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Forum: General Talk
01-12-2014, 02:34 AM
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The poor grammar is a giveaway. Not knowing your name- getting a bit on the nose here. Looks like a scam, sounds like a scam, feels like a scam, smells and tastes like a scam. Lucky you did not tread in it.
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Forum: Pentax Full Frame
11-03-2013, 02:11 AM
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Existing lenses will not work with curved sensors. Mind you, the advantages of curved sensors will make ALL the old glass nearly worthless. Many elements are used to correct for flat field-will not be needed anymore. Spherical aberration will be almost cured. Corner and central performance will be the same and ironically, sharpest performance will be wide open.All elements can be spherical, reducing costs from asphericals. If the sensor is made a bit oversized, algorithms should be able to correct for a bit of shake. Kind of crazy to have to put on an adapter to de-correct field flattening.
From what I gather, a curved sensor will tolerate a 3x zoom. When the time comes, small motors will be used to change the curvature of the sensor to allow wider ranging zooms that maintain super sharpness. This is already being used in astronomy for professional rigs, but just starting to hit the amateur market. It is called adaptive optics.The sky is the limit here (pun intended.) The only serious limitations will be the size of the front element for raw light gathering(same as with astronomy) and how sensitive the sensors can get to keep them as small as possible to maintain great results. I would hazard a guess that when the time comes, a FF sized sensor will give results comparable to the old 4x5 cameras, but with extreme ease of use and very compact, except for extreme sports lenses.
In all realism, the revolution will be as radical as digital photography eventually smothering 35mm film. At first film killed digital, but with the inexorable improvements, it was inevitable that digital was going to hit the magical resolution(megapixels) that made film obsolete. Just as the old 35mm lenses are not ideal for digital(to do with the rear nodal point being often too close to the sensor plane), current digital lenses will just not do justice to the advances that curved sensors will bring with time.
At first the technology will be expensive, but in time, it will be commonplace to have adaptive sensors with megazooms of 50x and greater for cheap consumer cameras with truly professional results. 35mm size sensor will be all that any pro would ever need to use, even for some building sized billboard.
Please wake me up when it all becomes reality.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-14-2013, 04:33 PM
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Photokina is September NEXT year. Just have to sweat it out for all the big releases in tech goodies. I hope the wait is worth it.Can Pentax catch up? Are we going to get close to a camera that has everything? Is there going to be an announcement of a killer piece of technology, eg curved sensors that would revolutionize imaging in general(no more spherical aberrations, centre resolution the same as edge resolution, no more corrections for flat field needed, best performance wide open) that would make all current equipment obsolete and make everyone else look like dinosaurs selling second rate equipment? At least there will be the usual "leak" of new products in the leadup. Big question, if there is the knockout blow in the offing, will it be announced beforehand to make the "proud" announcements of the rest look like wannabees or wait for the event itself to make the rest look limp? Which one will get the limelight better to get the free advertising from the media scrambling over each other to get out a story?
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Forum: General Talk
06-01-2013, 03:01 AM
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Always a problem when you splurge on such trinkets. Funny how one rarely makes a profit on these things.
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Forum: General Talk
06-01-2013, 02:58 AM
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Hope this guy does not have kids. This really has to be almost as dumb as one can get. Mind you, on a disturbing note, his vote is worth as much as your's!
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Forum: General Talk
05-20-2013, 03:43 AM
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What a coincidence .Space Oddity is my user name on an astronomy forum!
