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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
10-06-2023, 07:20 PM
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Sounds like you should take her out for lunch and then walk around a pond somewhere together.
Have her take some shots of flowers and whatever grabs her attention. Show her the ropes with your K-5 and if she likes the way it handles... well... Gramps might just be to get himself a new camera! (Oh noo! ;))
If she's not feeling it, that's fine. You've had some quality time together and can figure out what would be a better fit the next time you take her out for lunch.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
10-01-2023, 09:00 PM
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Hi all, just giving this thread a long overdue resolution.
KEH took back the lens without any hassle. They even comped the shipping from Canada to their location in the US. I'll definately do business with these folks again.
As for a DFA 50mm replacement, I've not been able to track down another copy at a similar price. I've been enjoying my FA 50mm f/1.4, in the meantime (but at DFA, it ain't).
Thanks again to all who participated in this thread and for your helpful input.
All the best!
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-04-2021, 09:23 AM
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I just installed a Canon ec-a screen into my Pentax k-1 yesterday. So far I am very happy with the results, especially when coupled with the Pentax magnifying eye cup (Pentax 0-ME53).
The process I used was similar to that of others in this thread. I removed the stock brass shim from my K-1 and cut off the plastic tab on the bottom of the Canon screen.
To calibrate the focusing screen shim distance, I chose to use clear tape. (Scotch ® tape brand). This method allowed me to add several layers of tape to get the perfect shim thickness without too much trouble.
After several iterations of trial and error, I found a winning combination: I laid down four layers of the tape onto a clean wooden cutting board and then, using a steel ruler as a guide, cut thin strips using an exacto knife. I've found that the shim material (tape) only needs to be placed across the top and the bottom of the focusing screen to achieve accurate focus. I found this method to be much less fiddly than trying to make a full four-sided shim.
I then cleaned the screen using an alcohol sensor cleaning swab followed by a gentle wipe with a very soft cotton handkerchief and installed it into the camera and found it to be perfectly clean without any residue, fingerprints, or dust.
Thanks to everyone that has come before on this thread! I hope my contribution will help the next forum members as well.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-11-2019, 01:53 PM
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Low light hand holding is a tough situation to really hit technical perfection in. But, there are a few ways to get better results.
Remember that blur from camera shake increases in magnitude as focal length increases. A 24mm lens can be happily hand held at 1/15th but a 135mm (generally) cannot. While faster apertures may let in more light, the focal length still has a role to play.
On the flip side, you can shoot a 24mm at 1/15th and get a steady shot, but if you're taking a photograph of a person and they blink, or move their head, or wind catches their clothing, or any other movement takes place on their part, you'll not have a uniformly sharp photograph. Here higher shutter-speeds are still important, so faster apertures are a boon.
Finally, as focal length increases and aperture size widens, depth of field conversely decreases (shallow DOF). Trying to nail focus in low light with a slim depth of field while being perfectly still is a tough proposition for any photographer. Lots of people boast about their technique in this area, but the physics don't lie. Your technique is only as good as the stillness of your subject.
Thus, my argument as to what lens you should add to your bag would be to get something that balances out the the three factors of aperture value, shutter speed, and focal length:
A FA 31mm f/1.8. Why? It's focal length is shorter thus better supports longer exposure time with less visible blur, it's aperture is fast to keep shutter-speed high for subjects that aren't inanimate, and it's DOF is slim but not razor thin (unless you make it so, by shortening the distance between you and your subject). On a K-3 it's a normal field of view, and it supports film and digital full frame should you want to expand to these other areas. Also, it's just really really really good, even wide open and is fairly svelte so you'll actually take it out and walk around, unlike my next recommendation, the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 which is twice as heavy and more than twice as large.
If you're stuck on a portrait length lens though:
I'd argue that the FA 50 1/4 and the DA* 55mm 1.4 are pretty similar, but priced quite differently. Both are great at f/2, both are weaker at f/1.4 (unsurprisingly). The FA works great on full frame if you ever go that route, but the 55mm doesn't quite cut the mustard in the corners of the bigger sensor.
