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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-04-2017, 06:33 PM
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The 35mm is a full frame lens, it's heavy and is double the price of the 30mm, so no. Not the 35mm.
Sent from my Samsung S7
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-04-2017, 04:40 PM
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I guess astrophotography is out then, at least for the time being... I just figured having a wide(ish) fast prime would work for astrophotography, but forgot about the lens coma.
As far as focal length goes, I had the FA 28mm f2.8 and loved shooting with it in the club, so that's not an issue.
I was leaning towards the 18-35mm for it's zoom and apparently stellar IQ, but the AF issues (and the 60% higher price) are a deal breaker.
Thanks for you input everyone.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-04-2017, 10:51 AM
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So I finally completed my "holy trinity" of lenses for my K-3II with the Sigma 8-16mm f4.5, 17-50mm f2.8 and the 50-150mm f2.8, so next up I'm looking for the best night performer for a reasonable price. Main usage would be night club, astrophotography and some street photography... so mainly at widest aperture.
I'm looking at the Sigmas (best price/performance ratio as usual), but unsure which one would be best all round. As I've heard, the 18-35mm f1.8 is amazingly sharp, but expensive, heavy and has some serious AF issues. The 30mm f1.4 on the other hand, is lighter, faster and cheaper, but IQ is not as stellar.
Which one would you recommend for everyday usage? It doesn't have to be a Sigma per se, but AFAIK Pentax has no AF f1.4-1.8 lenses in the 18-35mm range. At least none under 500 USD. And manual lenses are out of the question.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-04-2016, 04:22 PM
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Yup. You could add another zero, almost.
Anyway thank you all for the feedback. I knew it was a long shot, but I wanted to check if there were any 30-35mm primes I wasn't aware of. I guess my best bet is to get yet another Sigma lens: The 30mm f1.4
Sharpness is really not a big issue for me when it comes to this particual prime's use; Dark night clubs. All I want from the lens is the most light gathered for the least money and a useful range. My Sigma trinity is here for when sharpness is key. I just find it infuriating that Pentax doesn't have a cheap plastic 30mm f1.8, as Canikon does. Someday perhaps..
Thanks again
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-04-2016, 05:46 AM
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I'm looking for a budget (under 200$) 30-35mm f1.2-f1.8 AF (no MF leses) lens for My K-3II.
I've got the f2.8 zooms covered, but when it comes to low light, none of them are ideal. I've been looking at the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 which would be amazing, but besides the AF issues and the weight, it's extremely expensive. The 35mm f2.4 is nice, but not fast enough. And the 50mm f1.8 is not wide enough for everyday use (for me, anyway).
That leaves some sigma/tamron primes and perhaps some older pentax primes.
What would you recommend?
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-17-2016, 09:48 AM
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AV for general shooting, TAV for moving subjects, or when I can achieve a slower shutter handheld (which is often with Pentax IBIS). Auto-ISO locked to 100-6400 for all except tripod shots. Exposure lock for panoramas/portraits.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-17-2016, 09:16 AM
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You can't, but a JPEG you took just prior to the shutter malfunction will be fine, if you have one. Like a week/month old will be fine. Or if you have a good estimate of the shutter count, use that. It doesn't have to be the exact number the shutter has failed, as shutter life is measured in (tens of) thousands of photos. However, the closer you are to the actual number, the more accurate the database will be, so don't enter at random.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-17-2016, 09:06 AM
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Ever wonder how long before your Pentax DSLR shutter will go out for good? It's one of the few mechanical moving parts left in a digital SLR, and as such, it WILL FAIL at some point. Manufacturers have an estimated shutter count for each DSLR, but those are rarely accurate. Luckily, someone has already made a website for this exact reason. It averages out the users shutter count to estimate an average for every DSLR out there. However, the accuracy of this depends on the number of users who actually take the 90 seconds to fill out their make,model and shutter count and enter it into the database. And as expected, Pentax charts are basically empty, making any estimate impossible. So, it you want to have a more accurate shutter life expectancy for your Pentax DSLR, take the time to enter your DSLR's data.
Instructions:
1. Shoot any JPEG photo with your DSLR (RAW/DNG will not work) and without editing it, upload it here (you can also take a JPEG you already shot, but make sure it was shot recently and not edited):
Check Shutter Count & Camera Manufacture Date Online - EXIF Reader
It will read the EXIF data from you photo and provide you with the shutter count.
2. Now that you know your shutter count, go here:
Camera Shutter Life Database
In the search field, enter you Pentax DSLR, and then add your current shutter count and whether your shutter is still working or not (add your name/email or use a fake one. doesn't matter).
