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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
12-10-2019, 03:32 PM
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I photographed my friend's wedding celebration (sample pic in the K3 thread). A friend of his family was there taking "crowd photos"; we wound up chatting upon which the following things were mentioned.
- "I've never heard of that brand (Pentax)"
- "I've been shooting for 40 years"
- "I shoot Nikon"
I get that Pentax isn't a household name, but how on Earth can you be into photography for 4 decades having never heard of Pentax? The K1000 was one of the most popular SLRs ever made.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-08-2019, 09:25 AM
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K3, Sigma Art 18-35, Neewer Vision 4 strobes, fully manual control on the strobes and camera. f5.6, 1/125, ISO 100. I wouldn't have chosen this background, but it's what they wanted. Pretty challenging with space constraints (not enough room for a longer lens), those glaring tanks, etc. I had to have a setup that'd work for 1 - 10 people, which precluded setting it up with shallower focus to throw out the background more. One strobe with an octobox above and to my left, another strobe firing through an umbrella behind them and to the right of the frame 9' in the air to light the background and act as a rim light and a 3rd hidden behind the tanks to very gently light the background. And of course the usual smashing process when pentaxforums reduces a 5.3 MB file down to 427KB
Just a little post-processing to tweak the exposure, crop a little in Darktable, which I'm very close to ditching
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-27-2019, 04:38 PM
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I thought I'd post a follow-up for posterity. The Visico VC-801TXS trigger remote arrived. It indeed controls the Neewer Vision 4s perfectly. 4 individual groups that control the power and turn the modeling lights on/off. There's no display to give feedback, but the remote does enough to save one from having to constantly lower the lights the change the power. At least if you hit the up or down arrows enough times, the settings stop at 1/1 or 1/64 instead of recycling; you can go up or down, hit the "stop" and then count to where you need to be. Or just take a meter reading and go from there.
It's worth noting that while the basic remotes use a decent sized CR2 lithium battery, the multifunction remote/trigger uses a CR2032 button cell. Since each V-4 comes with a basic trigger that uses a much bigger battery and I now have 3, I'm going to use the VC-801TXS as a remote only to save its battery.
I have to say, despite lacking TTL or HSS, features I have no need for, these battery monolites are a heck of a value. They have a built in 2.4 GHz radio remote and come with a basic transmitter, They have definable pre-flash, have built in optical trigger, can ignore defined pre-flashes, can learn your camera's preflash sequence, have high speed/short duration multi-strobe functions and one or two other I'm forgetting. They seem dead accurate regarding repeatably; they give exact same reading every single time.
They aren't super powerful, but 300 W/S is better than the AD200 and recycle quick even at full power. At anything less than full, they recycle quicker than you'd ever need (normally); at max, they recycle in about 1.5 seconds. The manual claims 700 full power flashes per charge. I haven't been counting, but I've been playing with them for about a week now taking loads of pictures, testing out lighting ratios and they're just now starting to display the low battery warning while recovering from a couple full pops. Spare batteries are about $50 a piece; not great, but not bad.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-24-2019, 07:24 AM
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Ah, but this was very different than the mirror for some reason; I can't consciously pose. I'm quite serious about finding a different haircut place now. I had the beginnings of a beard (movember), but the old 35-105mm was showing me every hair, pore, nose hair, etc. Never realized I have the "Standard accountant haircut; ha! I sound really vain here...not my style at all. I just haven't been the subject of photos in a very long time and the outcome is really weird.
In any case, messing with monolights is great fun; I'm just a horrific subject. I've been an available light / landscape kind of guy. Portraiture seems like an interesting new challenge.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-23-2019, 03:25 PM
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My 1st stab at studio (self) portraiture. 3 Neewer Vision 4s, a pop open backdrop, the K3 wearing the venerable 35-105 f3.5. I realize I lit myself backwards. Also, I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to light one's self. Suddenly I'm super conscious that I need to find a different place to get haircuts. Hmm. and once again, the web version is way flatter than jpeg viewed on my pc.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-23-2019, 09:25 AM
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Does the K70 have a viewfinder adjustment? I can adjust my K3 enough to not need glasses. The Pentax magnifying EP also helps too.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-23-2019, 09:17 AM
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Lack of marketing, lack of presence, lack of R&D investment *is* on Pentax (or Ricoh). Keeping the communications specs hush is just another point of light in the constellation of their terrible decisions. Don't misunderstand me, I appreciate that they make great equipment; I went with the K3 because it checked all the boxes along with offering some unique features at a price I could afford. It's just gets old to see a new lens or flash come out that works with just about every other manufacturer including Sony and sometimes Olympus, but not Pentax. One gets tired of, "Please, sir, may I have support?". Tethering? Sort of. Non Pentax P-TTL? Metz, a single Yonguo and nothing else unless you fully buy into Godox. GODOX's Pentax support is a big deal, but it still doesn't leave much room for choice.
