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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
09-29-2013, 07:42 PM
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I have been known to leave an hour early for work to capture the beauty of the morning. While parked on a dimly lit road side with my flashers on, I jogged across a dew soaked field for a closer view of this combination of sunlight, fog, and water. I fired off a few test shots and suddenly 2 geese flew into my shot and there you have it, one of my all time favorite nature shots.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
09-13-2013, 11:59 AM
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I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away...
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Forum: Sold Items
07-12-2013, 10:00 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
05-23-2013, 10:22 PM
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No troubles besides the wait. I was concerned at first because I am the 2nd owner that's holding a receipt with someone else's name on it. My worries were gone after I called CRIS. The rep I spoke to said, "It's not a problem because it is such a new camera, even if you don't have your receipt, just tell me where you bought it and we will take care of the rest." Their estimated repair time was 2-3 weeks. After the 4th week, a CRIS rep told me if it takes a lot longer there would be a chance of getting a brand new replacement. I did get mine back and I suppose I can't complain since it was fixed for free :cool:
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
05-23-2013, 07:05 PM
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Just for the record: It sure felt like an eternity but my K5IIs is finally back :) I shipped her out on April 1st and got her back on May 21st . Pentax Ricoh Service Center @ CRIS replaced a defective Shutter Block. All good to go now!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
05-14-2013, 07:53 PM
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I figured it was best to keep this thread alive since I have the same situation. I recently picked up a used Sigma 15mm FE and I did not get a square template for cutting filters with mine. Does anybody know the specs of this template? I plan to cut some ND gels myself. I have experimented with cutting paper to guess the size and it's really close to the width of 2.5 lines of college ruled paper :)
Next experiment was to see if I fit more than one filter inside the slot to achieve the darkness of 9-10stops. I could only fit 3 sheets of paper inside the slot (assuming 2 gels will be thicker) which leaves me with my final problem/question--> I cannot find a single ND gel filter that can be cut with a darkness of at least ND400. ND16 is as dark as I have seen. Any solutions where I'd find such a gel? I really don't want to mount an apparatus on the outside of my lens while hiking to various destinations, seems like it would be difficult to keep clean.
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
04-30-2013, 08:40 PM
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I submitted this photo in the Rain Contest because in my opinion, rain was the it's greatest enhancement. Despite the Redfield/Fractalius effect on the lights and sky, I felt the 30 second exposure at f16 gives the photo the ultimate pop and grandioso effect due to the reflections of the lights off the rain saturated asphalt and concrete from the passing by vehicles and city lights. The subject that lies between the reflections and the fractalius effect is the recently upgraded "Destiny USA, previously known as the Carousel Center from 1990-2012, is a six-story super-regional shopping and entertainment complex on the shore of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York. It is the sixth largest shopping center in the nation, and the largest in the state of New York (Wikipedia)."
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
04-30-2013, 08:38 PM
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I submitted this photo in the Rain Contest because in my opinion, rain was the it's greatest enhancement. Despite the Redfield/Fractalius effect on the lights and sky, I felt the 30 second exposure at f16 gives the photo the ultimate pop and grandioso effect due to the reflections of the lights off the rain saturated asphalt and concrete from the passing by vehicles and city lights. The subject that lies between the reflections and the fractalius effect is the recently upgraded "Destiny USA, previously known as the Carousel Center from 1990-2012, is a six-story super-regional shopping and entertainment complex on the shore of Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, New York. It is the sixth largest shopping center in the nation, and the largest in the state of New York (Wikipedia)."
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
04-09-2013, 05:25 PM
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jbinpg, believe me, I did extensive testing in all modes and all of the above except install the latest firmware version 1.03. It didn't seem to pertain to my problem. I know it mentions stability bugs and a fix while using AA batteries in the grip, but I do not own a grip. After reading a couple negative comments about v1.03 I chose not to.
Will CRIS tell me specifically what they found was wrong?
