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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-13-2014, 04:11 AM
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For what it's worth, I've purchased numerous lenses manufactured by Panasonic, Olympus, Tamron, Sigma, Fuji and Pentax within the past five years. The bare minimum expectation I have from a digital lens is that it can auto-focus correctly outdoors in decent natural light. Of those manufacturers mentioned, the only one producing a lens that failed to meet my personal standards has been Pentax. Not a single copy by any of the other manufacturers has disappointed in terms of focusing. Pentax has done so on no less than three occasions and I'd never buy from them again. It has nothing to do with back focus or front focus, this is the whole frame being out of focus at medium apertures in broad daylight. And yes, my green focus confirmation light came on every time.
So please don't patronise people who report these issues. Most of us know perfectly well how to operate a camera and realise when something is seriously wrong. I may have been extremely unlucky, but I've given Pentax a fair chance and they've let me down too often to deserve the benefit of the doubt, or for that matter my money, any longer.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-15-2013, 01:04 AM
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I've just got rid of my copy of the same lens, having never been impressed with its somewhat mushy results in the corners. In the sections of the frame you highlighted here however, I had been reasonably satisfied. F5.6 would not have been the problem, because that's pretty much the optimum aperture setting for the lens. Distortion is far greater between 10 and 12mm and that's more likely to be the root cause of an apparent lack of sharpness. I agree with you though that there should in any case be a more even performance and would suggest you compile some more evidence and return the lens for repair.
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
01-14-2013, 02:32 AM
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I bought the K-5 almost exactly a year ago and was as disappointed as you obviously are with the performance of the kit lens. Post processing won't give you what you want, because it's practically impossible to get genuine sharpness from the lens, weather sealed or not, unless it's just the very centre of the frame you're looking at. Don't blame the camera and perhaps get the 35mm f2.4, at the earliest opportunity. At full resolution you'll get a far better indication of what the camera sensor is capable of achieving from something like that.
In my opinion, the 18-55mm is just about usable on a 16 megapixels camera at 24mm or thereabouts, but otherwise don't bother at all, or else view your pictures at half size. Anything more than that is torture.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
12-21-2012, 03:17 AM
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I don't possess LR4, but LR3 simply requires a develop preset to be saved with lens correction enabled. You would then apply the preset at the import stage to a given selection of image files. I think it's a very good idea and you might consider combining the lens correction adjustment with one for your preferred sharpening levels on a lens by lens basis. It makes importing a slower process but otherwise I can't see why you wouldn't do it at the outset, to save messing around afterwards.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-12-2012, 01:35 AM
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Thanks for clarifying this. All I can usefully reiterate is that the stabilisation doesn't work at all with my own Sigma 10-20mm f3.5. Neither Pentax nor Sigma have made any promises to the contrary, but clearly the original poster has had his expectations raised somewhere along the line.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-11-2012, 11:15 PM
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Read page 141 of the K-5 user manual or refer to the Pentax publicity material linked. I'm not wrong and wouldn't want to mislead anyone, least of all someone who might be buying something. K-5 - Digital SLR - PENTAX Photo |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-11-2012, 09:46 PM
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The stabilisation of the K-5 body only works with Pentax lenses, unfortunately. My K-5 doesn't fully recognise the Sigma, although EXIF correctly records its focal length. You may need to push up the ISO on occasions, although in reality you'll probably find that f5.6 or f7.1 will mostly do the trick. I've just had a few days on Jersey and the only coastal scenes that I felt were any good were shot at 1/200 or faster.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-11-2012, 09:18 AM
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At apertures of between f8 and f11, the biggest risk to apparent sharpness you run will be your shutter speed. I own the f3.5 version and it's sometimes harder than you might expect to keep still enough on the K-5. Personally I find the visible edge distortion on the cheaper version quite hideous at times and that is a factor you might also care to bear in mind. As others have commented, focus accuracy should not really represent a problem at these focal lengths. To be honest though, I think if sharpness is your main concern you ought to save some money with the older model of the lens.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
06-04-2012, 01:46 AM
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I'm running both systems and currently own MFT cameras by both Panasonic and Olympus. I got frustrated with MFT though and in particular by the number of my landscape pictures that got ruined by the inherent lack of dynamic range in the sensors. The early cameras were the ones I purchased - the G1, GF1 and E-P1 respectively. To a degree, there have been improvements made, but probably the latest Olympus model is the only one that represents a significant step forward. That has unfortunately come along too late in the day for me and is too expensive anyway at the moment.
