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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: Pentax News and Rumors
01-30-2024, 07:44 AM
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Thanks for this post, that's just given me a new method for finding good photo opportunities with my Pentax gear. Simple enough yet I bet most of us would not have thought of it.
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Forum: General Photography
10-09-2023, 01:23 AM
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That car is very much like a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air. It's not a perfect likeness but it is pretty close.
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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 Camera and Field Accessories
01-16-2022, 05:48 PM
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To lengthen the life of a rechargeable battery, that is any rechargeable battery, you simply treat it gently. Use a slow charger not a fast charger — occasional fast charging is OK but it should not be done frequently. If it is a proprietary battery like the ones we're mainly discussing here then the charger that came with the camera is usually the best one to use. I am much more wary of third party chargers than I am of third party batteries because chargers vary even more in quality than batteries do.
If you use rechargeable AA or AAA batteries then you could get 50-150 charges before they die with a cheap crappy charger, or 500-1500 charges for the exact same batteries if you use a good charger. Something like the Youshiko YC-4000 which allows you to set the actual charge current is a good move, and generally avoid the higher current settings unless you urgently need a set of batteries charged for a shoot. Try and buy the better brands of battery, like Eneloop, JCB or Duracell. Beware though, of counterfeit Duracell and Eneloop batteries; there are a lot of them about because some unscrupulous manufacturers trade on their well-earned reputation. To avoid counterfeit batteries buy from a reputable source, somewhere that will give refunds if something doesn't work as advertised.
If trying out a brand you have not bought before don't buy a big pack, just buy 4 or 8 or however many your device needs at once. Test them thoroughly, and if they work well for you, then buy a bulk bundle and you can often get a much better price per battery. The very best rechargeable AA and AAA batteries I have personally used are Eneloops and JCB batteries. JCB are now my preferred brand for both AA and AAA size; they perform almost as well as Eneloop batteries for a much lower price. They are also true low-self discharge batteries, so you can charge a set and leave them in a cupboard for weeks or even months and they will still have a decent amount of energy in them.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
01-13-2022, 05:38 PM
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I have to agree. I have seen a few cases where people bought clone batteries that either failed very quickly or didn't ever work properly, so they were wasted money. I have never seen one damage the equipment though. One Sony video camera used for an advertisement shoot I helped on seemed to have only clone batteries in its box, and it performed pretty much as normal throughout the shoot. The owner of the camera is still using it now, roughly three years after that shoot. If some of the batteries have died (which is likely) he is still ahead financially if he bought more of the clones rather than the very expensive Sony batteries. Plus if he wants one of those Sony batteries now it's unlikely he will be able to find a new one anywhere, so clones or used are his only options. The used ones aren't likely to perform as well as a new clone battery.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
01-11-2022, 06:51 PM
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That's interesting. It seems that the experiences of people using the clone batteries is very mixed. However generally unless you buy the really cheap ones their performance is adequate and at a fraction of the price of the Pentax batteries. I did have an Ex-Pro D-Li109 clone at one time, what happened to it I don't know but I suspect it was left on a tour boat travelling the Thames. It seemed to at least match the Pentax original that came with my Kr though I never tried it in cold weather.
My preference for rechargeable AA batteries with decent intelligent chargers is partly due to the number of other devices I have that take AA batteries, like my flashguns, digital audio recorder, a few flashlights etc. Using them with an adapter in my DSLR has improved the battery life as well as saving a lot of money compared to buying spare Pentax D-Li109 batteries. Since I am going to buy AA rechargeables anyway getting a few more for the camera seems sensible. The Kr is old but as it still works flawlessly I have no intention of replacing it yet. When I do replace it my hope was to get another Pentax camera that can use AA batteries though it seems they are slowly closing down that option.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
01-10-2022, 10:04 PM
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My favourite way to power my Pentax is using the AA battery adapter and rechargeable NiMH AA batteries. The JCB brand are as good as the famous Eneloops but are a fraction of the cost, and they last longer in the camera than the D-Li109 native battery. The chargers I use are all proper intelligent chargers that allow me to choose the charge current so I can charge them slowly, though the JCB batteries will tolerate the occasional fast charge like all of the better brands.
Thanks Steve for that excellent reference.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
06-10-2021, 11:50 AM
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I know it's a long time later, but I think I know why this happens. These birds are territorial at certain times of the year and will drive other birds away from their territory at those times. This can give them exclusive access to the particular plant food source that causes the colour change.
