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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands 10-19-2018, 07:12 AM  
K-3ii to D500... Is this the right move?
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 262
Views: 18,951
Here's an update!


I made the jump...
I sold ALL my Pentax gear on the marketplace here (true testament to this forum and the people here. Great transactions and communication with my buyers and everything went very smoothly!)

I picked up a lightly used D500 on eBay for $1000 and a 200-500 F5.6 VR from Adorama for $950
I was expecting to drop $2500-$2700 for these two so with the extra $$$ I grabbed a Tamron 10-24 VC (the newest model) AND still had money left over for a new road bike :)

First impressions on the D500 compared to the K-3ii:
PROS:
- BLOWN AWAY by the D500 AF
- High ISO is much cleaner than the K-3ii
- Custom control assignment is a GAME CHANGER (wasn't expecting this...) - This deserves much more attention than it gets! I use AF-C all the time now, back button AF enabled with shutter button AF disabled. There is a Pv button on the front of the camera that I set to AF mode 25 pt dynamic + AF-on. And the Fn1 button below the Pv button to change shooting modes.... Without moving my hand and compromising my handle on a large rig, I can fire the shutter with my index, focus single point with my thumb, focus 25 pt dynamic with my middle finger and change shooting modes with my ring finger... It's fantastic to be able to control so much without moving my eye from the viewfinder or moving my hand at all. The joystick has a center push function as well that I set it to reset the focus point. So if I'm single point focusing on a subject to the edge of my frame and something takes off in the center on my view finder, I can click the joystick press the Pv button and nail focus tracking on that other subject. This same transition would have been nearly impossible in the same amount of time with my K-3ii.
- Flip out screen is nice, already used it on a product shoot where I was pressed against a wall and couldn't see the screen or the viewfinder to compose the shot.
- Surprisingly I like the touchscreen... I actually wish I could use it for menu options, but for Live View focusing it's wonderful. I've always said I cared less for touchscreen, but now I feel differently. Also, it is truly amazing how many people see a screen and just assume it 'pinch-zooms' like a smart phone... My family was going through some shots I took and naturally 'pinch-zoomed' without know if the camera allowed this functionality (it does). Pretty cool I thought.

CONS:
- NO focus peaking... I will miss this once I finally pick up a dedicated macro lens, I'm sure!
- The viewfinder on the K-3ii is better... Something about it, can't really describe it. It feels more "in-focus" than the D500... And yes, I've adjusted the diopter!
- Card slot door feels better on the K-3ii - I know this is a weird one, but the D500 just feels like it would be the first thing to go if it took a tumble!
- I also prefer the battery door on the K-3ii. Something about the turn/key operation to access the battery just felt right. I know some people overlook these things, but having confidence in your gear means you aren't thinking about it during the shot... If you are worried about a card slot door popping open or a battery falling out, you aren't fully focused on your subject (no pun intended :)). I doubt the D500 is going to fall apart, it just feels less sturdy than my K-3ii did.
- 24 vs 21 MP... The K-3ii has a slight advantage when it comes to extreme cropping.


There are more PROS and CONS than this; little things like a small pin-notch in the bottom of the D500 for L brackets to 'slot' into when screwed in is super convenient. The K-3ii doesn't have this and my L bracket would have to be CRANKED tight so it didn't slide around.
Also the D500 just feels better in hand, but that's personal preference as I have fairly large hands...
The K-3ii had a certain feel to it that I loved for just going outside and walking around. The D500 feels intrusive in that sense. Definitely not a 'street camera'.



OK... Now to the 200-500 F5.6 VR.
Sorry, but anyone here that said that lens would be the 'weak link' to my transition was wrong!

This lens is remarkable!
But to be fair...