All the best.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-17-2022, 01:27 AM
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I've had two copies of the K 135mm f/2.5, one copy of the M 135mm f/3.5, a copy of the FA 135mm f/2.8, and a copy of the A 135mm f/2.8.
I sold all of them less one copy of the K series lenses. I shoot it on my K2's and my K-1 with a swapped microprism focusing screen with great results on both film and digital.
Both of the K lenses I had were tack sharp wide open and showed minimal people fringing whereas the M, A, and FA lenses were noticeably softer and had greater fringing until around f/4. From f/4 and higher, each of the lenses were great performers. I also prefer the bokeh of the K lens.
That being said, the K and M series lenses don't communicate aperture info to your camera body, so if you're using a hotshoe mounted flash, you can kiss P-ttl goodbye.
To be clear, though: none of these lenses are stinkers. Whatever you buy will yield good to excellent results with practise and patience.
Hope this helps!
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
10-20-2019, 12:10 PM
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Do you have a blower bulb like a Giotto's Rocket Blower? Try this:
Tape down one side of the negative sleeve so there is only one opening for the film to come out of.
Insert the nozzle into the opening on the other side and give it a few good blasts to see if you can seperate the plastic sleeve from the film.
If not, pinch the open side of the sleeve around the nozzle to inflate it like a balloon in order to seperate the materials.
I use these same film sleeves and have not encountered your problem. But, I have used my blower bulb once to remove a set of damp negatives when I didn't let a roll dry sufficiently before sleeving them.
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
06-17-2022, 10:56 AM
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That viewfinder picture made me smile!
Can't wait to see the images that come out of this vintage beauty.
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
04-22-2022, 10:55 AM
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Hi, I went through a Kodak Colorplus phase a few years ago, shooting about 25 rolls of the stuff over two years. If you're looking for a classic 70's film look, you're on the right path. Warm brown tones, and saturated reds and blues are the results of shooting it at 100. But pastels, no. If that's what you'd like, grab a roll of Kodak Porta 160 instead.
Kodak Colorplus 200 - Day Three on the Juan de Fuca Trail, British Columbia
Portrait shots are always lovely on Portra 400, too. But, if you're looking for pastel colours and a bright and airy atmosphere, I'd still spring for Portra 160, it's just much more subdued compared to its 400 iso sibling which I have always found to be pleasantly punchy.
Porta 400 @ 400 in evening light
I've shot a fair amount of XX as well. Not my jam. The dynamic range is much poorer than other other black and white film stocks. For portraits, I found that its relatively narrower DR yielded blocked up shadows or blown skin tones in anything other than subdued light. YMMV. If you have total control of your light sources, as is often the case for cinema productions, this respooled cinema film could be a good fit. It's not nearly as flexible as Kodak's more consumer oriented b&w stocks, though.
In its place, try a roll of Fomapan 100 classic. It's cheaper for a single roll, has a very wide midtone range (ie: skin tone range), and is a classic film stock that still uses traditional grain structures, unlike more modern T-grain films. Plus, if you want a higher contrast image, you can add contrast when you print your photo. (Less so vice-versa).
Chip on Fomapan 100 @ ISO 80. Developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 9mins. One inversion per minute
But, a great photo has more to do with you as a photographer than the equipment you buy. Most of all, have fun on your shoot and your shots will reflect it! Good luck!
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
04-07-2022, 05:35 PM
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Twists!
Easier to use with gloves in our Canadian weather (with less less opportunity to pinch frozen fingertips too).
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
09-10-2021, 02:41 PM
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I know from personal experience that they hurt like hell when accidentally discharged. I'm still very much alive though.
