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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-31-2014, 01:49 AM
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My 2 cents:
1.
- if that's going to be the workflow template, you've pretty much just taken the automatic camera function to output to JPGS and turned it into a manual step. Just save straight to JPGs instead and then only adjust images individually if need be. If you want, save as RAW+ so you've always got the raw file to refer if you really want.
2.
Are you sure a DSLR (even beginners) was the right camera choice for you? DSLR's look way cooler I know, but lets face it - SLRs weren't made for recording experiences, they were made for creating experiences, and they do it by giving tweak access to viewpoint, focus and depth of field. When you choose AUTO over manual setting, you are giving up around 1/3 of your artistic control. Would you be willing to give up another 1/3? I don't know the PnS field but I would think you might get something that will "do auto, but better" than your DSLR does it and lighter and cheaper. Best of all, you could actually put it in your pocket and spend time having the experience first hand instead of experiencing through the viewfinder or with your hands full. Personally I find mobile phones to be quite excellent experience recorders in that they are compact, always with you anyway, and take remarkably good pictures for their size.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-30-2014, 06:48 PM
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Ha! Thanks so much I just checked the hood and it IS the wrong hood. Now to contact that ebay seller....
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
07-30-2014, 10:55 AM
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 .....
I nearly died when I looked down at the LCD on my camera and saw this. Taken from my recently eBay purchased DA 12-24. I thought maybe the elements were totally out of alignment or something and I was seeing the resulting CA.
Turns out that it was just my lens hood sticking out in front of the lens.
"Just" my lens hood.... relativity is a funny thing - for now.
I just have no idea if this is a manufacturing defect or just a long hot day in someone's car deforming the plastic? The hood doesn't look deformed to my eye and seems to roll true without undue deviation. Of course the cause might be something more complicated and sinister in it's prognosis, but I don't see any other indications that the lens has be has been compromised.. Has anyone else come across anything similar with other copies of this lens?
 .....
I was just starting to have some fun with this lens too.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
07-04-2014, 06:52 AM
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Forum: General Talk
07-03-2014, 03:37 PM
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^ I do so love the little child dangling a spider (?). Does he not know that berets are arachnid proof?
My latest acquisition was a Super Takumar 55mm 1.8 a couple of days ago on EvilBay.
It will be my first proper lens and delivery date should be in less than a week. Unfortunately the delivery date for my M42 adapter will be about 2-3 weeks behind it, so as a consolation I will simply take pictures of it and dream of the fun we shall have together.
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Forum: General Talk
07-03-2014, 03:09 PM
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I have been on ebay a lot lately. Actually, up until recently, I never used it at all. But because now I need lenses and well, lenses cost money, I'm looking for ways to get my kit on cheaply. So there I subsist for the moment, in the cesspool that is evilBay.
I usually pass over these kind of ads, but today - out of curiosity - I thought I'd check one out to see what it had to say. And yes, I did laugh.
If you haven't seen these ads, I'll try and highlight some of the finer moments from the one that I saw with my interpretive copy. The original went something like this:
New Super Ultra Wide Angle Macro Fisheye Lens
For Pentax* SLR Digital Camera K10D K3 K50 K30 K20D X5 K500 K30 K01 K5 Kr Kx K7 MZ50 MZ60 P30............
*Reader's note: not limited to Pentax brand DSLR or SLR. Also suits Canon** Rebel EOS AOS xti t1i t2i t3 t3i 60D t4i t5i
**Reader's note: not limited to Canon, also suits Nikon***
***Reader's note: IF YOU HAVE DSLR YOU CAN BUY ------ NICE
(Check below to make sure this Lens is compatible with your Pentax Camera)
Brand New Sealed in Box 180° Degree 0.16x Ultra Fisheye Macro Wide Angle Lens -------- NICE!
Description:
Point being no.1 - Broadens your Field of View, and get more out of your pictures.
Point being no.2 - Capture more by broadening the angle of view and increasing the depth of field bringing extremely more area into focus.
