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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 1 Day Ago  
Lens decision: wide angle lens for landscapes on K-1 II
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 14
Views: 503
I own the 31 and it is not wide enough for landscape work. If you do not use a filter, a used 15-30 is a no brainer (less than $1,000). the 21mm will do the job too and take filters as well but the cost will be higher and you are stuck with one focal length. The 15-30 takes filters too, albeit a complicated set up. I did not have a high budget so I got a Tokina 20-35 for about $150 and got fantastic results from it for my landscape work. The Pentax 15-30 is a much better lens than my Tokina but when you shoot at f8-f11, the gap narrows somewhat. But the 15-30 will always be better in image quality.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 3 Days Ago  
Finding it tough going…
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 85
Views: 3,048
Yes, a phone can get the shot. My wife proves that to me every time we are on vacation. She gets better exposed shots ready for posting online which she does. Meanwhile, I am shooting RAW and need to get to my computer back at my place to process the images and get something close to what she got days earlier!!

I shot Canon DSLR for 12 years, four years of which was full-time wedding photography. I then switched to Pentax and went through three generation of bodies. K1 was the last body I owned. All of them had focus issues with moving subjects. Once in Pentax system, I shot some commercial work and mostly landscapes, neither one needing a speedy focus system. So Pentax system worked for me. I was asked by a dear friend to photograph his nephews wedding. I had the K1 only so I went out and bought a K5IIs so that I had a backup for the wedding shoot. As it turned out the K1 performed perfectly so I did not use the K5IIs at all. When Outdoors, the K1 behaved and gave me 90% plus keepers. When we got indoors, church and reception shots, the horror show of missed focus started. It was so bad, I ended up using manual focus for most of the indoor stuff!! I promised myself if I ever shot weddings again, it would not be with a Pentax system.

These days, I use my iPhone 11 with a three lens set up a fair amount for stills and videos. Honestly, the phone is good for almost all the situations for everyday use I run into. The only time I would bother with my now Sony camera system is to do a paid project that requires more lens flexibility and a real camera with mega resolution. FYI, I am not a fan of the Sony for weddings either. My ideal system for that would be the Nikon DSLR. I have shot with a friend's Nikon DSLR and the focusing system is flawless and a must for wedding work.
Forum: Pentax KP 03-18-2024, 10:57 AM  
can't decide
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 14
Views: 822
I used my K5IIs for commercial projects. That is how good the images are coming out of a K5IIs. I later graduated to K1 for more resolution but my K5IIs can still go head-to-head with the best of them. I have pondered selling all my Pentax gear but I cannot bring myself to do so.
Forum: Pentax KP 03-18-2024, 04:34 AM  
can't decide
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 14
Views: 822
How about a K5IIs. I still have one despite moving to Sony mirrorless. I can still use my six Pentax FA and bunch of other Takumar lenses and the image quality of the K5IIs is as good as any camera out there. With that said, I love the KP but never owned one. If I had to get a more recent body, I would go with the KF because of service support just in case.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 03-02-2024, 02:11 PM  
Travel recommendations
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 19
Views: 969
We did the national parks a few years ago. I did not bring any APSc bodies. On my K1 the lens that was used 90% of the time was the 28-105. For a few longer shots I used my Tamron 70-200 f2.8 and for the wide shots I used a legacy Tokina 20-35. All the lenses performed well and I got excellent results. On the trip, I also had my FA Limited trio (31, 43, 77), my FA 100mm macro and my Samyang 14mm f2.8 manual lenses with me. The zooms performed so well, I did not see a need to use any of the primes! If I had to bring only one lens, it would be the 28-105.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 02-28-2024, 05:07 PM  
What resolution monitor do you use?
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 31
Views: 1,138
I have had a BenQ 32 inch 2K monitor for bout six years. I do not do video either. For photos this monitor is doing a good job. It has 100% sRGB coverage. I would prefer a monitor that has 100% Adobe RGB coverage but the cost is about 2x-4x higher depending on choosing 2k vs. 4K. So given the cost (around $500), I am totally happy with what I have. They do offer a 27" version of what I have. Get at least 2K resolution. 1080P is not adequate for serious photo work.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 02-25-2024, 09:03 AM  
Official K-1 monthly production
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 42
Views: 7,327
Neither have I but it does not mean people are not using them. I had a chance to shoot with one years ago at the CES show in Las Vegas. That was the time Ricoh made an effort to be in shows and do active marketing. I thought GRII looked like a cheap point and shoot camera but I was proven wrong. GRIII and GRIIIX are serious pro tools.

