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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 03-02-2018, 09:11 AM  
Good: New roadmap, new lens
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 407
Views: 40,099
But isnt the stated weight significantly different?
Tokina has some history with Pentax, but I don't see why now. The product photos don't tell the whole story, they are just prototype mockups.

And its funny people say Pentax couldn't compete against Tamron and Sigma primes, when just a couple years ago both of those were considered the "inferior third party" products. Yes, they got better. But Pentax didn't stay stuck in 1990s, either.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 03-02-2018, 09:07 AM  
Maths Question: what is 5 x 85 + 77?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 17
Views: 1,707
Nice kit. Are the FA 85mm and FA 77mm the best ones by far, or are there any surprises?
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 03-02-2018, 06:43 AM  
Good: New roadmap, new lens
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 407
Views: 40,099
Yea, its getting boring. In the past some designs were sold or bought or worked on together, but far from every lens. Its part of globalization, where companies cooperate on some projects, outsource some parts, etc. As long as we get quality Pentax-labelled products, its not a problem. Its not demeaning to the company. And its not even true for most lenses in the lineup. What we really need is a good lineup of quality products at reasonable prices.
Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II 03-02-2018, 05:00 AM  
Firmware question
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 6
Views: 1,676
K-m and K-5 are very different cameras, so they have different firmware.
Firmware works with sensor, chip, buffer, etc. Even K-5II and K-5 use different firmware.
Your camera will not accept a firmware meant for another model. You can maybe trick it, but I would not recommend that. You would be very likely to damage your camera. If you don't care about that, you can do it and tell us how it went
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 03-01-2018, 07:15 PM  
Lensbaby Burnside, Lomography Daguerreotype, real old Russian lenses, or?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 5
Views: 1,134
There are a number of brands that are now "bringing back" old lenses. Usually they are quite expensive. The problem is, we don't always know exactly what those new lenses are. Some claim to use the same optic diagram as the old lenses, but they might (most likely) use newer materials, possibly lens coatings and so on. Some other companies just use old lenses famous names, but actually have different designs. The whole thing is a bit of a mess, so you have to research the specific lens you are interested in. Check how many lens elements and groups it has and how many the original had.
A number of these have been reviewed on this forum, on the front page blog thingy. And some have been posted in threads. I dont have the links, so youll have to do some digging yourself.


Photoshop can give you muted colours or lowered contrasts, but it can not give you the specific characteristics like bokeh, 3D pop, swirl, coma, flare.. And it is better to get the results directly, instead of spending a lot of time photoshopping each photo

The reviews of these designs that were "brought back" did not convince me - i just stick to the original Soviet ones. Yes, it might be a gamble and you might get a bad one, but the cost is much lower and the effects are more pronounced. The swirlyness and dreamyness sometimes come from "poor" manufacturing and materials.
But some people clearly like the new lenses, so if you have the budget for them and some good photo ideas, go for it.
I find the Helios 44-2 is quite nice for dreamy portraits and nice bokeh. There is a Soviet lenses club thread on this forum with lots of photos taken with all kinds of Soviet lenses. Some cheap, some rare and exotic. And you can ask here if you are interested in a very specific lens and someone might be able to share their experience. Or tell us what you want to achieve and someone can suggest good lenses for that goal

Personally, I wouldn't use "lomo" or lensbaby lenses for landscapes. For landscapes you probably want saturated colours and sharp images with low low CA. These lomo lenses and soviet clones are mostly good for portraits, still life.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 03-01-2018, 09:17 AM  
Pentax K-1 vs 645z... What's the difference in IQ?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 19
Views: 4,057
I think MF does have some more of that 3D pop, at least from the photos Ive seen. But MF shooters are also more likely to spend money and time to go to a beautiful location and wait for hours to get the light just right.

Definitely comes down to your wishes and needs. Sports photography or birding - APSC is great. If you want dreamy portraits that pull the audience right in - MF.

Oh, and the 645D and Z are basically "crop sensor" MF, like APSC is to FF.

Pixel shift is really interesting. Many brands wont be able to implement it, since they dont have Sensor based SR. Sony, Oly, and Pentax are brands that can do it (and Hasselblad now? Pentax 645 cannot do it yet and Im not sure it ever will). The K-1II will, according to announcements, already feature an improved PS system. This definitely bridges the gap to MF in terms of detail, noise, dynamic range, colours. But pure resolution and 3D pop is still on the side of MF.

Anyway, if you are a perfectionist and have the budget, go ahead and try MF. You can even rent it for a few days or try it in a shop to see how it handles. I cant justify the purchase for myself, not with my needs and budget. But Ive seen plenty of MF photos and handled the 645D and Z once or twice. Very attractive system. I just cant lug around something that heavy and that expensive. APSC is quite nice for my travels.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 03-01-2018, 05:37 AM  
Pentax K-1 vs 645z... What's the difference in IQ?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 19
Views: 4,057
Do you think people pay $5000 extra to get exact same images?
You know how FF gives you a little wider angle and a little more bokeh than APSC? Same thing, just one step further.
Of course, with 645 you get fewer features. K-1 is great because it has lots of features, is easy to use, has high IQ, and its not massively big. The 645 is focused more on IQ, so it is less easy to use, has fewer features, and is much bigger.

