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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-21-2012, 03:41 PM
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Thanks everyone! RioRico, do you know how the Vivitar 19-35 compares with the 18-55 d-xenon kit lens?
Thanks for the idea of stiching, it's an interesting concept and i'll probably try it sometime, but I like to take photos of things that move around as well as 'still lives', so would be good to have a dedicated lens for the job.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-20-2012, 05:15 AM
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I don't really have a thing for the 'ultimate wide wide angle', I just want a sharp and good 'wide enough' alternative to my 50mm 1.4 smc, which is beautiful but too close for indoor shooting. I take it an old 20mm like the link above is very similar in FOV to 20mm on my kit lens? I just tried 50mm on my kit versus 50mm on my old prime lens and they seem to be the same. 20mm on the kit lens is wide enough for my purposes and probably more versatile than anything much wider for me.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-20-2012, 04:50 AM
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I know that it's over my original £200 budget, but as they say, getting something fit for the job is better value in the long run
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-20-2012, 04:31 AM
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Cheers guys (and it does seem to be all guys!)
Looking at images and opinions, I do respect the idea that a fish eye lens is more 'truthful' and that it can technically be de-fished, but not sure I'm convinced by the demonstrations of de-fishing, and fishiness is not what I'm after - I quite often take photos of straight lines.
I've seen this.. what do you think? seems cheaper than the others. Do I pounce?
@ Carl Zeiss Jena FLEKTOGON MC 20mm f/2.8 [20 2.8 M42 NEX 5d 7d 60d G3 G1 GH2] @ | eBay |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-18-2012, 10:51 AM
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I've been looking into wide angle lenses and they are way too expensive for my budget. I'm into sharpness and quality at around 20mm or lower, but because of my budget (preferably £100-£200) I suppose I'll have to compromise. Would it be sensible to buy a fisheye lens and use software to de-fish it? If so, what would the best lens at this budget to go for, considering I don't actually have much interest in using a fish-eye for fishy purposes?
I have a Miranda MC 28mm 2.8, which I am unhappy with - the pictures are just too naff compared to my SMC 50mm 1.4 and find myself going insane having to compromise on quality when room is too tight. I also have the kit 18-55 that came with my Samsung GX-10, which isn't too bad but I want better.
Do you think a de-fished fisheye would produce better results than using those lenses (which don't need de-fishing)?
I'm not into extensive post processing generally speaking, but would be happy if the software is simple enough, especially if the fisheye was a prime and I could therefore fix the settings in the de-fishing software to work accurately every time.
Thanks in advance!
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-31-2012, 05:22 AM
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Thanks! I didn't see 26th March message until now. My logic was that for half the price I'll get these Yongnuo's, which means my money will be spent learning how to use a more versatile setup (I get more physical gear for the money).. and then somewhere down the line I'll upgrade as and when required. Again, thanks a lot! Over and out.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-30-2012, 07:21 PM
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You've all been extremely useful, and I've invested in two Yn560 mark II. I'm just waiting for the radio triggers now! First impressions is that I'm pretty happy with these, and certainly looking forward to the triggers/umbrellas/stands to arrive so I can really start experimenting.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-25-2012, 05:35 PM
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I wish there was a 'like' button here! I must use Facebook too much.. (add me if you like, I'm Josh Redman, usually with a profile pic of obscure ceramics or an arty photo).
I'm certainly not disagreeing with you Jase, but the price difference is tricky to work out because I should imagine that I could hold out for a second hand Pentax Metz... is this the model you have? I'm not sure if the ''Mecablitz'' thing means anything.. Metz Mecablitz 48 AF-1 Shoe Mount Flash for Multiple Brands 719821281122 | eBay |
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-25-2012, 04:30 PM
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Thanks Redrock and Joe! My instinct is that the YN560 would be easier to use than the Metz 48-AF, because there are no menus to go through which is probably a bonus when working at faster pace. I've heard both great and not so great things (mostly that they have died fairly quickly) about the YN560's. I'd rather spend £30 extra for a more durable Metz, but then again, it's difficult to tell sometimes if reports of failure are just isolated scares rather than something to really worry about.
