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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
09-22-2016, 12:40 PM
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I have taken my K-1 back after I had the mode button fixed, everything has gone back to normal and I enjoyed shooting an airshow this weekend in TAv mode! :D
Here is a sample with the DFA 150-450+HD 1.4X converter in the evening light.
For those who would like to see it in greater resolution here is my Flickr image: REDP9248 | Luca Bertossio performs glider aerobatics in AFW ? | Flickr |
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
09-14-2016, 09:45 PM
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A landscape shot with the DFA 24-70. Since I see so many wonderful shots in here I ended up liking posts instead of commenting to keep it easier for me and shorter for the thread! :lol:
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Forum: Photographic Technique
03-12-2024, 04:17 AM
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Hello Paul! Take a look here:
Pentax and aviation photography
I have been shooting this kind of aviation photography for many years now and I still do (always with Pentax equipment), so feel free to ask me any question that crosses your mind. Its better to answer your questions than write my experiences...
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-27-2024, 02:42 AM
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Great image... so powerful and with a mysterious atmosphere
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-23-2024, 12:17 AM
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Great image! When the light is not harsh it produces beautiful images! (provided that everything else has been done right!)
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Forum: Winners' Showcase
12-08-2023, 03:21 AM
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I would like to nominate this photo
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-20-2023, 01:43 AM
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The K-5IIs has the best IQ I've ever seen from a APS-C DSLR. Too bad that the K-3 series haven't taken this IQ to the next level. Even my K-3iii I love isn't up to the K-5IIs results when shot side by side. IDK what Pentax had done with the K-5IIs (not the previous K-5 model) but they couldn't convey this magic to their next models, unfortunately.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-26-2023, 04:12 AM
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The problem is that the focus limiter has only 1 on-off switch. If you engage it, it limits the focus between the minimum focus distance (~5.6m) and 12m or from 12m to infinity depending on where the focus distance is when you engage it. I shoot mostly aviation so I leave it on the 12-infinity most of the time. If you walk around though or place the lens on a seat etc the focus limiter might have gone the short distance scale and when you have to shoot without any preparation you might get frustrated :confused: Also on my K-3iii when the camera AF struggles to lock focus (on small or remote subjects) the AF jumps to the minimum distance (even with the limiter ON!) and just stays there... You need to switch off the camera turn the focus ring to unstuck and then switch it back on to return to normal operation... :o
Despite those drawbacks I love my lens and surely (when I got it) couldn't afford any other offering from other companies in the same category (not the case nowadays). I attach some images taken with the lens (as noone wants to waste time searching in other sites) with a few words on each one. (I apologize that I cannot attach newer and better ones here but I have lost my "privileges" in PFs ;) )
In soft evening light. The CAs are minimal as seen here. Taken with the K-3iii.
Again with the K-3iii in harsh light this time and no problem to remove CAs from some metals edges. The teleprime IQ is quite evident.
This one with the K-1. Again very little PP needed to bring it to this (mostly some highlight recovery).
I also use it for shooting in airports as it gives different perspectives and superb IQ. This one with the K-1 wide open under evening light. I post this as I love the 3D effect the separation from the background gives and also demonstrates the very unique OOF rendering of this lens. It resembles that of mirror lenses sometimes but I really like it even if it quite nervous in comparison to the 600/4 or 500/4 from other brands. You can recognize a DA560 image in a batch of similar images with other cameras-lenses from the unique rendering, but you can't tell if a photo was taken by a Nikon 600/4 or a Canon 500/4 for example :lol: IDK what people think of it but I like it...
