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: Pentax K-3 III
02-25-2024, 11:15 PM
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Hello guys! How is the Sigma 18-35/1.8 on the K-3iii? I had tried the lens that I liked very much on my K-5IIs but the AF was inconsistent and never bought it... I wonder how it performs on the K-3iii especially wide open and if the AF is an issue or not...
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
02-15-2024, 01:54 AM
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Great set and a rare bird! :)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-25-2024, 02:48 AM
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I also have and use both the DA 560 and the DFA 150-450 with or without the 1.4X HD TC and I think your statement is quite unfair for the DA 560 :lol: Yes the DFA 150-450 is great lens and I recommend it to anyone who needs a tele lens but the IQ from the DA560 when anything has gone well and you know how to use it is clearly better than the zoom's.
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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: Lens Clubs
12-10-2023, 11:16 PM
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Great results as I can see this is a hard task as the birds are in quite a long distance and the frames full of terrain. I would love to live this experience, owls are my favourite birds. IDK if they follow certain flying patterns maybe pre-focusing at a spot you expect it to fly by might be helpful. I would use the buttons on the DFA 150-450 to gain some time in acquiring focus. Next thing is the K-3iii would certainly help but I leave it out of the discussion as we use what we've got to get what we want is my theory :D
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
12-08-2023, 03:22 AM
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I would like to nominate this photo
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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: Lens Clubs
12-08-2023, 02:56 AM
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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: Lens Clubs
11-07-2023, 03:08 AM
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I think it's a common problem... Check my experience here: Da560 - Page 2 - PentaxForums.com
Probably that's why Pentax withdraw the lens from its arsenal. Surely a new improved tele lens is needed.
That said i used mine yesterday with great results once again
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-26-2023, 07:23 AM
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WOW that is so cool! I'll be waiting for your Warthog photos flying low! There were some A-10s deployed here in Thessaloniki - Greece and had the chance to visit them and take pictures. I promise to upload a few in Flickr to show you too :lol:
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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: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-26-2023, 02:22 AM
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Congratulations on your purchase. It is a special lens in many ways. I also got mine new a few years ago and I haven't regretted it. The IQ if you learn to use it at its limits is exceptional but there will be cases when you wish it had better AF (faster and with a different focus limiter fuction) and better CA performance. As I shoot mostly telephotos I have used it excessively (along with the DFA 150-450) on both my K-1 and K-3iii. You can find some samples on my Flickr account if you're interested.
Mine has a loose hood that wasn't repaired properly when I sent it to France so I just use the neoprene cover to prevent the hood from falling back and have no issues (other than you can't place the lens on the hood like the pro teleprimes from other brands). Unfortunately the focus limiter is the weakest point of the lens and has cost me quite a lot missed shots... On the K-3iii if you loose focus the lens goes to the minimum distance and you have to manually unstick it from there which is a shame for such an expensive combo. I wished Ricoh/Pentax did something to improve this lens (which could easily become a real gem) but since they withdraw it they have other plans...
All in all (i have written too many things about the lens in other relevant threads) and despite the fact that in one of my best ever opportunities for some impressive aviation photos my K1-DA560 died without any explanations or any way to recover it again (I went to the back up K3iii-DFA 150-450 combo that saved the day but if you need a prime tele is at situations like this and it just crashed...), my opinion of the lens is positive and still my first choice when I want the best IQ and most reach I can get. I could write a lot more (comparisons with other brands, ways for Pentax to improve the lens and offer an upgrade like with the K-1ii etc etc) but it makes no sense as you have it in your hands and you make your own decision on it. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it especially if very fast action shooting is not your primary interest.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
10-25-2023, 02:34 AM
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Some top level aviation images. Thanks for sharing and congrats.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-23-2023, 03:41 AM
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-16-2023, 03:58 AM
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The first image is art in comparison to the Canon versions which might be technically fine but we have seen thousand similar shots. The colours and perspective of the 645Z in addition to the MF look on those OOF areas just stands out for me.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-06-2023, 04:13 AM
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Prob blur depends on the aircraft. The turboprop engined look good in flight with 1/320 and full disk is around 1/160 or 1/125 in flight and 1/80 while taxiing.
2ndWW warbirds need slower SS for similar results. In flight 1/200 or slower SS and for full disks 1/80 when flying at full speed (RPM for their propellers). While on the ground the SS should be less than 1/40 to have beautiful blur and its difficult even on a tripod (except when they are still and test their engines).
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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: Lens Clubs
08-29-2023, 03:11 AM
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Great images CarbonR! Congratulations!
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
07-06-2023, 11:22 PM
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I would like to nominate this photo
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Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
07-03-2023, 12:40 AM
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I would like to nominate this photo
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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
06-22-2023, 01:08 AM
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I've seen the same behaviour with mine K-3iii+DFA150-450 combo. I mainly shot airplanes in flight and if the plane is far away and very small in the viewfinder the camera can't focus on it and it stucks in a short distance after a few efforts to lock focus. I've found that turning the lens on a contrasty subject in a medium distance and refocusing solves the problem, as the camera focuses on the new target and then i can go on trying with my subject again...
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