First impressions on the 200-500 F5.6 VR compared to the DA*300 + 1.4xTC:
PROS:
- VR > WOW... Just WOW! I mean, in body stabilization is great and all... But in-lens VR provides a stabilized view finder!! If you haven't experienced this, you don't know what you're missing. Composing a shot handheld at 500mm is a walk in the park with this VR system. Initial testing - I got TACK SHARP images at 1/30s, 500mm, F5.6... I thought my mind was playing tricks on me... It's unreal...
- SHARP at F5.6. Comparable to the DA*300 + 1.4xTC at F5.6...
- IQ equal throughout the focal range > Some of these big zooms have IQ fall off at the max focal length, but the 200-500 is perfect at 500... No need to turn it back a hair to 480mm like I used to on my Bigma.
- BOKEH! > I've often cringed at the bokeh of the DA*300 + 1.4XTC.. It's just distracting. The 200-500 at F5.6 is better. Not comparing it to a 500mm F4 by any means! But it's better than the DA*300 combo.

CONS:
- Size > This lens is heavy, and bulky. It balances very well on the D500 actually, but compared to the DA*300 + 1.4xTC it's a beast...
- Focus ring placement... The focus ring is veryyyyy smooth, and feather-light.... I can focus with my pinky with minimal effort, cool right? Well, sometimes.... My hand positioning that makes the lens comfortable in hand also happens to land me on top of the focus ring, see where I'm going with this? AF on my subject, the slightest movement of my hand will push the focus out. I just need to work on placing my hand elsewhere on the lens when handheld shooting.
- F5.6 > honestly this lens is sharp at F5.6 AND if it were F4 it would cost 5 times as much and weight twice as much. The high ISO capabilities of the D500 allow F5.6 to be acceptable. Regardless, I put it here because if I was shooting at 300mm, the DA*300 by itself would offer F4. So there's that.
- It's plasticky... But that could be a PRO also... Ever shot the DA*300 in middle of January? Even with gloves on that metal lens body send shivers through my entire body. Looking forward to having a less thermal-conductive material in hand this winter!


You may say I've got honeymoon feelings for my new gear.
Maybe you're right, I am very happy with this upgrade for my style of shooting...

I already miss my DFA 100mm macro. And my DA35 macro!
Those were my babies and they rendered beautifully... I miss the focus peaking of the K-3ii and the smaller ergonomics of the camera at times when I didn't need the bulky rig...

But to meet my desires in wildlife photography, I had to move on...


OH YEAH, and....
Once I got my new camera I found out a close friend of mine used to shoot Nikon about 10 years ago.. He has a 70-200 F2.8 and a 17-55 F2.8 sitting in his closet, untouched for almost a decade... He said I could "long-term borrow" them.
Perk of becoming a "Nikonian"? I'd say so. :lol:



I'm sticking around these forums for the tips and tricks you all provide, along with the general community support and involvement. There is truly nothing out there like PentaxForums.

Who knows, maybe I'll grab a GRIII for a walk around 'snapshot' camera and you all will accept me again. :o
Forum: Sold Items 10-08-2018, 04:16 AM  
For Sale - Sold: DA*300 | DFA100mm WR Macro
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 8
Views: 3,424
FINAL PRICE DROP!
BUNDLE PRICE = $1425 shipped!

Final price drop on bundle!

Individual item prices in original listing above ^

DA*300
HD 1.4xTC
DA 35mm Macro Limited
DFA 100mm WR
Forum: Post Your Photos! 10-06-2018, 12:41 PM  
Nature Hummingbird
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 4
Views: 676
There's always someone out there ready to PooPoo whatever you're doing.

Just to note, I think many commercial nectars have red dye in them, so you're not doing any "worse" than they are. Granted, wouldn't say you're doing much better either, aside from saving a few $$$!

