Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-15-2011, 11:51 AM
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Hello and welcome Jim
Quick question - from what you know of the Pentax system how would you evaluate it FOR wedding photography if someone were to decide to use one for that?
I am considering what to use for wedding photography and am considering using a D700 for it. Ideally I would like to keep the Pentax system and use it as a mismatched second body if I can afford to do so. The price of entry to a pro Nikon system is steep - and I am dying to get a Nikon 85G and a secondarily a 24G.
Also, system flash is better on Nikon but I believe I could become proficient enough with all manual radio slaved system of flash.
The replacement of the d700 should be quite a camera as well - but that 85G is the stuff of love/lust/ excellence that I am finding more and more to be a must have at some point
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
01-09-2011, 09:55 PM
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That the correct one felt like more power/"torque" may suggest that weaker batteries may be a contributor to the problem.
Are you aware of any difference in battery charge state?
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
12-16-2010, 07:29 AM
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It sounds like this tungsten (or whatever light wavelength caused front focusing) focusing inaccuracy can be remedied through firmware.
Otherwise, can the AF assist lamp be forced on when conditions are suspect?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-22-2010, 05:49 PM
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I will say this much - I have been looking at samples of K5 everywhere I can, flickr, here, etc
I have to say that the k5 is definitely a camera that puts the better to lenses to good use.
The photos I have seen using K5 with 60-250 are stunningly beautiful. I have seen 3d look to many shots using this combo
Other lenses I have noticed as being good fit with k5
31
77
15
16-50 (which I have never liked too well before)
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
11-08-2010, 06:37 AM
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I would be on a good performing Pentax FF like white on rice
The K5 and it successors would make a good APS-C 2nd body
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-07-2010, 11:44 AM
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best 5 lens set I have now:
16-45 (razor sharp - beats primes in sharpness much of the time)
31 ltd (the best!)
58 Voigtlander (love this lens)
77 ltd (beautiful performance/color/rendering))
k 135/2.5 (stunning when technique dialed in)
IDEAL 5 lens set:
15 ltd
31 ltd
58 voigt
77 ltd
60-250
but I would still want the availability of:
something like a 11-16
a great 16-85
a great 70-200 2.8
some long 400mm or 500mm wildlife glass
a couple of the zeiss ZK's (21, 85, 35, 50?)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-22-2010, 05:50 AM
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These are Chinese made copies of Zeiss Tessar design (I believe but could be wrong that 85mm is the long end of any tessar design use from any recent Zeiss lenses)
The brand is Mitakon - a remnant of a Japanese company that was co-opted by their Chinese component. There is a version of this called something like SGYKXG or some such that is identical
I have seen some fairly good performance from it on some Asian forums
It was selling for only $80 before these ebay versions showed up recently - and I would not pay more
mechanics and quality control are likely to be on stamped metal tractor levels
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
10-18-2010, 05:39 AM
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"pretty good IQ for a 16mb APSc camera"
I know there is much more to learn about the new Pentax DSLRs BUT the early evidence is absolutely pointing to stellar image quality
I would ask - drop all qualifiers ("for an apsc", "for the money", etc) - and how closely to full frame IQ CAN this camera approach?
Frankly it is looking close - and I imagine that with good glass and a good photographer the gap will turn out to be very small
of course, the next generation of FF's are due out over the next 6 to 12 months
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
10-17-2010, 11:09 AM
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regarding price in the USA:
it may be in line with other countries relative currency valuation but newer bodies from other makers are NOT similarly higher priced
also because of this factor, a used D700 FF is only $300 or $400 higher. A new D700 can be had for about $600 higher. Likewise a Sony A850 can be had for only about $250 or so more.
Now these would require new sets of lenses but still you are close to competing full frame
The K5 is certainly looking the part of a great camera but FF IQ is available for only a small additional amount at its current price
electronics should drop in price over time like Nikon seems to be doing...
we'll see how this all shakes out over the next year or two (D700x, D800, A9xx. etc)
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Forum: Pentax K-5 & K-5 II
10-16-2010, 11:54 AM
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I will wait until more data is in BUT...
This first trickle of photos by K-5 coming in are stunning - not just excellent, but stunning. The potential for top class IQ is HUGE
The flickr examples are looking as good as FF - seriously.
I keep my flickr search on "Pentax k-5" and sorted by recent to see the latest - and - WOW! I am updating all day long to see more
With some good glass this camera should be simply killer based on the handful of photos I see
Add in the DR, the AF improvement, and high ISO performance and the price is looking more and more justified - and believe me, I truly hate to say that...
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
10-05-2010, 07:19 AM
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To me the shallow depth of field of FF adds a presence and depth to photos because there are more gradations from sharp focus to out of focus both in front of and behind focus plane. Someone expressed this as "pop". This can be approached on APS-C but not surpassed.
One thing that is most important to me is the viewfinder. A FF viewfinder is VASTLY better than APS
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
10-03-2010, 01:28 PM
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If Pentax doesnt indicate a coming FF by Summer 2011 I will be looking for either a D700 replacement (some think their D300 will be made into a FF - nice!) or a 5d mkII (maybe replacement also?)
I am impressed enough with the K5 specs that I will try to get one as a body for myPentax glass - which I do not want to get rid of. If the US price is above $1400 then that is all off and I may start looking for a used FF to await the replacements next year
So until 2011 K10D and maybe K5 - then Summer 2011 firm up plans for having a FF, Pentax or otherwise
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Forum: Photographic Technique
10-01-2010, 07:40 AM
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I would love to see such a section. I saw your last wedding and was VERY impressed. Both yours and your wifes vision and creativity show. Very nice.