I am waiting to get the green light on my street project. The GRIIIX which is the one I want to get allows you to get high quality results with a camera that no one is going to bother giving a second look! I like the Fuji X100 compact too but it looks like a camera and attracts attention. Image quality wise they are neck-n-neck.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 02-11-2024, 11:12 PM  
Monitor ideas dedicated to K-3 III Monochrome
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 16
Views: 919
I am a BenQ fan. I have had their 32" 2K PD series monitor for about 6 years now and very happy with it. I do mostly color work but recently I have taken a liking to black and white and square format photography. PD line covers 100% sRGB but not AdobeRGB. I went with the PD line because it is mid-priced. Their 32" 2k is $599 or so.

If you want a higher end monitor you have to go with their SW line ($1,500 and up). The SW covers Adobe RGB 99%. It has hardware calibration. Medex mentioned the SW line.

Both PD and SW lines come in either 2K or 4k varieties. Check them out before you buy. Also on Youtube check out ArtisRight channel. He is a BenQ guru and has many videos explaining the different models and how to calibrate them.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-24-2024, 08:36 AM  
Not ONE mention of Pentax in this article?
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 31
Views: 1,517
You are right. After looking at the article, I got to the bottom and noticed that the author has been in the photography world for 40 years. How can you be in photography for so long and not know about Pentax? The original K1, both new and now in the used market is perhaps the most underrated and best bang for the buck DSLR camera in the market right now. I know because I shot Canon DSLR, Fuji and Sony mirrorless and Pentax K5IIs, K3 and K1 DSLRs for many, many years. The lack of mention of Pentax in a current DSLR discussion shows either intentional bias, which I believe or lack of knowledge which I find hard to believe. Yes, advertisers, still dictate editorial content! DPreview is another one that comes to mind. They intentionally kept Pentax out of discussions, although one of their main guys shot a K1 and loved it and it was his go to camera for years.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-23-2024, 09:47 AM  
K-1 article: “Why I’m not over DSLRs”
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 31
Views: 2,232
Oddly enough, it is doing better as an adapted lens compared to the 31 and the 77. I don't know why. But I will do more testing to make sure it is not user error. I am referring to these lenses' results shot wide-open or near wide-open (f1.9 or 1.8-f2.8). When stopped down to f5.6 or f8, they sharpens up same as a much cheaper lens.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 01-17-2024, 02:42 PM  
Poll: Do you shoot digital? Film? Or both? Best of PF Newsletter Jan 17 Poll
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 39
Views: 1,590
You are absolutely correct. Film is film, yet digital is digital and a lot more. I love film. Film is magical but digital gives me endless possibilities including making my digital images look film like if I choose to do so. This is indeed the golden age of image making if AI does not spoil the party!!
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 01-06-2024, 09:31 AM  
I am shocked K5 vs 6D
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 62
Views: 5,031
I have had a similar experience to yours. I was a Canon digital shooter from 2000-2012. I started my photo journey with a Pentax MX back in 1980. I wanted to get back to Pentax for the sake of nostalgia. So when I came across a Pentax deal at WPPI show in 2012, I went for it. The set included the Pentax K5IIs and the three FA Limited trio (31, 43 and 77). At the time, I had a Canon 6D and a 7D with six Canon lenses. I did some testing comparing the 6D and the K5IIs. After a month or so, I sold all my Canon gear. I bought the K3 and the K1 in the next few years and added some zoom lenses. I shot mostly weddings and some commercial work with the Canon system. With Pentax, most of my work was commercial projects and landscape work for myself.