Thanks for the note!
Forum: Post Your Photos! 10-06-2018, 03:40 AM  
Nature Hummingbird
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 4
Views: 676
Great shot!
Curious, what's in the "nectar" to make it red?
I had a few hummingbirds this year but I bet that glowing red beacon attracts them much more easily than my standard feeder!
Forum: Sold Items 10-05-2018, 03:52 AM  
For Sale - Sold: Free CPL Filter
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2
Views: 712
PM sent
Forum: Pentax Price Watch 10-04-2018, 05:53 AM  
UsedPhotoPro - Sigma 8-16
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 4
Views: 722
I love UsedPhotoPro, I've had great experience with them in the past and they offer a 180 day warranty which is insane!


This seemed like a fantastic deal on the 8-16... I paid $500 for mine when I owned one.

Thought I'd share this link for any interested PF members!

Sigma AF 8-16mm f4.5-5.6 DC HSM Lens 8-16/4.5-5.6 Pentax (Used - Excellent Condition)
Forum: Sold Items 10-04-2018, 02:47 AM  
For Sale - Sold: DA*300 | DFA100mm WR Macro
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 8
Views: 3,424
Bump!
Forum: Sold Items 10-02-2018, 02:42 AM  
For Sale - Sold: DA*300 | DFA100mm WR Macro
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 8
Views: 3,424
Bump!
Forum: Sold Items 09-30-2018, 03:45 AM  
For Sale - Sold: DA*300 | DFA100mm WR Macro
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 8
Views: 3,424
Bump!!
Forum: Post Your Photos! 09-28-2018, 05:30 AM  
Landscape Seacombe Bay at sunset
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 10
Views: 904
Lovely composition and color rendering...
I like that you didn't oversaturate it, like I've seen a lot lately in sunset landscapes.

Nice work!
Forum: Sold Items 09-28-2018, 02:50 AM  
For Sale - Sold: DA*300 | DFA100mm WR Macro
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 8
Views: 3,424
Bump!
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-27-2018, 05:37 AM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
:lol:

First world problems, right?

Glad I have the ability to concern myself with such trivial things.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-27-2018, 04:36 AM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
No, people don't need 1000hp+cars. Just like people don't need FF mirrorless cameras...
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-27-2018, 02:59 AM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
How is that not a big deal?
If that's the case, then why spend thousands of dollars on your camera gear in the first place? Just to say, "Oh well, it failed. Well at least I was here!"

I would just buy a bridge camera for $400 and call it a day...

I'd rather keep the files I've worked so hard to obtain.
Going out in harsh conditions in the middle of winter to track down and stalk a rare species of bird in the national park before sunrise with numb fingers and dripping nose.
Walking through knee deep tidal waters trying to determine how long I can go before hypothermia sets in.
If I nailed the shot in perfect light and subject posture, I'd like to take that home with me. It's a trophy for my hard work.
Losing that to a card failing is not an option. And I'd rather not worry about it in the field.

I wouldn't consider a $3500 (Z7) an entry level FF camera. But maybe that's where we are today; I'll take a D850 any day if that's the case.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-27-2018, 02:47 AM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
Nope Tony Northup can defend himself, I'll look up the specs myself for confirmation:
And are you saying the technicians on site didn't know the specs either? I suppose anything is possible...

The card was a Lexar Professional SDXC I 64 GB Memory Card - UHS-II (1000x) - 150MB/s read transfer speed.
The EOS R - 4K 3840 x 2160: 29.97fps/24.00fps/23.98fps, ALL-I: 480Mbps, 3444 MB/min.
4K 3840 x 2160: 29.97fps/24.00fps/23.98fps, IPB: 120Mbps, 860 MB/min.

The card is well within specs for read/write speeds...

Regardless, I have personally experienced a card failure and if my camera had a single card slot I would have lost hundreds of once-in-a-lifetime photos.
You can defend the EOS R all you want.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-27-2018, 02:21 AM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
I guess you could say people who don't get paid for their work really don't NEED anything in a camera...

I'll stick to my personal experiences. As a hobbyist wildlife photographer, there have been some very rare encounters in my life; losing these moments due to a card failure and something so trivial as not having a second card as backup is just not an option for me.

