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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-08-2018, 05:01 PM
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Sequoia Park, Eureka, CA:
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Forum: Sold Items
08-07-2017, 11:00 AM
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I don't get it -- no one need this lens? I would have bought it if I don't have one.
Free bump for a great lens.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-25-2017, 09:54 PM
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Havin' fun with the fifties. K and A. :) Thanks for looking.
Tightened it up a bit. I like it better.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-24-2016, 02:28 PM
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Not unless I found I was losing shots switching primes or really needed the 30mm end of the 15-30 zoom. I am a biased prime shooter that prefers the quality over the convenience. For APS-C, I would consider, however, perhaps replacing the 21mm with a 31mm. What is your specific situation why youʻre considering this? Is this primarily for your APS-C or FF? If price is not a factor, then I could see the 15-30 making more sense on a K1.
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
11-22-2016, 04:49 AM
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Hi
Posting seems to be necessary to get private messages working, so introduction might be proper way to start. I stepped into Pentax with K-30 after my Nikon was stolen with all the lenses. Had a change to a new start without the burdens of the past and came to Pentax in the search of the IQ with good value. I haven't really been a serious photographer. More like happy snapper with appreciation to beautiful pictures. Been lurking in the background when in need of information.
Forum came very handy when Pentax decided that I should take photographing more seriously and kindly pushed me into to the legacy primes with aperture block failure. I hadn't had enough courage to go fully manual before. I have learned photographing in film era with manual camera, but since then the automation had made me lazy and pretty much always relied on camera to focus and exposure. About a month now from failure. So far I'm enjoying the experience and stoked about pictures I get. Just need more primes...
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-21-2016, 07:45 PM
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I've owned the K-3 twice over the past couple of years. I've always liked the camera due to its incredible ergonomics. However, I went back and kept up a Fuji system as well, because I felt that some of the Fuji glass is just special.
I hadn't found any Pentax glass the I felt had that special feel. I've owned the DA40 Limited, DA50, DA35, DA55-300, and the Sigma 17-50. Still, none of those really had the juice.
Then today happened. Today my rentals arrived from Lenrentals. I grabbed an FA31 and FA77. Holy smokes. I spent some time this afternoon setting the AF micro-adjusted. They're both dialed in now and are simply stunning.
The image quality POPS and the build quality is incredible. I'm screwed now because I have got to figure out how to explain my "need" for $2,000 worth of lenses. Haha.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-14-2016, 06:02 PM
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Youtu.be
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KfmCdWvEo2o?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
05-14-2013, 12:51 PM
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Found an old triptych that I had created a few years ago and had since forgotten.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-28-2016, 10:27 AM
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I have a Canon Pixma Pro 100 - I find it stunning. Cost of ink isn't cheap, but there are some very high quality 3rd party inks that help bring costs down but I haven't tried them yet.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
10-29-2016, 07:01 PM
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Yes,nice....all the Samsung's produce good images.....The 20-50mm isn't a stabilised lens,if you come across the 16-50mm it has built in stabilisation and I believe the best"kit"lens I've come across....The pancake 30mm f2 is a "limited" quality piece of glass and makes A pocketable street shooter of the 300.For what these nx series go for these days they offer lots of bang for buck.
Also Samsung produced a high quality Kmount adapter which included an apature ring so the Faj and Da lenses can be used,its not AF though.Can be had for $20ish if you look around.
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
10-28-2016, 06:17 PM
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Great excuse to buy a macro lens; and deductible too.
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Forum: Repairs and Warranty Service
10-28-2016, 07:33 AM
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I feel for you, my wife said no boat because we need to save for our daughter's college and the like. At least you have a boat..... AND a camera.
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Forum: General Photography
10-27-2016, 07:37 AM
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That is a cat picture but ... who cares! ;)
It's on the back cover.
Not great looking here .... this attached picture was taken with a cell phone.