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Forum: General Talk
05-20-2013, 03:38 AM
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The el cheapo refractors are invariably rubbish, especially the mounts. I had such a cheap telescope as a kid- useless for astro stuff. It would take ages to find Mars, it would be a fuzzy blob, then it would be lost in seconds. For Halley's comet, I had a substantially better view looking through the camera viewfinder with a 500mm f/5 ancient Takumar than the telescope(it was a metal tube back then!) You may well be better off with a telescope adaptor(6 x barlow lens) bayoneted on to the back of a lens for a mini telescope. Had the luck of picking one up cheaply a while back :) Useful ,although it is out on loan at the moment with the 100 f/2.8 macro when I needed the macro lens.maybe should have loaned out the 58 f/1.2 Minolta with the Minolta to Pentax adaptor as the rig was used in low light. For some strange reason, I have not used the telescope attachment with the 300mm f/2.8 on a tripod(cannot use hand held, even with the 300 f/4 or 70-200.) Half decent telescope lenses DO make good camera lenses, although forget about close focus and depth of field. Itching to try the big telescope as a lens, which is the equivalent of a 3,000mm f/10 on 35mm, 5,000 f/10 on Dx format. Can be easily converted in to a f/ 6.3 rig or faster.
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Forum: General Talk
03-31-2013, 03:08 PM
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Looking at some big announcements today on cold fusion and E-Cat. Pity about the date:lol:
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Forum: General Talk
03-31-2013, 03:04 PM
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Whenever I see an ad on Gumtree, eBay or wherever that seems too good to be true, I go in to suspicion mode. When contact with the seller yields only information about how to pay-it is a scam. If it is Western Union payment-it is a scam. If it is a newbie to the site with all sorts of goodies, it is a scam. If the goods for sale are inconsistent with the seller's activity both buying and selling, it is a scam.If a second chance offer comes in very quickly, it is a scam. If the item location and the payment location are not in the same city, it is a scam. Look for inconsistencies. The profile inconsistency was a good clue.
Punishments for scammers are a joke. Unfortunately, the pattern where the victim is frequently regarded as the criminal is part of a wider spread degeneration of humanity. Any government that deliberately makes life too easy for criminals is actually a criminal regime itself. It has happened in history before (they would like to be treated leniently if they ever get found out), but we ,as a species have been too STUPID to learn from the lessons of history.
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Forum: General Talk
03-23-2013, 01:15 AM
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Political correctness "decrees" that the living statue is guilty, but retaliation is perfectly valid. This was an unauthorised assault with bodily fluids - unacceptable health risk. An apology is not warranted either. The wet willy giver is the one who owes the apology. Ever notice how political correctness is the OPPOSITE of previous societal normality?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-23-2013, 01:04 AM
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Bit early with the post, April 1 is not here yet. Mind you, with time, the wish list WILL come true. I am looking forward to reading about all the new technology releases on April 1. I have some inside information to release myself soon :D
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Forum: General Talk
03-15-2013, 11:26 PM
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It would indeed be great if humankind cracks the secret. I believe it should be possible, It will be a great day when the time comes.
Only problem, the solar, wind and carbon capture industries will be gone. ETS schemes will also probably be gone, so Al Gore and the other rent-seekers, especially the UN will almost certainly try to scuttle cold fusion. Either that or they will have to find some new "crisis" to scare us into relinquishing our sovereignty.
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Forum: General Talk
02-24-2013, 02:31 AM
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At the end of the day, you can only consume what you produce. If a machine can produce something extra for people to consume, then new industries will eventually soak up the burger flipper jobs to produce something new. The Luddite argument falls over here in that innovation simply produces more. In days of old excess labour was soaked up with grand constructions like palaces and pyramids. They seemed wasteful at the time, but in the very long run became tourist attractions and part of the culture.
There are so many areas that are screaming for attention, so burger flippers will eventually find new and most likely more rewarding careers.
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Forum: General Talk
02-19-2013, 01:48 AM
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Beetroot is a uniquely Australian innovation for the burgers- do not expect the Yanks to add it to the burgers(too healthy.) Without burger-flipping jobs, what will the unskilled do for a crust? They cannot just spend their whole lives on the dole, sponging off those still working. Still, if the burgers are OK, it will make life a lot faster and cheaper for a quick feed. The humans will just be needed for quality control. If the salt ,fat and sugar content can slowly be weaned down, perhaps the burgers can become .........HEALTHY !