Joe, I bought the 602's, it took a while to finally realise that these are fine and the 603's aren't.. it was eventually a choice between three 602 receivers+1 trigger, or four cactus V5 trasceivers. The £87 price difference was the deal breaker for me.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-25-2012, 03:27 PM
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Thanks again, I've been thinking about Yongnuo flashes (I've finally taken the plunge and ordered a yonguo set of radio triggers in anticipation of getting a flash). But now I'm looking at the Metz 48-AF, and it says 'for Olympus'. Can I still use it?? I know that's probably a very novice question but it's driving me nuts trying to find out all these details.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-25-2012, 06:46 AM
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Hmm, I see. Thanks very much for that info, it does seem to be a minefield. It seems that even using manual settings, there isn't much point going for the really ancient flashes compared to the modern second hand ones (unlike lenses). Regarding budget, I've found that Cactus V5 receivers accept high voltage flash but there is a critically acclaimed competitor ends up cheaper anyway (if you buy multiple receivers)
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s5shvFGUf3g?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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. I said earlier that I'd ordered the Cactus, but fortunately I just put it in the shopping cart and walked away from the PC so I still have options open.
So it's becoming tricky to balance all the pros and cons! I think you've swayed me with the more modern Metz over ancient Sunpak, and will carry on thinking about which exact semi-modern/modern flash to invest in.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-25-2012, 03:53 AM
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Thanks for the really useful info! I'm becoming torn between the Sunpak 3600 or the Metz 48-AF now. The Sunpak because it is a third of the price, but the jargon I've found seems to be full of typos and I can't tell if it will give similar power to the Metz or not, and I'm guessing the Metz is going to be lighter weight/have more adjustable manual features? I'm looking at that particular Sunpak just because it's appeared on eBay for £25 ($40).
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-24-2012, 06:07 PM
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I've been scouring the internet and there seems to be a real void of information about what the difference, other than automatic features, there might be between cheap and expensive flashes. If the quality of the light coming out of a £10 flash is the same as a £100 flash, I'd be tempted to get a few cheap ones.. is this sensible?
I bought a cheap flash from a charity shop (Bell & Howell Auto 20, which I can't find any mention of on the internet), and I've just ordered a Cactus V5 trigger to start using off camera lighting. I chose this trigger because it can deal with old style high voltage output flashes, although in reality I have no idea if this flash is that old. I just wanted to be on the safe side. This flash was £10, and I haven't had a chance to buy any umbrella/tripod yet. I'm getting quite excited by the idea of having an easily transportable lighting system for not much money.
Ideally I'd like to end up with four or more flashes, but happy to start off with two and go from there. If I am happy to set aside TTL and walk up to my flash units to alter their output, is a more expensive flash really going to make much difference? One of the tricky things I've noticed is that there is no standard output measurement, unlike studio flashes, which are simply measured in watts. I'd really like to have flashes that are functionally bright for outdoor sunlight shots when required (I know that's vague but I am not totally sure myself yet), but capable of being made more dim for subtle lighting indoors. I'm pretty experimental with my camera, so ability to turn the flash from very low to high would be handy I suppose, but budget is also important.
There are some flashes going on eBay for under £10 - what's the catch?!
Is colour an issue with cheaper (or any) flash? Also, I've heard that cheaper flashes take longer to reload, but i've also heard that it's more down to the batteries used?? Either way, I'm happy to wait an extra second if it means saving an extra £100 per device.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I'm basically after value for money, but that doesn't mean just the dirt cheapest unless they really are okay for manually operated jobs. Any flash over about £100 is probably over my budget by the way, and am hoping to pay much less if the flash does a reasonable job.
My current main equipment is a Samsung gx-10 (pentax K10D in disguise) and a 50mm 1.4 asahi manual focus prime to which I add the occasional diopter for close-ups. I also have two kit zooms but am addicted to the asahi prime! My photography is either experimental artwork from all sorts of places or straight shots of domestic scale sculpture (my main job at the moment is as a sculptor).
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