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Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2
04-05-2024, 05:04 PM
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It's peak wildflower season in Texas, and we made a pretty good crop of them this year.
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Forum: Pentax Q
1 Day Ago
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In my experience the Q7 produces pleasing JPEG images. However, you may run into the limitations of its dynamic range, while shooting raw can give you more leeway. Here are some things I learned:
- Highlight Correction can avoid blown highlights and helps with both JPEG and raw shooting. I almost always leave this set to AUTO. Conversely, I never use Shadow Correction.
- I use RawTherapee with great success. I have correction profiles for my Q lenses. (It's been so long, I honestly don't remember if those were included with RawTherapee or were part of an additional package that I downloaded.) Even if you don't have profiles, RawTherapee also can do automatic corrections based on the raw file's embedded thumbnail image, as long as you had correction turned on in the camera when shooting!
- Be aware of the Q7's ND filter (this is actually built into most of the lenses, not the body!). I mapped it to the dial on the front of the camera, so I always have easy access. It's useful whenever you are out in the sun. It can allow you to shoot wider aperture and stay out of diffraction limits, and it also sometimes can produce better colors and tones in bright situations (for reasons that aren't entirely clear to me, but I'll take it).
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Forum: Pentax Q
3 Days Ago
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Agreed. I was lucky enough to snag a Q7 Premium Kit, which included the 01, 02, 06 and 08. Then I got the 03 Fisheye later. But I agree, the 01 gets used most, and if I pack it along with the 06 and 08 then I'm ready for anything.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
3 Days Ago
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Interesting. . . I once (perhaps foolishly) had a 36×24" aluminum wall print made from a 6 MP (yes, 3000×2000!) 35mm color negative film scan. That was pushing things just a bit too far. However, if I was doing that again today, I would try running it through an AI upscaler, and the results would most likely be Just Fine. They've become quite good.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
4 Days Ago
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Well, that's never going to happen. No camera will ever be able to read your mind and know what is your idea of a "perfect shot" or what you're trying to get out of a shot when you take it. When you shoot motion, it doesn't know if you want to freeze motion or create a motion-blur effect, both of which are perfectly valid decisions. When you shoot a scene with lots of contrast, the camera doesn't know if you want to compress it and preserve every detail in the highlights and shadows, or if you are going for some chiaroscuro effect. Camera companies come up with controls to try and tell the camera what you want. . . But then you end up with 20 different shooting modes and a complex interface to switch between them, and you'd be better off just taking manual control and doing what you want directly with aperture, shutter speed and ISO gain.
This is one reason why I just shake my head at all the obsession over ever-more-complicated (and often confusing) autofocus modes, AI autofocus modes, bazillion AF points, AF joysticks or touch screens, etc. I guess tracking matters if you shoot a lot of moving subjects, like sports, etc. For most of my purposes, though, central point focus-and-recompose (just like I learned with my old 35mm SLR split prism) is simple, fast and ensures that the focus is where I want it.
One technology advance I would like to see is a 12-bit AVIF shooting mode. Then your camera could output a finished, ready-to-use file with lens correction, style, filters and such already baked in (like JPEG), but also retain more malleability for editing (more like raw).
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
5 Days Ago
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I feel like all the camera makers made a mistake by not devoting more resources into software. It seems like they've all done exactly what was required to get working firmware onto their camera bodies. They've treated software like an unfortunate necessity of doing business, rather than the engine driving innovation and progress in their industry.
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Forum: General Talk
04-11-2024, 07:05 PM
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I bought an Insta360 X3 camera for this purpose. It can do a lot of neat tricks, so I'll be keeping it around. When viewing the video, you should be able to pan around and look in any direction.
Video here →
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YipG1Ask3zw?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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The location is on top of the Hoover Knobs near Pottsville Texas. It's the highest point in Hamilton County, and (as you can see) the view is fantastic in every direction.
We had a lot of weather drama leading up to the eclipse, as they all forecast clouds, clouds, clouds. On the day, about 8AM a dark blanket of clouds pulled over the sky, and it started misting. Things looked dire, but as we say in Texas: "If you don't like the weather, just wait fifteen minutes." By the time the eclipse began, the clouds had broken up, and conditions were just about perfect. There were just a few clouds around the horizon to enhance the 360-degree sunset effect.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-29-2024, 08:24 PM
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One of these has become the most used lens on my little K-S1. It's a perfect "normal" lens on APS-C, small and lightweight, performs well. I used to think the F series were the ugliest lenses I ever saw, but it somehow fits with the K-S1's offbeat style. I also got a Pentax-branded collapsible rubber hood, and a cross-body cord to carry the camera at my side, and it's an ideal companion for photo walks.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-07-2024, 06:38 PM
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I voted a solid maybe. Show us what you've got, Pentax!
