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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
08-23-2022, 05:14 PM
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My personal trend is giving cameras away and only keeping what I regularly use. I don't read or watch any new model camera or lens reviews anymore. I have an eight yo GR a KP and a K1 plus a Lumix GX85 + the usual primes and zooms. What else could I possibly need? Yes eventually GAS burns itself out like a supernova. Speaking of which James Webb is the only new camera I've been excited about recently. And it was already a ten year old model.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
03-24-2022, 04:52 PM
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Some bad news to begin with this week, I broke-up with my cross-eyed girlfriend. She was seeing someone on the side.
That's on top of a debate I had with a flat earther, he got so mad he vowed to walk to the edge to prove it. But he'll come round eventually.
This week's beginners' tip is about lines, edges, and how to focus a camera. I know it's very sad to encounter photographers who after decades, don't know how to take a photo, but there are plenty!
There is no such thing as when we read a post about someone complaining 'I focused on my child, but couldn't get sharp pictures...'.
To a PDAF focus system, there are no children, there are no dogs, no cups of coffee, just distinct lines. All PDAF sensors from every camera brand need a line to split like the rangefinders some of our oldest members may remember. Mirrorless cameras are limited in that they cannot use both horizontal and vertical lines, Pentaxes have cross points to do that.
We think before we shoot, so we find a distinct line on the subject as in the picture below. It's not backlit, we're shooting from the correct side, so this won't be a problem. Backlighting may force you into focusing on the subject's outline against the background, which may or may not be what you want.
Obviously, coffee cups don't move, so for action photographers, the game is to keep the chosen (usually central) point on a line on the subject as they go about their business. But more on sports photography in future tips, since I definitely enjoy doing that, but for today, the cup is enough. If you're buying, a latte with an extra shot but no sugar, thanks! :)
To end this week, there's the story of a woman on vacation who calls home. She asks her husband, "How’s my cat doing?"
The husband says, "The cat’s dead."
The woman’s upset and points out: "Well, you could have broken the news to me when I got home. I can’t enjoy my vacation now. You could’ve just said a little white lie, like the cat’s on the roof and you can’t get her down."
"Okay, I’m sorry," says the husband, "I’ll remember that."
The woman says, "Anyway, how’s my mother doing?"
The husband pauses, then cheerfully announces, "Your mother’s on the roof and we can’t get her down."
The rest of the series here: Clackers' Beginners Tips (Collected) - PentaxForums.com |
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-27-2021, 04:02 AM
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thanks JPT for this report. The 4th variant option of the K-3 III seems interesting: K-3 III MF - Manual focus model, no AF sensor, 30% brighter VF, AF still possible in live view.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
11-27-2021, 04:51 AM
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Very happy to renew mine again! Thank you to everyone at Pentax Forums and Happy Holidays to all!
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
11-22-2021, 09:43 AM
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Bought in for the first time. I've been getting a lot of value from the forums lately, paucity of my own contributions notwithstanding.
This is such a friendly and helpful part of the internet!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-31-2021, 01:16 AM
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Just ordered the black premium kit from SRS Microsystems in the UK, looking forward to it!!!
Tim
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-30-2021, 07:32 PM
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This is clever. I saw a magazine interview a few months back that said that when they started producing the prisms, only 1 in 100 was acceptable. I think the difficulty in producing this part is a big contributor to the cost of the camera.
What do you do with the ones that don't make the grade? Inscribe the camera name on them and given them away as a novelty. Genius idea!
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-29-2021, 07:31 AM
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Switching systems from Pentax to Nikon is something I've considered, as a "just in case...". Say the D500 still have a better AF than the K-3iii, and we know it has faster card writes (with CFexpress cards); but then there are many areas - image quality, viewfinder, ergonomics - where the K-3iii is better. Even that one extra FPS or two. You're also mentioning IBIS, but let's say I'd use the D500 with VR lenses.
Then, the lens - I'd have to get the Nikkor 200-500, the long options are too expensive for me. Let's say I would keep the Pentax for everything else, at least in the beginning - but the reason I'd get a D500 is for telephoto action.
So... there will be some advantages, but also quite a few disadvantages. And it would cost me more (even with selling the D FA 150-450 and buying that single lens).
But that's not all! The D500 might be the last Nikon DSLR in its class. Would I have to migrate to another system, Pentax or mirrorless (yuck!), later down the road?
This is made worse by the fact that I'd want more lenses, rather than having to carry two DSLRs - Nikon and Pentax - with me.
Thanks but no, thanks. If the K-3iii's new autofocus would be good enough for me, that's fine.
