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Forum: Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom
02-12-2024, 11:07 PM
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Kodak doesn't outsource their film production. That would be the very last thing they would do before going out of business.
Regarding the chemicals, they have a new manufacturer in the US, recently switched from a Chinese company.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-06-2024, 04:44 PM
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
02-05-2024, 03:23 PM
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I came across some growing bamboo while walking today which looked honey-like in colour, to the eye. The K30 with AWB did not do it justice.
So here are the first six WB presets. I think Daylight was closest to reality. Actual lighting was overcast but bright with some shade on the bamboo.
AWB ------ Daylight ------ Shade
Cloudy ------ Fluorescent - Daylight Color ------ Tungsten
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-30-2024, 08:42 PM
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Someone already mentioned the Irix 150 Macro, new that is about the best there is. Manual focus though. The Raynox filters are definitely worth a look. I have seen fantastic results with them. I have the Tamron 90mm Macro. It is an exceptional lens. Overall I think the Tamron is sharper than my DFA 100 Macro WR. Plus the Tamron has a focus limiter. However the DFA 100 is half the size and has weather sealing. I would say the Tamron 1.4 Teleconverter is worth a look. Tamron-F 1.4X Pz-AF MC4 Lens Reviews - Miscellaneous Lenses - Pentax Lens Review Database I use it on both my Tamron 90 and my DFa 100. Of course there is the Pentax 1.4TC as well. I got very lucky several years ago and picked up a Sigma 180 Macro for a very good price in mint condition. That is my primary macro lens.
This is the Sigma 180 Macro on my K-1 with a two Flash Point Macro flashes and a remote trigger.
Flashpoint Macro Flash-1 by Michael, on Flickr
That set-up if pretty heavy and I can only carry it around for a few hours. By then I get too tired to hold it still enough for decent photos. I have also used my AF 540 FGZii flash with a flash diffuser.
A flash can definitely help especially when shooting inside like with this shot.
Butterflies Are Blooming 2023-42 by Michael, on Flickr
The only way I could have got this shot without a flash would have been to crank my ISO way up.
Butterflies Are Blooming 2023-104 by Michael, on Flickr
In my opinion,since you already have a 90mm macro, the Irix 150 macro is about the best option if you do not mind manual focus. Otherwise keep on the lookout for a Sigma 180 Macro. They do come up for sale a few times a year. I know a few people who have that Irix 150 macro and they love it.
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
01-27-2024, 09:03 AM
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The charger died as soon I plugged it in my hotel in Bangkok. it wasn't the original one . And now comes the second part, it is not easy to find this old type of charger in Thailand. If somebody is interested, I found it in the MegaPlaza store, Pentax is not a popular brand there.
In a department store dedicated to photo, computers and all kinds of electronic gadgets like Fortune Town, I found a clerk who laughed when I told him it was for a Pentax. Maybe I misunderstood because Thais are very polite and respectful people, but it made me want to tell the guy to go to hell. I held back, kokun krab and sawadee krab
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Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
01-27-2024, 10:30 AM
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There's only so much I can tell from photos at this resolution, but my initial thought is that there's nothing wrong. You're looking at images with very different fields of view. As UncleVanya said before, if you crop the 18-55mm photo to get the same field of view as the 200mm, you're throwing away most of the pixels available in that image. You're going to be looking at a less than 2mp image and comparing it to a 16mp image. There's a lot more data in the 200mm image.
But not cropping, I don't really see any issues. I can't tell if there is lack of sharpness at the corners at this resolution, but I wouldn't be terribly surprised with a kit lens. My 18-55 rarely gets used by me, not because it's an awful lens, it's just not as good as my other options at those focal lengths. It does lose sharpness in the corners. And transitions like mountains/sky can highlight weaknesses like that; my 15mm LTD is a great lens, but in the right conditions and f/ stop mountain/sky transitions can look kind of bad in ways that are hard to fix even in post.
One possible reason for some lack of sharpness in the 18-55mm photo is that it's taken at f/13. I doubt this is a huge factor, but at f/13 on APS-C you are starting to get diffraction, which will limit sharpness. Although seeing that at this resolution is going to be nearly impossible. Because your 200mm lens doesn't have electronic connections to the body the EXIF data doesn't say what the f/ stop was, so I don't know if diffraction is an issue with that one.
As for the 200mm shot, I doubt dust caused the haziness. I think it's haze. Taking photos of far off distant objects often aren't sharp, even with the best lenses and cameras, because of atmospheric distortion. Heat, water vapor, dust or pollution... all of these things can conspire to make a shot of a distant scene less than sharp.
Perhaps if you used Photoshop to produce some 1:1 crops of the 18-55mm image we could see a little better the shortfalls you're talking about. But my initial take is that all of your gear is working as it should.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
01-15-2024, 07:04 PM
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So I've always tinkered around with cameras but I am no way a professional repair dude. I just want to give a shout out to mikeno62 for his well detailed lens repair videos.
