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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
07-05-2015, 12:49 PM
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Thanks for all the replies.
CIF does indeed work if I depress both the lens lock button and the shutter button. However this makes the screwdrive run as previously noted.
I might try tapering the electrical contacts to see how that works out.
It would indeed be nice to see more lenses with an AF/MF switch, especially to experiment with macro.
Best regards,
Michael
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Forum: Pentax K-30 & K-50
07-05-2015, 10:59 AM
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I have followed the guide on Catch-in-Focus Tutorial - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com and got 'catch in focus' working on the DA 14mm but the Pentax K-30 screw drive goes crazy when I depress the lock button and simultaneously depress the shutter button.
Is it possible to perform 'catch in focus' with either or both lenses mentioned in thread title following a better approach? :)
Best regards,
Michael
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Forum: Winners' Showcase
07-02-2015, 10:41 AM
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
06-29-2015, 11:05 AM
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#With this budget, here is what I am thinking about as a starter set:
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#Sony A7 / A7II / A7S
#Vario-Tessar® T* FE 24–70 mm F4 ZA OSS (430 g)
#FE 70–200 mm F4 G OSS (840 g)
#Sigma 85mm F1,4 EX DG HSM (725 g?)
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Have you considered:
DA* 16-50mm F2.8 (565 g) or Sigma 17-70mm (465 g) if weather sealing is not important
DA* 50-135mm F2.8 (685 g)
DA* 55mm F1.4 (375 g)
All three primary recommendations are roughly equivalent in terms of focal length to the Sony FFs you have mentioned and first two are 1 stop faster which makes up for the roughly 1 stop advantage of the Sony A7 / A7ii setup.
So unless you want to go really low light (A7s) or really high res (A7r) then I don't see the advantage of the Sony system?
In terms of weight these lenses are generally also lighter.
I only have the DA* 55mm which is really sharp and nice btw :)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-25-2014, 05:27 PM
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Thanks for all the great replies.
I decided to buy the Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8 mainly due to less weight (in comparison to Samyang 14mm/16mm), better QC and versatility (astro, landscape, indoor, special macro*ish - 0.17m focus).
Here are a few test shots of the night sky over Aarhus, Denmark. Lots of light pollution from the ~300.000 inhabitants in the city. Maybe I'll try to take the car out on the countryside to do more testing, but first impressions are good. Stellar coma aberration is present at the edge of the frame when shooting wide open. I do still feel that it's usable when you don't pixel peep, however when stopping down to f/4 it gets a lot better.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-10-2014, 02:02 PM
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Thanks for all the great feedback!
I am leaning towards the DA 14mm because I can currently get it for about the same price as the Samyang 14/16mm in Denmark. It weighs a bit less than the 14/16mm Samyang and hopefully Pentax has better QC, and it still has options for a 77mm filter.
The only concern I have is with respect to coma aberations. As I understand it the lense does not feature an aspherical element, which would help to reduce coma aberations.
Samyang 14 mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC review - Coma and astigmatism - Lenstip.com (Samyang 14mm good control of coma aberation)
Here is the same test for the Pentax 15mm:
Pentax smc DA 15 mm f/4 ED AL Limited review - Coma, astigmatism and bokeh - Lenstip.com (acceptable coma control at f/5.6)
Unfortunately I can't find a test for the DA 14mm but an educated guess would be that I would have to stop down to at least f/4.0 to get a reasonable coma control if used for astrophotography.
Bassek - have you tried to do a test wide open or at f/4.0 to determine center vs corner coma aberations?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-10-2014, 10:58 AM
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Hi all,
I have trouble deciding which UWA lens to buy. I plan to use the lens for a variety of purposes including:
* Astrophotography
* Indoor and possible low light
* Landscape / architecture
* Special uses - view from helicopter
I have the following lenses in sight:
* Pentax DA 15mm F/4 (SMC for starburst effect, HD because it's easier to get)
* Pentax SMC DA 14mm F/2.8
* Rokinon 14mm F/2.8
* Rokinon 16mm F/2.0
I am primarily looking at build and optical quality.
For astrophotography / low light it's important to get many photons. Thus a low F number is preferable. The lens should also be resistent against coma abberation. For landscape / architecture the lense should be flare resistant.
Reviews seems to favor the Rokinon 14mm F/2.8 or 16mm F/2.0 because it features an aspherical lense which reduces coma abberations. Sharpness should be good, but there is some concern about QC on the Rokinon / Samyang lenses?
How does the Pentax 14mm feature in respect to coma abberations? Does it have an aspherical lense?
Which one would you recommend?
Best regards,
Michael
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
04-04-2014, 12:07 PM
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Thank you all for the great response.
I guess it makes sense that there are small variations in the exposure calculations. Especially when considering the 4 stop difference between f1.4 and f5.6. I feel reassured that it's not a technical problem with the new lense or camera.
elliott: The æbleskive pande is actually not painted but is made of copper but it is used as a decoration :)
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
04-03-2014, 03:35 PM
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Hello,
I have just bought my first prime - a DA* 55 mm and I have played around with it for the past few days. I have noticed a slight difference in the brightness / histogram level when taking a shoot using the DA* 55mm and comparing it with a similar shoot (under the same lighting conditions) using the 18 - 135mm WR kit lens. At first I thought it might be due to differences in the optical quality of the lenses, but should the camera lightmeter not be able to make a correct exposure and thus change the shutter, aperture or ISO accordingly? Thus I have made a few follow up tests where I compare an inside shoot taken at a fixed aperture of F5.6, ISO100 and focal length of about 55mm on the kit lense.
The first photo is taken with the DA* 55 mm while the second is taken with the 18-135mm at about 55mm. Both pictures are taken at ISO100 and F5.6. Just by visual inspection the brightness difference is noticeable - the observation is confirmed by comparing the respective histograms on the camera.
It should be noted that I have not updated to the latest firmware, so I will try to do that and take a few follow up shoots under the same lighting conditions. Should I be concerned with my new lense or camera?... or is it to be expected that you have to change the exposure compensation when changing lenses?
Best regards,
Michael
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
04-03-2014, 02:54 PM
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Hello everyone,
My name is Michael and I'm a "newcomer" to the DSLR world. After reading a ton of reviews about different entry to mid range DSLR camera's last year I finally decided to buy a Pentax K30. The reason? I chose it because it was relatively small, light weight, well built, weather resistant (it rains a lot in Denmark), affordable, and simple to use but still advanced enough for me to help develop new photography skills. It only lacks a bit in the battery compartment and in my mind I do not need the movie mode so badly. If I want to shoot movies I'll pick up a movie camera anyway :-)
Well after a year of playing around with my Pentax K30 and the 18-135 mm WR kit lense I'm still a happy user of Pentax.
After a lot of thinking I have finally decided to buy my first prime lense - a Pentax 55mm DA*. Why? Because its fast which is relevant for night time shoots, well built, handles well and is quiet - a feature which is nice to have when you want to shoot pictures at a family party, wedding and the likes.
I have followed pentaxforums for the past year and finally feel ready to join the forum to learn more and share knowledge.
Best regards,
Michael
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