For the kind of photography you do, MFT would serve your purposes very well. The Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens is ideal for street photography, although some of the flaws in the lens are adjusted better by a Panasonic camera than an Olympus. Against that, Olympus cameras have built in stabilisation. You would have to contend with significant vignetting in either case, but that can easily be corrected afterwards. The 14mm f2.5 is a waste of money in my opinion. Image quality is better using the original Panasonic 14-45mm kit lens, which incidentally is a vast improvement on the Pentax equivalent.
It's easy to get hold of cheap 50mm legacy lenses that can be used for portrait purposes on either system. Manual focus fine tuning adjustments are somewhat more accurate with a zoomed-in electronic viewfinder - if you use the LCD, you may find yourself moving the camera slightly by accident by the time you press the shutter. Note that Pentax bodies will also give you stabilisation on all of its own brand of film lenses, which are superb and affordable.
Bear in mind that practically everyone using a range-finder styled camera regrets the lack of a viewfinder sooner or later. As I say, I bought both a GF1 and a E-P1 but used my G1 ten times more often than both of them put together.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-19-2012, 10:46 PM
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Also quite new to Pentax, I've bought three of the M-series in the past month or so and they're all very good or better. This is probably the finest of them all though and apart from the image quality, I find it reassuring that the build is so excellent, because it makes me feel as though I'm in this for the long-term.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
05-06-2012, 02:49 AM
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I can't compete with any of the latter posts, or many of the earlier uploaded images either. But I have been mostly satisfied with a handful of results obtained from my recently purchased SMC Pentax-M 28mm f2.8 lens, used on a Pentax K-5, which I'm also only slowly becoming accustomed to. To be honest, I was extremely disappointed with the performance of the kit lens and its limitations have been cruelly exposed by the sensor and resolution offered by the camera. This was the main motive for buying an old M-series lens. The manual focus doesn't bother me at all, because my pictures are invariably better when I take my time over them.
With the lens in question, it does not deliver particularly sharp raw images straight from the camera and there is not a great deal to be said for the unprocessed contrast either. Therefore I've been setting the sharpening in Lightroom at around 60 and applying an 'S' curve. The following pictures are all of brick buildings and so a touch more clarity helped as well. The weather in my part of the world has been dismal and mostly wet for several weeks and so I haven't travelled very much at all. Hopefully things will brighten up fairly soon and my images improve as a result.
By michaelshea at 2012-05-06
By michaelshea at 2012-05-06
By michaelshea at 2012-05-06
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-02-2012, 01:35 AM
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I've only just purchased the lens and have been pleased with its vibrant colour and interesting contrast thus far. It also feels well balanced on my nearly new K-5 camera. I find that the sharpest results can be achieved somewhere around f5.6, which is what the review sites had all told me beforehand. Having 'joined' Pentax from micro four thirds a short time ago, the biggest problem I've faced has been adjusting to the reduced amount of depth of field available with a larger sensor. It becomes more crucial to choose my aperture and focal point carefully. I also feel that the default 25 sharpening setting in Lightroom and Camera Raw is rarely enough if reasonable detail in the distance is to be achieved. Anyway, thank you to all previous contributors to this thread for sharing your photos and experiences, which have been invaluable.
The following image features the Millennium Bridge in London, which is situated between St Paul's Cathedral (visible in the distance) and the Tate Modern gallery (to the rear). I always feel sick when I cross it because I'm terrified of heights.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-01-2012, 03:26 AM
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It is possible to develop raw images inside the camera and if you were to do so, the lens correction where applicable would still take effect and I assume a TIFF would be created in addition to the raw file. I've never tried it, because I expect it would be rather time consuming and have stuck with Lightroom, which has its own database of lens profiles. If you still want to have a go with the camera instead though, read pages 271-275 of the operating manual.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
04-27-2012, 01:53 AM
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Panasonic have a far better range of quality MFT lenses than Olympus, but they're generally over priced. The biggest weakness of the system is the lack of dynamic range and so you'll get skies that lack detail and highlights that frequently get blown out, even at 100 ISO. I made the move in the exact opposite direction - from MFT to a Pentax K-5 and wish I'd never bothered with MFT in the first place. Olympus equipment produces colours that are far more interesting for most people and the latest camera looks superb. Whether it truly is still remains to be seen.