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-03-2023, 01:58 AM
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Great aviation pictures! Congratulations!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
06-29-2023, 01:06 AM
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I have written it before. This would also be a dream lens/move from Pentax, but the FA*250-600 was the most complicated lens to manufacture and it is quite impossible we see a new version of it. Moreover if you think about it the DFA 150-450 is the APS-C version of the FA*. :)
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
06-12-2023, 01:14 AM
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What I noticed with the new firmware and the new settings is that it has improved much the AF accuracy on stationary subjects while on AF-C mode. With previous firmware it often missed target if you hold the AF on a stationary subject more than a few milliseconds. Now it seems to hold focus even with the 3rd mode and the priority set to 5 (tracking).
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
06-09-2023, 12:12 AM
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Great results on a so busy and changing background... Can't wait to test mine too.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
05-12-2023, 08:38 AM
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In fact the crop factor is around 1,53 so the final frame corresponds to 1288mm in FF. :cool:
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
05-09-2023, 10:30 AM
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I have posted before on the DA560 and DFA 150-450 performance on the K-1 and now I'm also using them on the K-3iii. Long story short the DA560 when used properly and when the focus is nailed the IQ is clearly better then the zoom. The extra focal length also helps. The DFA is a great zoom and when stopped down a bit it really shines. It focuses much faster and more reliable in comparison to the DA560 and it lacks the CAs that quite often are quite disturbing on the prime lens. To sum it up, if I would recommend only one long lens the DFA 150-450 would be it, as it is more reliable and easy to use and get the shot. The DA560 is a strange animal. Very long and a bit awkward in use (the strange focus limiter, the not so fast DC motor and some image rendering characteristics like the strange OOF areas that look like a catoptric lens and excessive CAs) but once you learn how to utilize it you get some images that you simply can't with the DFA zoom. I believe that with some upgrading and updating the DA560 would become a super lens, as it is light and an object of desire, but there is a reason that Pentax stopped its production. Another thing I noticed is that the DA560 works better on the slow AF K-1 than the fast K-3iii and I really don't know why.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-24-2023, 02:13 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-13-2022, 01:44 AM
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@BruceBanner
I have used D500 much and now own the K-3iii and really don't feel Pentax falls short. All in all the K-3iii is the better camera with the D500 having quite bigger buffer and maybe a bit better AF-C tracking performance (I say maybe because the latest firmware on the K-3iii has brought even better performance and I would really love to test those 2 cameras with the same bright tele-primes to come to conclusion, but unfortunately Pentax doesn't offer any lens in that category. The 200-500/5.6 from Nikon Vs the DFA 150-450 shows not a real difference in AF performance). The DFA* lenses show that Pentax invests in FF and for me this is the right way, without neglecting the APS-C line as they do now. Personally I prefer the FF system and I enjoy using my K-1 more than any camera. Your friends with the D850s won't have any other option if they want to stick with their brand. If Nikon offered them an alternative or they could get a brand new D850 I'm not so sure many of them would look at the MILCs. At least not the D850s users I know. The lack of support in the "old" DSLR system from Nikon is what worries them and they will eventually have to jump to Z lenses too, when service won't be available for their DSLR glass. A great FF DSLR from Pentax could offer a real alternative to those people like me who love the OVF experience and there also comes in the "Pentax experience". Not exclusively slow your pace down (which is as you say part of their philosophy) but there are many photographers like me who love to attach a lens on their camera and just lounge observing the nature around them and enjoying the natural light that meets their eyes without even switching the camera on... That is the greatest advantage of a DSLR to me.
Anyway, I didn't say you came to any solid conclusions, all I said is that to your notion a D850 alike camera for you has no meaning for Pentax while I believe quite the opposite. Beat the D850 which is the benchmark in the category and rule the FF DSLR world should be their aim. By winning the D850 I'm not saying in every single category but as a total experience and that is what K-3iii did with the D500. The K-3iii users know and feel this excellence. The K-1 and K-1ii still have some drawbacks. The K-1iii should have no drawbacks, even if the camera won't suit the needs of everyone and will be inevitably expensive...
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-08-2022, 01:27 AM
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X posted from here: K-3iii a/f improvement with latest firmware - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com
but I think it is quite important for K-3iii users so I re-attached the text below.
