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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-09-2023, 10:35 PM
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The year was 1992 and I had just transitioned off the streets and on to stable housing. I had always loved photography so I managed to scratch up forty bucks and went to a local pawn shop to see if they had any cameras in my price range. Sure enough there was a beat up Pentax K1000 in the glass case. The salesperson was willing to sell the camerea for 40 bucks on the condition that he could not guarantee it. I took the chance and went to a local drugstore a couple of blocks away and purchased a roll of Tri-X. It really felt great to be walking the streets again with a camera. I remembered that there was a meal van that would stop at a location in downtown Milwaukee to feed the less fortunate. Since I recently transitioned off the streets myself I knew most of them. There I met Don and Katrina, Both 19 and living on the streets. They,Like the others standing behind them, Were waiting for the Van to arrive. Hot soup and sandwiches will provide a brief yet welcome respite from the chill of that october day. When I saw Katrina lean onto Don's shoulder for support I released the shutter. The image took first place in the regional KINSA 'Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot Awards' in the Milwaukee Journal in 1993
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
06-16-2022, 08:01 AM
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This was my first reflection too.
The sunlight as light source and the illumination of the Moon don't match as well - from my perspective.
Then I had a look in the EXIF data that show the date of the image as "2021-11-13 20:13:26 -0400". According to the rendering of the moon in the Stellarium software: at that date there was no (nearly) full moon.
Edit: According to Google Streetview the Moon would be in roughly North North West direction which isn't plausible to me...
Perhaps the author of No. 8 could explain that. It could be that I'm wrong or misinterpreting the data.
Edit 2: For the record - the contest rules explicitely allow composite images.
E.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-04-2022, 06:37 AM
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Living in Iowa, we have relatively few days when it's possible to enjoy having the windows wide open, so I especially treasure these kinds of mornings with a gentle breeze. Since the SDM has now failed in my lovely DA* 55mm lens, I'm limited to manual focus, which is definitely a challenge for me due to my poor eyesight, even with focus peaking.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-15-2022, 05:34 AM
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An old weather-beaten fence in my backyard is dull and boring from a distance, but colorful and interesting up close. This is also my first attempt at pixel shift.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-11-2022, 09:13 PM
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Commenta are always welcome and appreciated
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-13-2022, 09:06 PM
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An afternoon with my daughter.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-13-2022, 08:24 PM
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Thank you for clarifying. My focus was misdirected. I was looking at the image for the mundane things we might see and not notice. I missed the point because I was looking at the elements within the image and not the image as a whole. I apologize for that.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
06-04-2022, 02:10 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-06-2022, 02:42 AM
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As I understand it, cyanoacrylates do not "melt" plastics, but bond with the surface. Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) is commonly used as a solvent for plastics to join parts by dissolving and then setting. Different solvents may be required for different plastics.
The red arrow above points towards what I would describe as the rear thumbwheel, the front one being that close to the shutter release. The front being where the lens is mounted. Just to clarify.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-11-2022, 03:22 AM
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By my calculation, the resolution requirement of 5m at 400km equates to 3.75 microns at the focal plane, whereas the Sony 36MP sensor in the K-1 has a reported sensel size of 4.88 microns. If that’s accurate, there’s no question of the sensor out-resolving that lens, but it leads me to wonder how it would go against a higher resolution sensor.
Anyway, good on them for choosing a Pentax lens, when there were other options available.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-11-2022, 01:52 AM
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The news is only on the Japanese Ricoh Imaging site.
As the title says, the DA* 300mm f/4 has been selected as the shooting lens for the 6U Cube Sat satellite "KITSUNE".
The selected lens had to have a metal barrel (no outgas from plastics), a high resolution of 5m from 400km, and to have a compact design.
Not bad, for a consumer lens launched in 2008!
PENTAX??????????????????????6U????????KITSUNE???????????????????RICOH IMAGING |
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-16-2013, 03:34 PM
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The K10D was the camera that finally convinced me to retire my film cameras and go digital. Though it's ancient in technology terms, I still find it a very satisfying camera. I don't really mind that it's at its best at lower ISOs. In film, I used to shoot Velvia 50 and Kodachrome 25, so I just look at my K10D as the digital equivalent of shooting those types of film and just accept the limitations that go along with that. I like that its size and weight are a good match for my larger zooms. It just feels right.
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
12-15-2020, 03:05 PM
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All are great photos. I like # 9, I think it's just different.