I have been wanting to begin shooting weddings and have been torn as to whether I should buy into one of the full frame cameras - and now your shots (and all the work on your website) have me encouraged to possibly try this. GREAT STUFF!
I am more and more leaning toward really developing a k5 into such a tool - with its improved AF (?), DR. low noise capabilities
My lenses are
16-45 unbelievably sharp
31 (the best lens between 25mm and 34mm ever made?)
58 Nokton (superb especially for still life/bokeh shots - but manual focus????)
77
85 f2 (manual focus)
135 K 2.5 (manual focus but superb)
What I would like to add
15
Tam 17-50 (dont trust sdm long term)
43
70 maybe (focuses faster/better than 77?) - maybe 50-150 replaces it
sig 50-150 or tam 70-200
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-21-2010, 11:08 AM
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Plain and simple (at least in the USA apparently) - P R I C E
The premium pricing in the states will not allow much business for this camera. It should be $1200 to 1300 to start.
What is going to happen is that when it begins its usual pentax price decline - too many people will have figured that that resale value was a plummeting loss
A lot of people are on the edge of a decision of "stay with Pentax" or "switch"
This price of $1600 triggers a LOT of the "switch" option
JMO
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-21-2010, 05:53 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-20-2010, 05:04 PM
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Same here, the 31 Limited on FF would be a near permanent combination.
When I shot film, a 28 Biogon was my favorite all around-er FL - so ....
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-20-2010, 04:56 PM
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so apparently video in the k5 is a convenience for casual video shooting...
hmmm ok
I found an answer to my liveview question in the Pentax press kit pdf. It says that LiveView can be used at up to 10X for a focusing aid
I guess that theoretically this camera will manual focus exactly like the K7
Overall it looks like a nice camera to me - maybe one worth giving a lengthy audition while waiting on a FF for a few more months
IQ will determine the threshold for buy/try or not. Is it razor sharp? Does it give great Pentax color and depth? then about moire filters/etc
I figure that by about mid November there should be about 3000 or so shots on flickr and a good number of reviews - enough to judge IQ. I hope it does portraits well - skin tone, sharpness
It does look like with a suitable lens that Pentax will finally be able to step up to serious wildlife and sports shooting. and yes I know some do quite well on the wildlife already with existing models. But have you seen any world class sports from Pentax?
time will tell - and then there's price...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-20-2010, 07:13 AM
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Is there any sort of intrinsic hindrance of a 25fps video? Does it readily lend its use in common editing software? any sort of certain loss by having this spec?
I presume the Live View of the K7 makes it into the K5 - is the live view customizable to always come into a greatly magnified live view that can be used as a focusing tool?
I believe I read where some camera is able to do this. Possible on the new Pentax flagship?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-15-2010, 08:28 PM
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I think that the unspoken underlying anxiety being expressed is that the Nikon announcement is being seen as though it were a nuke tossed into the entire DSLR world
and maybe more specifically that while some other companies can withstand the D7000 "nuke" blast, perhaps smaller companies face a real threat to their future
thus leaving say, Pentax owners (or some other small company:ugh:) out
Also assumed is that in the near future Nikon looks like they will be tossing more nukes (D300, D700 replacements)
Me? I think that people could really benefit from having multiple systems. I also think that Pentax had better really elevate its line to play in this environment
IQ from the new cameras will mean a lot to me as I compare
One thing that I havent seen mentioned too much is the effect of price in this announcement. The $1199 Nikon is stunning, but what this says to me is someone is finally bringing the economics of a mature market forward. All electronics are supposed to drop while improving. Well DSLRs have been massively expensive since they arrived on the scene ( especially when Canon tossed out their own D30 "nuke" in 1999) $2000 cameras!!!!
Well maybe we are seeing the expectations of electronic goodies falling more into line- MORE inexpensive, MORE quality/usefulness. Frankly I think they need to fall MUCH MUCH further
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-11-2010, 08:13 PM
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There are a couple of other advantages of FF:
1 Better larger viewfinder - focusing, composition, MF all benefit
2 More presence and depth of photos as DOF has more gradations from and to and then away from focus "point"
BOTH of these are my reasons for wanting FF
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-11-2010, 07:57 AM
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AGREE!
Whenever there get to be about 3000 or so samples on flickr, there will be a review or two and a number of review posts on this forum - then, and only then - will we have enough information about what the K-5 is all about.
I knew at that point for the K-7 I wouldn't be upgrading
besides I STILL want to see some sort of pointer that Pentax will be bringing a FF to market by next year
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
09-11-2010, 07:01 AM
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Did I miss an announcement by Cosina that they would not be making KA mount Voigtlander SL lenses any longer?
Do you have a link? TIA
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-25-2010, 04:07 PM
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Is Pentax hiding a big secret about the K-5? that it is FF?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-13-2010, 10:08 AM
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I think the Olympus E3 illustrates the need for FF very well.
You say the photos are stunning - and they are nice. Looking through a lot of samples there are many beautiful photos from this camera. I think I am most impressed with the color from this camera, BUT...
As I look at samples I don't notice a single photo from that camera that wouldn't benefit TREMENDOUSLY from being shot with a larger sensor. I think the micro 4/3 shows the point better than APS-C since it is even smaller. But make no mistake, APS-C is also bettered by FF in presence, dimensionality, and overall quality.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
07-12-2010, 11:08 AM
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I think that 21 to 31 is a gaping hole
Also an intermediate between 100 and 300 is usually provided in most product lines
and 400 and above
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