" I also think that the C-AF has been improved with the latest firmware. I tried my updated K-3iii on aviation photography during a whole day in an airport and took more than 3000 photos. The light was poor with overcast all day with some better light during the midday when there was some weak sunlight through clouds. My findings:
1. The C-AF that I mostly used gave me a higher % of tack sharp images. In the past there were times in a long burst that 2-3 consequent frames were slightly OOF before the camera regained perfect focus on the subject. Now I didn't find this behaviour even at very remote subjects (where the problem was more frequent). I can't say this is a fact yet but surely the samples are quite many to draw some firm conclusions. I'll wait for feedback from other users to confirm my findings...
2. MOST important and confirmed finding for me is the obviously and vastly improved SR in panning mode! Due to low light and prop planes flying in front of us with many touch and goes I shot mainly with very low shutter speeds (down to 1/60 on quite many occasions) and I tried the SR-panning mode VS the no VR mode I was mostly using until now. I had found that the SR in standard or panning mode gave me pictures that had a slight vibration when checked in 100% size and really few where as sharp as I want them to be (I have strict criteria). OTOH no VR means no help so many really bad pictures from motion blur but as I have the technique and experience now I could get some images that were tack sharp from the nose to the tail of a plane. The % was really low and there were bursts that gave no great panning images at all, but still I preferred the glass to sensor image without any SR interference results. Now the improvement was so important and obvious that from the first tries I sticked with the SR in panning mode, as I was getting a really good % of really sharp images! I went back and forth during the day and comparing the results on my PC yesterday I was really satisfied by the use of SR now and I confirmed what was obvious from the first time I reviewed the photos on the back of the screen. Great job Pentax! Keep up the good work and keep on improving things with firmware updates!"
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-13-2022, 12:00 AM
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Allow me to disagree with your analysis that more or less comes to the conclusion that a Pentax D850 rival is not the way to go but instead a FF K-3iii or an incremental K-1ii update or a speciality camera will make a bigger success and sell more among Pentaxians and also attract new users. I have already expressed my opinion, so just to sum it up here. If Pentax won't come up with a vastly improved FF camera in comparison with the K-1ii and they present a camera that will be lagging behind the D850 which was released on 2017, then for me it would be a total failure both in terms of sales and also for the brand image. Pentax is the only brand still investing on DSLRs and bringing in the market on 2023 a FF DSLR that can't compete with a 6 years old tech camera from Nikon will be devastating for many reasons. First of all it will become the joke in every YouTube photography channel (and with a reason). Then again, it won't sell to Pentaxians too. Why bother when I already have my K-1 and the K-3iii? Since Pentax releases new cameras in each category every 5+ years this is their chance to present a wonderful FF which will be of a new era like the K-3ii-->K-3iii did. The camera should be better than the D850 and become the new standard in FF DSLRs with a huge bright OVF and all the fine features that Pentax cameras pack, offering the best IQ in the category (just like the K-1 did in comparison with the D810, back then).
I really can't imagine a buyer stepping in a camera store on 2023 or later and asking for the best FF DSLR in the market and they tell them it is the 2017 Nikon D850 from a company that no longer produces DSLRs! That is the picture of defeat for Ricoh/Pentax if we want to be honest to ourselves. :o
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
12-12-2022, 05:19 AM
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Welcome from Greece my friend! Enjoy your great camera and your time in here.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-08-2022, 01:18 AM
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I also think that the C-AF has been improved with the latest firmware. I tried my updated K-3iii on aviation photography during a whole day in an airport and took more than 3000 photos. The light was poor with overcast all day with some better light during the midday when there was some weak sunlight through clouds. My findings:
1. The C-AF that I mostly used gave me a higher % of tack sharp images. In the past there were times in a long burst that 2-3 consequent frames were slightly OOF before the camera regained perfect focus on the subject. Now I didn't find this behaviour even at very remote subjects (where the problem was more frequent). I can't say this is a fact yet but surely the samples are quite many to draw some firm conclusions. I'll wait for feedback from other users to confirm my findings...
