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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-12-2020, 10:34 AM  
K1 On/Off Switch Broke? Turns Without Catching
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 6
Views: 1,297
My wife and I really like the sound of this one. ;) Time to make a recommendations thread! We actually had to cancel a vacation to the coast recently, due to the forest fires. :(

Thank you for your suggestions! I'm generally alright opening up electronics, but the K1 would be more complex than I'm used to.
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-12-2020, 09:58 AM  
K1 On/Off Switch Broke? Turns Without Catching
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 6
Views: 1,297
Well, it happened - my K1 doesn't power on. Someone mis-handled the camera bag, and the camera switch must have caught on a lens in the bag and it twisted past where it should go. I picked it up to turn it on and noticed it stuck just past the DOF preview area that it shouldn't go past. I turned it back to the "Off" position without much effort, but now it turns a bit too easily to "On" and it isn't grabbing inside, so it doesn't actually turn on or do anything. :asleep:

I haven't been super active here in the past couple years, so I'm out of touch with the current state of repair services. Had the extended warranty and everything, but that was already over 4 years ago (crazy!), so nothing to be done there.

Has anyone attempted to do surgery or anything? It's not something I really want to do, but it'd be a shame to empty my 85mm fund on a little (but needed) repair. :confused:

Would appreciate any thoughts/similar experiences, and thoughts on repair options! Don't have anything nearby, so it would be a matter of sending it off. Many thanks!
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-01-2019, 08:52 PM  
My three amigos
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 26
Views: 3,713
Such a positive and nice post. Thank you for sharing! :)
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 05-16-2019, 12:38 PM  
Looking for a New Laptop
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 22
Views: 1,696
As someone who's used Windows for most of my life, I have to respectfully disagree that Windows 10 is much like Mac's unix-based OS. I use Linux whenever possible - photo-editing and rare gaming aside. Windows 10 receives a lot of praise from many hardcore users, but I just can't see the appeal. Perhaps I need to try it on a system like a Mic-book (Microsoft Surface book - I think Micbook works. :D) that was made for it, but I've seen several computers that were very capable on Windows 7 and 8 have Windows 10 mysteriously install itself, despite never wanting it in the first place, and then the computer stops working. One of those was a two-year old desktop with 16gb RAM and an i7 which we used for our photo-editing. It still 'works', but crashes with driver issues constantly. I'll admit that I am very biased due to these issues, and I have no love of Apple, but Microsoft has lost almost all of its credibility with me.

I do firmly believe that the OS is inferior in some fundamental ways, such as an equally spec Mac will not lag as much as its PC counterpart. Windows 7 was still somewhat friendly in regards to user control, and I feel that Windows 10 has really hurt that. You still might be able to do the same things, but they require a lot more steps in many cases (in my opinion).

All of that being said, the Dell XPS line seems really nice, and I've heard great things about it. Huawei Matebook also looks really nice. I'd feel most comfortable with a decent warranty though, since most of these ultrabooks are not able to have much fixed or troubleshot at home, and they would potentially need very costly repairs for relatively minor issues, were something to go wrong. If you're not too concerned with the total thinness of a laptop, the Lenovo T480 is quite a tank. As others have said though, get a good screen. Even if it's 1080, get the IPS one!
Forum: Ricoh GR 03-15-2019, 12:36 PM  
Is the GRIII linux based!?
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 18
Views: 2,514
This is really awesome! It'd be cool to learn more about it and see what level of changes one could make...



This is hilarious! :D

Edit for those unfamiliar with Linux:
systemd is/was a core part of Gnu/Linux operating system that there is a lot of controversy over. People have had to make the choice whether to use it or move to something else in many different versions of Linux, so it's a bit of a recurring topic or 'meme'.
Forum: Sold Items 03-04-2019, 01:16 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Think Tank Retrospective 30 V2 NEW
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 2
Views: 1,043
PM Sent!
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-20-2018, 01:10 PM  
Developing HDR mode on Linux
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 10
Views: 1,318
Me too! I do my editing on Windows unfortunately, but hope to transition eventually!
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 09-12-2018, 06:59 PM  
Philosophies/Musings Of Improving As A Photographer
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 12
Views: 1,436
Thanks for the reply! That actually sounds very familiar to how I was with photography before and in-between the excitement of working semi-paid gigs. Acquiring some new gear or gadgets usually would get me excited again, but there is something to be said for keeping things simple for sure! Enjoying it as a hobby with minimal pressure is definitely a great path in photography. :)

---------- Post added 09-12-18 at 09:12 PM ----------



Thank you for sharing! I hadn't heard of Alfred Eisenstadt - he had some very high-profile subjects! I'm glad I know of him now.