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Forum: Pentax K-70 & KF
09-26-2016, 09:58 AM
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
09-22-2016, 07:57 PM
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Oh whew...I returned it with a note begging them not to try to resell such a defective copy, but I have a hunch they simply relisted it.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
09-21-2016, 10:54 AM
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Looking at your photos, I would say the biggest negative is that they tend to be taken at times other than the golden hour. Early mornings and early evenings have a tendency to produce less harsh light. The yellow flower looks like it has a flat appearance and could probably use a little bump in contrast, at least. The statue image has pretty dark shadows as well and could be bumped up quite a bit.
It does feel like you're getting some under exposure with your images, which is OK as long as you go in a bump up shadows in post.
As far as subject and composition, that, of course, has little to do with the camera and shooting using classic rules and just a lot of practice would be the best advice I could give. If I could recommend a single book, it would be Michael Freeman's The Photographer's Eye -- it's a book that doesn't dwell on settings so much as it does on the vision of the image.
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Forum: Ask B&H Photo!
09-21-2016, 06:24 AM
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Hello;
On the PDF scroll down and select the "with paper" [included free by B&H] option for the $250 rebate.
Chuck
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
09-20-2016, 03:07 PM
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Its also the first time someone will be giving me actual money for doing something like this, so to say I was nervous would be understating things... a lot.
I deliberately avoided doing ~research~ because from experience I know every situation is going to be different and the proper advice for one situation may not apply to another.
I had no idea what lenses would be needed (I had an idea it was going to be dark, so thank goodness I packed the Samyangs) other than a vague description that the it was a hall and would probably be dark.
I did sneak up a few days ahead of time to scout out the location. "Big dark hall" was an apt description. There was ambient light coming in the windows, and unused fluorescents overhead.
I was a last second choice since I'd been asked before (and said 'no' because I serrriously didn't want to do this) and the photographer flaked on them or something and they were stuck. The bride was a friend of a friend, and she loved the way my candids I take sometimes come out, so *obviously* that translates into knowing how to handle a wedding...)
Anyhow... my observations and lessons I picked up:
- You really need a second, and preferably even a third camera. Short prime, long prime, zoom for the rest. I wound up mostly using my 35mm and 85mm f/1.4's. Manual focus, but even at high-ish ISOs I was skimming the edge of usability with my shutter speeds. I definitely would have had issues with any of my older cameras, but the K-3 came through in spades for me. What grain I had is easily nuked in post, and the files are large enough they shouldn't show noise anyhow once printed unless they go really, really large with the prints.
- Flash is something I need to learn. I tried it, and I wound up with things looking way too harsh for my tastes. I wound up bagging the flash and went high ISO/Wide Aperture for the bulk of things.
- Adults are awesome for group shots, kids suck. This expands exponentially as you throw more kids into the mix. Getting that shot where someone isn't grabbing their crotch or picking their nose or watching that bee buzz by overhead is a task unlike anything you could imagine.
- Take time to actually ask the plan for the ceremony - in detail. I wound up 'trapped' behind the bride and groom facing the official because when the wedding party flanked them, I had no way to circle around to the other side.
- That said, this meant I was able to get everyone except the bride and groom facing me. This worked in my favor since I was still able to get them as they exchanged vows, and I was able to catch everyone's reactions at the same time (where otherwise it would have been the backs of their heads and the official's head would have been in the way).
- Getting back to my distaste for flash, I quickly grew to hate other peoples flashes. I lost a few shots because I had a bright flare of light going on behind someone's shoulder. The guy who decided to make cell phone flashes blast a second of bright light before going off deserves his own special place with a lava view.
All things considered though, I had fun. It was far less stressful than I expected once things got rolling, and I actually think I could do this as a regular thing if I can ever gather the proper equipment (ie, extra bodies) together. I think next time I do this (if I can) I'll bring someone else along as well to be a gopher/second cameraperson.
