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Forum: Photographic Technique
06-19-2015, 09:38 AM
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1. what lens do you think is used for low angle shots
Those were taken with a moderate wide angle
2. more important on what height was it from ground level?
I would say about 2 - 3 feet
3. and do you think camera (sensor) was tilted or is it straight with the body of model?
Of the examples on the link, some were with the camera almost level and somewhat higher off the ground. Others had the camera tilted up.
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Probably the easiest way to check this out is to experiment with a coat rack or something similar.
Steve
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
04-01-2015, 03:23 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
03-28-2015, 01:07 PM
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On the control panel you pictured above, go to the rightmost icon in the third row and turn the e-dial until you see "auto". Then, go in to live view, press the AF area button (the one to the right of the menu button) and you'll be able to adjust the size and position of the AF area).
But this won't increase the size of the AF area, since Pentax cameras cancel the zoom before starting to focus. See the method described above.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
03-24-2015, 02:38 PM
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I believe that is the more common way of doing it. If the in-camera intervalometer is not adequate, a corded remote intervalometer may be used in conjunction with that in the camera to dial up pretty much any combination you might want.
As for tools, I only fiddle around and have used the Widows Movie Maker to make short time lapse...
Windows Live Movie Maker ? Time-Lapse*Tutorial
Steve
Steve
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-06-2015, 04:37 AM
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The only optical difference between the lenses is lens coatings, which improved over time and reduce flare and ghosting, and aperture blades. Here is a photo showing M 50mm aperture blades:
Cosmic fly
Notice how the OoF highlights are hexagonal, almost like stars? If this same photo were taken with DA 50, they would be almost perfectly round circles. But this only matters when shooting at closed aperture. Wide open (smallest f-number), all lenses produce circles. This photo was around f2.8 I think
Regarding the macro extension tubes.. I think they will work for all Pentax K lenses, but the amount of extra magnification you get depends on a) focal length and b) minimum focus distance of lens. But you might lose things like AF and auto aperture. This is why many people go for the M 50mm: they plan on using it on old film cameras without automation, they plan on using it on bellows or extension tubes, they plan on adapting it to Canon or Sony camera.. For macro you don't need AF anyway, since you are working around the minimum focus distance the whole time anyway
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-05-2015, 03:52 PM
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They are essentially the same optically*, the main differences would be AF (duh), coatings, and build. The M 50/1.7 is a very sturdy and compact lens.
I own the DA 50/1.8 and have shot it on 35mm film. The short answer regarding FF compatibility is that it does vignette more wide open than my other FF fast 50s. This is obvious by direct inspection of the negative for a blank sky shot. Edge sharpness appears to be acceptable, but that is purely anecdotal. Still on my list of things to do is to conduct a head-to-head shoot-out with a few of my favorite 50s (K 55/1.8, M 50/1.7, and KMZ Helios 58/2...might also through in the XR Rikenon just for giggles).
Steve
* Dimitrov's K-mount page uses the same optical diagram for the M, A, F, and FA versions of the 50/1.7
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-05-2015, 05:27 PM
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Hey, welcome!
M, A, F, FA 50mm f1.7 lenses all follow the same optic design, with relatively small differences (mostly in coatings and shape of aperture blades), so you will not find huge differences in optical quality between them (though, some claim the F series is sharpest). Oh, and the DA 50mm f1.8 fits this as well. The main difference between these lenses is the construction and automation. The M series has no automation at all. It is beloved on these forums because it is a good, sturdy lens for a really low price, even though the prices have risen lately due to its popularity. The A series has auto-aperture, which is a very useful feature! It lets you choose the aperture on the camera body instead of only on the lens' aperture ring. F and FA series allow this as well, but they also have AF! Finally, DA series is full automatic just like the F and FA, but it doesn't even have an aperture ring (which limits its use on older film bodies).
