, although I believe Sony did use it for a short time many years ago.
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Forum: Photographic Technique
10-02-2007, 09:21 PM
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I'm a newbie here , and this is my first post.
I have been reading several threads over the past week and I have come to the conclusion that some of you think Pentax may not produce high quality camera or lenses anymore, or at least not be competitive enough to stay in business, since they merged with Hoya.
Some people seem to be so concerned that they are considering leaving Pentax for some other camera.
I ran across this site and I think it might give some of these people some hope.
THK Photo Products, Inc.
Go to the corporate information link.
Knowing this I don't think they're going to have any problems producing high quality lenses for while.
What do you think.
Joe1955
PS I have been with Pentax for about 30 year's, starting with a spotmatic with a SMC Takumar 1;2/55.
I have now gone digital with a K100D although I haven't used it much yet, it seems to be a great camera. I too was concerned when they came out with the MZ? series, but the K100D is such a big improvement, I am now no longer worried.
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