Around 2012, I had taken apart an old Vivitar 285HV to find out what was wrong with the thing and dropped the thumb sized capacitor in the process. Out of reflex, I grabbed the capacitor midair and got a burn on my palm between the contacts of the capacitor and my head snapped back for my foolishness. If I recall correctly, it was ~300V.
The experience can be likened to stubbing your pinky toe on a coffee table while having someone sneak goalie salts under your nose at the same time.
2/10. Would not recommend trying it for yourself.
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
11-09-2021, 01:33 PM
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After using a variety of developers and b&w films I've settled on Rodinal developer, ecopro stop, and ecopro fix. In lieu of wetting agent, I use a few drops from a 'Dawn' brand dish detergent bottle I've diluted to ~1/50th strength. So far I've developed 5 100ft rolls of film (~150 canisters of 24 exposures) with these chemicals and had excellent results over the past 6 years. Especially with Fomapan 100 film.
Here's my 2¢ worth regarding your chemical kit:
You've selected some great equipment, but I feel that you might be overdoing it if you're uncertain that you'll be sticking to developing film for the long haul. There's a cheaper way to get the same results. My suggestion would be the following minimal kit that could be picked up on the cheap:
-2 amber glass liquor bottles (of different shape) to store fix and stop.
-1 roll of duct tape to record the number of uses of each chemical in aforementioned bottles.(In my experience, stop bath and fixer to fill a 750ml (26 fl.oz) bottle will last for 12 rolls before being chemically depleted.)
-1 permanent marker to write upon the tape with.
-1 funnel that will fit into the liquor bottles to pour chemical back into them with.
-1 10mm blunt needle syringe to precisely measure Rodinal out of the bottle with.
-1 500mm measuring cup
-1 waterproof thermometer (such as a meat thermometer)
-bulldog clips and a coat hanger to hang film to dry with.
-a church key type bottle opener to open rolls of film.
-a plastic tub to store your gear in without a risk of leaks ruining your floors. (Ask me how I know this ☺️)
-1 pair of rubber dish washing gloves
All of the above can be found in a dollar store / 1£ shop for cheap. Total cost ~£10.
You will also need some more specialized equipment from a supplier:
-a film changing bag (I like Paterson brand)
- a two reel daylight development tank. (Again, I prefer Paterson)
And that's about it.
Good luck! You're in for a fun new addition to the photo hobby!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
10-31-2021, 12:59 PM
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Welcome back! We'd love to see what you come up with.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-29-2021, 10:58 AM
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I'm usually member of the anti filter gang.
Though, I'll admit that protection filters have a place if you're planning on hiking across difficult terrain or are planning on spending some time in a sandy/dusty environment.
If a protection filter helps you feel confident getting your gear out of your bag and into your hands, I say go for it.
Just remember that not all filters are made equally. Lower quality filters may reduce the image quality of your lenses. I've noticed this to be particularly true with lenses sporting long focal lengths (like the da* 300mm). So, if you're going to buy a filter, buy a quality one. Some of my favorite brands of quality filters include Kenko, B&W, and Hoya.
Be sure to buy your filters from a reputable source. Ideally, your local camera shop. There is a scourge of counterfeit filters online (at least that was my experience a few years ago).
Good luck!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-26-2021, 08:35 PM
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I hear this lens can be a dream if you get a good copy. In my personal experience, however, I found it to be wanting. While the optic itself was awesome, I couldn't get it to focus accurately on my K-5 (which was the camera I was using it with at the time). One minute it would front focus and the next it would back focus, even on a tripod. Perhaps this was more a reflection of the AF abilities of the K-5 than the lens. Who knows? I sold it for what I paid for it.
