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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-18-2024, 05:55 AM
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My only significant wants at the moment are a 90mm or 100mm macro, and maybe a 55-300mm zoom. Either would work well with my K-50 and the important one is the macro lens. I really want that for work, so I can photograph people's eyes and use the photos as reference for my drawings. I want to draw a human eye about five feet wide for my next exhibition of drawings, and it is much better to take the photos for that myself rather than getting someone else to do it or borrowing gear. Here is a link to a photo of my latest eye drawing, this one is the first I have done for years but I used to be known for them: A big eye in pencil. by fireangel |
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Forum: General Photography
09-25-2023, 01:09 AM
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Lovely spoof, thanks for that first post!
I have only had a few cameras, all Pentax, because so far I have been lucky and all my cameras have lasted for years. In fact my first SLR, a fabulous Pentax K-1000, still works, though I don't use it nowadays as my K-50 is my preferred weapon of choice. When a camera does finally die I invariably end up buying another Pentax because I like the way they work, the way they handle and the fact that they are generally quite small. I also like the fact that if I buy another Pentax I can continue to use my existing lenses and I don't have to start buying a new set.
I have been lucky though, because the shortest lived Pentax I owned was my KR, which I got in 2012 when it was a newish model, and that finally became unreliable this year — 2023. I have no idea how long my K-50 will last but I do know a reputable local repair tech who likes fixing Pentax cameras at sensible prices, so I don't worry too much about it. If I get five years out of it before it dies I will buy another Pentax camera, if it develops a problem before then I'll get the K-50 repaired. Once it reaches five years I would consider a replacement a better use of money as it will also most likely be an upgrade.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-13-2020, 08:54 PM
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I wouldn't bother trying to convert anybody. This stuff is personal and the urge to pass it on is natural, but If somebody is interested in being a photographer they will tread their own path not the one you map out for them. By all means take anybody interested on a photo walk and show them how you take pictures, and loan them one of those excess cameras with a lens. If they become passionate about it, give them a camera and a lens if you want to. However remember that most people don't want to be a "serious" photographer and trying to persuade someone is unlikely to work. If they get the bug, they get it, if they don't, share something else with them. Listen to their passion for physics, biology, history or whatever their personal interest is. Most people have their own passions not the ones somebody else wants them to have.
Now if someone shows an interest naturally, great, go for it, encourage them to learn from the slower, more thoughtful process that a manual lens forces upon a photographer.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
07-07-2016, 04:05 AM
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I think sharpness is definitely what makes some images, but usually in such cases its because there's a contrast between in focus and out of focus areas. To dismiss sharpness as unimportant is as wrong as making it the one most important factor that must be there. It should have its place, not be something to be worshipped, and not something to be dismissed. What makes a good or a great photo is as varied as the people who take them.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
06-25-2016, 04:44 PM
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I think your manners need a lot of work. You're assuming I'm not putting anything into the list myself, which is an incorrect assumption.
First I want to ensure that the data is spread as widely as possible once it's put together, both on this site and others. PDF is the best way to do that as it is the most portable form of document that can contain a properly formatted table and print well for those who want it on paper. In addition there isn't just the list of filenames, for many cameras instructions are needed because you have to hold down different buttons during start-up, some you have to press a sequence, some you have to leave the SD card door open and some you don't. I want to write those instructions clearly so almost anyone properly familiar with English can follow them, and I want to put in appropriate warnings for the inexperienced so that they are less likely to turn their cameras into expensive paperweights.
Altogether there's quite a lot of careful work for me to do as well as gathering the data together and I would much rather do that properly than just throw something together in a hurry.
There's a good idea in your post though, and that's the idea of posting the list in this forum. Thanks for that, I'll do that once I work out how to format it, or if the forum doesn't allow me to use the best form then I'll just post it as a text list.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
06-19-2016, 01:01 PM
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Thank you!
---------- Post added 06-19-16 at 09:57 PM ----------
OK, I have put the tables together for a PDF giving instructions for putting Pentax DSLRs into debug mode. I have only a few cameras of recent years missing from the list and if anyone can help fill these gaps please contribute. The missing cameras are:
K-3ii
K-1
Listed so far are:
K-S1
K-S2
K-01
K10D
GX10
GX20
K20D
K200D
K-7
K-m
K-x
K2000
K-r
K-30
K-50
K-500
K-5
K-5ii
K-5iis
K-3
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
06-21-2016, 03:56 AM
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Oh the never-ending quest for sharpness uh? Not me. I know from looking at other people's pictures that there are more important things than just sharpness. In its place it's great, but if it's all you're after you are likely to take boring pictures. I would rather take an image that gets some emotional reactions and sharpness isn't the main factor there. Is sharpness important? Yes. Is it the most important thing? Hell no! My 18-55mm DAL is hardly my "best" lens but I have still managed to take some of my best images with it.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
06-18-2016, 09:07 AM
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Which firmware version uses those filenames please?
