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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
07-21-2013, 12:14 AM
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Though it is a rafting trip it's much more than that in truth. The hikes in the grand canyon and the scenery is spectacular. It truly is a once in a lifetime trip. If that isn't a reason to take a DSLR I don't know what is. If I have good enough pictures they'll certainly be printed and will go on my walls. One of the reasons I started this thread is to ask what do I need to learn in the next two months that will turn ordinary shots into extraordinary shots...because there will be plenty of opportunity for the latter on this trip...
I wouldn't worry about that...when I'm oaring through the rapids the K30 will be tucked away in my pelican case...
That was one of the reasons I went with the 18-250mm as it was described everywhere I read as a sturdy, reliable all-around lens with excellent IQ for it's range.
I don't want anyone to get the impression that I'll be pulling this camera out while going through a rapid. It will be brought out during flat water, hikes and video/pictures of rapid runs from the bank. I don't plan on bringing it out in wet conditions as I'll be oaring a raft during the times when getting wet is an issue.
Excellent idea. Will do.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
07-20-2013, 08:01 PM
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Thanks for the ideas guys. Lot of strong suggestions for the 18-135mm WR. I'll look into it. I'm not too concerned about shutter speed as most of the pictures I will be taking will be in very slow water. Apart from the rapids a large portion of the river is essentially a moving lake...
Good idea on the strap as well. I'll look into it. I'm planning on getting a pelican case for my camera for on the river. You can custom pad them and they are about as water proof as they get and pretty easily accessible. Though there are probably a lot of options to go with.
I'll look into polarizers as well for the river. That's an area I haven't looked into at all yet.
How about prime lenses for specific shots like landscapes? Good used lenses that would work?
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
07-20-2013, 04:45 PM
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The thread title says it all...WHAT DO I DO!?!?!?!
Didn't know where to post this as it's quite general so let me give you an idea of where I'm coming from. I'm new in the world of SLR photography. I'm a little over a year out of college and photography has always interested me but I've never quite taken the dive. For the last 5 years my photography experience has been with a hand-me-down Canon A560. A nice little point and shoot camera but it's time to take that dive as I'm no longer a ramen eating college student with a poorly paying job. I've purchased and am waiting for my K-30 and it couldn't have been at a better time (or worse...if you think about it).
I have a rafting trip on the Grand Canyon coming up in September. For those of you who don't know this is the holy grail of rafting trips. I grew up rafting and kayaking and have never had the chance before. 20 days completely cut-off from the outside world in the some of the world's most beautiful and striking scenery (not to mention the awesome whitewater). It's an exciting opputunity but one that doesn't come around a lot. I don't want to screw it up from a photography standpoint. Take a look at the google search I did below...
https://www.google.com/search?q=grand+canyon+rafting+photography&bav=on.2,or...BeH8iwK6nIDoCQ
The opportunity to take fantastic photos will be at every bend of the river. So here I am asking the experts what to do. Here is my equipment I've purchased so far...
- Pentax K-30 Body
- SMC DA 18-250 F3.5-6.3 ED AL
- Extra Battery
- 2x 16GB Sandisk SD Cards
My strategy from talking to some other rafters about photography thus far is this. You want an all-purpose lens for on the boat. You don't want to be switching out lenses on a boat and you'll want a good amount of zoom since you won't always be next to something you want to capture...hence the 18-250mm lens. I'm quite certain on this purchase as a good lens to have equipped at all times on the raft but that is about all I'm certain of. An extra battery for obvious reasons though I will have AA batteries ready should I need them as a back-up. Not sure if I'll need more storage or not. As I experiment with the camera I'll purchase more if necessary. And that's about it so far...
So here I ask for your help. The range of shots available to be taken on this trip is vast. Action shots of other rafts going through rapids...huge landscape shots...normal day to day shots of the group...artsy shots of whatever I can dream up...and so I'm a bit overwhelmed. Below are some specific questions I have...
