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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
6 Days Ago
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In these details at least, I would suggest you are describing Pentax :)
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Forum: General Photography
04-11-2024, 06:22 AM
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This article took a long time to research and write. I might say three decades! I find it's worth diving deep into a contentious topic, if only to gain clarity in my own mind. Hope it's useful for others. That Elusive "3D Pop" Defined is available on my blog. Contains simple explanations of MTF, DOF, and sharpness that will help beginners cut through the technical details. Examples provided from three Pentax lenses.
TL;DR
3D pop is a desirable characteristic of an image where the subject is rendered with a pleasing dimensionality that allows it to be clearly distinguished from its environment. This effect is created by a combination of ideal light, appropriate subject to background distance, and perspective. Furthermore, it requires a lens that is free from optical defects, with high measurements for sharpness and contrast, at least in the part of the frame where the subject is located. Furthermore, a lens that does not perfectly correct field curvature can enhance 3D pop.
Background blur and separation are not the same as 3D pop, though they might enhance the effect. A wide open aperture is not essential and might even be counter-productive. Instead, choose the aperture that most clearly isolates the subject.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-09-2024, 10:59 PM
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Somehow I don’t think any Ricoh marketing executive is remotely aware of your ceaseless quest to know their innermost thoughts. Disappointing, but there it is; you’ll just have to wait.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
04-06-2024, 07:26 AM
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Yes I have one of those..............
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-02-2024, 09:12 PM
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This tends to be more in the mind of the photographer and his peers than the editors. Also I have friends who are pros that are not into gear - one was a portrait photographer still using Nikon D300S bodies. She was all in a huff worried that she had to upgrade to mirrorless - until I reminded her that her clients were still buying the images. Technology is far too often just for bragging rights.
---------- Post added 04-03-24 at 12:15 AM ----------
I think in today's market - the expectation of performance is different. What we considered sharp and amazing in the film era wouldn't always hold up today. Composition and lighting and photographic skill hasn't changed but some expectations have. I shot high school football from the sidelines using manual focus film gear. The expected quality of the ASA 3200 push processed film was - can I read the numbers on the jerseys? If so success.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-02-2024, 10:13 AM
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If you do sports or wildlife photography that is very true.
For most other photography like landscape or architectural, or portrait that is pretty irrelevant.
Sometimes one needs to ask the question .....is it my skills that are lacking ?
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-27-2024, 06:41 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-21-2023, 09:12 AM
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Pentax has never before made a * lens that was also a Limited...
They have different purposes.
The DA* and DFA* lenses are designed for ultimate technical performance and mechanical construction suited to professional workflows (think weddings, for example).
The Limiteds are designed for performance that is harder to quantify, and they all include "imperfections" in their rendering designed to be more appealing and less "clinical".
The DA* 50-135 should be replaced with another DA* lens... not a Limited... if Pentax sticks to their recent history, anyway...
-Eric
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
03-22-2024, 01:22 AM
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A celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz may be... an expert on AI she is not. She's entitled to her opinion, of course, and in this case it clearly pertains to a very narrow use-case in photographic processing. It's perhaps an understandable viewpoint from someone who is already long-established, with a large body of readily-identifiable work behind her, in the latter stages of her career. There's little threat to her or her work.
She states, "you realize at a certain point, when you have children as well, that you need to step up and be there for the next generation [of artists and photographers]". I wonder how she'd feel if her kids or grandkids were:
- made redundant from jobs supplanted by AI-based technologies
- deep-faked into obscene images, videos and audio "recordings"
- algorithmically profiled and discriminated against by businesses or the state
- maimed or killed (accidentally or otherwise) by autonomous vehicles or weaponry These and far more are all quite possible - and some are already occurring - due to the evolution, misuse and/or lack of appropriate controls in the underlying AI technologies.
These aren't new risks, of course... employees have been replaced by machinery or systems, folks have been edited into compromising media, personal data has been shared and misused by businesses and government organisations, and automated machinery has failed with catastrophic (often fatal) effects, long before AI came along; but the sheer scope and scale of it - enabled by the processing power of modern distributed computing and ever-increasing breadth / depth of source data - amplifies and extends the risks and implications far beyond anything we've previously experienced.