I think it's a great idea - printing off photos and having a regular go-through. It's not the same on a computer screen, and so often we forget or just don't get to the photos there.

I've found a lot of fun can be had with off-camera lighting. It might bring some dramatic flair to machine photography too, but there absolutely is much to be said for the simplicity of natural light. Artificial lighting can be a bit of a slippery slope, and has a bit of a learning curve to go with it. The study of light altogether, natural or otherwise will be something I'm doing for a long time I think. :)

---------- Post added 09-12-18 at 09:19 PM ----------



What you said isn't what I wanted to hear, but I think it might be what I needed nonetheless! I will give posing much of my attention in the future and hopefully the process will become much more natural. Some poses have come out looking great for me, but it still feels awkward telling people how to position themselves. Definitely a skill I must develop though.

I do think that when people aren't expecting the camera they often have a more relaxed demeanor, and certainly more genuine. That is what I enjoy - I think some of the subjects must think they look nicer relaxed than when posing, but I could be wrong. Of course, working with a model, or a very confident person changes this a bit! :)

I appreciate your helpful response; and the hard answers are usually the ones where growth can occur the most! :confused:
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 09-12-2018, 02:46 PM  
Pentax AF540FGZ II Flash problems.
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 20
Views: 2,414
Honestly, I've been getting along fine without them. I only shoot manually, so using manual flashes works for me just fine. I had wanted to repair them, but that is almost certain to cost more than buying more of the good budget ones. If you do take that step with your newer flashes, I'd be interested in hearing how that goes!
Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals 09-12-2018, 02:43 PM  
Philosophies/Musings Of Improving As A Photographer
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 12
Views: 1,436
In our journey to improve as photographers, how do you approach improvement?

Things like lighting, posing, artistic framing, composure are all things we arguably never truly master.


I'm asking from the perspective of an occasional wedding photographer, so in my case, my desire to improve is both from my desire to grow, as well as through the feeling of obligation towards those I photograph - please feel free to chime in even if you're on a very different path!

Right now I'm a bit overwhelmed by the things I want to improve. I know I can do a satisfactory job for the clients but in wanting to step up my my quality in a more noticeable way I picked up the book "Picture Perfect Practice", and it's got a lot of great content. I'm wondering, do most of you pick one single thing to try and improve, when you know that you could improve in many ways in the long run? For casual photography, it's nice to pick a single theme such as lighting or composition and focus on it for a day, week, or month for practice. It's something I will do in the future for sure, but when you are days away from a wedding, how would you suggest I approach it mentally?

I love candid photography, and think it is what I enjoy about weddings - things are happening all around, and you can capture them without people wondering why you are there. With my candid photos, I think concepts like using geometries to balance or frame the subject would be a significant improvement. The difficulty - do you shoot while it's happening for a good photo, or do you risk losing the shot and try to line up a more perfect photo?

Posing is definitely one of my accepted flaws - it's something that is top of my list to improve. At the same time, I don't telling people what to do - taking another level of the natural / candid feel away. I think posing needs to be my main focus for short-term improvement, but at the same time, it's going to be a long-term journey, getting to be more natural at engaging with people who might not want to be in front of the camera.

Lighting seems like an infinite journey for sure! I think I do fairly well with natural light, but when you put framing, background, posing, and lighting into one photograph it really is a lot, but time and experience should help a lot. I've noticed my bounce / shoot-through reflector flash light is often more blue than the ambient, so I just ordered some gels to work into my process, along with a softbox-on-a-stick setup so I can eliminate the awkward holding of a reflector and flash for light. My wife shoots with me, so we assist each-other with light and posing, which helps a lot, and I'd never do a wedding alone if possible.