- Additional lenses? I'm sure I'll use the 18-250 a lot and by all reviews it's a great all-around lens. How about a dedicated lens for certain shots when I'm off the boat...specifically landscape and action shots? I don't want to spend a ton more money than I have so if there are some good used lenses for jobs like this I'd like your opinions.
- Trip considerations? Always be prepared...so what else should I consider? Additional batteries/SD cards? Accessories?
- Techniques? This is a broad subject but anything in particular you think may be of help in this specific case? Good books to read on the subject?
- Post processing? Haven't looked into it much but anything to consider while on the river about this? Should I have avoid over/under exposing shots in that it will ruin them for messing around with?
I could go on for days and I could scour these message boards for months and not even scratch the surface. So essentially, what I'm asking is this...what would you do in the same situation?
Ready for 2 months of homework (never thought I'd say that). Let's do this! :cool:
Cheers!
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-16-2013, 04:12 PM
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Definitely an upside to the Pentax cameras. When I was making my decision about which brand to pursue the Pentax cameras also felt the best ergonomically. I'm looking forward to buying some old lenses in the future and playing around with them too...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-16-2013, 04:08 PM
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I feel comfortable with the K-30 as a camera that I can learn the finer points of photography with. I'm sure the K-5 II would provide better performance but it's just not in my price range. As far as the 18-250mm lens goes I wanted a reliable lens that offers a wide range of zoom so I won't have to change lenses for distant shots. I'm going rafting on the Grand Canyon in September. This is a 20 day trip and I wanted a single lens that I can pull out of a case and not have to worry about switching out on the river. I'm aware the pairing of the K-30 and 18-250mm lens may not be perfectly ideal but it should provide quality shots during good light which is most important to me at this point. In the future when I've learned more about photography I'll delve more deeply into the finer aspects of the optics.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-16-2013, 03:09 PM
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No wonder I couldn't find what P meant...:hmm:
I've looked into those 3 options as well. The Pentax 18-135mm doesn't quite have the reach I'm looking for. The Pentax 18-270mm is out of my price range. The Sigma 18-250mm has OS which isn't necessary because the K-30 has IS so it just bumps up the price tag ($400)...though the used Tamron/Pentax 18-250mm lenses seem to go between $320-$380, which is not much cheaper.
Value wise the Tamron/Pentax 18/250mm does seem to have the best reviews so I still think I want to go that direction if I can find a decent deal...
Thanks for the clarification, that stuff was messing with me...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-16-2013, 02:34 PM
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First post on the board. Had a question about lenses.
I'm in the process of purchasing a K-30 as my first SLR camera. I'm pretty comfortable with the purchase as a camera I can grow into. Initially I'd like to get an all-purpose lens for the camera and in my research I've read that the 18-250mm Pentax or Tamron is one of the best (if not the best) all purpose lens. They aren't manufactured anymore so I have to buy secondhand and it is a bit confusing. A lot of the lenses for sale have a number of different designations and I wanted to ensure I was getting the right lens. Here are a couple examples of designations I've found for Pentax lenses:
DA ED 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 f/3.5-6.3 AL
AF 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 LD Dill Macro
SMC P DA 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3
What does the P represent? I can't find that anywhere. How about Dill Macro? Do they have any meaning I should be concerned with or wary of?
In my research it sounds like the first option (DA ED 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 f/3.5-6.3 AL) is the option to go with. I found a page to decipher some of these designations (terminology - What do all those cryptic number and letter codes in a lens name mean? - Photography Stack Exchange) but before I invest $300 I want to make sure I'm not missing anything.
Any comments/suggestions/insults out there for me?
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-16-2013, 12:22 PM
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Hello all,
New to the world of non-point-and-shoot photography. I have a few questions but I'll leave them in separate threads on the forum. I've already gotten some great advice from just browsing around so I'm curious to start asking questions.
Little bit about me. I'm from Reno, Nevada. I've always enjoyed photography but never took it seriously because I could never afford the nice gear. Now that I'm graduated, have a job and expendable income I'm looking forward seeing what I can get out of the world of SLRs.
Cheers!
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