And we had threads like this before, you can search for them as they have some sample photos. You can look at threads like "post your best K-1 photos" and "post your best 645 photos", as well. There is also this tool: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/samplesearch.php
There is a difference, but it is very difficult to describe. And it might not be worth it for everyone. Depends on your wishes.

Edit: One thing to keep in mind is that very few amateurs use 645, so the 645 photos are, on average, taken by more skilled and knowledgeable photographers and are therefore better than an average APSC photo (since buying a $500 camera is much more accessible). Photographers skill is part of the equation, not just gear.
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 03-01-2018, 05:11 AM  
35mm 2.8 limited on full frame?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 9
Views: 2,147
No. Crop means you "crop" (cut, remove) the edges. You are left with around 15-16MP. It is literally a smaller image. It is like taking an FF photo, and then cutting off the edges. Of course, 16MP is still quite a lot and is more than enough for many purposes. Its just that most people don't want to buy a K-1 if they will end up getting almost the same IQ as a K-5IIs. Remember, the APSC cameras like K-5 and K-3 literally have a smaller image sensor ("film size") than K-1.

The DA 35mm f2.8 can be used in FF mode with full 36MP, but the edges might not be high quality and will be darkened at certain focus distances (far and infinity) and aperture choices (below f3.5 and above f8? You will have to do some tests yourself). You can read more here:
DA35/2.8 Macro Limited on K-1 - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com

Another thing you can do is take FF photos and crop them yourself. Maybe the full 36MP image has bad edges, but you would be okay with the centre 24MP or 18MP. You can crop photos manually in Lightroom, Photoshop, or most other photo software.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 03-01-2018, 05:07 AM  
"PENTAX K-1 II with a newly designed Cross Tilt Flexible LCD Monitor"...wait, what?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 32
Views: 5,277
Exactly. It makes the whole brand look silly in the eyes of people who are at least a little knowledgeable. I don't mind, this marketing fail won't affect my buying decisions. But for a lot of people considering Pentax, seeing bad websites, brochures with mistakes, poor translations... can be enough to push them towards a brand that "appears" to have their things in order.
It comes down to trustworthiness and competence.
Forum: Giveaway Archives 02-28-2018, 12:21 PM  
2018 Pentax Survey
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 156
Views: 4,980
Yep. Pentax will have to decide to break this magical circle and invest into video. Then it will get more users coming back. Nobody records 720p in 2018. Soon 1080p will be outdated. Pentax will have to bite this apple eventually
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-28-2018, 12:18 PM  
The 3 Amigos For Landscapes
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 41
Views: 4,962
You can not ask like that. They don't match up. They are different in many ways. It depends on your wishes. Sigma 35mm is super sharp, but it is massive and might have AF issues (read threads about this). FA 31mm has amazing character, but it is much older design than Sigma Art. A lot of people take good landscape photos with the cheap DA 35mm f2.4 (good lens, but not as good as FA limited or Sigma Art). Nobody is going to crown you the next Ansel Adams because your photos have 10% more resolution
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-28-2018, 09:34 AM  
The 3 Amigos For Landscapes
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 41
Views: 4,962
Then you might prefer DFA 50mm f2.8 macro and DFA 100mm macro. They have flat field of focus, sharp into the edges. These are properties of macro primes in general. Not as artistic, but high resolution and lots of correction. And Sigma 35mm Art. Or the newly announced DFA*50mm f1.4, which will likely be the sharpest Pentax 50mm ever.
I doubt you need such high resolution. People were printing posters even with the 12MP, 6MP bodies of the past. Something like K-1 with PS and good PP should give you more than enough resolution with any halfway decent prime. And the FA limiteds are much more than halfway decent

That said, I would probably prefer to use the FA limiteds over macro lenses, at least for everyday stuff, travel, portraits, nature photos.. More character, faster AF, smaller lenses, less weight.. As is I am using a DA 21mm limited, DFA 100mm, and some really affordable primes in between. Note DA 21mm is APSC, not FF
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-28-2018, 09:27 AM  
"PENTAX K-1 II with a newly designed Cross Tilt Flexible LCD Monitor"...wait, what?
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 32
Views: 5,277
Yes, weird "marketing". It was probably newly designed back when the original K-1 was made. Once again we see the advertisers, marketers know absolutely nothing about the product they are selling

Edit: And if it turns out we are wrong and the K-1II actually has a different LCD and LCD mount... well, I'll be happy to retract my indictments :p
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-28-2018, 03:51 AM  
Irix 11mm
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 15
Views: 2,493
Definitely. Distortion is made worse if the camera is not perfectly level. IF there is tilt, rotation, the distortion will appear really unnatural, even unsettling. This is due to distortion, a lens characteristic (but generally it is worse with wider lenses) and perspective itself (again, connected to FoV). UWA lenses are attractive because they are so different from the human eye, but that is a downside, as well. And 11mm is really, really wide, so it will have a steep learning curve.