This is quite an ambiguous post, and I suppose rhetorical in a lot of ways, but hopefully we can share some of our approaches, mentalities and subjective and objective choices we make to the way shoot and learn. :)
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 09-12-2018, 01:13 PM  
Pentax AF540FGZ II Flash problems.
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 20
Views: 2,414
Similarly I have lost two of the original FGZ 540 flashguns. One works, but with spotty communication and the other one I can't even get to fire in manual. My Cactus flashes I got on sale work great with their transmitters though. It's a shame that Pentax's excellent design and durability doesn't show much face in their flash department... I have heard the smaller Pentax flashes are pretty excellent, but I don't know if they'd suffer the same issues or not.
Forum: Pentax Camera and Field Accessories 09-12-2018, 12:53 PM  
A new Kickstarter campaign for Peak Design : travel bag
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 23
Views: 2,273
I've only used their Straps, and they are amazing. I did have a hand-grip, and while it was very well-made, but not for my very large hands on a gripped K-1. If I traveled more, this would get some serious consideration. Expensive, but the modularity would make it work great for anything from destination wedding shooting to hiking or trips with minimal photo gear. Thanks for the share!
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 09-11-2018, 09:45 PM  
Mark's K-1 II discovery thread
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 49
Views: 6,030
Thank you for the recommendation! I saw one in action on the K-3, but didn't get to use it much. Do you get the same effect on FF? Do you find you're still able to enjoy the larger viewfinder when it's magnified? I might have to pick one up...
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-10-2018, 06:43 PM  
Why Do YOU Stay With Pentax?
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 165
Views: 13,634
My reasons might be more subjective than most, especially since I enjoy doing the odd wedding and could certainly benefit from some things that other brands offer, and don't take advantage of pixel-shift - which is one area where Pentax is pretty obviously in the lead.

When I started looking for a camera, I was pretty uninformed - I'm a big fan of making a purchase once and can't stand planned obsolescence. Entry bodies from other companies felt cheap, kit lenses felt gritty. Read a bit about Pentax and how their bodies had weather-sealing, and their basic kits didn't have features deliberately locked out. Their kit lens was well built and WR. IBIS made a lot of sense to me too. Bought a white K-30 and loved it. Bought the DA 50 and a Rokinon/Samyang 85mm and haven't used the kit lens since. A couple months later on a honeymoon, we found that we didn't like having to take turns non-stop with the camera, and decided to get another - the K-3 was pricey to us, but we were pretty impressed with Pentax. Later we got a K-1 - my wife loves it as much as I do!

There are frustrations, but they mostly boil down to the buffer of the K-1. There are little things that could be avoided by switching brands, and doing weddings could be more hassle-free. Ultimately though, I don't really appreciate the tactics that the other companies have used at times, especially the entry-level stuff being so limited. It's true that I enjoy taking the path less traveled, and Pentax fits that, but there are benefits beyond that.

The cameras are durable and feel great in-hand. The lenses are awesome, and I like using old glass with character. Image quality is amazing. I'm happy here, and I'm always excited to hear when something new is on the horizon from Ricoh/Pentax.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-07-2018, 11:24 AM  
Kenspo moves on
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 336
Views: 41,296
That's a really good thought! I've seen it before - much like how you can change white-balance and save the most recent image. It wouldn't always be useful with the RAW, if you're in a busy shoot, but for a casual shoot if you get an awesome image it'd be very nice to get the RAW file if desired that way!

Of course I always shoot RAW to both cards, but I'm considering mixing it up to try and limit my buffer woes.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 09-06-2018, 02:03 PM  
NEW or USED gear... What's in your bag?
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 82
Views: 3,968
Used all the way when it comes to lenses! I miiiiiight make an exception for the DFA 85*, but I doubt I'll be at the point where I can drop that kind of money without blinking. On the other hand my wife might encourage that purchase!
I've never been burned at all on used purchases here on the forums, despite an instance or two of wondering if there was an unmentioned reason why a lens was sold.

I would be just fine buying a used body (I have for a few friends/relatives), but one way or another my three bodies all ended up being purchased new. I might change that in the future.
Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 09-06-2018, 01:58 PM  
A lens gets stuck forever on your brand new K-1...
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 43
Views: 2,393
The one that would least upset me would have to be my DA*55 (that new 50mm would be a welcome one to be glued it though... :D)! Surprisingly, the DA* has left my 77mm a bit in the dust - I should get myself reacquainted with it, as I do like the longer focal length better. DA*200mm would be be next after the 77mm.