2. MOST important and confirmed finding for me is the obviously and vastly improved SR in panning mode! Due to low light and prop planes flying in front of us with many touch and goes I shot mainly with very low shutter speeds (down to 1/60 on quite many occasions) and I tried the SR-panning mode VS the no VR mode I was mostly using until now. I had found that the SR in standard or panning mode gave me pictures that had a slight vibration when checked in 100% size and really few where as sharp as I want them to be (I have strict criteria). OTOH no VR means no help so many really bad pictures from motion blur but as I have the technique and experience now I could get some images that were tack sharp from the nose to the tail of a plane. The % was really low and there were bursts that gave no great panning images at all, but still I preferred the glass to sensor image without any SR interference results. Now the improvement was so important and obvious that from the first tries I sticked with the SR in panning mode, as I was getting a really good % of really sharp images! I went back and forth during the day and comparing the results on my PC yesterday I was really satisfied by the use of SR now and I confirmed what was obvious from the first time I reviewed the photos on the back of the screen. Great job Pentax! Keep up the good work and keep on improving things with firmware updates!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-07-2022, 11:53 PM
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Why don't you test it in daylight on a stationery subject that is very easy to nail focus? You can not be so sure that the moon is perfectly in focus. In case the results are the same on such a target too, then there is something wrong with your lens. Mine is super sharp even wide open even at the corners on my K-1. And I mean the sharpness of this gem is phenomenal. I haven't tested at the extreme corners (borders of frame) but that's because I don't care for these spots, but yet again I haven't seen any obvious degradation across the frame, only the expected vignetting.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
11-27-2022, 11:07 PM
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Great work and highly detailed and accurate model and beautiful pictures! I would love to see more pictures of your models  |
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
11-10-2022, 04:18 AM
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Welcome from Greece. Great images there, I hope we see more!
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Forum: Pentax Full Frame
09-30-2022, 03:46 AM
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Exactly that. The K-1iii won't be "intentionally crippled" in areas to be oriented to landscapes or night photography. To me as Pentax has shown in the past it will have the Ricoh/Pentax best available tech in every sector and then something more. Don't forget their philosophy that brought the K-1ii "the KP had the accelerator processor chip and the FF flagship could not be offered without the same advancement". Moreover when the K-1iii comes out it will inevitably be compared with the best DSLR of the category which is the D850 that came out in 2017... I don't think that Pentax can fall behind a camera that old and not be the best FF DSLR in the market for anyone interested. Will it be as fast and with so good AF performance as the D850? It remains to be seen. Given the huge leap ahead with the K-3iii I expect it to be very close or even to set the new standard even in that category. I think by adapting and optimizing the AF module for a FF camera with bigger sensor and probably even better RGBIr AE sensor than the K-3iii (or larger) it will be able to offer even better AF performance and tracking/eye tracking capabilites... I'm don't know much about optic physics, so I don't if the bigger sensor offers advantages per se.
Concerning the orientation of the K-1iii as I said i don't believe that it won't be an all around camera capable of every kind of photography, like the D850 is. You just need to mount the appropriate lens and you have a capable system for any kind of photography. K-1/1ii was not exactly like that because the existing Pentax top tech was quite behind the competition in some areas, although it still was very close to the D810 that it competed with. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that the new K-1iii will be a fascinating camera :D
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
09-12-2022, 04:35 AM
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There is no issue there. Just calibrate your lenses-K-3iii to accurately focus when using the single center AF point at the widest aperture of your lenses. When you use the combo in single focus mode and centre point AF you'll get the expected results. Use the group modes only for AF-C when you try to focus on anything moving and you will also get excellent results. Use the right settings for any given situation and enjoy shooting your K-3iii!
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