Point being no.3 - Wide Angle Ultra Fisheye Lenses are used to massively increase the area covered by a normal lens like 18-55mm
because SOMETIMES 18mm ISN'T WIDE ENOUGH
What's wide enough?!10x18=180 Degree ULTRA Wide Angle Fish Eye ----- Nice
Excellent for group of people, Panoramas, City Views, Landscapes, Night Photography, Macro Photography, Watching TV, and more...
With this lens you will be able to fit more objects in view than with a normal lens.
With Normal Lens View :(
With Ultra Wide Angle Fisheye :):):)
LOOK! Images is totally sharp Corner to Corner!
LOOK! Images has no CA!
Optimized for MEGA Pixel Photography
Ultra Image Enhancement
Auto Focus / Infrared Compatible
Best Choice in Brand Name Lenses!
Retail Price: $300.00 $30.00!!!!
PENTAX*
*compatible |
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Forum: General Photography
07-03-2014, 11:51 AM
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His "Braving the Night Rain" picture was so close to being perfect but then he went and made the umbrella lady look like a cardboard shadowpuppet in PP.
TRANSLATION: You live around "useless stores, houses, condos, apartments, factories"... put out a basket of old bread rolls, say around 5:00pm. Don't put it out too early, as they can be quite shy while there is still light; but don't put it out too late or they will be too busy looking nesting place for the night...
....then set your camera to B&W, choose your favourite fast 50 (or 150, depending on the neighbourhood) and voila:
 Alternate Link - https://flic.kr/p/nTUrMY |
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
07-03-2014, 10:42 AM
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When I spoke to the sales rep at B&H about 3 weeks ago she said that the deal had no listed expiry date and that it would last as long as stocks did. Although she might have just been a peon.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-03-2014, 10:23 AM
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I'm relieved to hear that. I've been having a look at the pictures put out by some of these old Russian lenses - in particular the Jupiter 3, and they really impart their own unique feel.. I've read some people dismissing such artefacts as qualities of a bad lens, but I think there's something to be said for a picture that doesn't look like it's the immaculate conception of LIghtroom. Sharpness isn't the only measure of a good picture!
I'mma just keep researching and spending all my free time looking for lenses on ebay like a crazy person. Once I get some solid lenses in my swag, I'll be coming back for the Russians. I'll just be drooling over the photographilia on ebay til then :)
I WANT I WANT
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-01-2014, 11:50 PM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
06-28-2014, 03:54 PM
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Forum: General Photography
06-27-2014, 12:43 PM
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These types of challenges that people have been mentioning are a great idea. There seem to be a lot of challenges on the forums here, or you can just make your own. The important thing is that you have to complete the challenge in order to force that paradigm shift.
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Forum: General Photography
06-25-2014, 10:26 PM
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:) The emphasis was supposed to be more on the inspirational angle and a little less on the "piss off and go find a new hobby" angle :)
Just adding one more important thing: gear. Don't mistake me here. Better, expensive gear won't suddenly bestow you with the magical ability to take amazing pictures. But DIFFERENT gear might help you find some inspiration.
If you're going to be taking photographs of "boring" things, it's going to help to have a fast lens. It will help you isolate your subject from the background allowing you to capture that simplistic beauty, instead of having a busy picture, where everything is fighting for attention.
Macro is also a good one for that. You already have a macro lens by the looks of things, so potentially you are already sorted in that area. If you are using kit lenses though, you probably won't have a fast one (probably 3.5-5.6) so getting a faster lens is probably going to change your game the most. Otherwise you could look at extension tubes to increase your macro options and are quite cheap at about $30 or less I think.
If you're financially strapped, you can buy a simple old school manual 50mm 1.4 lens from ebay for around $20 iirc.
