Forum: Pentax KP
9 Hours Ago
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
15 Hours Ago
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Satin Bowerbird (female). K-3iii + FA*300mm f4.5. We had never seen them here until last year. |
Forum: Pentax K-3 III
16 Hours Ago
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Here's a thought, Peter. When you were a kid, was B&W the budget option? My family used B&W film before colour became affordable, and I remember being amazed at the colour slides my cousins had. Perhaps that idea stuck?
Thanks very much indeed Chris.
Great series Matt. The pano is brilliant.
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Forum: Pentax KP
16 Hours Ago
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There's a case for each of these. You need to do the feature comparison and see which matters most to you.To some extent this depends on your photography interests.
Some examples:
- The KP and KF have the accelerator unit which helps a lot with high-ISO. Shooting wildlife (where you need a fast shutter speed), or in low light, high-ISO performance is a big advantage. Having had a K-3 and now having a KP, ISO 3200 or 6400 is significantly better on the KP. (The KF should be similar.)
- On the other hand if you are shooting low-ISO landscape, the K-5iis would be fine. Many people love it as a landscape camera.
- The KP (like the K-5 and K-3) has a quiet shutter, unlike the KF.
- If you shoot macro in the field, or otherwise at high or low angles, the tilt screen on the KP or the flippy screen on the KF is a big plus. The flippy screen is handy if shooting vertically.
- A moveable screen is an advantage when shooting on a tripod - you can tilt or flip it to see better in bright light.
- K-3ii has a built-in GPS, if that's of use, but no popup flash (unlike the K-5, K-3, KP and KF).
- The third wheel on the KP is very useful.
- The K-5iis or K-3 has a bigger battery, two card slots and a top LCD display - are those things useful to you?
- KP has better metering and better AF than the KF. (I notice a big difference between my KP and K-S2, which is pretty similar to the KF.)
- You can get a battery grip for the K-5, K-3 or KP, but not the KF.
- K-5 series doesn't support KAF4 lenses, such as the DA 55-300mm f4.5-6.3 PLM. It can autofocus, but can't control the aperture, so you can only shoot wide open.
- Shake Reduction gets better on each generation. The KP is better than the K-3.
- Consider the size and weight of each model.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
1 Day Ago
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Thanks very much Peter. Favoured by fortuitous framing foliage.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
1 Day Ago
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Satin Bowerbird (female). K-3iii + FA*300mm f4.5 |
Forum: Pentax K-3 III
1 Day Ago
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Satin Bowerbird (female). K-3iii + FA*300mm f4.5 |
Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
6 Days Ago
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Here's a cheaper and simpler option: Product Description ? JJC You can get a kit with or without the LED light. You don't need a stand and all that palaver.
There was a thread here some time ago in which someone had used this successfully with a Pentax APS-C DSLR and, IIRC, a 50mm macro lens as you are proposing.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-11-2024, 01:50 PM
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
03-11-2024, 01:25 PM
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It's just a misunderstanding of what @StiffLegged was saying. RAW files are saved by the camera as DNG or PEF (you can set this in the camera). After you process the file in an image processing program (such as Adobe Lightroom, Pentax DCU, DxO PhotoLab, etc) you can output the final product in any of a number of formats, either uncompressed (such as TIFF) or compressed (such as jpg or png). I think StiffLegged was just saying he outputs them as TIFF. If you want to share them with family or friends, or post on social media, you will usually want to output to a compressed format, for smaller file sizes. Of course you can do both. If you keep the RAW file (and the small processing data file that goes with it, created by the processing software), you can output it as you have processed it as many times as you like.
There's a learning curve with processing software, but personally I have found it well worth it. I used to shoot jpg only, but started shooting RAW + jpg about 11 years ago. After a few weeks, I could almost always get a better result by processing the RAW file (basic adjustments like exposure and white balance). With more practice (also plenty of tutorials on YouTube), I could get way better results with some images. Eventually I stopped shooting jpg at all. Having kept my RAW files since 2013, I have been able to go back and reprocess them as my skills (and software) have got better.
The downsides of shooting RAW and processing?
- the learning curve
- Processing takes time, especially if you have a lot of images.
- The larger files take up more storage space
- Good commercial software costs.
- Don't have a compressed file for quick sharing.
Cameras have also got better at doing jpgs.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-02-2024, 02:35 AM
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That was my thought too. DA 15, DA 20-40 and DA 55-300 with the K-3iii is another possible kit - that's the one I like the most.
