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Forum: General Photography
07-23-2017, 10:06 AM
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Theov39 - I'm going to carry whatever I take with me 2200 miles over mountains, so weight is critical - even a very light ultrabook will weigh 5-6x the weight of a phone (and become easily the heaviest thing in my entire pack!). It will be easier to power a phone as well - I will have access to solar power, which can keep my phone charged long-term. I won't be able to get to an outlet so there won't be power for anything much larger. An ultrabook would be better on a walk over a few days, but over six months the long battery life becomes meaningless compared to the amount of times it can be charged.
Paul the Sunman - I hadn't seen that new update. Will take a look!
Has anyone come across good noise reduction, HDR or panorama merge apps that they can recommend?
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Forum: General Photography
07-23-2017, 03:09 AM
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So from what I could see, Lightroom Mobile needed a CC subscription to use properly. Adobe photoshop express also exists on Android, although I would rate the functionality of Snapseed higher. The only issue with Snapseed is the absence of noise reduction tools, and I've been unable to find a decent tool for this. Photoshop express does include this, but only with a CC subscription which I am very reluctant to get (both because I will not be earning during this tip, and also because I don't like the way that subscription-based software is going). I also already own LR6 in it's non-CC form and paying for it again seems perverse.
The tools I am very keen to get hold of are gradient filters and denoise. Everything else Snapseed seems to have well in hand (although I didn't realise it could process RAW).
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Forum: General Photography
07-22-2017, 04:51 AM
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Hello all!
I have a question that may not have an answer yet, but I'm hoping some of you may have some experience with this. I am going to walk the Appalachian trail next year, which is 6 months of solid walking carrying as-light-as-possible stuff. I am taking a proper camera (although I will switch to micro four thirds for the trip - GM5 is only 211g!) but I will not have access to a computer, and certainly not one with photo-editing software, on the run. What I will have access to is an Android mobile phone, which I am going to use for any and all computing over the time. I will be able to offload photo files to a backup hard drive, which I won't be carrying, on a semi-regular basis.
I typically shoot RAW and edit in lightroom/pixelmator. Ideally, I want to keep shooting RAW and I want to be able to process some photos as I go so that I can keep a blog for friends and family to keep up with me. I know that mobile-based RAW workflow is in its infancy, but if anyone has had any experience of doing this I would love to hear about it in terms of what works, what doesn't, and any specific apps you used to hep out.
On a recent 2-week walk I shot in RAW+JPG and transferred the jpg files wirelessly to my phone, editied them in snapseed and uploaded any that were worthwhile, but the workflow is scattered and organisation was a bit dodgy. There was no ability to do anything with RAW.
So...am I being unrealistic? Are the limitations of phone screens such that I would not be able to see the difference between .jpg and RAW anyway? Should I just shoot .jpg and accept that my photos on this trip will not have as much scope as others? Any advice, comment or recommendations gratefully received.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-19-2016, 12:59 PM
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What a blinder! Gorgeous.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-19-2016, 12:57 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-22-2015, 09:48 AM
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Forum: General Photography
10-20-2015, 12:50 PM
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Just goes to show - my favourite shot from the protest was all about a face, but shot with the 15mm rather than the 70mm. Ho hum!
Face in the crowd by Callan S, on Flickr
vs a more traditional use of the 15mm
Untitled by Callan S, on Flickr
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Forum: General Photography
10-16-2015, 01:47 AM
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I'm going to a protest tomorrow (junior doctors protesting an increase in hours being imposed by the government) and will be bringing my KS2 along - just wondering which lenses to bring (want to travel light) and if anyone has any ideas for shots to try out. Never shot anything similar before, and not being paid, so I've got plenty of room to experiment. Any advice welcome!
To choose from I have:
15mm Limited
35mm Limited
50mm A 1.7 (or 50mm M 1.4)
55mm Tak 1.8 (or 55mm K 1.8)
70mm Limited
135mm M
70-300mm Tamron
I've been saving for a 16-85 which would probably have been ideal but haven't managed to get it together in time for this, sadly. Wha'd'ya reckon?
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-12-2015, 02:32 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-12-2015, 01:40 AM
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Great shots Michael! Love the colours.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-12-2015, 01:31 AM
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A couple with the DA15 from a recent day trip to London.
Night trials for the 15mm Limited by Callan S, on Flickr
Handheld at 1s (braced against a wall), post in Lightroom.
Starburst Bridge by Callan S, on Flickr
Taking the starburst effect a step further by making it solid matter! This one was also handheld, but without a wall and on a suspension bridge that was swaying gently with the movement of people across it. As such, this one is regretably not as sharp as perhaps it could be, but I like the composition too much to mind that much!
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-08-2015, 03:57 AM
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That last shot of the spider is a cracker, defocused top-right issues or not!
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Forum: Photo Critique
10-03-2015, 01:28 AM
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Thanks, thats great to hear! I'll look into the 70-210 - I've just picked up a Tak 200mm f4 though so it'll be a while before I go hunting for another tele lens!
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Forum: Pentax Q
10-02-2015, 04:58 AM
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The 06 telephoto zoom is excellent and has the advantage of easily adjustable aperture and a zoom range. There is a comparison between the 06 telephoto and the 110 50mm lens here.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-01-2015, 11:19 AM
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Just a mention for landscape primes - I use the DA 15mm and the DA 70mm pair for most of my landscape shots, with the DA35mm or Takumar 55mm if I really need that middle ground. The 15/70 combo is light and compact for walkies and carting up mountains, but might be too limited (ha) for many. Below is with the 70mm Limited.