If enough people do this, we will have a good estimate of real-world shutter life for each Pentax DSLR.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
03-12-2016, 05:33 AM
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How else were they supposed to reproduce the issue? The fact that it only happens in P-TTL is the whole point. So yeah.. of course I told them. And Pentax Service Croatia, in their infinite wisdom, says the issue is with 3rd party flash guns. Which is apparently not true. So they lied about testing it. Knowing how they work over there, I'm not surprised.
What we should be focusing on are the people who claim to have no lag. If that's true, that may be the only way to pinpoint the issue.
If not, than Pentax just broke the Flash system...again. And unless they come up with a FW update, we're stuck with a flash delay.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-11-2016, 01:28 PM
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Metz issued beta firmware fix which seems to fix the compatibility issue with the K-3II.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-11-2016, 12:02 PM
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I've just recieved an email from Metz, confirming the issue with Metz FW and K-3II:
 Quote: Concerning the combination of the mecablitz 48 AF-1 digital and the Pentax K-3 II I want to give you a short status report.
Meanwhile the mentioned combination could be checked. Thereby the described malfunction could be reproduced. This is why we will do further checking with our flash units and probably we have to modify the firmware of the flash units. As soon as I get further details I will inform you again. Best regards
_____________________________________________
Metz mecatech GmbH
Ohmstraße 55, D-90513 Zirndorf, Germany |
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
03-11-2016, 11:56 AM
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Yes, told me they tested my K-3II with the Metz 48 AF-1 and the Pentax flash, and claim there is no lag with the Pentax flash unit, only with the Metz.
Can't say I'm surprised they lied, though. Pentax tech support is among the worst I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with...
EDIT: Is there anyone who did the test correctly and DOES NOT have this issue?
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-11-2016, 07:25 AM
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As you can see on the page, the last FW update was in 2013. I updated it 6 months ago, when I got the K-3II and started having problems.
I'm not sure this issue is present on the K-3, but if you could test it, it might help pinpoint the problem.
It does, and unfortunately the problem happens too often for this to be an issue; around 1 out of 10 shots are underexposed by a varying degree. The Pentax service tested the flash using a high speed camera, and concluded what I already suspected; There is a flash sync problem with the K-3II. The flash light sometimes misses the shutter by a few milliseconds, effectively making the shot look like it was shot without the flash.
Anyway, if Pentax service could reproduce the issue with multiple K-3II's, it's obviously not a K-3II issue, which just leaves one of 2 options: Either My Metz 48 AF-1 is faulty (which, as I mentioned in the OP, is unlikely, as it works fine with the K-500) or the Metz firmware is incompatible with the K-3 II.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
03-11-2016, 06:40 AM
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Yes it does. Same delay happens when using the Metz 48 AF-1. However, Pentax service claims the LAG DOES NOT HAPPEN with Pentax brand name flash guns. So apparently it's a 3rd party compatibility issue.. or so they say.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-10-2016, 04:34 PM
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First time I heard about lenses having an effect on P-TTL.. good to know.
However, as you can see from my signature, I don't own a single MF lens. I tested the flash with a Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 and Pentax 18-55mm kit lens on both K-3II and K-500, just to rule out 3rd party lenses being an issue.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-10-2016, 03:12 PM
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Thanks, but that was the first thing I checked. I have the latest firmware. I've also sent the bug report to Metz , so hopefully if this is indeed a FW issue, it will be fixed sometime in the future.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
03-10-2016, 01:13 PM
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If there are any (advanced) photographers out there using this combination, I'd really appreciate your input on this.
Ever since I've switched to the K-3 II, I've been having 2 issues with my 48 AF-1 flash, which were not present on my older K-500:
1. P-TTL shutter lag - A lag/delay of some 1/4s after pressing the shutter release until the actual picture is taken (well documented on this forum already)
2. Random underexposed images when using P-TTL (re-create instructions below), which is my main issue with the flash.
I've contacted Metz about these issues, and they claim they've tested their flash guns with the K-3 II and they are "fully compatible". I then assumed the problem might be my K-3II itself. So I took it to the Pentax service and after testing multiple K-3II's with my Metz 48 AF-1 they concluded it was not a K-3II issue. The same issues happened on all K-3 II's. They also tested my K-3 II with a Pentax flash gun which showed no issues whatsoever.
So apparently it is a Metz flash issue after all..
Now here's my dilemma: I now know my K-3 II is working fine, but what I don't know is whether I have a bad copy of the flash (highly unlikely, as it works fine with my K-500) or if it's a Metz firmware issue, in which case any Metz flash may be affected. I was ready to purchase a new Metz 52 AF-1 as my primary flash, but I have no way of knowing if the flash will actually work or if it will display the same issues as my Metz 48 AF-1.