---------- Post added 06-18-16 at 05:17 PM ----------
I'm putting together a PDF with a list so could you let me know that camera's firmware version please?
---------- Post added 06-18-16 at 05:23 PM ----------
Again, which firmware version please?
---------- Post added 06-18-16 at 05:45 PM ----------
Could you tell me the firmware version for my list please?
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Forum: Pentax K-r
03-22-2016, 06:30 AM
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OK, at last I managed to eliminate the annoying flickering in my time lapse videos made with the K-r. I now use not only a mains adapter for the K-r but one for a Sunpak external flash; this allows me to set everything manually and eliminates the flickering which was caused by the slightly inconsistent flash power using the pop-up flash.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NVK1j0zRmw4?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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Forum: Pentax K-r
03-09-2016, 04:13 PM
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After obtaining a Chinese low-cost version of the AC adapter for the K-r, I decided to use the intervalometer for making some time-lapse video. The method I used doesn't require the camera to be any good at video, which is good because the K-r is pants at video. So I proceeded as follows:
Set up a glass in front of the camera.
Set up the camera to take 990 frames at 14 second intervals (about 4 hours).
Use built-in flash (AAAARRRGH) because I don't yet have an AC adapter for my flashguns.
Put camera in Manual mode, take test shots until exposure is right.
Set Camera to use JPEG mode (AARRRGH!) because my software can't process DNG files.
Add a load of ice cubes to the glass.
Set the camera going and wait.
Once all the frames are taken they are loaded into my Mac and processed into video using software. It's a fairly quick process, then hey-presto, four hours compressed into forty seconds, a speed-up of 360 times.
The results are here at 720p for the first one:
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8zNCdr0xNBo?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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and here I made a better version at 1080p:
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Aq7sw0LvwsQ?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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The flickering light is because I couldn't turn off the AC lighting in the room where I shot this; at the shutter speed I used this shows up as flickering light levels. I will either use a slower shutter speed and a neutral density filter for future efforts, or just use a room where I can leave the lights off so the flash is providing the only light. Eventually I hope to video a plant growing. By using separate software to process the frames into a video you can even make a 4k video using a K-r or any other still camera that can use either a built-in intervalometer or a plug-in one.
The AC adapter review is here: Ex-Pro K-AC128 AC adapter kit for K-r, K-30 & K-50 reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database |
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-02-2015, 04:43 PM
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Shot on a Pentax K-r using a Pentax SMC-M 50mm f1.4 lens. ISO 100, 1/160 sec at f1.4
Lighting was from three ancient Sunpak flashguns mounted in a single Lastolite Umbrella, model was standing close to a white wall so there is some bounce-back. I had a set of Christmas tree lights hanging from a light stand behind her and we tried to get them lined up nicely for the shot. Manual focus was a pain in the dimly lit room where we were shooting, and it took a fair number of attempts to get this shot. Thanks are due to Barbara for being so willing to keep trying! In the end I did minimal post-work; moved the lights slightly to nail the position, darkened the background and lit her hands with a little painted colour sampled from the lights. The layer was painted above the rest and set to "color" blend mode. I did a tiny bit of blur on her skin here and there because close ups with such a sharp lens tend to exaggerate skin details.
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Forum: Pentax K-r
01-02-2015, 11:46 AM
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If you want something to trigger the shutter remotely using infra-red, then I've had no problems with the cheap Chinese remote I use with my K-r. It can be found form hundreds of eBay suppliers, obviously try to get it from one with a good reputation. There are two buttons, one is equivalent to the shutter-release half press, so it triggers autofocus or wakes up the camera if it has gone into power-save mode, the other fires the shutter. In one respect this item is better than the official Pentax ones; you can change the battery yourself, with the official Pentax remotes you have to send them off to get the battery changed, which is ridiculous in my view.
I'd provide a product link but the supplier I bought from no longer sells the product.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
12-23-2014, 05:15 PM
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Thanks for posting these images; that item just got added to my list of products to be considered.
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
11-05-2014, 02:59 PM
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Hey thanks everybody who has added to this thread. There are useful things posted and I will keep all of this in mind once I get paid next month (or maybe in January). The tip about getting two stands cheaply by buying a background kit is so simple, but it's the kind of thing most of us get only from experience. Sometimes it's great not only to learn from our own experience but from somebody else's.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-12-2014, 07:54 AM
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Why do people keep repeating the myth that Sigma have discontinued this lens for Pentax? According to their web site they haven't. According to a Sigma UK rep I spoke to recently they haven't. It's often necessary to place an order to get it as it is produced in limited numbers due to relatively low demand since the 10-20mm f3.5 was launched, but it is still being made in the Pentax K mount. Can't somebody in the admin here contact Sigma and ask them? Then someone can put the reviews for this lens back where they belong, among Sigma's current range of zooms, instead of where they are currently, in the legacy range.
I wish I could justify the expense, because if I had an 8-16mm it would not be rarely used, I assure you!
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