I've been testing the ART using single point spot focus. Adjusting the back focus in camera helps get it right more often, but it still gives wacky wrong focus on occasion. To be fair, this is mostly only an issue with semi-close subjects wide open, difficult conditions where manual focus is a better option anyway. To me, it makes sense to "correct" the lens at closer ranges because as the subject gets further away, the DoF gets larger. I have the Sigma USB dock, but haven't messed with it yet because I'm not convinced it's worthwhile (beyond the in camera ADJ).
The focus issue is annoying, but not a show stopper for me. My favorite Pentax lenses are manual focus anyway. Aside from weird autofocus, the ART 18-35 is a shockingly good hunk of glass. Though it + the battery grip transforms the K3 from a lithe little frame into a heavy beast.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-23-2019, 07:53 AM
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Which in itself is frustrating. Pentax staying tight lipped about their lens and TTL specification ensures they won't capture the marketplace.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-19-2019, 03:43 PM
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The Vision 4s arrived. Wow, these are *way* nicer than I anticipated. Seems like the cases are rubber (plastic) coated metal. I was expecting all plastic construction
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-19-2019, 11:59 AM
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After careful research, I found that the "Vision 4" is indeed identical to the "Visico 4". The only difference is the seller channel. The Visico 4 comes with the VC-801TX which can control the power and modeling lights on 4 groups. For some reason, the Vision 4 comes with a more basic remote that doesn't support this much wanted functionality and it's not available in the United States. A few European sellers have it, but none would ship to the U.S. I've got one from AliExpress on the way.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-19-2019, 09:23 AM
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The case *finally* arrived. It's amazing Rakuten stays in business given how slow they are. In any case, it meets my expectations and is absolutely worth the sub-$25 cost. The K3 can fit with a grip attached, but it's an extremely tight fit and one can feel the pentaprism housing. I'll either sacrifice the grip for daily backpack carrying or just keep it handy in one of my bag's pockets.
I get the impression the K3 could take a drop from desk height in this case no problem, but I'm not about to test that.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-16-2019, 04:56 PM
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Another from my buddy's brewery.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-16-2019, 04:55 PM
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One of a series that I shot at my buddy's brewery...
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-15-2019, 06:48 AM
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I don't see how what I ordered is bulkier than the Think Tank which has pockets and such for things I'm not going to be carrying. The Sigma Art is easily as big as a zoom lens; in reading the interior dimensions, the case I ordered will *just* fit the K3+18-35mm. I don't need a convertible or expandable case because the big Sigma will be on the K3 95% of the time it's in my backpack.
Besides the above, my #1 priority was a hard or semi-hard case to protect the K3 from bumps, something a soft case cannot do without lots of bulky foam. I wasn't looking for "versatile", I already have other camera bags; I was or am looking for single purpose protection for the camera + lens alone.
Thanks
---------- Post added 11-15-19 at 08:51 AM ----------
You make a good point about storing the parts separately, though part of me thinks that would increase the chance of getting dust and such into the camera. If the case I ordered doesn't work out well, I might consider that route.
Thanks
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-14-2019, 05:12 PM
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Thank you. The bokeh is courtesy of the Sigma. I'll let you in on a secret - that photo is straight out of RawPhotoProcessor 64 with a film preset, a bit of sharpening and black level twiddling. It's not supported anymore, sadly, is Mac only, but it's great.
---------- Post added 11-14-19 at 07:17 PM ----------
Thanks. I'll try that next time. I need to rethink my workflow anyway. As in, I really hate the digital workflow because I'm on a computer all day at work and my film sensibility is deeply ingrained. I just want simple tools to help realize my simple vision, not insert unicorns shooting laser beams, turning people's skin into plastic or HDR/compress everything into flat nothingness. (Ok, minor rant complete).
Thanks
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-14-2019, 03:40 PM
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I haven't picked up the K3 or any photo equipment in far, far too long. I'm making a concerted effort to get back into the groove. I'm upgrading gear a bit and got the Sigma ART 18-35 F1.8 I've drooled over for a long time. This is one of my first test shots. Nothing special...
Edit: The same JPEG viewed directly on my Mac's native view instead of in a browser looks sharper and more detailed. The colors in the browser seem subtly smashed too. Apparently I need to learn to export for web viewing.