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
01-21-2019, 10:41 PM
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Thank you so kindly for the comments I first visited this station back in the Fall of 2018 and had taken several photographs . After Posting them on my Face Book Page I received a message asking permission to post on the Orangedale Museum Face book page , This Building being one of the remaining Train Stations Of several Located on Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia Canada Build in 1886 , was scheduled to be demolished like the remaining Stations Build around the same period , This Station Being the Hub of Cape Breton of its time the small country community of Orangedale rallied to save it and turned it into a Museum , while visiting the area this past year I noticed the Building was in need of repairs which is run by a none profit organisation of volunteers operating seasonal . I wanted to try an do something to help , so I made contact to return for a Christmas Theme shoot , I was told that for many years the station would be decorated for the Holidays , but the past recent loss of interest and Volunteers , so I wanted to try and re-create this, and with some convincing gained access to the building , bringing Christmas lights from my own home to set up in the windows of the station with the help of my contact . I used two Speedlights with remote triggers set up around the bend of the tracks to create the effect of an oncoming train . The Rail Line is owned and operated by a US Company Wyoming Rail , but the line has been sitting Dormant for the past 5 or 6 years with no Trains active on the Line . Part of the reason it has not been torn up , do to Gov Subsidies to keep it intact with hopes of future business . After I released this photo the response was huge, more so then I Anticipated selling many print copy's and donating a percentage of each print sold back to the Museum , I was even able to meet one of the Station Masters from the time now 92yrs of age , many Story's told and his father before him was Station Master , I'm looking forward to return in the Spring for more conversation . the last passenger Train to run on this line was back in 1990 , I always enjoyed taking this train too and from College back in the 80's , there has even been a song written and sung by Jimmy Rankin ( The Rankin Family ) Orangedale Whistle , search for it on YouTube its a favorite here in the Maritimes .
thank you again for interest
Cheers
Alan
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-21-2013, 11:45 AM
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+1 for hood, never leave home without 'em, lenses look naked if their missing. :D
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-21-2013, 11:21 AM
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It has.......
First, hoods and filters do completely different things, although they do overlap in some areas.
Second, always use a hood. Always. Especially with older lenses like your M where the coatings are not as good at resisting flare. The hood will make a noticeable difference.
Third, where we usually see the hood vs filter debate is in people trying to prove one or the other is better at protecting the lens. I won't re-open that debate, use what you want.
Fourth, A CPL performs a specific job, it reduces reflections and glare from non-metallic objects. It can also darken skies and boost contrast/color in some cases. But unless you are shooting water or trying to boost a light blue sky a CPL has little value and costs you at least a stop of light. Use it when you need it, don't when you don't.
Fifth, get a hood. Get a cheap 49mm rubber fold out for like $5 if you don't want to spend much. It will be the best $5 you ever spent. If you need a CPL then get a CPL but it does not do the same thing as a hood.
Sixth, get a hood.:D
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
12-13-2011, 05:07 PM
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Hey,
Something classic, but i had to try. And the weather is so bad around here, i play with black currant sirup & milk. No heavy PP, just a exposure correction.
More pics here.
Best regards,
Arno
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Forum: Winners' Showcase
06-21-2013, 07:31 AM
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I visit New Orleans almost every year and have wanted to get a shot of one of New Orleans' famous streetcars in fog along the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. I got lucky this year. The fog was not as thick as I would have liked but you take what is offered you. That's downtown New Orleans in the background and the bridge over the Mississippi on left side of the streetcar.
Postwork was done in Photoshop CS6.
I assume that a streetcar might be considered a "train" as it rides on rails.
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Forum: Pentax Lens Articles
04-04-2009, 08:14 AM
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Following the requests of Hin and OregonJim, I create a new topic on the lens conversion to PK mount. Hope it will be useful for the others who interest the lenses conversion. If it is not convenient in this section, mod or admin, please, move it to the convenient place.
1) Introduction
Following Marks Robert, the Vivitar 70-210 S1, version 3 is the best among three versions. The mine is KONICA mount, I decided to convert it to Pentax K mount.
The flange focal distance of Konica system is about 40,5mm, whereas the Pentax one is 45.5mm. Therefore, we must shave the lens about 5mm in order to focus to the infinity.
Here is the image of the lens before the conversion (sorry, because it from the seller)
Required things:
- A M42-PK adapter ~ 6$ (I bought from a seller on ebay)
- Some small screwdrivers
- A ruler
- A saw (A lathe will be better)
- A file
- A drilling machine with 2 drills: 2mm and 2.5mm
This conversion simply consists of two steps. Firstly, cut off 5mm and secondly replace the Konica mount by the M42-PK adapter.
2) Disassembling the lens and cutting away 5mm
Unscrew 4 cross-screws from the bottom of the lens to take out the Konica mount.
The M42-PK adapter is thinner than the Konica mount about 1mm. Therefore we must shave the other parts of the lens about 4mm.
This ring is associated with the aperture system of the lens by the trigger. I decided to shave the aluminum ring. Firstly, I sawed this ring, cut away 4mm. This ring screws on other part of the lens which has the thread as the image shown.
Secondly, I also sawed this part about 4mm as the below image. After that, I filed them, it would be better if I had a lathe instead of sawing.
The trigger were also cut away about 4mm in order to function correctly.
3) Drilling the mount and reassembling.
The Konica mount is totally inside the aperture ring. Therefore, we must shave the aperture ring in order to place the M42-PK adapter above. If not, 1mm economized from the difference between two mounts is useless.
Throw away the ring with red dot (the thickness of this ring is about 5mm)
Drill 4 holes respectively on the M42-PK mount. Re-screw 4 cross-screws with 4 new holes.
Voilą, the conversion is done.
Here are the results of the quick test.
IMHO, its colors are beautiful.
I have not yet converted to Pentax KA. I think it is more difficult and it needs more precise tool to convert.
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