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Forum: General Photography
06-25-2014, 09:37 PM
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This is the best advice I can think of if you're asking this question. If you're not predisposed to seeing inspiration in the subject matter or the colours or the lighting that's in front of you, you need to change your mindset - or change hobbies :)
You can read books about composition and stuff which is maybe an okay place to start - but I would recommend using your own eye and trust your gut. All the composition rules are based on what makes things look pleasing to the eye, usually figured out by greek mathematicians millenia ago, but they are generalised and don't take into account things like tonal weighting and intent (conveying feeling) etc, and if you spend time trying to remember and follow rules you won't develop your eye. Your eye already knows what is pleasing to it (it's what the rules are based on after all).
For inspiration about how and what you can photograph, just browse some galleries and check out other peoples photos. I often find the best photos that appeal to me personally are rather simple in subject matter - sometimes of nothing important at all. It's more about how those shapes and colours interact with each other on that confined space known as a picture. But then I'm a lover of abstract art.
Try squinting through the view finder, or as you walk around to blur shapes into the abstract. Try not to look too deranged if you turn your screwed up fact to observe other people in public - you may frighten the fauna away, potentially losing a good photo opportunity.
Here's an exercise: try taking photographs from around your garden and home - without going out to look for amazing photo opportunities. If you can learn how to look at the ordinary things you've seen a thousand times before in a different way, the larger world will be a goldmine of possibilities compared to that tiny space.
Best of luck! I hope you find that inspiration.
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Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
06-22-2014, 11:21 AM
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Who says shopping centres are boring?
Unfortunately I never had the chance to get that perfect shot. A rather sombre looking fellow, dressed in security garb came gliding down the escalators, silent as a ghost, with only distasteful news chewing in his mouth - I was not allowed to take photos here...
"what's a demoire in GIMP?"
Warwick shopping centre in Western Australia, InsideAngles:
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-20-2014, 11:58 PM
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Any chance Adam that you can convince a major Australian pentax retailer to jump on board with the free giveaways/contribution to the pentaxforum cause? ;)
Nudge Nudge
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-20-2014, 12:07 PM
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I'm so freaking bummed out over this deal. I've spent forever and a day evaluating my different purchasing options to arrive at the depressing conclusion that this awesome deal aint so awesome for us Australians. The import taxes on just the camera body only deal is going to cost about an extra $200 not including extra lense. Why do we always have to get shafted. Anyone feel like posting on a "$700 2nd hand camera and lenses" :/ FML and time to go watch ebay for more pain I guess /shrug
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-20-2014, 05:12 AM
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I love the minimum height of 4". That's crazy. Cheers.
Ps. Will that camera go level at that height though?
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-20-2014, 04:45 AM
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I WANT ONE OF THOSE. Talk about low shooting. What model is it?
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-19-2014, 02:40 PM
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Awww..... that's a sweet walking stick. I wants one.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-19-2014, 10:16 AM
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I know tell me about it. This deal is so good, will it get much better after Photokina if Pentax don't make some huge announcement? I do believe this will most likely be the bundle I get (although I will probably also grab the 10-17mm for $446).
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-19-2014, 10:09 AM
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You're getting confused with your walking stick ;)
I'm hoping one day to get into 6x7 film maybe in a year or so - if just for the experience - maybe then I'll understand. Film processing is a dying artform that one day I would like to be a part of. I just can't justify (or afford) doing 3:2 on film with the convenience of digital at the moment. Soon even 6x7 will be taken completely from film and then nobody will have a "reason" to do it, which makes me sad.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
06-19-2014, 09:16 AM
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They continue to show up under the itemised "what's in the box" for the camera Shardulm.
Also, in the shopping cart you can see the camera has the B&H and MFR references next to it (in this case PEK3/15530) which refer to the specific bundles, so there should be no way they won't honour them.
And don't forget to check out the "view all deals" so you can see the lenses available you can bundle with the camera too
The B&H representative on their website's Live Chat said the deal had no expiration date so it looks as though it will last as long as stocks do - about as long as a piece of string :/
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
06-19-2014, 09:12 AM
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I imagine you took a gazillion shots in the hopes that you'd get one good one, and then go down to the local 1hr fujifilm to see if you were right.
Move with the times grandpa or move out of the way ;) (truly said kiddingly)
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