Got to admit I do love the look of the new Lomomatic 110, especially in the retro orange-and-cream color scheme. I'd be even more tempted if I could shoot Ektar 100 on it, but right now Lomography have a lock on the supply of 110 format film.
So, Pentax. . . IMHO if you're going to put the Pentax name on it, then it needs to at least be a step up from Lomo's toys.
The other viewpoint is that I still have my Pentax Q7 and my Ricoh GR Digital IV, so I don't have to deal with the costs and hassles of film to get my quirky-little-old-camera fix. (I'd really be more excited if they came back with a new Q.)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-03-2024, 10:51 AM
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Incidentally. . . The place I've been getting my film from, Ektar 100 (my favorite) is $13.50 per roll. The lab that I've been using charges an extra $10 for processing a roll of half-frame images. So, not exactly big savings there.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-01-2024, 10:10 PM
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I'm intrigued, unsure but interested. Zone focusing is perhaps the least appealing aspect, and it makes me wonder just how far Pentax will be venturing into Lomography territory with this product.
If the build quality is solid and it has a good lens, that'll go some way toward elevating it above plastic toy cameras.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-05-2024, 03:37 PM
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I recently considered this very problem when looking at used Pentax gear on fleaBay, almost all of which are available from Japan. I have no qualms about buying discontinued-and-vintage stuff that way, since there are not many other good options. Obviously Pentax sell way more gear in their home market than anywhere else.
When the items are still available new through US vendors, though. . . It's a tougher calculation. The gray market savings are tempting, but you are getting no warranty and not exactly encouraging Ricoh-Pentax to keep on bringing their product through the official retail channels.
I got a "green ring" 21mm Ltd from Japan and then sort of regretted that decision. (It didn't help that my first shots with it have been disappointing, for reasons I'm still trying to diagnose.)
Not too long ago I've bought a brand new-in-box (but closeout, at a good price) K-70 and a 20-40mm Ltd from B&H. More recently I got a 70mm Ltd, and I have a 15mm Ltd (it was $100 off!) on the way. These are not big ticket items, but they are suited to my needs at this time, and paying new retail hasn't broken my budget.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-24-2024, 11:13 AM
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I've just been playing around with the three bodies that I have here. . . my ancient K100 D, my K-S1 and my most recent K-70.
I've had some problems with the K-70, as mine tends to over-expose about ½ to ⅔ stop for some reason, especially with the 24–40mm Ltd lens that otherwise seems like it should be the ideal pairing. I can correct raw files, but. . . Even mild over-exposure is not good for color fidelity in my experience. I'm going to try using the K-70 with EV -⅔ compensation and see how that goes.
Ever once in a while I'm startled by how good the old K100 D's JPEGs look. Outdoors in the daylight, it just perfectly exposes shots and delivers vivid, alluring colors. (That's on Bright setting, not Natural, BTW.) It's most noticeable when shooting brightly colored subjects, which I guess is why we see so many flower photos over in the Six Megapixel Club.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-24-2024, 09:43 AM
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Here's something else interesting (all emphasis mine). . .
 Quote: With the development of new DSLRs now all but at an end, enthusiasts are being forced to go mirrorless. Quote: If you’re still shooting with a DSLR – and thousands upon thousands of photographers are – then it’s very likely that you’re completely happy with it, and don’t particularly want to be forced into making a change. Quote: …there are still a great many photographers using DSLRs, but they’re rapidly running out of options in terms of upgrading or replacing their existing cameras. Models are steadily being discontinued, as are lenses and accessories so, like it or not, DSLR users are increasingly having their hands forced when it comes to buying their next interchangeable lens camera. Quote: The reality is that, sooner or later for most current DSLR users, it’s going to be crunch time… Somehow I'm just not feeling all the pressure and coercion that the author of this piece seems to imagine. Camera bodies and lenses are durable goods that tend to have a long service life. They don't turn to pumpkins when the clock strikes midnight.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-19-2024, 05:54 PM
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I notice several times the article refers to the K-1's size as a positive. I've never held a K-1 in my hands, but over the last few days I've spent some time with a Lumix S1R, which is a mirrorless camera, but is in the same size-and-weight category with the K-1, and. . . whew, not sure I want to tote that around a lot. Compared to what I'm used to, it's a beast.