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
04-09-2013, 05:06 PM
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My call to CRIS went like a dream! A pleasant sounding woman picked up the phone and I told her up front that I had a problem with my K5iis and that I received it as a gift. She said, it's not a problem because it is very new, if you don't have the original receipt, just tell me where it was originally purchased. I told her I have it right here! I'm just so glad I didn't have to go cloak n dagger on CRIS to get the answer I was looking for :lol:
So I shipped it to CRIS on Monday the 1st and they received it on Wednesday morning the 3rd. It's almost been a week and I'm growing antsy. Does anyone have and estimations on how long until I get her back? Should I give them a call?
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-30-2013, 09:44 AM
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I was shooting a head shot of a friend inside a country and western store using a Sigma FE 15mm along with the camera's fish eye filter which all worked fine the day before. I reset all the settings and tried my Sigma 30mm f1.4 and several different SD cards to be sure and the results were the same.
This sample I took this morning was an indoor medium shot of a girl standing in the center of the frame at about 7' using my Sigma 30 at f1.4 with an exposure time of 1/30sec while using a 51200 ISO. The pictures still came out black so I brightened the levels with Adobe CS5 and this was my result. There is some discoloration but it does not seem to match up with the subject I shot.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-29-2013, 09:52 PM
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Here is the metadata using Fast Stone Image Viewer
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-29-2013, 07:08 PM
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I like the way you think jatrax! I will certainly use another phone and name to remain anonymous. If I wind up spending $350+ on repairs on a camera I saved $200 mon would be disappointing :(
I did view the images I took today on a computer to be sure and they are all black. I did not notice anything significant to me or unusual about the metadata besides the file size of a 16mp jpeg was only 2.3mb. Would it help to post the data for someone to see?
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-29-2013, 05:44 PM
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Thanks Docrwm. My concern is when I mail in the camera and receipt to CRIS, won't they be suspicious when my name does not match the name on the original receipt? I thought this one through. Perhaps I don't put a name on my return address....when it comes back to me will CRIS put the original owners name on the package? Won't I eventually have to show my ID to pick it up at the post office, say if I am not home when the delivery person stops by my place?
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-29-2013, 05:09 PM
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My K5IIs is showing a black screen after shooting a photo and the EXIF info is available. Yes, the lens cap is off and I made sure the SD card is ok, slider is in proper position. I removed the lens and shot a photo with a slow shutter speed and it still shows a black image. I assume it is a sensor fault as I have read other threads on this topic.
I am the 2nd owner and I have the original receipt dated 2-4-2013 from a Pentax distributor, but the camera still has not been registered. My concern: Is it best to tell Pentax that it was a gift? Does Pentax go into specifics on the gift option? Has anyone actually obtained warranty work as a 2nd owner using the gift option? The original owner is still in contact with me and says he'll stand behind me no matter what. From what I have read on previous threads, I don't want to tell Pentax I bought it used. The only other choice might be asking the original owner to mail it in for me as he is a few hundred miles away, but would rather not ask.
How safe is attempting to use the gift option? Any other suggestions??
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
03-15-2013, 08:11 PM
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Just curious. I shot some photographs of a friend last week displaying what I believe to be fearlessness :D Would this be an acceptable submission as it is impossible for one to photograph them self performing this activity alone? I would ask him to photograph me but he's not as experienced with a DSLR with nor do I want to take a chance of anyone dropping my K5IIs into a lake.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-09-2013, 09:34 PM
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Yes K(s)evin, that solved the 2nd problem I had! I just checked all the lenses I own and never seen an A setting like that. :lol: Even though I'm still a newbie on the forum, I would have to say the advice on this thread alone was well worth a donation to Pentax Forms! Thank you Adam and K(s)evin!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-09-2013, 08:10 PM
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Correction: I can adjust the fstop with the clicker ring at the base of the lens manually, but not using the traditional thumb scroller. Is this normal for this lens?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-09-2013, 08:04 PM
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Thank you Adam! Yes I found it (#27) and now I am able to take photos with the K5 but still not able to adjust the fstop manually, is this normal for this lens? or is there another custom setting that I have not found?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-09-2013, 07:17 PM
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I just received a used Sigma 15mm fish eye from eBay(320 shipped) today. After testing the lens on 3 cameras my 1st thought was to return it asap but I am able to produce good photos with my K10 and K20. With these 2 cameras the AF works and I can adjust the shutter speed in the usual way but can only adjust the f-stop manually using the clicker at the base of the lens.