The Last Shot - Pepperbox Hill by Callan S, on Flickr
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-01-2015, 05:34 AM
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So after listening to all the advice here, and taking each lens out for a walk about town, I've decided to go with the group and sell the 50mm f1.4 takumar. The M50 is a gem and works wonders on the M-series body it was designed for, and the 55mm f1.8 is just better, somehow: focusing is easier, it's brighter, lighter and smaller (despite the aperture difference). Thanks for the help, all!
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-30-2015, 01:23 PM
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New 200mm f4 Takumar appeared in the post today. Not sure how that happened, but I thought I'd accept the parcel. I decided to take it out for a quick spin before I take it apart to clean out the fungus. Not much to shoot wildlife-wise today, not sure why, so only managed some fairly local fauna!
Nut-wielding Treemouse by Callan S, on Flickr
A Nonplussed Hunter by Callan S, on Flickr
Someone's domestic cat was particularly surprised to find me in the undergrowth and watched me in what I can only assume was bewilderment before slinking into the thickets.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-28-2015, 02:29 PM
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Not sure I'm completely convinced by that:
- Taks: Adjust aperture as needed, focus, shoot. If the light doesn't change, excellent! If it does, unless I want a new aperture, I change nothing bar the focus, Tv changes automatically. If I do find I need a brighter finder I can use the auto/manual switch to switch it, but this is more time consuming than the M.
- SMC M: Adjust aperture as needed, focus, green button, shoot. If light doesn't change, excellent! If it does, I re-meter with the green button to get appropriate Tv. With the M in Av mode the stop-down doesn't meter.
Doesn't necessarily change my preferences, as with some more experimentations I have come to the conclusion that:
- Tak 50mm is strong for it's warm glow, lovely focus feel, and is sharp. It's the only lens I've taken out properly thus far and it's given me some great shots.
- Tak 55mm is strong for it's brightness, lightness, and sharpness with typical Takumar feel.
- M50mm is sharp as a Tak, works perfectly on the MG (like it was made for it...!)
I had an A-series 50mm 1.7 which was unbelievably good. During my move I have misplaced it somewhere, and so far it has not reappeared. I am loath to buy another as I know the second I do the old one will appear! I did crumble at some point and get one off eBay but the focus mechanism and aperture was broken. Sellfer gave a full refund and told me to keep the lens, so I disassembled it and fixed the aperture mechanism but struggled to understand the focusing one. All the youtube videos I could get hold of didn't help me figure it out...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-27-2015, 01:58 PM
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I only just got the MG, I think another body is probably overkill! I'm ultimately saving towards the 43mm Limited (currently not particularly flush) so I will eventually have the fast autofocus 'normal' lens (probably slightly more normal on APS-C than a true 50mm). My main issue with the M is the stop-down metering, which takes a button-press more than the TTL metering on Av mode with the Taks. However, I can't really understand my KS2's exposure decisions with the 50mm Tak 1.4 - it seems to overexpose on occasion by up to about three stops. Don't know if it's the thorium colouration affecting the metering system or something, but it doesn't seem to happen with the 55mm nor the M50.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-27-2015, 12:28 PM
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I have three fast 50s kicking about at home, and I need to sell one off because my lens collection is expanding beyond the capacity of the lens box I keep it in (and perhaps I'm saving for a future purchase...). I have a KS2 and an MG - one of the lenses will pretty much always be on the MG and the other comes with the KS2. I originally bought the M50 on eBay with fungus with the aim to re-sell at a profit once I'd cleaned it. Having done so I'm not so sure I can let it go anymore...but I really do need to sell one.
- Pentax-M 50mm 1.4 - stop-down metering via green button, sharp as a tack.
- SMC Takumar 50mm 1.4 - slightly yellowed but not hurtfully so! In the process of feeding it sunlight to clear it up a bit. Does seem to overexpose on the KS2 quite a bit - can't really figure out why. Also sharp as a taK, if you catch my drift.
- Takumar 55mm 1.8 - tiny tiny tiny - easily the most compact of the three and clear as a bell.
All of them are clear bar some insignificant dust comensurate with their age. I find it quite difficult to compare the sharpness of them wide open as it's so easy to be fractionally off with the focus, especially on my ordinary KS2 focusing screen. Obviously at f4-8 they are all perfectly sharp. I've put infinity focus adapters on both the taks without the retention clips so I can happily bayonet change the whole lot - so that isn't an issue.
Any thoughts?
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Forum: Pentax Q
09-21-2015, 02:22 AM
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I've used a range of Auto 110 lenses on both the Q and QS1 (same sensor as the Q7). They are good but I've only shot them wide open (no aperture in these lenses). You can use lensbaby aperture discs to stop them down but I've not tried this.
With the Auto 110 70mm @ f2.8 (X-posted from B&W thread)
Hand in Hand by Callan S, on Flickr
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
09-20-2015, 02:50 AM
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This is a fantastic shot! Perfectly timed.
I've got a couple of recent pictures...I increasingly find that I appreciate B&W more than colour for a lot of my shots. A convert!
Fence by Callan S, on Flickr
The Church Window by Callan S, on Flickr
Hand in Hand by Callan S, on Flickr
I don't know if in that last one I should rotate it slightly so the groynes are horizontal...any thoughts?
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
09-19-2015, 07:27 AM
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KS2 is excellent and weather-resistant where the KS1 is not. I've not used the K30/50 - I went from K200D to KS2 - so can't comment on those, but I'm very happy with my KS2.
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