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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
04-24-2017, 07:38 AM
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Tell me more about this? I haven't come across this feature yet. One of the lenses I use A LOT is a FA 28-200 that's probably pushing 25+ years old at this point. It's in great shape but it's a film lens (and I love it because of its versatility).
I'll try the other suggestions! I think I tend to be afraid of going too fast on my shutter speed, so I'll work on that.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
04-23-2017, 08:18 PM
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Friends!
I need some advice. I do a lot of action photography (specifically of horses), and I've been struggling finding the best autofocus mode with the K-3. I took several shots today at a 1/400 shutter speed (bright sunny day, so light was not an issue) and a lot of them are just slightly out of focus. I usually depend on the camera to tell me when things are in focus as I have eye issues and can't generally focus on things far away anyway (I'm horribly nearsighted and have a slight astigmatism, so my distance vision is crap in terms of sharp focus). I've been shooting in AF.C, but I don't know? I'm new to the K-3, I recently upgraded from the K-r, which didn't have quite so many options!
Advice is always welcome! Thanks!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 & K-3 II
04-23-2017, 08:11 PM
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Shot with my favorite lens, my FA 28-200mm. Full functionality with DSLRs, so much versatility in the lens! If I can only have one lens, it's this one.
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Forum: General Photography
03-24-2017, 01:29 PM
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I'll have an ooooooold FA 28-200mm lens, and a newer DA 55-300mm lens. Both Pentax lenses. It was the 28-200 that fogged up badly last time, if I remember correctly.
I hadn't thought about a lens rental! I'll definitely look into that, having even a little more zoom would be worth it for the weekend. Thanks!
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Forum: General Photography
03-23-2017, 08:56 AM
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Wise friends!
I'll be going to Kentucky in April to watch (and photograph because why not?) the Rolex Kentucky 3-day Event (equine event). I've been twice before and both times, the cross-country day (where you can literally photograph up-close and personally with the competitors) has been wet, rainy, and humid. I did alright my first year because I was under the wing (and using the equipment of) two professional photographers, but last time I went my poor lens and camera got hopelessly wet and fogged. I live in Colorado, so rain and humidity aren't things I deal with....even if your lens does get wet, if you take it inside for 5 minutes it's dry again.
I've upgraded since then to the K-3, so hopefully the camera itself is safe from the rain, but what do I do with my lenses? I don't have the funds for weather-sealed lenses. The "poor man's solution" I came up with was cutting a hole in a plastic bag and taping it around the lens hood, with the rest of the bag covering the lens/camera. Are there better (and not bank-breaking) solutions out there? The plastic bag trick only works with my one lens because it has a straight hood, my other lens that I'll use has a flower-petal hood.
I figure if I go prepared this year, it won't rain at all!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
03-03-2017, 08:42 PM
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I finally decided to upgrade from my old K-r, and I found a nice K-3 in my budget. I got it today after work, and of course went trial-by-fire style of throwing a lens on and taking a few snaps! Since light was low (at least half an hour or more after sunset), I was curious how it would perform. My horse is always my best subject! The photo of her head was lightly edited in Lightroom, and the one of her butt is as-shot. I'm quite pleased, even with the higher ISO the noise is very low!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-28-2016, 08:47 PM
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Sigh, now I want a K-3! There's a few on Amazon for just over $500...that's still not too bad.
What's considered a "good" shutter count for a used camera? I couldn't figure out what mine is with my K-r because I can't be bothered to dig it out at the moment, but I have 15,000+ photos in Lightroom alone, and I started using that more than a year after I got my K-r.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-25-2016, 12:30 PM
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Thanks for the input! I'll weigh all of my options and maybe put "money for a new camera" on my Christmas list...I do love the small size of the K-r, when combined with my 18-55 kit lens (which I like way more than I thought I would) it fits perfectly in my saddle pack on my mountain trail rides. There's no reason I can't still do that as the K-r works, I'm mostly looking for an upgrade in frames-per-second and image quality.
Follow-up question: do I need to worry about lens compatibility? I have 3 lenses I use heavily, the 18-55 kit lens that came with the K-r, a DA 55-300 that I picked up for a steal at an open box show, and an ollllllld 28-200 (72mm diameter) lens from the film days that's just barely new enough to be fully compatible (AF and all!) witht he K-r.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-25-2016, 10:07 AM
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Hello, knowledgeable friends!
I've had a K-r since 2011, and it's showing it's age...in the sense that the iPhone 7 has the same megapixels (which I know isn't everything) and I think it's only 6 fps shutter speed. It's not bad, but I'm itching for an upgrade...
The trouble is, I have no idea what to pursue! Photography is 100% a hobby, so I can't justify spending thousands on equipment. My general thought at the moment is to get a new-er used body...but what do I get? I'd love to stay in the $300ish price range, and a couple of years old is fine by me, it'll still be an upgrade for me!
I shoot mostly landscapes and horses: however, horses move fast so frames-per-second is something I look at.
Any suggestions?