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Forum: Pentax Q
11-06-2014, 09:48 AM
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There has been much discussion about holding the Q series camera‘s as well as avoiding glare. I come from the old school of photography and continue to use the techniques taught by successful photographers when ISO/ASA speeds as well as shutter speeds were slow and shooting at small apertures was the norm.
The first image shows how I hold my Q7. Arms are tucked in close to the body in an attempt to reduce camera shake. The camera is held securely. (My glove size is large.) Many photographers would take a deep breath, exhale and then trip the shutter in much the same manner as a sniper would shoot a rifle. Note how the second finger of my right hand lays in the area formed by the Q7’s bulge. That is the main reason I find the Q10-Q7 series more comfortable than the original Q but that is a personal preference.
The second image is what we used to call the tripod. The camera rests on the palm of the left hand and the left elbow is tucked into the body. In this manner much of the weight of a heavy camera is carried by the left hand. This is one of the techniques taught in “The Pentax Way” book and is also how the author, Herbert Keppler is shown holding his camera on the rear cover. I use a variation of this when shooting my DSLR’s hand held. Both of these camera holding methods become second nature and automatic once practiced.
This third image is what we called the chicken wing which unless the photographer is using a fast shutter speed or a high ISO will result in a blurred image. (common to those of us of a certain age group.) This is especially true if the fingers of the left hand are on either the focusing or zoom rings. I have seen photographers with both arms sprayed out in this manner which reduces their chances of getting a sharp non blurred image.
The final image shows a technique I use to reduce the glare on the LCD. (sorry about the depth of field) By cupping my left hand around the camera it forms a sort of shield. Not totally but it does reduce the amount of glare which is a constant issue we have to deal with here in Arizona. Just to put that into perspective, our normal SPF for sun tan lotion is 100, in most other parts of the US, SPF 25-35 is normal. |
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-02-2014, 06:20 AM
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Nice play of light and shadows in the morning fog, in a frozen meadow
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
11-01-2014, 12:11 PM
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Maikop district of the Republic of Adygea
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
11-01-2014, 12:12 PM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-30-2014, 05:23 PM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-28-2014, 02:37 AM
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 | Night Neon
Posted By
cxdoo |
Replies: 9
Views: 751
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A shot from Limassol Marina.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-28-2014, 11:30 PM
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A lonely and isolated beach on the west coast of Iceland. Still going through around 3000 photos and finding some I've neglected from 3 years ago.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-25-2014, 12:25 PM
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A pinhole. :D
Somebody had to do it. :p
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-25-2014, 05:27 PM
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And the train, it won't stop going
No way to slow down
You probably will have to be an old rocker or Jethro Tull fan to get the jest of this thread. :D
Locomotive Breath was the first thing I thought of when I captured the train engineer traveling past me and his hand was on the handle.
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Forum: Photo Critique
10-21-2014, 11:29 AM
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My landscape photos are consistently blah. But the fall foliage at Catskill Animal Sanctuary was so beautiful, I had to try capturing it somehow. So I fell back on the "Photography Class 101-Shake Your Camera" technique and got this (and about 100 other awful photos). What do you think? Trite or interesting? Although I did take some photos aimed straight at the colourful trees, I liked the cool tones (from the sky) in this one. Any suggestions re post-processing to make it better (maybe bring up the shadows a bit more?). Thanks
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-21-2014, 09:08 PM
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Forum: General Photography
08-07-2014, 10:32 AM
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When I took my first photography course about a year and a half ago, the instructor asked each of us what our goals were. I said, half-jokingly, "To win, or at least be a finalist, in my company photo contest." There are some really good photographers (including individuals with photography businesses on the side) in our 7,000-employee global company, and they get 600 or more photos submitted each year.
Well, I have achieved my life's ambition :): I am a finalist (one of 16 among 600+ submissions) in this year's competition. The winners are determined by vote.
A variation on this image (edited differently because of the contest rules) was selected for the animals category.
On a separate note, I've decided to invest a serious chunk of time (and some money) in the International Center of Photography's 3-semester, part-time certificate program. I'm looking forward to being part of a community of photography students and to learning from some excellent professionals in the field. As Mr frogoutofwater and I only expect to be in NYC for another couple of years, this seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.
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Forum: Pentax Q
12-17-2012, 06:03 PM
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I have the 02 and 06 zooms, and the hood (seen here being used as a stand for the 02). It fits both.
The 01 has a screw-in metal hood like the DA40 limited. It's rather sexy.
The Family Q by Sandy Hancock, on Flickr
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