On the other hand, I've lately come to appreciate the K-S1. It's a small wonder, especially with the Limited lenses. It has a great viewfinder, good image quality, and it's simple to operate.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-20-2023, 10:06 PM
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In my humble opinion, there's very little practical difference between 135 format (full frame) and APS-C. Going to 135 nets you 50% increase in linear size, or 100% increase in area, which may sound like a lot but in optical terms is just one stop. It's only a historical accident that both of these formats co-exist as they do, because either one can generally do the job of the other.
AS for the question of making large prints. . . We've gotten to the point where you can post-process almost anything into a good looking print. AI upscaling is amazing now, and you should try it out if you haven't yet. I think I could take a 6 MP film scan and process it into something that would look good on a 3×2 foot aluminum wall hanging.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-04-2024, 03:24 PM
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One of the most compact is still the original Sony A7. I can slap on a Samyang 35mm f/2.8 and it seems to weigh nothing. It reminds me of the old Konica TC-X film SLR with its little 40mm kit lens.
After going mirrorless, there were times when I did miss an OVF, though. The Sony EVF is functional but hardly a thing of beauty. I recently hunted down a K-S1 and K-70. The pentaprism is great outdoors in the daylight, and these are not big cameras at all.
On the other hand, I've been tempted to get my hands on a Panasonic Lumix S1R, which everyone who's used it says has the best EVF they've ever seen. It also has a bunch of crop options built in, including 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, 2:1 and even 65:24 (XPan!). It would be nice to compose shots in those aspect ratios with the image right there in my viewfinder, no guesswork. The catch there is, the S1R is roughly the size and weight of a K-1. So I guess there's no free lunch.
Anyhow. . . If I could roll back the clock some years and do everything over with the benefit of experience and hindsight, I'd probably have either just stuck with Pentax APS-C or else stuck with my foray into Olympus micro four thirds, and then put the rest of my efforts into going more interesting places to take photos with them. Because either of those formats worked Just Fine, and all the rest of mucking around with gear and systems was mostly just spinning my wheels and getting no traction.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
07-20-2023, 02:43 PM
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My cat Punkin. . .
I was just re-familiarizing myself with the 20-40 Ltd when I shot this. I had one a few years ago, sold it (when I thought I was getting out of Pentax), missed it, eventually got another one. I like how this shot came out.
Sadly, this was the last good shot that I got of Punkin before he vanished a couple of days later.
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Forum: General Photography
07-17-2023, 02:32 PM
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I was gonna say. . . I just recently got a K-70 on closeout deal, and it pairs nicely with the 20-40 Ltd, and that's a weather sealed combo.
I also have an old K-S1 and Pentax-F 28mm f2.8 lens, which is an even smaller and lighter combo, also with great image quality. However, that's not weather sealed. (How much faith anyone should put in weather sealing is a whole different topic that we could get into. I've heard the rumor that repair places do a lot more repair work on weather-sealed cameras, presumably because people think they can get away with abusing them.)
There was some mention of sandy beaches earlier. . . The GR IIIx isn't weather sealed and doesn't have a viewfinder for those bright, sunny days. I mean, there's an accessory OVF that you can get, that goes on the flash shoe, but it's nothing like a DSLR in that regard.
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Forum: Pentax Q
06-15-2023, 03:08 AM
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Ha! Thank you!
Yes, I got up this morning at 5 AM (because cat), and for some reason I was still turning over the flash problem in my head, and trying work through it logically. And then I figured out: because there's no communication with the camera, and it's only used in totally manual mode, maybe it makes logical sense for the flash functions on the camera to all be switched OFF.
Tried it. Flash fired. Came here to tell y'all. Saw your answer. And isn't that how these things usually go?
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Forum: Pentax Q
05-30-2023, 09:31 PM
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Looks like I spilled a lot of COLOR on my computer desk.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
06-02-2023, 09:14 AM
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A few years back I had a Pentax MX-1. It's a camera that definitely has a following, and it's one that I wanted to like. I thought it might be a good companion for my Q7 system, even. And yet, it wasn't love at first sight. I never bonded with the MX-1. Pentax tried to advertise it as a premium compact, and they touted the brass top that will "patina" with time and wear. But that seemed like a pure gimmick to me, when the rest of the camera body and lens housing was kind of clunky and cheap. It was slow and unresponsive. It used a different battery from my Q7, so that was one more type of battery to keep track of and keep charged. Power zoom was awkward. The tilt screen was useful, but the lack of any viewfinder was a real problem outdoors on sunny days.