Otherwise, if there is room for two cameras, a wide-normal zoom on the K-1ii (DFA 28-105 is the obvious one) and a DA 55-300 PLM on the K-3iii. A bit bulky but covers a wide range, no lens changes, favours the strong points of each camera. And maybe a DA 1.4 TC to use with the PLM for wildlife in good light. You could take a 62mm filter (e.g. K&F Concept variable ND filter) and a 58-62mm adapter ring if long exposure is a possibility (e.g. waterfalls, seascapes).
If there is still room you could add an ultrawide prime and maybe a faster prime that would be good on either body (FA 31, FA 43, DA*55, FA 77) - whatever your preference. Although chances are you won't use it much.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
02-27-2024, 01:16 PM
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I don't have the F*300 f4.5, but I do have the FA*300 f4.5, which is optically the same.
Yes the HD DA 1.4x TC works (with APS-C models anyway) ...
But ... two caveats:
1. Maximum aperture with the TC is f6.7. Even the K-3iii can struggle with focus at that aperture, if the light isn't very good. Older cameras will be worse.
2. The FA*300 is good wide open, but resolution is better stopped down to f5.6. With the TC, that will be effectively f8. That aperture needs good light and may require compromises on shutter speed and/or ISO if the light isn't ideal.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-23-2024, 03:30 PM
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The only SOOC differences that interest me are between RAW files. I find it hard to tell whether there is any significant difference in colour rendering in RAW files between the cameras I have had: K100D Super, K-30, K-3, K-S2, KP and K-3iii. Maybe the reds were different in the K100D Super (CCD sensor), but I rarely shot RAW in those days.
What does make a difference IMO is the metering. The cameras with more sophisticated metering, like the KP and K-3iii, tend to get more accurate WB. With landscape images from the K-S2, for example, I almost always have to reset the WB, sometimes by a lot. With the KP and K-3iii, I find that the default WB is usually much better.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-19-2024, 02:24 PM
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I think you are doing really well given the limitations of the gear (particularly the ISO limitation, which flows through to shutter speed and aperture) and the circumstances in which you are shooting (where handheld is often the only viable option). MF is really hard with long lenses, without the focus aids like split screens that were found on SLRs.
+1. I went from K100D Super to a K-30 and it was a revelation. Probably a bigger leap than any subsequent one (K-3, K-S2, KP, K-3iii). A K-5 or K-3 would be a better option for not a lot more, because they don't have the solenoid issue (and they have a quiet shutter, more robust construction and balance better with a heavy lens). But for really cheap, a K-30 with a broken solenoid (if you are comfortable with fixing it) would be hard to beat. It would give you a viable 3200 ISO, plus more pixels to work with. If you put a wanted ad in the marketplace, someone might even donate one.
My only other suggestion would be software. If you are not already shooting RAW and processing, you could make some real gains from that. You could use a free program like DarkTable or RawTherapee or DCU (the latest version), or a superseded standalone version of Lightroom from Internet Archive (e.g. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive).
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-19-2024, 01:44 AM
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What sort of correction? Do you mean AF Fine Adjustment? If that is what you did, and another lens is now not focusing correctly, maybe you selected "Apply All" to the focus adjustment. If so, put the 55-300 back on and reset to Apply One. Then go back and reset Apply All. See p.64 of the manual.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
02-16-2024, 02:49 PM
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Great capture. I know how hard it is to get a thornbill in flight.
Thornbills are under-rated. Such a plucky, charismatic and charming little bird, and yes a great songster. All that personality and cognition packed into a tiny body!
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
02-16-2024, 02:27 PM
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Very nice capture, made all the more satisfying by the difficulty in getting it!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
02-12-2024, 02:22 PM
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Thanks for asking Loyd. We are going off-topic (might be better in this thread: HD Pentax-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE - Show us what it can do, what it CAN'T! - PentaxForums.com) so just a few quick tips:
- If you are finding 300mm sufficient, it means either that you are cropping heavily or getting quite close to your subjects. The former is a necessary evil; the latter is the ideal. Almost all my best photos at 300mm or less are within 10 metres of the subject, many less. It's because the wildlife are bold, and get to know me. That is hard to replicate. Photographing water birds from a hide or from shore at 30 metres or more, 300mm is rarely enough to get a high-quality image, no matter how good your technique. Rule #1: get closer (or go longer).
- The 55-300 PLM is so light and easy to handle and use (especially compared to the 150-450) that it's possible to get complacent about the basics. But for handheld shooting you always need to be aware of technique. I constantly go back to this article: Shooting Long Exposures Hand-Held - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com
- Shake reduction with recent cameras like the K-3iii is so good, you can also get complacent about shutter speed. I still try for 1/640th or 1/800th as a starting point for wildlife; for birds in flight, 1/1600th. This often means pushing the ISO - but I am generally happy with 3200, or even 6400, with the K-3iii if necessary.