Edit: Honestly, to people new to UWA I usually recommend Samyang 16mm, because it is really wide, but not awkwardly wide. 14mm, 12mm, 11mm, 10mm... these are extremes and are not easy to master
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 02-27-2018, 01:01 PM  
Irix 11mm
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 15
Views: 2,493
I can't tell since these photos are not full resolution, are not 1:1 crops. (I guess forum resizes attachments to some degree).
From the photos, it seems pretty sharp except the bottom left corner. There might be some decentering, though finding an ultrawide lens without decentering is really difficult.
There are threads and a PF post about decentering, you can check those. To test for decentering you probably want to take photos of something near the MFD, so the DoF won't be so wide.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-27-2018, 11:23 AM  
Good: New roadmap, new lens
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 407
Views: 40,099
And also we can't afford $2000 manual focus lenses with fancy mount conversions and whatnot.
Still, that DFA* 50mm and 85mm should compete against the best of the best in the 35mm DSLRs world - Samyang, Sigma, Zeiss, whatever
Forum: Pentax Full Frame 02-27-2018, 06:42 AM  
DA lenses for fullframe
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 18
Views: 3,156
Yea. I think having these test shot threads is great because then people can decide if a lens is "acceptable" for them or not. But the "official" recommendation has to be strict, or it will make the brand look bad.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-27-2018, 06:37 AM  
Good: New roadmap, new lens
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 407
Views: 40,099
There are rumours about rebadges all the time, but it has been quite a while since Pentax worked with another company like that. Lots of people jump up every time Tamron or Tokina or Pentax announces another high end lens, about how it will be rebadged, but it never seems to happen anymore.


Fair points.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-27-2018, 05:35 AM  
Good: New roadmap, new lens
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 407
Views: 40,099
Its a bit odd if you ask me. Why would we need another 70-200mm before standard zooms, WR primes, DFA Limiteds? Where are the primes between 20mm and 35mm? DFA* 50mm and 85mm sound great, but the wide angle primes have been missing for a really long time now and "2019 or later" is really far away. There were already some 50mm available, and the FA 77mm for portraiture (as a 85mm alternative)


Yes, but just removing the baffle on the back makes it more FF. You can check threads about this modification. So Pentax would need minimal tweaks to turn this already popular lens into a fully FF lens (add AF/MF button, HD coatings, improve baffle, maybe do minimal tweaks to the optics and its done). Much less work than starting from nothing, and the 60-250mm has better range than 70-200 and it is really compact. It would make more sense than to make another 70-200mm, so that you at least get a tiny bit of extra range in comparison to the 70-200mm zooms
Forum: Giveaway Archives 02-27-2018, 05:12 AM  
2018 Pentax Survey
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 156
Views: 4,980
I am fairly sure it is listed in one of the big "which features would you like to see" things.
Forum: Pentax Full Frame 02-27-2018, 05:06 AM  
DA lenses for fullframe
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 18
Views: 3,156
And this tool allows you to check what PF thinks of APSC/FF compatibility. Its a little stricter than the test shot thread above
https://www.pentaxforums.com/lenssearch/?format=ff

Some lenses can have a small modification and become more FF, like the DA 60-250mm
Some DA zoom lenses are not FF at all focal lengths, but are FF at some zoom and focus settings.
Forum: Giveaway Archives 02-26-2018, 12:45 PM  
2018 Pentax Survey
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 156
Views: 4,980
What fringe are you on? The survey asked about Pixel shift, bracketing types, astrotracer, super telephoto lenses, TS lenses, STF simulation, focus limiter.. I think it was a pretty good survey, covering a very wide range.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-26-2018, 08:10 AM  
DFA*50 1.4 coming
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 3,156
Views: 350,850
The older, smaller 50mm f1.4 lenses are pretty great, especially stopped down. But considering the DFA*50mm is *, has lots of corrective elements, is bigger, and probably will cost at least 2x as much as the FA 50mm f1.4 - it better bring something new to the table.
Those sample photos above show its strengths - high resolution, right into the edges, lots of detail, no CA, no fringing, no weird distortions, coma.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 02-25-2018, 05:44 PM  
K1ii's "Dynamic Pixel Shift" Will Put A Premium On Small High-Quality Lenses
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 36
Views: 4,001
That's an interesting thought. It comes down to what gives you better IQ:
a) A large, highly corrected lens with its handshake blur due to its big size (and therefore no PS),
or b) Smaller lens, which allows optimal use of handheld PS

Maybe DA 40mm XS will become the new best performer ;)
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 02-25-2018, 05:41 PM  
LAOWA 25mm F2.8 2.5-5X ULTRA MACRO for K-mount
Posted By Na Horuk
Replies: 22
Views: 5,444
So its basically an enlarger lens, not useful for "regular" photography. But it should be great for closeups of stamps, coins..
I wonder what the working distance is at max magnification
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