Are APS-C lenses involved in this? I have only used primes on the K-1, but I suppose the 18-55mm that I haven't used in years would make me sad. If just full frame lenses, probably the F 28mm 2.8. A fine lens for when I need it, but not one that suits my style of photography.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-06-2018, 01:20 PM  
Kenspo moves on
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 336
Views: 41,296
It's been great having you around Kenspo, and I'm happy to hear that you won't be a stranger!

I share some of your concerns, but I am excited for what comes next with Pentax, and the way these years are flying by, I'm not too bothered if it takes a little time. All the best to you from the midwest US!
Forum: Sold Items 10-22-2017, 07:31 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Pentax K-S2 body only 1865 shutter clicks
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 2
Views: 973
PM sent.
Forum: Sold Items 10-03-2017, 07:09 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Pentax DA* 55mm f1.4
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 3
Views: 1,048
I'm interested! PM Incoming.
Forum: Pentax Full Frame 06-16-2017, 06:34 AM  
Shooting my first wedding
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 18
Views: 2,508
My advice - which you probably don't need, is to be aware of how fast the K-1 buffer fills up. Even using the fastest supported cards it seems to stop shooting too quick. If you've already done weddings with it, I'm sure you'll be fine though!

Best of luck, and have fun!
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 06-16-2017, 06:14 AM  
K-30 Black Stripe In Pictures
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 6
Views: 1,212
Thanks for your responses and ideas everyone! I am sorry for not getting back here sooner - had a wedding to shoot, and a lot of other family things going on. As some of you understand correctly, there is a physical strip out of place, it is not due to any electronic issues, and as a few of you suspected, I think it is a shutter blade. I'll try to get a photo of it up.

I don't want to pay significantly over $100 to have it looked at when I could get a newer camera for not much north of that. Thank you all! I was more or less curious about it and wondering if it'd be worth yanking out. I feel really bad, since three cameras I got for friends/family have all failed in 2 years or less... one was covered by warranty, thankfully, but, meh. Two K-50s and this K-30 now, while my K-30, K-3, and my K-1 are all going strong. I feel like they all will start doubting Pentax, and it's making me sad about their recurring aperture block failure...

Thanks again!
Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 05-27-2017, 06:39 PM  
K-30 Black Stripe In Pictures
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 6
Views: 1,212
Hello,

So, a K-30 that I got for a friend a couple years back has been making a good 1/4th of the image black recently. I put it in cleaning mode, and can see a black ribbon/thin plastic strip that is in front of the sensor. I can turn the camera and get it to shake down (it attaches beyond one of the corners of the sensor) out of the way. Taking one good picture puts it right back into place. My thought is that it is part of the shutter mechanism?

My main question is should I tell them to get a new camera, or try to yank it out and see what happens? I don't think it's worth sending for repair (we bought it already used with close to 10K photos on it at the time). I'm not hopeful for a easy fix, but figured I'd see what you all know! Thanks! :)
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 08-25-2016, 12:15 PM  
K-1 Thread Link In Dropdown
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 4
Views: 1,056
Thanks guys! And thanks you for putting the link up!

Unfortunately I think the user felt attacked. I know it wasn't the intent of individual users, but the compilation of posts suggesting that he wasn't trying hard enough or that he was mistaken probably made him feel a little humiliated, even unintentionally. I think he might be using the forums yet, but he hinted that he didn't wish to make any more posts.

Anyways, thanks guys. It's definitely been one of my best online experiences here with lots of helpful information and users always ready to offer suggestions. :)
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 08-25-2016, 10:33 AM  
K-1 Thread Link In Dropdown
Posted By aikilink
Replies: 4
Views: 1,056
So, a couple months back a nice fellow politely asked when a direct K-1 forum link would be added to the forum page. He received a lot of flack, and what I thought were quite rude responses. Yet, to this day when you go up by the banner in the forum (where there are the dropdowns for "Forum - Cameras - Lenses - Buy/Sell" etc. there isn't a "Pentax K-1 Forum." Now I'm not saying we need this or should even have it, but why when I click the "Cameras" tab with the down-arrow there is a "Pentax K-3 Forum" link there. This is all the fellow was asking about, and I think if we have one for the at-the-time flagship the K-3, why not have one for the current flagship K-1?

It might be silly for me to bring this up, but I was very disappointed in the forums (which I had been so happy to be a member of and which had been so helpful and good-natured mostly) that day to react to his question the way they did when in the end he had a very valid point that I'm thinking no one understood... :asleep:
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