In 2022, the need for more resolution for landscapes and occasional video stirred me in the direction of Sony. So I sold my K3 and K1 and a Tamron 70-200 but kept my other eight Pentax lenses! A year or so later, I regretted selling my Pentax bodies, so I bought a K5IIs just to have a body to go with the eight lenses I kept.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 01-04-2024, 08:42 AM  
will Pentax make a 645 film camera again
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 16
Views: 861
You never know. Who would have thought that Pentax would make a brand new 35mm film camera. For now, there are some old 645 film cameras floating around in the used market. Pentax might be watching that. Realistically, Pentax has other priorities.
However, I would be interested in a 6x7 digital for my landscape work but I know it is just a dream!
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 01-02-2024, 07:09 AM  
Portraiture / event lens
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 37
Views: 1,603
You need a flash and learn how to balance the light from the flash and the available light if any. I shot weddings for four years. When it was indoors and dark, as in just the room light from an overhead light source, you are relying on flash to provide almost 100% of the light. A flash is a must and if you had to bring one lens, a 16-50 f2.8 (24-75 FF equivalent) is all you need. You can bring any other lenses for additional coverage and artistic images but for the main shots (95%) the 16-50 (APSc) will do the job.

One more thing, events are fast moving. There is no time to fumble with lens change. For weddings, I had a wide zoom on one body and a long zoom on the other one. It allowed me to react quickly to the changing action and capture moments that I would have missed changing lenses.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 12-24-2023, 07:50 AM  
16 Bit Versus 8 Bit Processing
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 21
Views: 1,274
+1. I output my files to TIFF, 16bit, Adobe RGB to make sure I preserve as much of the original RAW file as possible. For lab printing, my large format paper and canvas printing lab asks for 8bit JPEG, Adobe RGB files. As @Biz-engineer mentioned the banding is the main reason I stay with 16bit.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 12-21-2023, 07:36 AM  
A little 50mm bokeh shot comparison
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 24
Views: 1,072
My reference was anecdotal. You know a lot more about this stuff than I. Another legacy lens that I have which is as sharp as my FA 43 is a Fujinon 55mm f1.8. I also have a Vivitar two-touch M42 zoom which is as good as most of my modern zoom lenses. That lens is all metal and weighs a ton. They sure don't make them like they used to... and if they do, they want a fortune for them!!!
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 12-20-2023, 06:26 PM  
A little 50mm bokeh shot comparison
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 24
Views: 1,072
Based on the test images, I think the Sears, Pentax SMC-M and the SMC-K f1.2 are the best of the bunch. I had a Sears 50mm f2 which I gave to my brother to use on his Panasonic camera. That was a crazy sharp lens too. I thought I read somewhere that Pentax made the Sears lenses. No wonder they are as good as Pentax lenses!

BTW, your test looks pretty good to me. I know it is not "scientific" but it is really telling and shows the differences pretty good.
Forum: General Photography 12-10-2023, 01:45 PM  
Pentax in the Movies and Media
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 646
Views: 154,309
When I saw Pentax, I forgot what the commercial was for! It seemed like a Pentax commercial and the backdrop is a truck!

Japanese companies help each other out. I am wondering if this a hint at the new Pentax film camera? They could have just an easily picked a Nikon F, Nikkormat, Canon F1, Yashica, Contax, Konica. Why Pentax?

Glad to see an icon getting some needed exposure.
Forum: General Photography 12-14-2023, 08:05 AM  
Seeing what might be
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 34
Views: 1,243
Thank you for the article. I read it and checked out David's site. David's work is beautiful and captivating. Most of his images have a painterly look to them which I love.

As a purist, I am ok with dodging and burning, even color toning all of which can totally transform the look and feel of an image and make it entirely different from the real scene. Were I draw the line is adding or removing major elements such as sky replacement and adding key elements that were not in the original scene. When that happens, we are moving in to the world of photo illustration which is open to unlimited interpretation. I noticed his work was a mixed bag of these two distinct approaches. The grand master, Ansel Adams did extensive dodging and burning. The only reason we did not see his color toning skill was because he mostly shot in black and white. Adding elements to a photograph in the film era, required a specialized skill set that many did not have or found difficult to learn. In our modern era, Photoshop and other image manipulation software give us super powers to alter images all day long!