I'm also fairly leery about older Sigma lenses that sport HSM focusing at this point. I recently went through the rigmarole I'm trying to get my Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM II serviced so that it would work on my K-1. After 6 months of trying and two attempted firmware / motherboard updates from my country's Sigma authorized repair centre, I'm left with a paperweight for anything newer than a K-5ii body. It freezes up my K-1 as soon as it's mounted. I need to detach the lens and pull the battery out of the camera to even get the camera to turn off. 😭
As it turns out, not all Sigma lenses are as updateable as I was lead to believe when I bought the dang thing. While Sigma still puts forward that they offer free updates for legacy lenses, I'm hesitant to believe that Pentax will remain a brand that they will concern themselves with, at this point. I got burned, YMMV.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-24-2021, 12:47 PM
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I'd also recommend the 77mm or the new 85mm. I've been really pleased with my FA 77mm. I especially enjoy its size and weight.
However, the wide open performance of the 77mm against high contrast areas (such as you'll find during concert photography) will be outstripped by the newer optics of the DFA 85mm in terms of CA.
Similarly, the DFA 85mm is sharper wide open at middling distances and offers (in my opinion) more pleasing rendering of specular highlights such as OOF stage lights in the corners of the frame. Here, the 77mm becomes more swirly and slightly more hard edged.
I would imagine that the new 85mm would likely improve low light autofocus performance, but I don't have any evidence to back up that claim as I do not own that lens personally.
In regards to AF noise, the 77mm is fairly quiet on a K-1. The slap of the shutter is much noisier.
In the end, each of the lenses you've mentioned are great choices for concert photography.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
09-16-2021, 10:15 AM
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On page R44 in the appendix section of the 645z manual, it clearly states that flash and mirror lock up work fine together.
As I am not familiar with the 645z personally, I can only guess at the nature of the problem.
Do you have your camera set up such that it will be using live view electronic shutter mode while in mirror lockup mode? If so, disable that function.
I had a similar issue not too long ago with my K-1. What I learned from my experience was that the flash will not fire in electronic shutter mode during live view; it will only work in mechanical shutter mode. I adjusted the setting in my camera to drop the first shutter back down while in live view when the shutter release button is pressed before a photo is taken. (This setting, on a K-1 is found by going into menu 2, 'LV electronic shutter').
However, this process will defeat the intended purpose of using mirror lockup in the first place, as it will add a delay to taking your photo as the front shutter is dropped and then raised again. (Unless you are not using live view when you press the shutter release).
Before diving through the menus, you can test this out yourself by putting your camera into mirror lockup mode with live view off and then taking a photo with flash and seeing if it works.
Good luck
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Forum: General Photography
07-11-2021, 10:51 AM
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I'm with aaacb; the more time I spend behind the camera, the less I'm spending on researching new gear. At least, that's how I've been staying on top of G.A.S.
Go out and shoot!
If current circumstances are stopping you from going out and making images, plan for an image you want to capture, rather than your next acquisition. Developing a vision for your photography will do more for your ability to make great photos than owning more equipment ever will.
Photography as a hobby can be whatever you make of it. There's nothing wrong with devoting your time to being a collector, if that's what you want to be! But, to gamble that new gear will inevitably lead to better photos is a suckers bet. The only reliable way to improving your skills is by practising your craft.
Best of luck fending off G.A.S!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-14-2021, 10:56 PM
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I've owned the da 50mm 1.8, the F 50mm 1.7, and the FA 50mm 1.4. I've also tried out a Da* 55mm 1.4 at my local camera store.
On Aps-c, the Da 50mm 1.8 is my favorite. It's light, well made, sharp wide open, has low ca, and pleasant bokeh. On full frame, I found the extreme edges to get very mushy and fairly dark unless stopped down until around 2.8 or so. Similarly, unless stopped down to around 2.8, the vignetting can be more prominent on one side or the other, if shake reduction is active. This makes fixing vignetting in post slightly more tedious.
On full frame, my favorite is the FA 50mm 1.4. In my experience it's not as sharp wide open and suffers from worse CA, but given the larger sensor size of FF, the CA is not as noticeable as it is when this lens is mounted to an Aps-c body. (Either way, CA is corrected easily in body or on your preferred editing programme). I generally treat this lens as a f/2 lens, rarely opening it up all the way. It performs beautifully at that aperture.