If you feel differently, so be it. That's the glory of this industry, you get to decide what gear works for your needs!
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-26-2018, 06:56 PM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
Are you talking about Tony Northrup?
If so, he used the EOS R at a canon event in Hawaii and was told by their tech on site that his card was in fact compatible and that they were unaware of the cause of the failure.

Regardless stuff happens!

I don't care what some YouTube'r says; if you've never experienced a card failure yourself then consider yourself lucky!
Thankfully my K-3ii has dual cards and I write to both, so when my card failed during a shoot 4 hours in I didn't lose ALL of my content from the day. In fact I didn't lose anything. :)

1 card slot and NO IBIS!
AT that price, it's gonna be a no for me.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-26-2018, 03:20 PM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
Orrr you could just tell me (all of us) to save me the time :lol:

I meant no dual card slot is a failure to me as a photographer. If it's a technical limitation than so be it, but once you've had a card failure you will NEVER buy a single card slot camera again, regardless of the excuses made by the manufacturer.

XT-3 is GOAT... I want one. :D
Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 09-26-2018, 03:14 PM  
Leaving for Europe a week from today... Any last minute suggestions?
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 48
Views: 4,759
True.
It's my only lens around that focal length... But I particular love the long focus throw for manual focusing.
And I found in good light it's pretty snappy at focusing; though if you miss you will hear it buzz and wurrr around until it finds your subject.
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-26-2018, 03:11 PM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
What other similar devices?
The XT-3 destroys these cameras and I could buy two XT-3s and have $500 left over...
If the argument is that the XT-3 is crop... then okay, the A7riii is $500 cheaper, and has WAY more functionality than these two cameras.

And what am I missed here? Both cameras have single card slots, do they not? Unless the specs on B&H are wrong?
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-26-2018, 02:50 PM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
Obviously I don't have the cameras in hand... But $3500 for a camera that doesn't have dual card slots? That's a fail already and I don't even have to press the shutter...

I've watched almost every review out there and almost everyone agrees these are not worth their price point.


Sure, they will improve over time. But first iteration is sad. I know they priced it here so their 'next' model can be justified at even higher prices. But that's not fair play in my opinion.

They are simply not worth it at this point.
Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 09-26-2018, 02:11 PM  
Leaving for Europe a week from today... Any last minute suggestions?
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 48
Views: 4,759
The 15/35/70 is certainly the budget choice as well!
:lol:

I feel like that needs to be a Pentax catch phrase...

What should I bring?
15/35/70...

It seriously is a three-lens-prime-mega-combo, and can be found for under $1000 used, if not cheaper.
Wide angle, normal, macro, portrait, street, landscape...
Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 09-26-2018, 12:45 PM  
Leaving for Europe a week from today... Any last minute suggestions?
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 48
Views: 4,759
Thanks!
Though we are already home.. trip was in June.
But I'll definitely be referencing this thread for future trips, even if it does take 10 years to fund another vacation like this hahah
Forum: Travel, Events, and Groups 09-26-2018, 12:05 PM  
Leaving for Europe a week from today... Any last minute suggestions?
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 48
Views: 4,759
15/35/70 would be ideal, though no WR... And it certainly rained a few times on us...

That said, I'm not taking many pictures in the rain, so as long as I have confidence in the bag my gear would be good.

I'd probably leave it at that!
Maybe swap the 35 macro for an FA 31 if funds allowed it haha.
Also swap the K-3ii for a KP if funds allowed me to own both cameras...
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-26-2018, 11:42 AM  
K3ii replacement
Posted By UserAccessDenied
Replies: 2,451
Views: 235,752
These figures need more context...
This figure for Ricoh includes IT services, networking services, medical imaging devices, industrial printing, healthcare data transformation services, etc....

When looking at photography alone, Nikon is NOT 39% of total sales compared to Ricoh.

I get what you're saying, Ricoh has money. But they're not going to prioritize medical equipment funding into DSLR development. Just not going to happen; regardless of will.
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