Forum: Pentax Q
05-11-2012, 02:21 AM
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Thanx for the link - very informative article from an unexpected perspective (a pro using small sensor cams for work).
The key elements of the article that stood out for me were the (i) importance of using base ISO whenever possible (no problem when there's lots of light), (ii) composing carefully to avoid too much cropping, (iii) the unobtrusive nature of small sensor cams.
I've done some A3 prints from the Q & been disappointed - understandable because I was trying to take a distant landscape & sky using ISO 500 after sunset with a very low shutter speed! Noise & lack of detail in shadows was very evident.
Currently I'm on a trip to Vietnam using Q (3 lenses) + K5 (2 lenses). Which one is getting the lion's share of pics? Yes - it's the Q, simply because of the convenience aspect, the light weight & low bulk. However, when we get to the really picturesque parts of the trip, I'm expecting the K5 will be doing most of the work, due to better color depth, availability of long tele (55-300) for cropping & much better prospects for larger prints.
Was only going to take Q on the trip originally, but decided the K5 weight/bulk penalty would be worth it to capture more detail when appropriate.
Thanks again for link - very thought-provoking!
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Forum: Pentax Q
04-08-2012, 05:30 AM
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dmort: - I bought Q kit of 01prime bundled with 02zoom early in the year in Oz for $819, because the zoom was being offered at a significant discount in the kit compared to buying it later standalone. The Q is a gr8 little camera - it's light weight, takes up very little space, & the IQ is fine for print sizes you're interested in; these attributes are also perfect for travelling.
I originally intended using the Q as an adjunct to my K5 (particularly in situations where K5 + lenses would be too heavy/cumbersome). However, like others, I'm finding the Q gets used more frequently now than the K5, but it also depends on your subject matter & whether high IQ takes precedence over convenience.
I've found the 02zoom very handy for extending versatility at the wide end, & although its tele is only moderate (~83mm equiv in 35mm terms), it's still useful (though I wish Pentax would hurry up & release a longer zoom!).
I also have the FE, which is a lot fun to use with suitable subjects, but very difficult to focus in bright conditions (no AF). Of course composing pics in bright conditions is always going to be a challenge with any MILC without OVF, & the Q is no exception (but other posts detail some nifty cheap ways to rig up OVF for Q).
My advice would be to not worry too much about the $$ - this aspect soon fades into irrelevance within a short time if the product quality is there (which it most definitely is with the Q). Many years ago I decided to make a very indulgent purchase of a Mamiya 7 (6x7 rangefinder film camera) + 3 lenses at absolutely insane prices, but the lenses are flawless & amongst the best ever made for any camera system. Although my M7 system now seems like an expensive folly, luckily one of the lenses came with an OVF, which I've modifed for the Q to cover 01prime, 02zoom wide & 02zoom tele FOV frames.
Get into the Q - it's very seductive & you'll get a heap of enjoyment from it IMO. :D
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Forum: Pentax Q
03-21-2012, 01:29 AM
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Just spotted your post northislander (haven't checked forum for a while!).
I had the exact same problem with my Q recently (Feb 2012 - still under warranty). I took it to Oz distributor (CR Kennedy), who ended up swapping it for a brand new one (which works fine).
CRK did some initial checking on my old one, & when they contacted the manufacturer, they said Pentax Japan had not heard of this problem before.
Looks like we were both a bit unlucky! I tried everything to get the function to work on my original unit, but nothing would fix it - CRK suggested it was probably a software glitch of some sort (probably a plausible guess!).
If you're don't have warranty, your other option for timelapse is to use interval shooting & post-process on computer to bind the images into a movie - haven't tried it myself yet, but there are apparently advantages in being able to make a much longer timelapse than available thru the default 'interval movie' option on Q.
Good Luck with fixing your problem!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-11-2012, 04:03 PM
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Good question! Today it seems to be a large city in SE corner of Australia, but you already know that!
It's been there for 177yrs already, so I expect it'll be in the same location for a while yet.
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Forum: Pentax Q
01-10-2012, 04:56 PM
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Well done - great price for a (potentially) great camera! I'm looking forward to getting the fisheye for some fun photos shortly (hopefully).
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Forum: Pentax Q
01-09-2012, 12:51 AM
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The Q is a nifty piece of innovative miniaturisation, & the small sensor size that folks complain about is not a big deal IMHO.
I've printed up A3's from a Ricoh R10 (same 1/2.3" sensor size as Q but using much older CCD technology) that were scored highly in a photo comp, so Q, being very versatile/portable & newer technology should improve matters considerably.
Also if you are simply posting pics to the web, the Q will be more than adequate IMO.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-09-2012, 12:28 AM
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Thanks to all for welcome messages - will post some photos soon.
Great to know there's a thriving membership already in Melb! :)
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Forum: Pentax Q
01-08-2012, 02:38 AM
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Q is $639AUD in Melbourne (Oz); twin lens kit (01 Prime+Zoom) is $819.
It seemed a reasonable deal to me because they bundled a 16Gb SD card with the kit, & of course full warranty from the Oz wholesaler is also included. :)
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-08-2012, 02:00 AM
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I've finally joined the Pentax Forums site - I've been reading posts for a while & gleaned heaps of useful info, so now I can contribute as well! :D
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