If anyone has the time to try and re-create this issue, I'd really appreciate it. Here's the instructions:
1. K-3II settings: Manual mode, shutter:1/15s,ISO 800, f3.5 (or any other low aperture the lens supports). (it happens in other modes as well, but it's easy to re-create in this mode)
2. Metz 48 AF-1 settings: P-TTL, Rear curtain mode, flash head pointed up (bounce mode).
3. Place camera on tripod/static surface and shoot at least 20-30 shots.
4. Some shots will turn out as intended (properly exposed), but a few will be randomly underexposed.
I'm at a loss as to what to do. I love Metz flashes for their built quality, power and most importantly, price, but I can't know if they actually fully work with the K-3II. And paying 500$ for a Pentax AF540 is out of the question...
Any help is appreciated.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-06-2016, 09:00 AM
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I was really looking for a reason to get the 18-35mm f1.8, but upon further thought I realized it's really not a priority for me right now. Perhaps in the future, I'll reconsider it.
I've also ran into an amazing deal for a mint Sigma 8-16mm for 360$, so I'm gonna take it. :)
The lens should be arriving next week.
Thank you all for your suggestions and advice!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-23-2016, 07:44 AM
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I've been using the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 and the Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 lenses for over a year now and the sharpness, IQ and the usefulness of the focal range for these lenses is second to none (on APS-C Pentax mount). So I've finally got some spare cash to spend on a new lens, and I've narrowed my selection down to 2 lenses:
Sigma 8-16mm
Sigma 18-35mm f1.8
The thing is, I can't decide which one of these would be a better call.
On the one hand, the 8-16mm would complete the "holy trinity" (even though it's not f2.8), but as this would be my first ultra-wide lens, I'm not sure how much use it will get. Frankly I'm not sure what is the best use for such a wide lens; Landscape/architecture, I'd guess, but 17mm seems to cover that nicely thus far.. so not sure.
On the other hand, the 18-35mm 1.8 is the sharpest and fastest zoom for APS-C, and happens to be my most user focal range. It's also amazing for low light, and behaves exactly as a 27-52mm f2.8 on a FF body. But I already have a 17-50 f2.8 covering that focal range, and spending 800$ on one extra stop of light is a bit much.. or is it? There's also the question of the AF issues with this lens, but since I'm buying new, this is not a problem, as I can always exchange/return the lens if not working.
So which one of these lenses would you get and why?
And if you have any of them (or ideally both of them), what do you like about it and which one do you prefer?
I'm pretty sure I'll get both of them at some point in time, but that may take a year or two, so I'd like to make the right choice.
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
01-18-2016, 04:41 AM
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The best piece of advice I can give you is: Gear doesn't matter. Any DSLR made in the last 5-6 years can take breathtaking, professional photos. What makes a photo is the person behind the camera, their experience, vision and their knowledge of light. So next time you're thinking of buying that new expensive lens or camera body you don't really need, why not invest the money in your photography education or a plane ticket? Both will give you a lot better photos than that new piece of kit.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-21-2015, 01:31 PM
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No bent pins. But I'm glad to hear that removing the battery usually isn't an issue.
Same. K-3 Won't turn on.
So either the grip battery connection died for no apparent reason, or (and this seems more likely) the camera connectors are fried.
I tried disassembling the grip to check the connections, and managed to remove all but a single damn screw, which simply would not loosen. So that's not happening...
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-21-2015, 05:03 AM
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The K-3 II won't turn on.
Yes. That's where I noticed something's wrong, as the grip battery was crossed out.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-20-2015, 06:34 PM
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Unfortunately, I have 3 original K-3 batteries and they worked fine, in both the grip and camera for months. It was only after today's little incident (not even sure that was the reason, but probably) that the K-3 II battery grip shows as no battery. I it's been on for hours now, but still not working. I'm affraid this is probably a different issue.
The batteries are all original Pentax, only the grip is 3rd party, but it was working fine for months.
I'm just hoping this is indeed a problem with the grip, and not the K-3 II, because other than the K-3 II not seeing the battery, the grip works fine. So the connection is working.
But seriously, if removing the battery can cause damage to the camera, that's a serious design flaw.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-20-2015, 04:38 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
12-20-2015, 04:29 PM
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The battery grip buttons work fine, but shows no battery in the K-3 II's battery menu (the battery is crossed out). The batteries are charged and working. This started happening today after I accidentally took out the battery while the K-3 II was on... but I'm sure the camera has a failsafe for this. It shouldn't cause it to malfunction like this, should it?
I tired removing the batteries, but other than that I'm at a loss... The camera works fine with the internal battery, but not the grip anymore.
Any idea what could be the problem?
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