Which approach is right? Who knows, that is why we have so many creative people showing us what it is and what could be... and David is a master at that.
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 12-07-2023, 01:24 PM  
Magazine format printing (!!)
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 21
Views: 1,122
The company I used for my book is MagCloud.com which is owned by Blurb.

I needed a hard copy proof for a project I finished recently. The size is 11x17 with spiral binding. I designed the book to go to their max number for this size which is 90 pages. It was the first time I was trying them so I did not know what to expect.

They used 100lb. cover stock which is heavy and gives the book a nice heft. I chose the 11x17" because I wanted to showcase 11x34" panoramic images.

The book came in at around a week or so. I was floored by the quality. There is a slight red cast to the images but only I would notice that because I know what the original looks like. The book is simply stunning.

With the discount, it came to about $43 shipped. They keep sending me 20% discount codes which would have made the book less than $40. For a sample book, $40 or is a bargain but I don't think it is economical for mass production and selling.

They use an HP Indigo digital on demand printer which allows them to print one or a 100 copies or more. I think their max is about 1,000 copies.

Give it a try, you will like it. I am now looking to make another book. It is a lot of fun... your own coffee table book!!
Forum: General Photography 11-26-2023, 11:06 AM  
Highest ISO you recommend
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 46
Views: 1,584
I agree 100% with UncleVanya and Texandrews. Getting the shot is the most important thing.

But I guess you wanted some numbers. On my K1, I have shot images up to ISO 6400 and the results are more than acceptable. That is for color images. With B&W, the noise is actually your friend. The images look more film like. Of course you can go much higher on the ISO dial and still come away with usable images.

If you are using Lightroom or Photoshop, the latest version of both have the AI Denoise option that reduces the noise by about two stops or more. What I have noticed with this noise reduction is that it cleans up the color noise and adds detail. It is amazing how that is done but that is AI for you! Meanwhile, you have to be careful not to crank up the noise reduction slider (move to the right) as it starts looking plasticky. Topaz and all the other major post processing softwares have this noise reduction feature too.

You have to shoot in RAW to do all this noise reduction stuff. I think Topaz is the only one that works with JPEG images. I know PS and LR do not work with JPEG images.

I use Photoshop and set my Denoise at 35-45% and after processing I add some grain back to the image and that gives it a more film like look.

You have to do your own experimenting and find the look that works for you.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 11-12-2023, 08:24 AM  
Lens suggestions for new to me K1 mk1
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 43
Views: 2,788
Get a Pentax 28-105 and a Tamron 70-200 f2.8. Get a Tokina 20-35 for wider shots. As used lenses, combined, they will cost you less than $1K and you will have pro class lenses. That is the combo I have and they have served me well for years.
Forum: General Photography 11-01-2023, 07:35 AM  
Landscape Photographer Of The Year - 2023
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 13
Views: 1,117
Amazing scenes and photographs. Thanks for sharing.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 03-01-2021, 08:27 AM  
Pentax K-1 reputation for "bulky and heavy" - is it deserved vs. competing cameras?
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 133
Views: 14,651
Well said. May be they should refer to Pentax by "a real camera looking for real photographers!"

---------- Post added 03-01-21 at 07:35 AM ----------



My K1 feels bulky in a nice way! The "bulkyness" is reassuring. It is no bulkier than similar DSLR bodies in the same class. Try a Canon EOS 1-DX or Nikon D6 then Pentax K1 becomes a mid-size or compact DSLR!
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 10-15-2023, 07:58 AM  
K-1 II, is it too late to get into?
Posted By btnapa
Replies: 29
Views: 2,778
The K1 is a beast. Just get it. You can get a used one for half the price of when I bought it new. The image quality will blow you away. And it pairs nicely with the FA limited lenses. The color science is one of the best if not the best in its category. The mega resolution will allow you to print big or crop heavy and still have a fantastic image. I used it extensively for commercial work where a medium format was required. I did not feel it was any less than most of the medium formats out there. In short, it punches way above its weight. Even now some seven years since it came out, it is still competitive and very capable camera. Yes the focusing is not up to Nikon or Canon standards but perfectly acceptable. The other area it is behind is video. If you don't care about video and want a strong still image making camera, I can't think of anything that comes anywhere near the K1.
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