Yesterday I got my hands on a Fujifilm X20, which hit the market about the same time. It's shaping up to be everything that I had wished from the MX-1. The X20 has much nicer build quality or "fit-and-finish" with more classic rangefinder looks. It lacks tilt LCD, but has an optical viewfinder. It has manual, mechanical zoom. It has a slightly larger sensor than the MX-1 and is not molasses slow. It even uses a battery (Fuji FW-50) compatible with my Q7. I wish I had taken notice of this camera back when it was new, instead of ten years later!
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
05-16-2023, 10:41 PM
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Personally, I wish Pentax had kept the Q series going, and maybe given us a "Super Q" with an EVF. But I guess the Q is history and ain't coming back. A pity. That system was unique.
I have a Sony A7, A7R2, Pentax K-S1, and some time past have had a K-01 and K-S2.
That original A7 is remarkably small and lightweight. With a Samyang "Tiny Series" 35mm F2.8 lens, it could compete with the lightest and most compact 35mm film SLRs, like my old plastic fantastic Konica TC-X and 40mm F1.8 kit lens (a cult favorite lens that many also use adapted on the Sony). The A7R2 is somewhat bigger and heavier than the A7, but it also has more resolution, better ergonomics, IBIS, electronic shutter. So it's a compromise.
The K-S1, I believe, is the smallest and lightest DSLR that Pentax have produced. It's hefty compared with the A7, though. Maybe that's due to the pentaprism? You pay a price for the compactness. It doesn't have a tilt screen, doesn't have weather sealing, doesn't have a front control dial, and the ergonomics are. . . eccentric. The K-S2, K-70 and KF (all on the same chassis) are slightly bigger and heavier, but they have everything that was missing from the K-S1. So it's a compromise.
Also, the choice of a "normal" lens for any APS-C Pentax has several options with different tradeoffs. (Personally, I really wish for a new DA 28mm Ltd.) For me the K-S2 and 20-40mm Ltd were a great combo, but that's not the choice for minimum size.
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Forum: General Photography
03-27-2022, 09:21 AM
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They are. When I was learning photography with a 35mm film SLR (straight from The Complete Kodak Book of Photography), I was taught to support the camera on the palm of my left hand, use the fingers of my left hand to operate the aperture and focus rings, and use my right hand to grip the camera body and operate the shutter release.
I still shoot a lot of lenses (old and new) with manual aperture and focus rings, so I've never really changed my way of doing this.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-23-2022, 07:58 AM
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Watching this video brought to mind a number of philosophical thoughts I've had about cameras and the shooting experience.
I fully switched to mirrorless a while back, and the only DSLR that I still own is the very first Pentax K100D that I got in the beginning, which I don't ever really use and is starting to go a little wonky anyhow. My workhorse cameras are all Sonys now. And they do work well, they produce great images. In particular, they work well with manual focus and the two Voigtländer lenses that I have, the 15mm Heliar and 40mm Nokton. Those are fantastic lenses, and the manual shooting experience in some ways takes me back to my film SLR days.
However. . .
From time to time I do miss my Pentax K-S2 and regret selling it, and the nice lenses that I had for it, including the 20-40mm Limited. That was a great combo.
The Sony's EVF does a fine job of presenting to me all the information I need to nail a shot: exposure, focus peaking, magnification. That was the attraction of it. Sometimes I do get a bit sick of peering into the dim, grainy, shimmery, ugly thing, though. Especially on sunny days, when the K-S2's viewfinder was a joy to use, and I can't say that about the EVF.
When taking a shot with the K-S2, there was an element of trust involved. I couldn't see how the camera was going to interpret that image. I just had to do my part, framing, making sure focus was where I wanted, and then. . . let go. Let the camera take it from there. Yeah, it's possible to hit the Play button after the shot and chimp it, but in practice I wouldn't usually do that. I found that putting that trust in the camera could, somewhat surprisingly, be a good feeling instead of causing anxiety. It generally came through for me.
My A7 and A7R2 are not going anywhere, but I have to say I'm tempted to get back into a Pentax DSLR of some stripe.
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