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Forum: Pentax Full Frame
04-09-2015, 05:24 AM
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I don't think Pentax would be best served at all to make a ton of f/1.4 lenses; no point in trying to beat Nikon and Canon at their own game. What I would like to see, and I think would be really, really attractive to a lot of shooters is for them to update two old lenses. IF they could do a 20-35/4 and a 28-70/4, with better coatings (and glues), but still keep them the same size as the old lenses, that would be really attractive to a lot of people. It could also help to attract buyers who are looking at mirrorless systems.
Updating the 50/1.4 and 28/2.8, keeping their old sizes, would also be attractive.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-03-2015, 05:00 AM
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I have the Sigma 24/1.8 EX and it is excellent in almost all regards. It doesn't meet your size desires (neither does the Pentax FA*/2 really), but in all other ways I am sure it would please you. It isn't great wide open (but not terrible either), but from f/2.2 on it is really pleasing to my eyes. Good sharpness, excellent bokeh and good results with flare and out of focus highlights. By far my most used lens and the reason I don't use my FA31/1.8 as much as I should.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-30-2015, 07:53 AM
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I've the Samyang 10mm and I am very happy with it. I use it mostly for street photography, so your mileage may very. My opinion is that it is really quite sharp, doesn't flare much and doesn't have much fringing. The downside is that I do find it hard to focus and since I work in really close, I can't always rely on DOF to hide the misses. It is also a relatively long throw focus, so focusing isn't super quick. I don't think my issues would be important to a landscape or night sky photographer. It is a little big and heavy, but not obscenely so.
For those who say you won't use it much; that isn't my experience at all. For personal work, I have used it a ton since getting it. Again, not for landscapes or night skies, but since I like to get in close, it lets me show a lot of stuff in my photos.
I would have to say that the difference between 10mm and 15mm is huge; really kind of an apples to oranges thing.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-19-2015, 04:09 AM
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It has been a very long time since I have participated here, but I came across this thread after having the SDM on a 16-50 go. Thankfully, I was able to make it work again and mostly I just wanted to express those thanks.
I did have some issues, so I will post what worked for me. Likely it was covered somewhere in the hundreds of replies, but I didn't see it. Forgive me if this is a repeat.
First, I don't know why, but I could not get PK Tether to communicate with either my K-5 or my K10D on either my desktop (Win 8/64bit) or on my Laptop (Win 7/64bit). Not sure why but I had no luck.
Fortunately though, and I am sure I found it in this thread somewhere, I was directed to this site: Debug mode
For the K10D, I made the MODSET.TXT file with the [OPEN_DEBUG_MENU] instruction and put that in the root directory of an SD card. Then, I started the camera with the card door open and the debug mode came up.
Then, I scrolled down until I came to the line saying, `LENS ROM SAVE to FILE` and I clicked on OK for that option. The camera saved a file titled LENSEEP.LNS to the memory card. I then took the card back out of the camera, backed up that file and then opened it with NotePad Plus. From there, I did a find and replace, where I replaced all `C0`text with `80`as was covered by LFLee in #386 of this thread. Then, I put the card, with the new LENSLEEP.LNS file into the camera, left the door open and started up the camera. Then, it was a matter of scrolling to LENS ROM LOAD from FILE and clicking ok. After that, it did take a few minutes, but the operation did finish and I then had auto-focus with the 16-50 again. Works on both my K10D and my K-5, just as it should.
Sorry if this is wordy, but I thought it might be of some interest, just in case others can't get PK Tether to work.
I am very happy and very thankful for the hard work that has obviously gone into this thread.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-05-2009, 10:41 AM
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The second photo is really quite interesting; kind of abstract, yet containing a fair bit of motion too. I think I would prefer a true b&w rather than a duotone.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-02-2009, 09:17 AM
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Thanks to everyone. Surprisingly, scenes like this are not all that uncommon in Taiwan. One of the charms of the place I think.
Thanks again.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-01-2009, 08:58 AM
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#7 is strangely effective. I think most would choose to focus much closer, but I think I prefer your way of doing things. #1 has very odd bokeh, but I find it quite appealing.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-01-2009, 08:48 AM
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Nice photos. Looks like a lovely place. I wouldn't mind seeing the same photos with a shorter shutter time as well.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-01-2009, 08:32 AM
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Wow, those are really great. Number 2 is my favourite, though I would be proud of any of them.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-01-2009, 08:28 AM
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Topless client too. This was my daily photo for today and I kinda like it.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-01-2009, 08:26 AM
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All are nice shots, though the first two do seem to have the lower contrast and odd bokeh of a mirror lens. Numbers 3 & 4 are really nice, no matter what lens was used.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-01-2009, 07:49 AM
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Nice photos. My favorite is the 2nd and I really like the 3rd too, though wouldn't mind a little less vignetting.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-31-2009, 07:16 AM
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Maybe you can thoughtfully compose, but you are still relying on a good bit of luck. Nothing at all like the thought you put in when you can actually see what you are shooting. As for manually focusing; you can zone focus, but that is something a little different.