tl:dr; Get A series lens for ease of use. Get F or FA if you want AF. But honestly, the DA 50mm f1.8 is so affordable lately, it might be worth to just go for it. You get the most modern lens coatings, AF, full automation, and warranty. Sure, it is plastic, but it is still durable and much lighter. The amount of force needed to damage the plastic would probably bend or chip the older series lenses as well. I like my M 50mm f1.7, but it is not for the faint of heart. Its for hardcore users, who enjoy an old, metal, manual lens. If this fits you, then go for it :)
If you get a good copy, any of these lenses will be great. The question is just how much automation you want, and what a good deal you can find.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-02-2012, 06:52 PM
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It looks like the focus ring isn't attached in the right place. The front barrel on your lens is sticking out about the right amount for infinity - or at least, a lot farther away than infinity. If you still can, send it back and get a refund.
Back in my day :), the sellers would just laugh at the idea of a refund, so I learned to fix these myself. Turn the focus ring as far as you can towards infinity, without forcing it at all. You need something to unscrew the front trim ring that says SMC Pentax-M 1:1.7 50mm etc. Something rubber will work, like a chair leg protector, large rubber stopper, etc. Just make sure it doesn't touch the front element. The ring unscrews through the filter threads. Then your lens will look like this:
Use a #00 screwdriver to remove the screws marked with red arrows, leaving the ones in cutouts alone. Now you can take off the filter ring/front barrel and see this:
There should be three screws on your lens like the ones marked with red arrows. Loosen all three and the focus ring should turn without focusing the lens at all. It has two mechanical stops to keep it from rotating completely around but it should turn freely. Turn the focus ring until it points at the infinity mark. Then tighten one screw.
Now you need to set infinity more precisely. I think your lens is probably focusing slightly beyond infinity right now. Mount it on a camera and try to focus on something several miles away, the furthest thing you can see. If I'm right, you'll have to turn the focus ring back to maybe the 25 foot mark. When you're happy with the focus, loosen the one tight screw, turn the focus ring so the center of the infinity symbol lines up with the orange diamond, then tighten all three screws.
Optional maintenance: Some of these lenses are dirty inside so I usually have an old toothbrush handy to brush out debris. Then I'd check to see if the aperture is fully open at f1.7. You shouldn't see any of the aperture blades. If you want to adjust this, set the aperture ring to f1.7 and loosen the three screws that were in cutouts in the first photo. Then you can rotate the whole optical assembly. If you turn it one way, the blades disappear. Rotating the other way makes the blades stop down further. Rotate the assembly until the blades just disappear, then tighten the screws. Check to see if they continue to stop down at each position on the aperture ring. Then tighten all the screws.
Now you can reinstall the filter ring and trim ring and start using the lens.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-30-2013, 02:16 PM
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You should really just go read the strobist site. They even sell prebuilt kits with the things you'd need at various price ranges.
And apologies, personally I don't know about the capabilities of any camera except the one I have and the ones I've looked at upgrading to. You can't use a wired shutter release, that prevents you from using wired triggers on the camera for water balloons, etc. You can still use them with a flash, and they're probably more useful there anyway - no shutter lag. And you can still use a wired flash - you just have to get a hotshot adapter that has a PC socket on it… assuming you wanted to do that rather than go with a wireless trigger like the Cactus. I've never used those, but the people who do seem to enjoy them greatly.
I'd go with 2 more robust flashes rather than 3 less robust. You can use reflectors and other modifiers to move the light around as you need. And you can always add a third one later (and it may not need to be as robust), for less than the cost of upgrading all 3.
Oh, and when you use the popup flash on the camera as a trigger, at least on the K5, you can either use it as Master or Commander. In Master it will fire at its normal full power. In Commander, it will still fire, but at a much reduced power. Probably the only time it'll be a problem is if you're trying to silhouette your subject and don't want to light them at all, or if you're shooting at something reflective and don't want a reflection.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-30-2013, 11:06 AM
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If you get a Yongnuo YN-560 1/32 power is still about 1/12000s, so more than enough to freeze most motion.