Right now I'm plowing through the photos pruning for 'keepers' and generally going cross-eyed in the process. I'm kind of happy I had far more keepers than expected (by about quadruple what I thought I would), and hoping the couple will like the results. :)
FWIW, my 'most used' lenses were the Samyang 35 1.4, Samyang 85 1.4, Sigma 10-20mm, and a spattering of F35-70's. The 85 and 35mm's both saw about equal use, with the 35 taking the edge. I would have pulled out a longer focal length except what have is all far too slow for what I needed, and I was trying to minimize lens swapping as much as possible. Having autofocus would have been nice, but I think in the dark conditions I was better off going manual anyhow rather than having to dicker with focus points and hoping whatever lens I had actually found its mark and not the scenery behind them.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-19-2016, 01:09 PM
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This year, I've already spend lots of money into a K1 and DFA lenses. Please Ricoh, don't release anything that would tempt me to spend money, it's enough spent for this year. Thank you.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-16-2016, 10:22 AM
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This all derives from price competition in a shrinking market. Nikon also uses Precision.
The 96% of Pentax buyers who don't need it would not likely pay more for every single item to provide good warranty service for the 4% who do.
I'd like to see a tiered warranty. Standard (untimely service) warranty is free. I can buy a warranty upgrade to fast factory service, at my discretion, at time of sale.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
09-16-2016, 10:06 AM
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I had my DA*16-50 repaired at the Canada Authorized Pentax repair shop. They did excellent service and were quick turn around. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Precision Repair with all the negative reviews I've read about them on this site. I would pay extra just to send it to Canada if I needed other Pentax gear repaired. Go Canada! And yea....I'm from the U.S.
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Forum: Pentax K-70 & KF
09-16-2016, 02:12 AM
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I have been using the K70 and 40mm Ltd combo to make silly animated .gifs about my beloved Horned Frogs this season for thefroghorn.com. Possibly the most wasteful use of capabilities imaginable! This week's game is against the Iowa State Cyclones...
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
09-14-2016, 11:22 AM
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The leading photography magazine in Finland published a 3-page review of the K-1 today. The overall conclusion is clearly positive - a highly competitive package, good value for money.
Pros: value for money, build quality, handling, image quality and dynamic range, Pentax -specific features (Pixel Shift, Smart Function-controls,Astro Tracer,IBIS,TAv, Catch-in-Focus, illuminated controls, lens mount backward compatibility etc). They also liked the hinged LCD screen " a crossover of a desk lamp and a camping chair" :) .
Cons: video,frame rate, AF "not among the best in its category".
They recommend it especially for studio and landscape work.
They tested the body with two lenses, the D FA 24-70 and the D FA* 70-200. Both proved to be solid performers exhibiting pretty consistent sharpness and contrast down to f:16. In this test the D FA 24-70 reached a maximum resolution of 2429 lp/ph at 70mm and f:8. Interesting enough this figure was recorded at the edge of the frame.
The 70-200 reached a maximum of 2460 lp/ph at 100 mm and f:8 Both of these figures are very close to the theoretical limit for the sensor.
Nothing surprising for us Pentaxians, but a fair and unbiased review for anyone not familiar with the camera!
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Forum: General Photography
09-05-2016, 01:41 PM
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I was thinking back several years to the time that I 'discovered' this forum.
When I was considering the options for my first DSLR (Nikon, Canon, Pentax), I found a Pentax-M 50/1.7 at a local Thrift Shop. It was in excellent condition, but priced higher than I thought was reasonable. I rushed home to look it up on the web, and found the lens reviews at PF. I had read a number of reviews of the cameras that were on my short list, but never ventured into any forums.
So, after browsing through the threads, I thought, "Wow, this Pentax community is super. And here's a great source of information and help." I bought the lens*, shortly followed by a K-7. And I joined my first on-line forum, ever.
I guess I'm still sort of a forum-noob at 3.5 years membership, but really enjoy the climate here.
How did you happen to discover or join PF?
- Craig
* It turned out that the shop was having a half-price sale that day. Instead of the regular price, I got the lens for $15. A pretty decent introduction to Pentax, I'd say.
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