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Forum: General Talk
02-19-2013, 01:36 AM
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If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If the inventors are wishing to sell it off before the technology is proved, like the Rossi-E system, scepticism is called for. Could spend billions for nothing. Anyway, the big power companies who stand to lose everything would do whatever they could to torpedo it. Another unhappy group would be the greenies...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-17-2013, 03:45 AM
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The K-01 was a camera brought out too quickly to try to keep up with the pack. Really, a lack of an eye level viewfinder is a big turn-off. For the weight and size, the only advantage over a DSLR was the mirror flop hassle. Pentax does have some features that are unique, so the next generation of cameras must capitalize on them.
For those with Nikon gear, it must drive them nuts to have to fork out extra for VR lenses. VR in the lens is less satisfactory than in the sensor. This is a really big plus.
The O-GPS-1 allowing short astronomical tracking without mucking around with tracking mounts is unique. Given this, a bit higher emphasis on a camera more suitable for astronomy will bring in new users. Pentax already has the best low temperature performance and weather sealing for DSLR cameras. All Pentax would have to develop for such a camera is a wider wavelength sensitivity and better ultra high sensitivity performance and noise reduction. Pentax does have some astronomy products. Speciality astronomy cameras are expensive, so there is latitude to pinch market share. Canon had some success with an astronomy modified model several years ago. Wifi to a laptop and external power for the long exposures would make the system gel in well. Astronomy rigs typically have wires everywhere which often are powered with big car or truck batteries. I use a 75 amp hour one myself which doubles as a stabilizer for the rig to stop it being knocked over in the dark, something other astronomers have not cottoned on to. Perhaps a dedicated rechargeable battery pack that could last right through a solid night's shooting without getting hot. Some astronomy images can use up to 40 hours of exposure to build up an image then many hours of processing. Setting up the rig accurately is also a big deal, which is where the sensor shift via the o-GPS-1 could be a revolution for the not so dedicated astro photographer.
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Forum: Pentax Mirrorless Cameras
02-15-2013, 08:27 PM
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If you cannot have direct viewing of the viewfinder, a less wide angle lens has only 1 advantage-less cropping. At least the GoPro gets pretty well everything to give the latitude to crop. If you have a smaller object to shoot that requires something more telephoto, you should have the opportunity to hold the appropriate camera to your eye.
Thus, the notion of an interchangeable lens GoPro style camera is most likely going to be a fail.
It seems that GoPro have this section of the market fairly well covered. Their continuing to innovate and improve as well as adding new accessories will mean their systems will find their way in to even the most loyal brand follower's kit.
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Forum: General Talk
02-13-2013, 01:49 AM
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One small problem- fly in to Lukla and you will not be able to acclimatize fast enough and will have headaches among other ills. :(
Some great wilderness spots in Tasmania that could yield some great photos over 24 hours. Dare say thye decision depends on what you like to shoot.
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Forum: General Talk
11-25-2012, 03:40 AM
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The $50 discount is off the list price. As Amazon has been selling below the list price, you cannot really expect them to slim their margin to a loss. The extra 10 % is better than a kick in the backside. Mind you, specifications are going up and prices down, so delaying will get you a better camera or deal, but then again, the little Lumix is a great backup camera. I love my little TZ 20 for general purpose shooting. The IQ is superb. On specialized stuff like macro, it is no match for a DSLR with the 100 f/2.8.
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Forum: General Talk
11-25-2012, 03:20 AM
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The serving sizes do appear to have shrunk. A way of keepng the outright "cost" down, even though you spend more because you have to buy more. Bit like toilet paper- the cost has not gone up, but the number of sheets keeps shrinking, effectively raising the cost by stealth. Luckily, the kids have "discovered" Subway, hence the name I gave the burgers. The last time we were starving and went for a Maccas burger, the grease made the wife sick. Even I found it too greasy, and I am a pig. Did not stop me from finishing it though. Wasting food urks me big time. Wonder if alcohol has any adverse reaction with the "plastic" food.
