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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-10-2019, 07:56 AM
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I have the exact setup you are talking about. The 21mm on the KP fits in a fairly small camera bag, so it's what I always have with me. I love the focal length and compact size for a walking around lens. If I'm hiking I swap the 21mm out for the DA* 300/4. When I do that I also carry the K-S2 with a wider lens.
The DA* 300/4 is great for perched birds and plants. Subject isolation is really nice and f/4 is fast enough for me paired with the high ISO capabilities of the KP.
The KP produces amazing raw files. It's been a huge leap for me from any previous camera body. They hold up really well to processing. I don't got full HDR with mine, but there is so much more room to make adjustments.
Ergonomically the KP is great for my hands with the large grips. Having aperture, ISO and exposure compensation all controlled by dials is huge!
Good luck with your decision!
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Forum: General Photography
10-05-2018, 06:22 AM
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I have been using a Lowepro ProTactic 350 for travel/hiking and it has worked out quite well. I have the 16-85 on a KS-2 and the KP has either a DA 15mm, DA 100mm macro or DA *300mm.
The beauty of this pack is that you can swing it sideways for quick access to the smaller setup or flip it to your chest for top access to the larger setup. It does stand up when you set it on the ground. I usually wear it all day hiking and it has been very comfortable. The molle attachment points are great for water bottle and lunch pouches.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-03-2018, 06:55 AM
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I went to Iceland in August and I had a similar dilemma while planning what to take. I just don't like hauling around as much gear as I used to. Also, a big trip like that is a good time to evaluate my equipment. Besides Pentax I shoot Canon, so I had plenty of options. I took my Pentax gear because it is so much lighter and more compact and it was definitely the right decision. Weather resistance was also a factor.
I took most of my shots with the DA 15, DA 16-85 and DA* 300 f/4. I brought KP and KS-2 bodies. About half of my best shots were with the DA 15, and a third each with the other two. I brought the 300mm for wildlife, but I was surprised at how many landscape shots I took with it. I much prefer the 15mm to the 16-85 if the focal length works, but WR was very useful around waterfalls or when the weather was bad.
I used the A 70-210 for years and my copy is very sharp. The CA can be a little harsh, but Lightroom can deal with that. It's fairly compact, but a bit heavy and the push-pull zoom takes a little getting used to. I have one of the DA 50-200s, but I never bonded with it. Maybe in a pinch if I need something really light and compact, but it's just not as sharp as I would like. Same goes for the collapsible 18-50mm WR that came with the KS-2.
As far as bodies, the KP has been amazing. I have medium-sized hands and it feels just right with the large grips. I love the fact that I can set ISO and exposure compensation using dials. The tilting LCD is very handy when you need it. I shoot with a 5D Mark IV at work and the KP can keep up in post processing.
Good luck with your decision!
Mars
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
09-13-2018, 06:20 AM
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Are you using a reflector to bounce light into the shadows, or is there a wall? Could that have a color cast? Were you wearing a red shirt? It seems like the whole thing is a little oversaturated, but the fact that just the shadows have a red cast implies that the problem is not in post.
The right-side eyebrow of the young woman is very saturated. If you use the gradient tool in Lightroom you could bump down the saturation on the whole right side a bit, but that wouldn't help the shadow on the nose.
You said you are using two flashes in an octabox. Are they side-by-side? It seems possible that the color varies just enough between the two flash units to cause problems. It might be a pain, but you might have to gel one of the flashes to get them both in the same color range.
Is there enough power to try it with just one flash as a test? I often shoot one flash through an umbrella with a reflector on the other side to open up the shadows.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
09-12-2018, 06:16 AM
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I hope you're shooting in raw! In Lightroom just over the white balance adjustment sliders there's a profile selector that starts at "As Shot." There's a setting called "Flash" and also "Daylight" that might be good. Neither will probably be perfect since the light modifiers and the walls the light is bouncing off of may not be perfectly white. It might be a good place to start and you can tune it from there.
You can also go to one of the images that looks good and write down the temp and tint values, then paste those into the others. You can copy and paste those settings to all of the photos in a shoot to avoid having to do it by hand.
Another thing you can do is have the model hold up a grey card in the first shot. You can take a white balance reading with the eyedropper tool in Lightroom and paste that into the rest. If you don't have a grey card a piece of white paper should work, but sometimes they have a color cast to them. You may not like the finished look, but it can give you a neutral starting point.
You still might have to do some individual adjustments even after all of this, but hopefully you'll be at a better starting point. At work I use Einstein strobes and one of the selling points is shot to shot color consistency at any power level. The implication is that color temperature can change at different power levels with other flashes, but I haven't tested it. Just something to think about.
Hopefully this helps!
Mars
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Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2
03-30-2015, 05:57 AM
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Hi Matt,
Sounds interesting! If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Mars
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Forum: Pentax K-S1 & K-S2
03-27-2015, 06:43 AM
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Hi Matt,
I just checked and it can be rotated to face the base. When you turn it on the screen is right side up too if the camera is facing down, so you should be good. I tried out the ImageSync app yesterday and it worked great, so you might consider that if you've got a smart phone.
Mars
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
06-12-2011, 08:23 AM
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I have used an app called ID Release:
ID Release FREE - create, store and send model releases
Nancy Wolff is the legal counsel for this one, so I figured the language must be good. I have only had a chance to use it on a shoot once, but it worked well. The model had a little bit of a problem typing on my iPhone since he hadn't used one, but it was fine in the end. It emailed a pdf to both of us, which was convenient.
It was somewhat awkward waiting for him to struggle through typing in his information, but it's great having the model release on the spot.
Mars
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
11-30-2006, 12:18 PM
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Thanks guys! I'm out of town, but once I get back I'll post some photos.
I hear that a lot. I should rent that one.
Mars
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
11-26-2006, 01:07 PM
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Hi all!
I wandered over here from the DPR. I've been there for about 9 months, posting a bit here and there. It's good to see some familiar names.
My real name is Marcelino, but everybody calls me Mars. I got a DS for Christmas last year and I haven't gone anywhere without it. I mostly take pictures of birds and my four year-old son, but I take plenty of pictures of interesting things I see.
Take care,
Mars
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