Background: I purchased an "UGLY" Nikkor 55mm 2.8 AI-s lens from KEH with a stiff focus. Well it was so stiff I couldn't move it. I complained and they refunded my paltry $30 dollars plus shipping. I was very appreciative as I have purchased from KEH many times before and was always satisfied with their ratings system. So instead of relagating the lens as another door stop I took the plunge and followed Mikes repair video for this specific lens. I needed to purchase a $35 dollar digital micrometer but thought what the hey......
About 5 hours later and it now focuses smooth as silk.
 DSCF4446 by frankweiser, on Flickr
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
01-13-2024, 05:53 AM
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Old leather cases can account for many things. Even extra eyelets, extra carrying straps…
Can we get a better scan? Today we often accept low resolution scans or images, but typically more resolution is possible.
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
01-12-2024, 11:11 AM
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McKeown's is only in book form at the moment, as far as I'm aware, but there is prospect of an on-line edition ... see here MCK Camera |
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
01-12-2024, 10:46 AM
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Looking carefully at your photo (and what a great memory of your Dad, btw), it seems the camera is in its leather case, which would add quite a bit of bulk ;)
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
01-12-2024, 10:26 AM
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My guess - and I'm fairly confident - is it's an Argus A2B, manufactured from 1939 to 1950. The unusual top panel layout, body and lens colour, curved ends of the front panel and flat back all match perfectly. Plus, it was a relatively affordable camera for the "everyman", originally costing US$12.50 :D
There are some good images of it on this Japanese-to-English Google-translated page:
?????Argus A2B????????????
The attached photo is taken from the above website, and converted to B&W for easier comparison the OP's photo...
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
01-12-2024, 02:32 AM
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I've seen (possibly even handled) a camera like that.
Flat back, front panel curved at the ends, strap lugs moulded into the top, made from some kind of plastic (Bakelite?), possibly roll-film, not 35mm.
If someone has an hour or two to work diligently through McKeown's you'll probably find it.
Good luck.
Afterthought :- Check out http://www.artdecocameras.com/cameras/detrola/gw/ for something similar.
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Forum: Vintage Cameras and Equipment
01-11-2024, 08:32 PM
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It might not even be a rangefinder. The early Pentax m37 mount gear was similar looking to a rangefinder. I’m not saying that’s the same camera - hard to tell - but the style is seen in more than rangefinders.
Asahiflex I - Pentax M37 Screwmount SLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications
---------- Post added 01-11-24 at 10:33 PM ----------
Looking closely I don’t think it’s a match. But just food for thought.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-07-2024, 03:49 PM
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
01-07-2024, 04:44 AM
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You have to look at it in terms of what we call the "mission profile" of the camera. A K70 is not aimed at the same use as an A9III. For a sport camera, you'd rather favor speed and auto-focus over dynamic range. For a landscape camera you'd favor image quality and dynamic range. BTW, both sensors are made by the same company.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-05-2024, 08:53 PM
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For anyone who sees this and is curious, I went with a K3. After trading in stuff that I wasn't using anymore, it was about $180 from MPB. It just arrived. Here's my first photo with it...a re-shoot of a subject I have photographed before. I'm pretty pleased :) Lens is sigma 17-50 EX DC HSM. Shot raw in manual mode and edited in Rawtherapee. Side-by-side the noise level is much more manageable than the K10D's results.
Cheers to everyone for the advice, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a great value for $180!
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Forum: Pentax Forums Giveaways
12-22-2023, 09:28 PM
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Forum: General Photography
12-14-2023, 10:52 AM
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Have you played Wingspan? It's a little less directly competitive, but works with 2 players as well as more than 2. And it's one of the most satisfying games mechanically that I've played in a long time. Can't recommend it enough.
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Forum: General Photography
12-15-2023, 11:02 AM
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Maybe Grandma just bought herself a new K-3 III Monochrome and set of Limiteds, and cast off the dusty old Spottie to her granddaughter.
- Craig
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
12-15-2023, 04:12 AM
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B&H Photovideo -> Pentax -> Wikipedia -> Flickr -> Google -> Pentaxforums -> B&H Photovideo -> Buy now!
:)
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Forum: General Photography
12-13-2023, 01:26 PM
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I draw the line at not using toilet paper! Although I did run out once on a backpacking trip and had to use leaves!:o
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
12-13-2023, 11:46 AM
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Show them what you can do with your images.
"Pictures speak louder than words"
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
12-13-2023, 08:55 AM
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astrotracer features.
take some wicked pictures of the Milky Way with the astrotracer feature.
People's jaw will drop and want to know all about your camera.
Then you can start talking about in-body stabilization.
and how it can be used to support stabilization even on vintage lenses.
usually that's how you can really get the GAS fire started
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