There is lot to be said for portability, but you may find you outgrow Panasonic and/or Olympus very quickly. Best of luck with whatever you decide though.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-24-2012, 09:46 AM
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It's probably very little consolation to the majority of forum members, but UK-based Pentax customers are about to share some of this ongoing price rise misery. European prices have always been higher than those in the USA, as you probably know, and this pattern will continue for the foreseeable future. To confirm the point, I ordered the last remaining copy in stock of the Pentax 21mm f3.2 Limited lens yesterday afternoon from the largest Pentax retailer in the country. It was listed online as £395 plus postage (around $632). I was reliably informed that replacement stock would retail for £499 (approximately $799) and that prompted my decision to buy. The salesperson wasn't lying to me, because later the same day the revised £499 retail price was being quoted on the retailer's own website.
My advice to Pentax owners in the UK would be to make your move for any wish list lenses very soon, before current stocks run out. And seriously my American friends, how would you feel about paying nearly $800 for a 21mm f3.2 lens, Limited or otherwise? Luckily for you, you won't have to. For the time being, at any rate.
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Forum: Pentax K-01
02-02-2012, 08:07 AM
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I have only just this week purchased a K-5, which is my first ever Pentax product. I do not expect to buy another camera for at least two years and this is no reflection whatsoever on the K-1. It's worth me adding that I already possess no fewer than four mirrorless cameras, manufactured by Panasonic and Olympus respectively. I'm swimming against the tide slightly, because I've moved away from a relatively modern format to a more traditional DSLR style. I'm primarily interested in the quality of my pictures and that will always be the main criteria.
Style is extremely important though, whether we admit it or not. I have no doubt that this is true, although it becomes far less of a factor after someone actually buys a camera. The K-1 is not the most attractive design I've seen. Amongst my own collection, my Olympus E-P1 appears beautifully built, but it contains such a plethora of closely set dials and buttons that it is quite difficult to avoid pressing one of them by accident. In direct comparison, the K-1 is frankly an ugly duckling and yet I can see quite clearly from the official photographs that it would be far simpler to use. Overall, I feel that the functionality almost makes up for the drabness, but not quite.
The most problematic thing about the K-1 seems to be that it's quite large. Not having a mirror gives the opportunity for a far smaller size and weight, and there are huge advantages to this. Given the actual size, it's difficult to understand why Pentax did not find a place for a viewfinder. I assume the added cost would have made it less competitive. Existing DSLR owners love viewfinders, we know that. But LCDs are quite easy to get used to, especially when you've never had anything else. The biggest difficulty is strong sunlight shining on them from behind. In that respect the LCD on my Panasonic Lumix GF1 is practically unusable at times.
The K-1 kit lens looks well suited to the camera, although I'm not convinced the focal length is ideal as a starter. As I say, I won't be buying one but then again, I'd judge the thing more by what it does than how it looks. No doubt the review sites and magazines will keep us informed about that.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-20-2012, 09:34 AM
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Manufacturers who have developed mirrorless systems aren't particularly looking to attract existing DSLR users. The targets were and still are people who had/have become accustomed to the convenience of point & shoot and mobile phone cameras. When you think about it, that is a vast number of people. Pentax will hope that new customers buying into its mirrorless system will eventually purchase one of its higher-end cameras and use some of the lenses they've accumulated in the process. I've got four micro four thirds cameras but feel I've outgrown them. Nonetheless, there are many occasions when I'd rather have a Panasonic or Olympus camera with me than a K-5, superior camera though it undoubtedly is. There is a lot to be said for travelling light.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-20-2012, 08:46 AM
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Wonderful capture - many congratulations.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
01-19-2012, 12:35 AM
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Hello everyone. I ordered a new Pentax K5 yesterday evening and it should be with me within the next few days. For some months I'd be planning on buying into the Nikon system, but since the Thailand floods, supplies have been low and prices far too high. Pentax on the other hand currently appears to represent great value for money in the UK and virtually everything I've read about the K5 has been positive.
I took early retirement from work in 2009 and photography has been my main hobby since then. I have been using micro four thirds equipment, but it has its limitations, particularly with dynamic range in landscapes and noise beyond low ISO settings. Pentax ought to solve these problems and having a new camera will give my photography a new lease of life.
It will make a nice change to be part of a photography forum that largely excludes Canon and Nikon devotees and appears to include genuine enthusiasts. I hope to learn a great deal from you all and expect to participate when I feel I can make a useful contribution. :)
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