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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
11-25-2012, 03:11 AM
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The old Kodachrome may be defunct, but it was great stuff. The outright resolution of a 4 x 5 Kodachrome will likely not be matched by general purpose digital cameras EVER.Lenses will be put beyond their theoretical limits in the smaller format. There is a theoretical MAXIMUM resolution that can achieved with a 35mm size format (720 megapixels) digital sensor.This would require PERFECT lenses, which do not exist yet. A 4 x 5 Kodachrome will have about 800 megapixels of total information using 25 ASA film, best lenses at best settings. This takes in to account the lower lines per millimetre counts of large format lenses. Those old Kodachromes will NEVER be beaten by 35mm format digital.
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Forum: General Talk
11-25-2012, 02:55 AM
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I will second the comment on postage to Australia. The price including postage and insurance must be under $Aus 1,000 or it cops a 10 % tax whacked on top (ouch). The rediculously high Aussie dollar makes camera gear artificially cheap. A thousand bucks goes a long way and will go even further as world wide deflation hits (until the big inflationary period to follow.) Never had any problems with USPS when receiving goods bought from the US on the net.
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Forum: General Talk
11-25-2012, 02:45 AM
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Big business also gets itself bureaucratic- left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. The difference is that if they get too sloppy, some start up rival may put them out of business or force them to get their act together in response to competition. Government bureaucrats are NOT subject to such competition, so have no incentive to make any effort. Diligent workers among bureaucrats are sometimes ostracised because it makes the rest look bad. I for one resent my tax dollars being wasted on such no-hopers who write stupid legislation that makes life more difficult without any improvements in "standards." Ironicly, we would all be better if we just paid these people and told them to go home and play cards.Glorified dole bludgers. Just remember, fellow Pentaxians, the money spent on inept bureaucrats comes out of YOUR pocket. YOU have a lower standard of living so these useless(and worse) folk can lord it over us. *&^$%^ that !
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Forum: General Talk
11-23-2012, 06:38 PM
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Ineptocracy. The bigger the government , the more incompetent they get. There are calls for One World Government. Massive inept bureaucracy. Do you really trust some bozo on the other side of the world who has no idea of local conditions and sensitivities to tell you what to do in every aspect of your life? Their only "qualification" is that THEY think they know what is best for YOU.You think the western world's big governments are inept, a world government will be exponentially more inept. Bureaucrats are the ones who should be culled.
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Forum: General Talk
11-23-2012, 06:30 PM
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The institution of marriage is there to create a stable environment for bringing up children. A subtle but highly relevant point- child protection agencies like to find excuses to take children from families. You can bet that a large number would wind up with gay couples - not really an ideal way to bring up "straight" kids.More gay couples to bring up the kids(you can just guess the likely sexual orientation result) taken from more and more straight families. The cycle continues. Like a bizarre way of altering the whole sexuality of the human species and reducing the population. Do take note, there are some very powerful and influential groups working at reducing world population(the magic number is 500 million.) A term that is starting to be bandied around more is "sustainable development" and I will guarantee this will continue. PROBLEM - "sustainable development" (sounds all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it) is newspeak for depopulating humans down to 500 million souls. Charming, they would like to make the planet 93% human free. You can bet the ones who call for this depopulation will NOT be the ones who volunteer to be culled. Interestingly, they justify the need to depopulate on the grounds of water and food supplies, but these same loonies through crazy policies are DECREASING fresh water supplies and food production. Here in Australia, we have irrigation being withdrawn from the Murray-Darling region(which grows about 40% of our food) for "environmental flows" to fill the normally estuarine lower lakes with fresh water. Come on, is this absurd? Coal seam gas exploration is being allowed in the 4 % of the continent that is prime agricultural land . The whole continent basically FLOATS on the stuff. Once again, what kind of insanity is this - destroy even more food production to increase gas production when we have centuries worth of the stuff elsewhere?
Time to stop accepting the crap shoved down our throats. Gays can make a civil commitment if they like and property transfer arrangements if they like. They do not NEED binding commitments to protect children. The only plus to gays getting married is that they can suffer like the rest of us.
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