As for the F 50mm 1.7, I never fell in love. It's very sharp, but I find the bokeh to be the harshest of the three mentioned. The CA is also the poorest, at least in my samples.
The Da* seems to perform a lot like the FA 50 1.4, though l have admittedly had limited experience. The copy I was looking at had rather sleepy AF response, needing a few taps on the AF button to make it start focusing. I suspect the SDM motor was on the fritz.
That's been my experience in a nut shell, I hope it's been helpful to you.
In the end, each of the 50's are more than capable of capturing stunning images when placed in the right hands.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-21-2021, 10:26 PM
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Ahhh, my eyes! The kitsch, it's too much for mere mortals!
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
01-09-2021, 09:54 PM
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This probably isn't what you're looking for per say, but if you're willing to bulk load, freestyle photo sells Artisan Edu 100, 200, and 400 in a 100 foot roll ~$52 USD. That's 30 rolls of 24 exposures ($1.73 a roll) or 20 rolls of 36 exposures ($2.60 a roll). Arista Edu is just rebranded Fomapan.
I've been bulk loading Arista Edu films for the last five years. By far, their 100 speed film is my favorite, especially when developed in Rodinal. I've been loading film into empty cassettes that my local camera shop would otherwise recycle. This makes them easy to give away to friends without having to hassle them to give back your reloadable cassettes when they're done.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
12-28-2020, 10:01 PM
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This could be many things.
Lets begin with the most simple solutions and work toward more complex ones:
1) Check your exposure compensation. Is this setting +? If so, change it so that it is no longer + or -.
To change exposure compensation, simply press the (+/-) button on the top of the camera near to the shutter release button. Then, roll the thumb wheel left or right until the reading is neither positive nor negative.
2) The K-70 has several metering modes for measuring the light in a photograph. Adjust your metering mode to 'Matrix' Metering.
If you are unsure how to do so, watch the following video.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ApnZCF-NfFU?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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3) Inspect the blades of your telephoto lens for oil.
If oil is present, the lens' aperture will not close down very well due to increased friction. This results in overexposed photographs.
To check for oil, simply remove the lens from the camera, set the aperture ring to the A position (or ~f/22) and close the bayonet on the back of you lens with your finger. Look at the aperture blades through the front of the lens and then the back of the lens. If oil is present, you can get your lens repaired at VanCam in Vancouver BC for ~$100 Canadian. They do good work.
UncleVanya and AstroDave give good advice! Try their suggestions too.
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Forum: General Photography
12-27-2020, 12:21 AM
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All my camera gear is kept in the credenza, which is wooden except for it's sliding glass front. To keep things nice and dry, I've dumped a 2kg bag of indicating 100% silica crystal kitty litter into two plastic totes. I think this cost ~$20 CAD. So far, this solution has worked great.
Once the blue crystals turn white (~once a year), I pour them into a baking tray and then pop it into the oven for an hour or so until the moisture is driven out and the crystals are blue again.
My original thought was to buy myself a camera drying cabinet, but given the price they fetch and the power they draw (and the fact that they're rather ugly to look at) I decided against it.
Since humidity where I live is generally high, and air conditioners aren't all that common, the DIY route seemed the best solution. That's been my experience here in British Columbia, living on the outskirts of worlds largest deciduous rainforest. Your mileage may vary.
In the end, I think with enough desiccant, you'll be fine with whatever route you go.
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Forum: General Photography
12-03-2020, 09:13 PM
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Yep, DOF is a product of three factors: Distance to subject, focal length, and aperture value. That's it!
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Forum: Pentax K-r
11-11-2020, 10:26 AM
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I had a K-x with the same issue years ago. My suggestion is the same as "not a number's". Pop in a fresh set of batteries and leave the camera turned off overnight. In the morning, turn the camera back on and you should be golden.
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