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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
10-04-2016, 06:29 PM
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GateCityRadio, great shots, thanks for sharing. Fair to say the V600 is meeting your expectations? How bout when viewed/printed full size? Any regrets not using the V800?
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
10-01-2016, 12:13 PM
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Well, impressive image nonetheless. :D
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
10-01-2016, 05:32 AM
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This thread has been really interesting. I'm thinking about getting a scanner, too, to fill the resource void left when I graduated and I now no longer have access to pro level equipment. I just got a medium format camera, so I see lots of 120 scans in my future. We used V700's at school, so I know first hand what they're capable of; I'm just not sure I'm ready to make that kind of financial investment. So the V600 is very tempting, but since I haven't used one I'm a little nervous that it'll be able to meet my expectations.
And then there's the Canon CanoScan 9000F MkII. Less expensive than even the V600, with impressive resolution. I haven't found much 3rd party info on it, though.
Lithedreamer, thanks for sharing your shot. I'm a sucker for double exposures. Those are some very good results out of the V600. Makes me wonder if the investment for a V800 is really necessary.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
09-24-2016, 05:27 AM
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I did indeed. The kit also had a 120 film back and eye-level viewfinder with built-in meter. One of the things that I like about this camera is that it's a system camera. I'm already eying up a waist-level finder and some different backs. Plus a wide angle lens would be fun... and so it goes. :lol:
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
09-23-2016, 04:44 PM
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Well, after much research and soul-searching, I pulled the trigger on a Mamiya 645 Pro.
I ruled out rangerfinders (for now) and I really wanted to like the Pentax 645 or 67 but they didn't quite fit the bill. I also like the Mamiya RZ67 but I was scared away by the beastliness of it. Finally settled on the Mamiya 645 Pro which seems to offer much of what the RZ does in a slightly smaller, less cumbersome--and most importantly--less costly package.
Thanks to everyone for the advice. I'm excited to shoot my first roll of 120 film! :D
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
09-05-2016, 05:17 AM
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Good responses, thanks everyone for all the input.
I feel like I'd prefer the larger 67 format, but the Pentax 645 system is sounding more and more tempting. The Mamiya 67 is a pretty badass camera, but I'm not sure I'd really feel like carrying it around everywhere.
How does the Pentax 645 do with handheld shooting?
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
08-30-2016, 03:38 PM
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I've been thinking about adding a new camera to my collection. I have a K-5 which has been like a trusty sidekick for the last few years. I have an irrational emotional connection to my K-5. I'm considering the new K-1, but also I'm thinking maybe it's time to go medium format instead. Plus I loves me some film. I've narrowed it down to a few options:- Waist-level viewfinder camera, such as the Mamiya RB67 Pro II or Hasselblad. I guess these cameras are beasts. Due to their clunky nature and slow setup, I would expect them to augment my existing setup. Not a good walking around camera I'm assuming, I'd probably still use my K-5 and 35mm for travel, snapshots, street photography, etc.
- Medium format SLR, such as Pentax 645 or Mamiya 645. These cameras are tempting but I'm not sure how well they'd do for all-day shooting. Not sure if this would be a replacement for my 35mm. I also heard that the large mirror and shutter are noisy and make hand-holding at slow shutter speeds tricky. I also understand that waist-level finders are available for some of these cameras in case I want to give that a go.
- The rangefinder, such as the Fuji GF670 or Mamiya 6 or 7. Rangefinders seem to offer good portability, although I heard they're not good for serious shooting, I think mostly due to the inaccurate framing (I think). Again, maaaybe a replacement for my 35mm??? I've never used a rangefinder, so I'm not sure what to expect in terms of framing, focusing, and metering.
I'm not really considering a TLR since they don't seem to have any real benefits over waist-level viewfinder cameras like the Hasselblad. And, yes I know that all these cameras are in different price ranges, but bear with me. I've also never used any medium format camera, so all opinions are welcome.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
07-20-2016, 04:37 PM
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I'm very fortunate to be in a job that pays the bills with enough left over to support my hobbies. I have no intention of quitting, as I do find the work interesting, challenging, and rewarding. I've said that it's OK if photography is still a net-loss for me financially, although, hey, if people are willing to give me money for it I certainly wouldn't object.