Sure, they have. In what way are you making things any better? By intentionally hiding what you are doing (though it is usually quite obvious to the people on the periphery of the scene), you are giving the impression that even photographers believe what they are doing is somehow wrong. In what possible way does that make photographers safer from being a target? Acting as though you are doing something wrong or to be ashamed of, which is a logical impression someone would have when they see someone sneaking shots, only makes it easier for people to dislike or distrust photographers, which further enables people to take our rights away from us. This is exactly why I don't like hip shots; it makes us look quite similar to peeping toms and it most certainly hurts our credibility in the eyes of non photographers.
 Quote: I have lived in China before and rarely ever resorted to hip shots. You should understand this being in Taiwan. I am sorry, I don't understand your point all here. Are you saying that in China/Taiwan, it is easier or more difficult to get photos without resorting to hip shots? Quite honestly, it doesn't matter to me; I have used the same methods in Canada, the US and Australia, with pretty much identical results.
I work from in very close and have had very, very few confrontations. Hanging out near someone is not the same at all as hanging out within one meter of them. If people don't feel comfortable, I move back, or don't take the photos at all, but that really doesn't happen at all. Again, this does not mean that I am crowding them for minutes; that is quite honestly ridiculous.
Nope, you don't. But in not bringing it to you eye, you are letting go of some control and therefore relying on more luck than you otherwise would. To be frank, that part of the equation isn't at all important to me anyways. What is important though is that you are giving people a valid reason to dislike and distrust photographers, and that I really don't like at all.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-30-2009, 06:48 PM
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Nice photos, bad math though.. ;)
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-30-2009, 11:15 AM
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That is great, really great.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-30-2009, 11:12 AM
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I like the second, but to be honest all the rest have a very distinct "shot from the hip" look to me. Basically, it is impossible to thoughtfully compose when you shoot from the hip. What's worse though is that by shooting from the hip, you are basically saying that taking photos is wrong and it is something to conceal. I see this as a lose-lose situation. You get photographs which are not as well composed or thought out as they should be and non photographers get a (valid) reason to view photographers as deceitful and worthy of distrust.
BTW, it is entirely possible to take natural, candid photos of people on the street without resorting to hip shots. All it takes is confidence and a willingness to wait a few minutes so that people get used to you. I would much prefer that all photographers try to do this before they go guerilla.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-26-2009, 05:51 AM
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The first one is fantastic and I really like the 4th as well. Nice photos.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-25-2009, 09:04 AM
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Thanks Edward. If you are interested, you can check them out via their web site. I believe they are about to head over to the US, so you might be able to see them live. I am not sure if they do anything in English, I believe they do, though not at the concert I was at. ChthoniC °{ÆF |
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-24-2009, 08:18 AM
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Thanks Ash and Dave. Part of what makes for the spooky effect is that during the show, he was wearing one all white contact lens and either nothing in his right eye, and either a normal contact, or none at all in his left. Makes for a spooky look on its own and add the blue light in and the effect is really strange.
Thanks again
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-24-2009, 05:30 AM
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Thanks. It was a fun show; I will definitely have to see them again.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-23-2009, 06:37 PM
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Those are cool. I especially like the 2nd
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-23-2009, 04:57 PM
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Nice photos, all of them, but you could lighten up on the sharpening on all of them as well.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-23-2009, 10:12 AM
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It is a beautiful spot and the photos look good. I like that you didn't go too hard on the contrast in those shots. I am guessing it is the processing, but some of them seem a little "dreamy" to me. It looks good, just an observation.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-23-2009, 10:08 AM
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Very nice shots and PP. I like the first three a lot, although not as crazy about the 4th. The vignetting and brightness in the center are just not to my tastes, though I am sure most will love them. Nice photos.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-23-2009, 09:44 AM
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Last night I took in a cool, metal show here in Taipei. The band is ChthoniC, a very hard rockin' metal band, fronted by the very political Freddy Lim. Hard and unapologetic, these guys are good.
As you can see from the above shots, I was getting some interesting flare on my 77mm. Actually, I figured out that it was caused by edge reflection from an empty filter ring I keep on the 77 so that I can safely use a pinch type lens cap. I have to say that in this case, I kind of like it.
The lighting was tough, all shots were at ISO1600 on my K10D. I would love to have a K7 and be able to go higher, but I am not really disappointed with the results for the most part.
White balance was set to daylight; there is no sense trying to shoot an "accurate" white balance at a concert.
Other than the one crowd shot, which was from the Zenitar, I think the 77mm was responsible for the shots here.
If you like, you can read a little more, as well as seeing some other photos on my blog, ChthoniC @ the Wall | Darren Melrose Photography |