Annie may not be worried, but when some of those at the very heart of AI's development are, I'd say there's every reason to be concerned...
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-17-2024, 03:23 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-12-2024, 04:21 AM
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Some cave pictures with DA 16-50 PLM*
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Forum: Repairs and Warranty Service
03-12-2024, 04:01 PM
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I think it's time for Pentax to find a new repair partner in the US, or sell parts to everyone.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-12-2024, 08:57 AM
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Since the body appears to have been sent to Precision/Ricoh we shall have to see if the problem can be sorted out. It sounds as if the equipment is still under warranty or extended warranty.
Cross flashing the firmware shouldn't happen without modify the firmware binary files or flashing via external hardware. It seems incredible that the wrong firmware would be installed at the factory.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-09-2024, 06:45 AM
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As I'm sure you hoped and expected, biz...
Some of this makes sense, some of it is arguable, and some - I'm sorry to say - is just plain silly and/or inflammatory - e.g. the mobile phone comments (if that's what you really think, well... I have no words). I was going to reply to each of the items / comments individually, but it wouldn't get us anywhere. We've been here before in one form or another, so I know there's little point.
Many of the K-mount system limitations have been around for a long time - before you bought your K-1 and K-1II - so I have to wonder why you bought them in the first place... and now that you're a part-time pro - with income from your events photography and a growing library of valuable large print assets (some of which you could sell, presumably, if funds were needed) - I wonder why you continue to shoot Pentax, given you're so clearly dissatisfied with what it currently offers and the limited prospects for adding to / upgrading your gear. It just doesn't make sense. As we've discussed several times before - over several years, now - why not switch to a system that better meets your needs and gives you less cause for frustration? It seems you'd be much happier... and since you'd have less cause to be repeatedly negative about Pentax in these forums, we'd be happier too...
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-07-2024, 05:50 PM
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Some recent shots:
This little guy was barely the length of the nail on my little finger, and perhaps no thicker than two pieces of cotton twined together.
 K3P25286_DxO
Magpie Moth.
 K3P25234_DxO
Blue-banded Bee headed for some Lantana nectar!
 K3P25206_DxO-1 |
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-05-2024, 06:46 AM
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I have the same question. Especially how is focusing on people.
And 2 pics from the weekend with DA16-50 Plm*
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Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
02-03-2024, 04:01 AM
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Introducing myself as requested:
Started with an MX + 50mm1.4 in late 70's ––*it never let me down til the (apparent) death of film, whenever that was...
Had a break from SLRs...
Was excited to receive a K100D Super as a 50th birthday present, then moved through K7, K5, then KP, while building up a stack of pancakes...
Despite taking many images with these cameras I never felt like they were mine in the way that the MX was...
And in the end I suspect that the K100D made the nicest images! But of course it has major limitations...
Anyway, I have just got hold of a K3 Monochrome and am loving it –– it seems like a camera I can really work with, the quality of the images it produces is lovely, and I feel like I am starting photography again :)
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
02-03-2024, 06:15 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-31-2024, 12:02 PM
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I don't usually go out with the camera when it's already raining, but I'm happy to take a couple of shots when it starts to rain while I'm out already. I will take precautions like making sure to dry off any moisture from the barrel before zooming out again, and I will absolutely try not to get the gear wet while I'm not taking pictures.
So I voted for the insurance option. All the weather sealing in the world will not get my gear repaired or replaced should something happen, so I think it's best practice to not test your luck, but treat it as a peace of mind giving extra, just in case.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-30-2024, 04:18 PM
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No, it was out of warranty.
P.S. Just got an x sync cover from Precision. Never hurts to ask!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-28-2024, 03:56 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-27-2024, 10:48 PM
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Backcountry skiing today with the K-3iii and 20-40.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-27-2024, 05:39 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-17-2024, 02:23 AM
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I just received my K3 Miii and although I haven't a chance to run it through the hoops but I have to say I'm very happy with it so far, I'm still keeping my K3 and K70 but I have no regrets purchasing the Mark iii whatsoever. :)
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
01-13-2024, 05:09 AM
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I have ON1 RAW 2024 and to be honest I don't find it as good as DXO Photolab 7 Elite, which I also have. Photolab brings out so much more detail in my RAW files
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