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
11-14-2019, 09:25 AM
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If I understand the rules correctly, I'm eligible for the general prize. No way I'm going to make 100 posts for the grand prize.
Thanks
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-14-2019, 09:04 AM
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It looks like the Visico VC-801TX can control the modeling light, change power output, but I've found no seller in the 'states yet.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-14-2019, 08:03 AM
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Hi,
I found a deal on 2 NIB Neewer Vision 4 monolights I couldn't pass up; they should be a nice step up from the speedlights in S brackets I've been using. I know the Vision 4 can't do HSS, TTL, but I really don't care. These are just a budget step up to more powerful lights to play with.
One thing I've noticed is that the Vision 4 has a super simple, no function trigger, but info about the seemingly identical Visico 4 shows a slightly nicer remote that can select groups. It also looks like certain Cowboy Studios lights were suspiciously similar as well and I've read that some Godox triggers might be compatible?
Do any of you know if there's any compatibility between the Neewer Vision 4 trigger system and any other brands? I've had a hard time deciphering the dark underbelly of rebranded Chinese strobes and what brands are compatible.
The ultra basic trigger that comes with the Vision 4s will get the job done, but any remote that could control any extended functions on the '4s would be nice, if available.
Thanks
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-13-2019, 02:04 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-12-2019, 12:26 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-12-2019, 11:26 AM
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That's interesting, but maybe still on the bulky side. It has my attention though.
---------- Post added 11-12-19 at 01:27 PM ----------
I didn't look at the database, but now that I have, it still doesn't seems to feature what I'm looking for. Most are full bags of various types.
---------- Post added 11-12-19 at 01:28 PM ----------
I'll have to give them a look. I suppose the holster style is what I'm really looking for.
Thanks
---------- Post added 11-12-19 at 01:30 PM ----------
That's getting close, but still much bigger than what I'm looking for.
Thanks
---------- Post added 11-12-19 at 01:31 PM ----------
Pelican style cases would be the ultimate, but would destroy the ability to toss it in a backpack.
Thanks
What I'm looking for would be what is usually called holster style. Something that literally protects the camera alone. In days gone by, this was often a stiff leather cover. I'm looking for something that can protect the camera + lens from the inevitable bumps and tumbles anything in a normal backpack will experience. From eye-cup to lens cap, this setup is exactly 8" long. I already have a large Lowepro backpack that has been a beast over the years; it holds my entire kit. In this case, I'm looking for the opposite. In order of priorty:
1) Protects the camera. The K3 is a robust camera and the Sigma is a well built lens, but a smack in the wrong spot will surely damage it. The stiffer the shell, the better. Backpacks move around in the car, have a habit of falling off chairs, etc.
2) As small as possible: I'm trying to put this in a backpack that also carries my laptop and various stuff. There's plenty of spare room, but something like a rectangular Pelican or other camera case would be a bulky challenge.
3) Reasonably affordable. Though a robust case is far cheaper than camera repairs.
Thanks
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-12-2019, 07:59 AM
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Hi all,
I'm trying to make a concerted effort to carry my K3 more often. I know it's monstrous in size, but the 18-35 just fits my sensibility. Is there an SLR case you could recommend that'll fit this combination?
My goal is to protect the camera in my daily carry backpack w/o taking up *too* much room; as such, a semi-hard or hard case seems like it would be in order. It doesn't need to stay with the camera when I'm using it, just protect from bumps while in my bag. I'd sacrifice the battery grip to cut the size down a bit.
Thanks
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
11-12-2019, 07:41 AM
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How well does stop down metering work with K1 II and manual lenses?
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-12-2019, 07:26 AM
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Hi Craig,
I have the DSTE brand grip as a backup plan. It just seems incredible that nobody can get a replacement holder, even through the repair parts chain. I've sent a query to Ricoh/Pentax themselves, so we'll see what kind of answer, if any, I get from them. I really do think Pentax continues to built great gear; i just seems like they're hell bent on keeping their brand on the periphery through a shocking series of decisions that amount to shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly.
I'm not sure I'd call the lithium battery tray/holder "essential", but given I have 2 batteries, it sure would be nice to use them at the same time once more.
Honestly, given Pentax's weird support decisions that have trained me to be resourceful and used to crap manufacturer support, I'm really eyeballing the Fuji GFX 50R instead of the K1; it has a considerably bigger sensor and there's an adapter available for RB/RZ67 lenses; I already have a modest stable of RB67 C lenses that if not a complete PITA to use with the Fuji body, would make a nice, semi-affordable foray into digital MF.
Thanks
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