Forum: Photographic Technique
3 Days Ago
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Yes, I have developed a trick for panoramic image capture without tripod, which also stabilizes the camera. I use a plumb line with a string about the length of my height. The plumb line takes no space in the front pocket of my camera bag. On one end I pinch the string of the plumb line between my finger and the camera grip, the string goes over the lens near the lens mount. On the other end of the plumb line, I lineup the tip of the plumb line just over a feature on the ground (can be a tree leaf, a pebble..). If the plumb line tip stays over the ground feature, that means the camera hasn't moved forward, or backward, or left, or right, or up or down. While keeping the plumb line steady, only rotation is possible, so , that greatly improve stability, the performance is limited by the servo performance between my eyes as sensors and my muscles actuators. Works great. I've had sharp images of rocks and moving water taken with 5 seconds exposures without tripod (K1 + DFA15-30 @ 20mm).
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
3 Days Ago
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It's easy to use a phone as an incident light meter. Just hold the palm of your hand up in the area you want to meter and take a spot meter reading off the palm of your hand. This works great for me. I've never had a bad exposure using this method.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
03-09-2024, 07:41 AM
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
5 Days Ago
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Doing the math, that makes this camera a 622.5n. ;)
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Forum: General Photography
03-10-2024, 11:49 AM
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I am sure it will look very fetching on you :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-06-2024, 04:15 AM
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I would certainly look at m4/3 but half frame film? No!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-06-2024, 02:45 AM
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Four cameras in the pipeline. I'll pass on the half-frame, but let's see what else they have up their sleeves.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
03-03-2024, 11:50 AM
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Give me fruit, or I'll yell you stole my selfie. |
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
03-03-2024, 07:31 AM
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need to go back whe the light is a little better... 'support the local arts'
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
03-01-2024, 10:18 AM
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My eyes are NOT brown! They're hazel.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-01-2024, 05:55 AM
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After all this hype they give us half-frame and guess-focus???
:fedup:
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
02-29-2024, 11:12 AM
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On a corner house in a street
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
02-29-2024, 06:49 AM
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I taught Clint Eastwood this stare.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-26-2024, 07:48 PM
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.
In the past, I've purchased and sold 3 Pentax K-1 cameras. Recently I found myself longing for one again, so I checked Ebay last week.
I found one for sale by MAP Camera in Japan for just $830 USD with free shipping and only 1,400 shutter clicks on it. I'd never heard of this seller before, but given their excellent feedback and their courteous messages, I thought I'd give them a try. I bought it and received it here in Wisconsin, USA in just 2 days. The packaging was great, and the many messages we exchanged before the sale were very professional and courteous.
I've thoroughly inspected and tested the camera and I could not tell it from one of the brand-new ones that I'd previously purchased (except no box or manual, and a few tiny scratches on the battery).
I just noticed that MAP Camera has another K-1 for sale now for $855. This one has the same "condition grade" as my K-1, and 7276 shutter clicks. I thought someone here might like to check this out, as It's not often that one finds a low mileage K-1 in great shape for under $900 USD. PENTAX K-1 Camera Body shutter count 7276 shots 4549212295003 | eBay |
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-25-2024, 10:00 AM
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Having lived in Alaska for 4 years (long ago) and having taken a cruise there in more recent years I can say with some confidence you will likely find far more scenery, events, and places to photograph than things at great distance. When I took the cruise I had my 31 Ltd and a 55-300. Over 80% of the shots I took with the 55-300 were at less than 100mm. If you need to scratch the "I need a new lens" itch i'd suggest putting the money into a faster short-medium zoom.
Honestly, you're not likely to see all that much wildlife other than eagles and they all look alike.
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Forum: General Photography
02-24-2024, 03:35 PM
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Without bothering to get into detail, due to circumstances outside of my control I now find myself VERY much in debt and having to sell off many of my favorite hobbies entirely.
I almost was going to sell my camera stuff but then I realized something.
Photography is cheap.
I sold off all my film stuff years ago because it WASN'T cheap to use and required you to keep up with it regularly so stuff didn't expire.
I used to shoot digital almost every day and often all day on weekends, but then I sorta lost interest and stopped entirely. Mostly due to life giving me no time for anything and other hobbies cutting into that time. Which was sorta ironic since I had waited more than a decade for Pentax to release a FF DSLR and I had finally bought one (when the last of the K-1 were clearanced out) with a good zoom as well.
Another irony is not long ago before I got hit with the debt I just happened to pick up the camera which still only has a shutter count of 170 after having it for years and discovered the playback button didn't work despite never having been abused. $500 later I had it fixed and back in hand.
But now I'm glad I did fix it and I kept that stuff because now most of the other hobbies are being liquidated, but there's my Pentax, ready to play.
I would love to have a better zoom for long range (see signature), but I make due with the one I have and just use care in avoiding water since its a non WR lens.
But really I have everything I need for a hobby that costs me nothing to do at a time when that's right in my price range.
I'm glad I bought a good body and really good short zoom back when I did have money, but if a person were poor they could get an old K-5II or later and an 18-135 lens and do some really amazing photo work without feeling short changed by the gear. When you are poor, digital photography becomes the perfect hobby to have.
I managed to find $20 to support the site as well since after years of barely checking in, I think I'll be around a bit more often now.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
02-21-2024, 11:56 AM
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
02-12-2024, 01:00 PM
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Getting the shoes to lie on the ground was easy, but making the hat look like it was floating took real magic.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-07-2024, 12:37 AM
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A small addition: On the K-1 and K-1 II ("full frame"), the lenses will have the same field of view as on the film cameras. On the other digital Pentax bodies, such as K-70/KF and the K-3 series, the field of view will be narrower by a factor of 1.5 ("APS-C" sized, sometimes referred to as "crop format"). And if you stumble about it: Pentax 645 and Pentax Q cameras, both retired camera lines by now, had different lens mounts.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
02-07-2024, 12:50 AM
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"O dear! What have I done to the Quack?
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
02-04-2024, 04:10 AM
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I usually participate, but it has been a hectic week. My apologies. Mine would have been - Good grief, all that effort and no socks for a reward". Congrats Uncle!
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