The big disappointment and mystery to me is, that it does absolutely nothing on my K5IIs. The seller has 100% feedback says he's had it for five years and that it worked fine on his Kx and K20. I read on a previous thread that an original owner of a Sigma lens can get a 7 year extension on his warranty for $20. I imagine there is nothing available for a 3rd owner, right?
My guess is it's not worth to keep and send to Sigma for repairs, right? Any suggestions? :(
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
03-03-2013, 11:34 PM
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In 1978, I watched Jaws 2 at the drive-in with my family when I was 7 years old. Needless to say it permanently installed a degree of fear in my mind that a shark was after me under a variety of circumstances. I remember waking to a nightmare that my arm was bit off, but it had been asleep from laying on it for too long.
I can well re-call the ritual of brushing my teeth before bed with my 2 sisters. Often times I would see my bed as a boat or safe zone, and would sprint towards it from the bathroom, like I was making it to the boat to escape the famous great white :lol:
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-02-2013, 12:48 PM
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That is priceless info vangaans, thanks for sharing! Now on my 3rd day using my K5 I feel I can put together something far more presentable than my previous attempt :)
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-01-2013, 01:54 PM
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I have new found respect for all the Pentaxian short films I have watched over the last few years! The biggest disadvantage when shooting video with a Pentax DSLR is being forced to hold the camera up and away from your body to view the screen. I suppose I am spoiled by the cradle style Panasonic video cameras I have used over the years with their tilting screens which enables you to rest the camera on your chest which certainly adds stability while maintaining decent blood flow to your arms. Back when I upgraded from the K10d to the K20d I vowed to never buy another Pentax camera until one comes with an articulating screen...but couldn't resist the low light abilities and IQ of the IIs. So I make this vow once again...:lol:
I have only shot 3min of video so far(which I was surprised comes out to a GB). I have read about the K5s overheating problem but still uncertain of the time frames they can handle.
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
03-01-2013, 01:12 AM
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I shot some sample footage on my 1st outing with my new IIs today but it's terrible lol. I have worked a few years a videographer during the pre-HD years and did some short film work too. I used the Panasonic DVX80 (3 chip - cradle style) which was nice for its time. Pentax DSLRs still lack 2 vital things for video. A tilt screen would help to get a variety of angles which is a requirement for interesting video and better options for stability when hand held and continuous auto focus on occasion would be nice too. Been a frustrating wait for these options. I have a couple photo weddings coming up so I chose the IIs for the IQ and low light ability.
I suppose I can humiliate myself by sharing my 1st ever DSLR video using my Tamron 70-200 f2.8 hand held. I wasn't planning to shoot video but with my encounter with a small herd of deer, I gave it a quick try. Be nice :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoR7TzfCdGo |
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-01-2013, 12:09 AM
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Hello anemrac, I'm a fellow newbie too. Congrats on your new purchase! Looks like we made the exact same jump from the K20d to the IIs at the exact same time. I picked mine up from the post office today and took my to the local nature trail late in the afternoon to test it's low light AF abilities and I am astonished. I found a small herd of deer and the IIs was locking focus until 6:10pm eastern time! I'm not saying the AF is perfect every time in low light, but it's a great improvement over the K20d. I don't need to look hard to see improved image quality either. Today brought back that feeling of being 8yrs old and getting the best Christmas present of my life :lol:
PPPPPP42, it certainly is a tough time and especially for phototakers like us. In my opinion, the digital age has made the photographer the lowest on the status ladder for an average wedding. A florist and a dj/band will always be needed and what would you guess the florist to dj/band to photographer ratio is in your city? It seems every family has an Uncle Joe that is fairly handy with a DSLR and it's why I decided to up the ante with the IIs, because it's a competitive business and I want to convince others that my work might be better than Joe's.
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