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-25-2016, 08:50 AM
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I talked to a professional photographer who was working and selling his wildlife/landscape photos in Yellowstone National Park once...mostly because he was tweaking something on his camera while watching his sale booth in one of the lodges, and that camera was a Pentax. I chatted about why he shot Pentax, and he said, "Because it was there." with a shrug of his shoulders. He went on to say he started amateur and Pentax was what was affordable to him at the time, and he liked it so he stuck with it. He also said "because it's there" is his photography motto: when shooting Yellowstone, you're not always going to see that grizzly bear or wolf. So, shoot what's there: make that rabbit just as interesting as the bear. And that's the talent: that's all you, regardless of your camera!
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
09-07-2016, 05:46 PM
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Oh man, I'd love one of these! I've been considering upgrading/updating from my K-r for some time now...
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-16-2015, 05:39 PM
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Better the camera than your son!
Beyond that I have nothing to add. I'd love to upgrade to the K3 or even the KS2 myself, but I'm a broke grad student (and photography is purely a hobby).
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-24-2014, 02:59 PM
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We are. But it's always a good conversation starter when you do meet another one..."It's not often you meet someone else who shoots Pentax, how'd you get into it?" I've had several interesting and productive conversations starting with that line!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-24-2014, 02:56 PM
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I'm 23, and I shoot Pentax because it was most economical for me...I bought my K-r when I was 20 (saved up an entire summer's worth of tips from working at an ice cream shop) because my dad shot Pentax back in the film days, so I had a bunch of lenses. I bought it with the kit lens because it was only like $40 more on Amazon at the time, but I had a 28-200mm fully functional lens, a f/2 50mm manual focus-only lens, an 80-200mm fully functional lens (which I've never used because it's weird...and I have the 28-200. And another telephoto lens.)
Since then I've only added a 55-300mm lens that I got a killer deal on at an open box show. And the only three lenses I use regularly are that one, the 28-200mm, and the kit lens. Only room for one lens? The 28-200mm comes with me, every time.
So no, I don't have a lot of cash to drop on lenses (and everything I do have goes to my other hobbies, riding horses and climbing rocks), but I didn't have a ton of initial investment either. I also have a film Leica system (body and like 5 lenses), but the $22,000 price tag on the Leica DSLR body was a bit of a turn off for me. New camera, or new car? As I was driving a not-always-functional 1997 Pontiac at the time, you can guess what I chose...:D
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-24-2014, 02:48 PM
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I never thought of us as rare...but I guess so! Now that I think about it, most of the people I've met that shoot Pentax have been male....actually all of them, I think. Interesting.
Female here, obviously. Pretty sure my avatar reflects that...
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
08-19-2014, 11:13 AM
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Drat. All my good ones were taken the 16th and 17th...
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-11-2014, 08:57 PM
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Thanks everyone! I actually got really lucky and it was mostly clear, a bit hazy when I went to Yellowstone but I just didn't take any photos from a long distance where you would see the haze. I'll post some when I have more energy.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-05-2014, 12:09 AM
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What a beautiful reflection! Love the shot despite the harsh noon light!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-30-2014, 06:26 PM
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Thanks! I'm still new to the HDR concept so I haven't used it much.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
06-29-2014, 09:15 AM
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I'm in a small historic town in Montana this week, so this challenge was perfect for me. I walked around town and took several shots of cool old buildings...unfortunately, the building that used to be perfect changed (there used to be a tree growing out of a church. The town took down the tree.)
Here's the one I liked best: the very definition of next-door neighbors!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-28-2014, 02:06 PM
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So I'm on my annual week-long vacation to Montana, which includes spending time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. (Me and all the tourists from Asia.) Since I have TONS of shots of the mountains, I thought I'd do something a little different this year and try some HDR shooting. Just for fun.
The Grand Tetons. In the rain.
Since I had my camera on the tripod, I did a few selfie shots. Except there was a breeze, so my hair looked weird whenever I was facing the camera. So I went with the back view.
The view off the front porch where I'm staying.
Watching the rain down the valley.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-25-2014, 02:50 PM
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Thanks everyone! I have the haze filters mostly for the protection-of-the-lens factor (I also do a lot of horse show photography, which means a LOT of dust on my lenses...), but I wasn't sure if they actually "cut" haze. I'll just try my best with my polaizer(s) and hope the wind blows the smoke the other way!
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-23-2014, 08:15 PM
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Hello! I really wasn't sure where to put this, so I'll pose it here.
I'm leaving on a road trip to Montana on Friday, and will (as always) be passing through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I do this almost annually, so I fight with this problem annually. Is there a filter I can put on my lens to help cut the haze from wildfires? Something in the Western US is always on fire in the summer (seems to be mostly south at the moment, the closest is Utah and there's only 2), so some days are really, really hazy for landscape photography. I have UV/haze filters on every lens I own, but they don't seem to do much. Any other suggestions? I have polarizers for most of my lenses, and if it's something cheap I'd love to pick it up before I leave (or order it from Amazon Prime...)
Is there anything I can do in-camera to help, or PP in Lightroom? I shoot a K-r and have Lightroom 5.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-12-2014, 08:58 PM
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Beautiful! I was just looking at the moon and wishing I had better night photography skills to capture it.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-10-2014, 08:18 PM
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I heard all about those twisters...I was down in Buffalo Creek, kind of by Pine, on the Colorado Trail. Not a good place to be in storms, out riding a horse on a trail! We survived, but it wasn't ideal.
Great shot! If you ignore the funnel cloud, it's very "Colorado".
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