Forum: Pentax KP
7 Hours Ago
|
|
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 go 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
13 Hours Ago
|
|
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: General Photography
14 Hours Ago
|
|
I am older than you by a few years. I had a similar journey. I got into Fuji to do video part of the work but kept my K1 and K3 for still duties. I finally got tired of carrying two systems and went with Sony. I have kept all but one lens from my Pentax system. I have tried My FA Limited trio and many other lenses on my Sony but they are no match for modern lenses. For example the FA Limted trio (31, 43 and 77) have a serious CA issue that does not go away until you hit f5.6 and they are not sharp on my Sony. The other issue I am having is with my eyesight and general dexterity for manual focus lenses. Oddly enough my Pentax, Takumar and other M42 lenses looked a lot better on the Fuji system. Perhaps because Fuji was a crop sensor and the Sony is FF.
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
6 Days Ago
|
|
The 645 lenses are fantastic but not practical. I had a FA 45-85, FA 200, A120 macro and a 165LS from the 6x7 line. Everything is manual. If you want to shoot at f8 for example, you have to open the aperture to f4 to focus then stop it down to f8 and then shoot. This works when you have the time but for action stuff it is not practical. I shot my lenses on K3 and K1 and got fantastic results. I ended up selling all but the 120 A macro.
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-02-2024, 02:11 PM
|
|
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
|
|
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 SLR Lens Discussion
02-27-2024, 04:25 PM
|
|
That is an understatement! The lens is a mess. I can't believe they are asking money for it.
|
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-25-2024, 09:03 AM
|
|
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: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-25-2024, 06:03 AM
|
|
Perhaps more like the 80/20 rule. I still think GR is the sleeper for serious revenue source. I hope they keep Pentax alive too. It is too much of an icon to die off.
|
Forum: General Photography
02-25-2024, 05:50 AM
|
|
That is why I have been shooting digital since 1999. No more film or processing costs. You made me think about it. Thank you for that. If I added up all the images I have shot since 1999 and did a cost analysis of film vs. digital, the cost difference will be a lot more than all the gear I have bought since the switch. The only material cost for my digital gear has been buying a few extra SD cards and a few more high capacity hard drives. The cost of those two items is a fraction of what film and processing and scanning would have cost me.
|
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-25-2024, 05:39 AM
|
|
I remember seeing a report on the production numbers on all the manufacturers a year or so ago. Pentax was at 40,000 units total, while Canon was a 4 million. If these numbers are accurate, I cannot imagine Ricoh/Pentax making any real money from the sales of the cameras. If I were Ricoh and making money was the first priority, I would put a lot more focus on the GR line as it is the only true serious compact camera in the market. The recent insane preorders for the Fuji X100 VI should make Ricoh take notice and do something about upping the game on GR. There is so much potential in that GR platform. Ricoh can own the market in that segment. Ricoh, don't let Fuji steal the show the way they stole the 645Z's lunch!
|
Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
02-22-2024, 06:56 PM
|
|
I did the same to my camera and ended up with the same mess you are showing in the picture. I sent it in for a wet clean and it came back perfect. STOP using a rocket blower. I bought an electronic blower on Amazon and it does a fantastic job without worrying about all the dust from inside the rocket blower splashing all over the sensor. The electronic blower has a nice retractable brush on it too so I use it to clean my lenses and the outside of the body. The brand is Nitecore. Get the latest version. It was $70 when I got it about six months ago. DO NOT use the brush on the sensor. Set the power to level two and just blow away any dust from the sensor. Hope this helps.
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-16-2024, 09:30 AM
|
|
I am curious too. My guess is haze or fungus. I bought a mirror lens two years ago. It had a similar looking problem. The seller was a novice in lens issues and did not show or disclose the problem in the images he posted for the sale. I contacted him and told him of the problem. He ended up refunding me and asked me to keep the lens. I really did not need the lens but thought it was cool to have. I took a few pics with it to see if the problem would be visible in the images. I rally can't tell if it is the lens or the "haze" but the images are not sharp. The lens is a nice shelf display item but not a reliable optical instrument!!
|
Forum: General Photography
02-16-2024, 09:21 AM
|
|
Excellent point. I forgot about that.
|
Forum: General Photography
02-15-2024, 08:53 AM
|
|
What SD card(s) do you have? I am a Mac user and have used PCs in the past too. I never had any issue reading my SanDisk Pro Extreme SD cards. Nor have I had any corrupted cards in almost 12 years of using the cards.
Something is not right with the set up, the reader or with the cards. Hard to tell which one is causing the problem. One way is to try the card reader with different computers and see if the problem goes away. It might very well be the reader you bought. Hard to tell. Sorry could not help further.
|
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
02-11-2024, 11:12 PM
|
|
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 News and Rumors
02-08-2024, 11:40 AM
|
|
Thank you for sharing. Looks very comprehensive. I wish someone would translate it to English.
|
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-02-2024, 09:39 AM
|
|
You cannot go wrong with any of the three choices you have listed.
Personally, I have used the 16-45 and 17-50 2.8 on my K5IIs and my K3. They are both excellent given the price. Tamron is a little soft at f2.8. The 16-45 has CA. Both of those issues can be resolved in post. Shoot RAW, you will have lots of room to "tweak" the images to your liking.
My wedding photography days are long over. I shot weddings full time for four years. At that point, pre switch to Pentax, I was shooting with a Canon system. Principles remain the same regardless of the system. I have shot a few weddings with my Pentax and got excellent results too.
BTW, you already have two nice primes that can give you lots of flexibility. When it comes to the portraits, I would use the 50mm, which is a 75mm on APSc. I also owned that lens and it is fantastic. Shoot it between f2.8 and f4. Make sure you have a nice composition and the results are going to look professional.
Last but not least, you mentioned low light. Use of flash is a must. Get one if you do not have one already and practice a lot. Using a flash and not using one is going to make world of difference. No pro would even think about shooting a wedding in low light without a flash. Shooting with a flash is an art and world of its own. Start early and practice and master the art. There are ton of tutorials on YouTube on flash photography. I wish I had those resources in my wedding photography days (early 2000's). We leaned the hard way, you don't have to!!
Good luck and have fun doing the shoot.
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-29-2024, 10:12 AM
|
|
Would be nice to see what you got. I shot with an FM2 and loved it.
|
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-28-2024, 08:21 AM
|
|
I used the Nikon 55 f2.8 and the 105 2.5 for almost 20 years! If it were me, I would go with the Nikon first. Plus you have more lenses in the Nikon mount anyway. Those hollow adapters are cheap enough, get both!!
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-26-2024, 07:56 AM
|
|
Tooling for a new body would stop that from happening. It is very costly to do a new body. They have to be sure that it will sell in large of a quantity to justify the cost of development. They would be better off putting a monochrome sensor in the current K1 body. I am waiting for such camera.
|
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
01-25-2024, 06:59 AM
|
|
I would just pay the $10 monthly fee and get access to Photoshop (PS) and Lightroom (LR). I bought three other softwares trying to not pay the Photoshop fee. But at the end I gave up and kept using Photoshop. With the $10 monthly fee you get access to both Photoshop and Lightroom. You do need a fairly new computer with a fast processor and lots of RAM to make the software work optimally. PS and LR work with both PC and Mac.
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-24-2024, 10:33 AM
|
|
Sad but true. However, Pentax is not just any celebrity. We are talking 007 here!!
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-24-2024, 08:39 AM
|
|
I have owned a 10x42 Pentax binocular for over 10 years now and love it. Yes, they make serious binoculars and spotting scopes too.
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-24-2024, 08:36 AM
|
|
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.
|