- The lens is so good wide open that you generally don't need to stop down for better resolution (as was the case with the old 55-300). But the f6.3 maximum aperture at 300mm can be a problem for focusing in low light - sometimes it's better to zoom back to about 260mm, where the maximum is f5.6.
- The AF is so fast that the main thing is to use suitable focus settings in-camera. I like the XS point select in the K-3iii for wildlife (I have the horizontal and vertical default points one or two above the centre, which closer to where the eye is likely to be), except where they are moving fast, for which I use AF.C and Zone select. If the bird is all one colour, the camera might find it hard to focus; you might need to aim at an edge as a proxy.
- Shooting a burst often gives you a better result than a single shot. I use Continuous shooting (H) as my default, although it involves the tedious task of sifting the wheat from the chaff and deleting many images later.
- I always shoot RAW, even though PP can be time-consuming. I am getting more ruthless at culling images so there are fewer to process. I keep the RAW files that survive the cull. Sometimes I go back to the better ones, as my PP skills and software have improved. I have found that it is worth spending time to improve PP skills and I am willing to pay for decent software and to keep it updated (I use DxO PhotoLab and the Nik Collection). I learned a few tricks and techniques from watching YouTube tutorials during the lockdowns - they make a real difference to the end product. But processing is not a substitute for getting a decent quality image to start with.
- I am also getting more ruthless about culling images for posting on Flickr and here. My shutter count on the K-3iii is about 6000. Of those I have probably deleted half to two-thirds without processing. A lot of the rest will be quite satisfactory for my own purposes, but repetitive or not good enough to post publicly. I have posted only 22 photos with the K-3iii to Flickr so far. There might be another 15 or 20 I have taken with the K-3iii to date that I will process and post eventually. So let's say 40 out of 6000 actuations - about 0.66%. When they see only the very best or most distinctive, people think you are a better photographer than you really are!
Hope this helps. And I hope others will excuse the digression.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-10-2024, 02:31 PM
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Really?
I have the DA 16-85, DA 18-135 and DA 20-40 Ltd. They are all good lenses. There is a case for each of them.
The versatility of the 18-135 is really useful for travel. Its centre sharpness is excellent. The 16-85 is very good too, and the extra width will be more useful for some people than the extra length of the 18-135. Its sharpness is more even across the frame, it has better bokeh and the transitions are smoother. But (and this might be a heresy) the 18-135 can occasionally produce images with a 3D quality that I haven't seen yet with the 16-85.
The focal range of the 20-40 means more lens changes, which might make it less useful for travel, but it has that little sprinkling of magic that the Limited lenses can provide and is a joy to use. It also has slightly wider aperture than either the 18-135 or 16-85 and might be better wide open in their common range. The colour rendering is just lovely and the bokeh is very pleasant.
It does have PF in high-contrast scenes. There is less PF with lenses with HD coatings, like the DA 16-85 and 20-40. Whether this matters much depends on what you are shooting. See my review for more detail: https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/SMC-Pentax-DA-18-135mm-F3.5-5.6-ED-...reviewid=10220 |
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
02-05-2024, 12:15 AM
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Yes, Julie, they do look a bit similar. Eclectus are larger though. Rosellas can become quite tame. There are places where they will perch on your head or arm, after generations have got used to handouts.
Thanks very much Peter. Every so often the PLM gives something of a 3D effect (like the FA 77) - I think this is an example.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-04-2024, 03:48 PM
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Crimson Rosella. KP + DA 55-300 PLM at 260mm. |
Forum: Pentax KP
02-04-2024, 03:47 PM
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Crimson Rosella. KP + DA 55-300 PLM at 260mm. |
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
02-04-2024, 03:45 PM
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Crimson Rosella. KP + DA 55-300 PLM at 260mm. |
Forum: Pentax K-3 III
02-02-2024, 02:43 PM
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Thanks very much Chris. It got Explored on Flickr and has the most faves I have ever got.
All terrific shots Peter. I know what you mean about the SCC - I love seeing the parrots here picking up food in one claw. It's because parrots are zygodactylous - that is, digits 2 and 3 face forwards and digits 1 and 4 backwards. It's one reason why they can hang upside down.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-02-2024, 02:31 PM
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That's four of us just in this thread using this exact combination of lenses. And I would say all of us have tried a number of other combinations before settling on this one.
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