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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: Post Your Photos!
05-19-2018, 01:34 PM
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A well timed image and an interesting title...
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-22-2018, 03:00 AM
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That would depend upon the amount of time available and the individual abilities of the programmer doing the reprogramming. It could range from simple improvements to autofocus calibration access, removing time limits on video recording (already mentioned), documenting tethering access for programmers so they could write open source drivers for tethering software, to improvements in the camera's menu system. Features like focus peaking could be added to cameras that don't have it, or improved in cameras that do. One simple example of an improvement I have seen in focus peaking (I think in the Canon hacking community) was to give the user a choice of the colour used to highlight in-focus areas. Another simple improvement to make is to redesign icons and symbols used to make them easier to read — camera manufacturers don't always do a great job of this kind of design and if a hacker has access to a good graphic designer this isn't hard work, just time consuming. A seriously skilled programmer with specialist equipment could even speed up or otherwise improve autofocus performance, though I wouldn't expect that to happen in the real world. I think in the Nikon hacking community a programmer improved the battery life of one particular model.
The sky is the limit really, though modest but useful results are more common than dramatic improvements.
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Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories
11-11-2017, 04:29 AM
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My experience of third party batteries has been better than Pentax's own. I have never had a problem with the official Pentax batteries but the third party ones usually have a higher energy capacity and cost from a quarter to a third of the price of the official Pentax battery. All but one I bought also held a charge well if left in storage for a while.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-13-2017, 05:11 PM
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An exceptional image, there are a ton of images of fungi online but very few are this good.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
09-13-2017, 04:47 PM
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Fantastic shot, it drew a "wow" from my lips and I think I have seen so many bird shots that most of them have no chance of doing that. Really exceptional.
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
08-18-2017, 12:22 PM
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This is a stunning shot. Perfect timing to get the expression on the human and the beauty of that bird, and the positioning to get this composition shows a great eye.
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
09-07-2016, 12:32 PM
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A red one? Bright and cheerful!
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Forum: Post Your Photos!
07-07-2016, 04:20 AM
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Fantastic shot. A great example of how shots can be made as well as found.
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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
06-30-2016, 10:09 AM
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Your 50mm f1.2 is as pretty good tool for taking pictures in low light if you use it well, though I have no idea what your photography skill level is.
Your K-01 is so good with a fast lens you may not need to change the camera, or if you do you many have to spend a lot of money to get a very small improvement. How many lenses besides the 50mm f1.2 do you have that are faster than f2.8? There is that incredible Sigma f1.8 zoom, it ought to provide you with some extra options and it is available now in Pentax mount. If as you say your K-01 raw files are good enough then I would just look at the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 zoom for when you need something with a wider field of view. It's a very sharp and fast zoom, the fastest zoom lens for a DSLR ever, and better solutions are much more expensive. If you have a strong preference for primes there are also several Sigma prime lenses that are very fast, like their 30mm f1.4 which may be of use to you, the Sigma 35mm f1.4 and the 85mm f1.4. The old Pentax SMC-A lenses might make life easier too.
A K-1 will perform better, yes, but it's up to you whether it's worth that extra. It can use all the existing lenses too and that will save you money over switching to a whole new system.
You may get a better low light performance out of that Sony but will it be worth the extra money? That's up to you in the end, but unless your results are just pain bad with your current kit and learning to use it better won't help I would just look at one or two lens options.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
06-30-2016, 08:29 AM
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Thank you. My intention is not just to post it somewhere myself but to encourage others to post it, host it or redistribute it as well. That way the data will be more likely to reach the people who will most benefit from it.
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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
06-25-2016, 11:11 AM
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Thank you! Can you confirm that the K-500 needs no leading zeroes? It seems odd to vary the format of the name as well as the name itself, but of course maybe they do.
---------- Post added 06-25-16 at 07:22 PM ----------
I'm now nearly there, with only the K-1 and K-3ii filenames to find. Once I have these I will put the PDF together.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
06-24-2016, 04:28 AM
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K-S2 has been widely reviewed, are there supply shortages? I haven't read of any.
---------- Post added 06-24-16 at 12:29 PM ----------
Thanks for posting that.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
06-23-2016, 09:08 PM
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The list was produced using copy & paste from some forum somewhere, (not here) as I am not familiar with the full product history. Which one(s) should I delete please?
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