I use Yongnuo triggers, but unmodified my RF-602s have issues syncing faster than 1/125 shutter. Some people have better luck than others with Yongnuo, but Cactus V5 triggers are considered the most reliable option for a reasonable price.
Yes, manual flashes work fine in the hotshoe.
I love the Yongnuo YN-560 for the price, but I also have some older Vivitar and Sunpak flashes that I use all the time as well. You need to be careful with trigger voltage with older flashes, they can damage the camera.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-29-2013, 05:30 PM
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That is just normal sync at 1/180s shutter, but because the flash duration is 1/23,000s and all ambient light is underexposed it is the same effect as having a 1/23,000s shutter speed. No fancy tricks involved at all, just a simple manual flash with a short duration. To do this with a larger subject you'd likely need multiple flashes because the output of the YN-560 at 1/128 power is very low. The exact same effect can be achieved with a very long shutter and triggering the flash by hand, but that requires a pretty dark room.
This video will help you understand how flash sync relates to shutter speed. Notice how at 1/100s the entire sensor is exposed at the same time, this is the point where the flash must be triggered for you to get a proper exposure. At 1/1000s only a small slit of the sensor is exposed at a time, if the flash is triggered at any point only that small slit will be exposed.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-isRz54C_vY?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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All HSS does is allow the flash to be used at shutter speeds faster than 1/180, it has nothing to do with the ability to freeze motion. It is a trick where the flash is actually on for longer than the shutter speed so that the full frame can be exposed because at fast shutter speeds the whole frame is not exposed at once. To achieve HSS the flash duration must be long enough to expose the entire frame, if the shutter speed is 1/1000s and only 1/5 of the frame is exposed at any given time, the flash duration must be around 1/200s. Also, because of how this works, that effectively cuts your flash's power by 1/5, not ideal.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-29-2013, 08:28 PM
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Nikola: go to this site and read all the tutorials before you start buying gear: Strobist
FWIW, I learned studio lighting by using SB28's on my Pentax DSLRs w/ various triggers (never bothered w/ Pentax TTL flashes because people kept saying exposure was flaky until the K-3)...favorite for that is the Radiopopper JrX Studios if you want remote power control.
You can't buy studio strobes on your budget w/o a lot of compromises, though you can probably find a used AB1600 for $250 and then get a few modifiers to start off by learning one light w/ reflectors...
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-29-2013, 06:56 PM
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"High Speed" Sync should really be called "Bright Light" Sync, it is not used to freeze motion. What you want is an ultra short flash duration, and that is achieved by setting the flash to low power. Inexpensive manual speedlights may be the way to, but it may take a few all firing at once to illuminate your subject, depending on how big your subject is. Or if you want to spend your whole budget on a more powerful solution, you might look at the Paul C Buff "Einstein" studio light. It has a very short duration, and it's way cheaper than say a Broncolor pack and head system.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-29-2013, 03:30 PM
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Is HSS really a factor for studio lighting? I thought that was more for outdoor photography to help light fast moving things or to help fill flash photos in bright light.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-29-2013, 04:06 PM
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For stuff like water balloons, you probably need off-camera flash hooked up to a sound trigger. Then you just set a 5 second or whatever exposure with the lights off, pop the balloon and the sound will trigger the flash, and only that part will be exposed.
Have you gone over the lighting 101 tutorial on the Strobist website? I'd read that before you buy anything.
Strobist: Lighting 101 |
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-29-2013, 04:06 PM
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Actually, HSS is worse for that, it works by strobing the flash instead of putting out one quick burst. A flash at low power will be quicker than your shutter speed ever could be. In the case of your K-x you only have 1/6000s, my K-5 has 1/8000s, but a YN-560 flash at 1/128 power has a flash duration of less than 1/20000s. If the flash is the main source of light and all ambient light is underexposed, it doesn't matter if your shutter speed is 1/180s or 1/2s, the exposure will look the same.
This was done at 1/128 power with my YN-560:
Splash by elliott1787, on Flickr
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