Philbaum, I'm glad you're able to stay involved and be active with your photography. I'd love to find a similar way to stay active.
On a side note, I'm always interested to hear of other engineers who have "discovered" photography. It seems there's definitely some kind of link between these two fields, which on the surface couldn't be more different.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
05-31-2016, 04:24 PM
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Alamo5000--and everyone else--thanks for all the inputs. You've all given me some really good starting points. The career path for an engineer is usually pretty straight-forward. I think the photo majors at school get a lot more preparation for life after graduation, but I guess they assume that the minors aren't really going to be pursuing a career in photography so they forego a lot of those classes.
Thanks again for giving me a different perspective and for sharing your experiences. :)
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
05-30-2016, 07:38 AM
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Thank you all for the replies, I've enjoyed reading all the good advice. As I said, I don't really have a good idea of what the photography and art world looks like, so I appreciate you all sharing your experiences.
I have been extremely lucky to fall into some of the classes and I've had some exceptional professors along the way. Before taking the classes I learned mostly from books but nothing prepared me for the creative development I've gotten at school. The in-person feedback and critiques, IMHO, could not have been achieved just through independent learning. I've made some images which I'm very proud of.
Alamo5000, I am curious to hear more about your experience. If you're willing to share, you can always PM me if you prefer not to write a long post in this thread.
There are some camera clubs in my area that I've looked at a bit. A friend of mine joined one but his experience hasn't been something I'd be interested in. They mostly submit images for scoring with the judges ultimately just providing an overall score from 0-25. Feedback of the scoring rationale has to be formally requested and the photographers don't discuss their work at all when it is presented. Perhaps one of the other local clubs will be more aligned with my interests.
I'm studying mechanical engineering. I've also heard of other photographers who have engineering backgrounds. In a photo history class, the professor mentioned that photography exists at the intersection of art, culture, and technology. It's an idea that I find compelling; perhaps there's hope yet.
I did talk to one of my professors briefly, and her advice was actually to find another photographer that I like and that produces similar work, and just sort of shadow him or her. If he or she shows work at a gallery, maybe that's a venue I could look into as well. The photo majors' senior design thesis works will be displayed at an upcoming gallery show. I was planning on going to see what they're working on, but also to maybe pick their brains a bit on their plans after graduation.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
05-28-2016, 03:13 PM
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So a little background... I work full time as an engineer. I "discovered" photography a few years ago when I semi-inherited a Minolta X-570 (which I love). I'm currently going to school to finish my engineering degree but I couldn't stay away from the photography electives and eventually signed-up for the photo minor. I love that the classes not only have taught me new technical skills (Photoshop, studio lighting, etc) but they also have pushed me considerably from a creative point of view. The classes also end up being somewhat immersive in that for the duration of the class, there's lots of shooting and discussions about our work, our classmate's work, and professional's work.
Now that I'm nearing graduation (one more summer class) I'm trying to figure out how to continue with my photography in a more serious way than what a typical hobbyist might pursue. I've taken a liking to fine art photography; sports, wildlife, event, and product photography don't really interest me. I could of course continue to shoot and work on my own projects, but... then what? Do I just post them to Flickr? Make prints for my dining room? Those paths seem somehow very unfulfilling. I'm not looking to make any money and I'm OK with photography being a financial net-loss overall. What I do want is to be able to continue to push myself and share and discuss my work in a community of other photographers.
Is this even possible outside of the protective bubble that is the university setting? What do most fine art photographers actually do? Any advice from the pros here...? Since all my experience is in engineering, I really don't know what the professional photography world even looks like.
And apologies for the long post, thanks for sticking it out to the end. :)
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-28-2015, 06:24 PM
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This did the trick, thank you much. It was set to SL 2, which is apparently the secondary type of slave mode. The flash seems to work well now in wireless P-TTL mode.
I appreciate all the replies and advice. Time will tell if I have the same pop-up flash exposure issues mentioned. The $11 flash blocker is going on the Amazon wish list just in case.
:D
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-28-2015, 02:24 PM
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Thanks everyone for the replies. With wireless triggers so popular, I completely overlooked the fact that the pop-up flash can control the 540 off camera. Thanks for the link to the video, it was really helpful. My flash arrived today, and I was able to set-up the camera and flash according the way the video shows with one exception. The flash does not go into P-TTL mode when in wireless; it will only cycle through Auto and Manual modes and the exposure is definitely not right. The images are all underexposed, and some are even completely black. The 540 does fire and I confirmed that the camera and flash are both on the same channel. The exposure seems to be mostly OK on-camera in P-TTL, although it is overexposed by maybe a stop or two.
Any other tips for something I might be missing?
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
04-27-2015, 05:40 PM
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So I have an AF-540 FGZ on the way and I'm going to want to use it off-camera (K5) for some portraits. This is my first flash, but I'm OK with messing around with the manual modes, or at least I think I am. In other words, while P-TTL (or regular TTL) would be nice to have off-camera, it's not a requirement in the near-term. I'm also OK with wired accessories for now. Wireless triggers would be nice, but cost is an issue and I think wired accessories should work for my needs. I see that Pentax recommends some fancy hot-shoe adaptors (one for flash, one for camera body) along with a special cable. But it looks like the flash and K5 body both have sync ports, as well.
Any recommendations? What kind of sync cable would work for this setup? Do I need the special Pentax adaptors and cable? Or is it better to just suck it up and get full P-TTL wireless remotes?
Any help is appreciated.
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Forum: Pentax Q
07-24-2012, 04:02 PM
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I've gotten accustomed to my K-X and K5 saving the image orientation (i.e. portrait vs landscape), but I don't see the option in the Q's menus. It seems like this is a pretty common feature, even for inexpensive PnS.
Was this left out, or am I just missing it?
Thanks.
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Forum: Pentax Q
07-24-2012, 03:47 PM
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So I've had the Q for a few days now, but haven't had much time to take any "real" shots. My initial impressions are pretty good, it feels very solid despite it's small size. The 01 Prime lens is very nice, although I notice quite a bit of distortion on the RAW files (the camera corrects this automatically in the JPEG images).
I'm still feeling my way around the particulars, but so far so good!
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
07-24-2012, 03:11 PM
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Delaware has a pretty good state park system. You can check out their website: Delaware State Parks - We're Saving a Place for You!
There's some thick forested areas as well as open fields at Brandywine and the Woodlawn Wildlife Refuge. There's also Cape Henlopen and Lums Pond. I believe there are cabins at Cape Henlopen for camping. Remember that Maryland borders Delaware, and it's only a short drive away. Maryland also has some very scenic areas such as Fair Hill.
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Forum: Pentax Q
07-16-2012, 04:23 PM
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Sorry for the cheesy Star Trek reference, but I couldn't help myself. :o
Anyway, just pulled the trigger on a black Q with the 01 Prime and 03 Fisheye. I love my K-5, but every time I go somewhere I always find myself asking, "Do I really feel like bringing my SLR?" Unfortunately, the answer is usually, "Not really," and of course the old adage is the best camera is the one you bring.
I wanted a camera with good IQ and could shoot in RAW. I looked at a few Canon and Sony P&S, but I decided that between my Pentax lenses, K-x and K-5, Pentax hasn't let me down so far. Also, I'm going to Disney World in the fall, and I really couldn't imagine carrying the K-5 around for 8+ hours a day, even with only a single kit lens.
So I'll let you all know how it goes, right now I'm just looking forward to the mailman bringing the box from Adorama. :D
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-07-2012, 05:07 AM
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Hello everyone. I am a relatively new member here but have been browsing the forums since getting my K-x a little over a year ago. I upgraded to a K5 as a holiday gift to myself and love it.
It's great to find all this good information about Pentax products (and photography!) here.:cool:
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-23-2012, 03:14 PM
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Hello everyone, I am hoping to take advantage of the group's collective knowledge for some advice on these lenses. I have a K-5 and enjoy shooting with my 35 / 2.4, but I wanted to upgrade to something nicer and something with a slightly shorter focal length. I think the 28mm length is very nice for the APS-C format and I was originally only looking at the Zeiss 28mm. I think the FA 31 is a natural alternative and many on these forums seem to have very good things to say about it. The no-auto-focus of the Zeiss to me is a non-issue.
Any thoughts?
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