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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
09-19-2018, 10:08 AM
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Some people here are taking things WAY out of context; or just misinterpreting what I'm writing altogether...
For those that are just stubborn and refuse to discuss this topic objectively, there's only so much we can do here.
- NEVER did I say BIF is my sole purpose for photography...
- I DID NOT come here for confirmation of switching systems...
- NO ONE has the perfect system
- NO ONE has perfect technique
I'm not going through 11 pages to pull out quotes - that's a waste of time. If you need to verify what I'm saying feel free to go back yourself.
However, I'll say it again.
I shoot wildlife, portraits, landscape, macro, street... My primary focus is wildlife. I have noticed a limitation in my current gear when it comes to BIF. No, this is not technique. The gear has it's limitations when it comes to BIF.
Now let's summarize the majority of responses here:
- D500 will help with BIF rate, but maybe isn't the best all around camera
- You lose some and gain some no matter what you shoot; Pentax isn't immune to this, and neither is Nikon/Canon/Sony/etc
- The K-1ii is a great camera
- The DFA 150-450 is a great lens
- The Nikon 200-500 is not so great, though some think it is just fine...
- Technique does matter; possibly more so than gear
- Gear does matter, especially GLASS!
- Wildlife photography is expensive
- Pentax AF is behind the rest (try to hold back your tears, it's true)
- Pentax has some incredible features is BIF isn't the SOLE PURPOSE (focus peaking, pixel shift, ergonomics, dynamic range, just simply personal preference/familiarity)
- One can achieve great results with almost any camera/lens with time and patience
- One can 'cheat' time and patience with a $25,000 budget
I understand the angst... You've been shooting Pentax for years and feel obligated to defend it. You feel a personal level of connection and are prepared to back up any claim with a photo you once took or a situation where your gear met your needs.
Maybe you have personally left and come back and found an anxiety away from Pentax. Perhaps you just like being a Pentaxian, nothing wrong with that!
But, when it comes to objective comparisons... It is HEALTHY to admit where your gear fails you and what potential alternatives exist.
That's why I posted this thread in the first place. Upon watching countless videos and reading numerous articles touting the D500 as the "Greatest APS-C body" I had to ask the question on page 1.
The same people who have marked these reviews of the D500 have reviewed the K-1 and K-3 and have even gone as far as saying the K-1 is the "Greatest landscape body"... There's validity there!
Does this mean I've made my decision and need confirmation?
Absolutely not!
I'm here to weigh the options and HOPEFULLY find a few lost souls with me who want answers/opinions/comments/OBJECTIVENESS!
At the end of the day, PentaxForums is an incredible resource.
No matter what I end up shooting I'm going to stay here for photo sharing, communicating technique, discussing the industry and the future of photography, entering contests when applicable, conversing with fellow peers and making friends.
To those of you that this upsets, I'm sorry...
I'm here to stay, regardless of what camera I'm going to shoot.
So please, feel free to hit that ignore button is this infuriates you.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
07-16-2018, 01:15 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
04-06-2018, 05:47 AM
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Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Skink
Queen Victoria Lookout, Blue Mountains
Empress Falls (Pixelshifted)
Canyoneer (stacked image)
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Forum: General Photography
03-22-2018, 02:57 AM
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"shoot every day - I mean every, single, damn, day - if you want to see progress in your art, if you want to know your camera like the back of your hand, if you want that lens to be an extension of your eye - shoot every day"
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-08-2018, 07:44 AM
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Lot's of good responses here.
Buy Pentax if you can find what you need now. It would seem many of the loudest detractors bought into Pentax expecting them to become something else, and then endlessly harangue the forum with their disappointment.
My advice pay attention to this page. And watch the interview.
CP+ 2018 Pentax Interview - CP+ 2018 | PentaxForums.com
Take what the man says verbatim. Ignore the nay sayers and speculators on the forum. This man may not be the most expansive or eloquent, but he lays out the official Pentax position accurately and precisely, and with no hype or rah, rah.
And honestly, what he says makes me pretty happy. It says, the things Pentax doesn't do now like mirrorless and 4k video, they have nothing in the works, with the 4k mirrorless depending on sensor capable of doing it.
It says they are working on some stuff, but you can see, it's a slow process.
The K-1ii has an improved AF system, but they aren't trying to make an action camera.
People like myself (K-1 and K-3 ) who are happy with their gear are generally happy because it's value priced performance option. We don't actually expect Pentax to come out with cutting edge high tech gear. We expect good solid "good at what it does" gear.
I've used Pentax forever, in part because forever Pentax has made good solid gear that takes pictures of the quality I need.
Other people need more than I do. Make sure you aren't one of them before you buy into Pentax.
You only need to ask one question.
Do Pentax cameras do what I need a camera do. If the answer is yes, welcome to the club. If not, please move on, we have way too many who want Pentax to be more than what they are. Their constant disappointment with Pentax being unwilling to change it's stripes is depressing.
IMHO that guy in the video is Pentax... love it or leave it. :D
PS My wife and I had a brief foray into the craft show market. We went to shows where there were 5 or 6 other photographers shooting Nikon and Canon there and we outsold all of them at one show by a factor of about 10:1. Maybe we didn't match them in every category, but in the categories Pentax is strong in we were able to make up for not having all the bells and whistles of the the other companies. You don't get everything in Pentax, but for an outdoor wilderness/wildlife shooter, they have more than enough.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
03-06-2018, 11:52 AM
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Personally, I think the K-1 is easily the best camera I've ever owned, and now I own two. It's as perfect as a FFDSLR can be as far as I'm concerned. I chose Pentax way back due to the number of legacy manual focus lenses that were available, and the fact that they all maintain pretty much full compatibility with all cameras (so far). Frankly, I am personally not that interested in modern lenses, as it looks like Pentax is not making lenses with compact size as a priority anymore. Plus, I just like the fit/feel of manual focus lenses with aperture rings so much... it just feels natural to me. Being a K1000 user as you say you are (were?), if you still have your lenses, they'll work fine on a K-1. If you liked using your K1000, then you'll like the K-1 too, even though it's a bit bigger.
One last thing... Pentax is somewhat of a rarity, and I see precious few on the street (except that one time I went thru the Hall of Mirrors... then they were all over the place). It's kind of cool to have such a fine and rare product to play with. If I were a professional needing guaranteed product support and widespread availability, that's a diff't story, but I'm just a dude who likes cameras, so I'm pretty happy with it. Well, maybe not pretty, but definitely happy.
Also, who ever heard of a product HARDWARE upgrade?? I haven't (although I am prepared to be corrected on that). It says a lot for such a small company to offer such a service to their customers. I'll definitely be doing so.
There, I'm done. Hope you stay on board!
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Forum: Lens Clubs
03-13-2018, 03:19 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
02-15-2018, 06:07 AM
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Oh, you'd be amazed how bad my luck is... This was a rarity!
And even still, I had some friends from the birding community laugh because they said just the day before they parked on the south end of the island, walked over the dune and there she was - less than 100 feet from their cars...
I'll still chalk it up as a win in my book though.
I estimated it would take a good 2 hours to find her, so leaving before sunrise played to my advantage.
By the time I shot my first frame, the sun had just broken the horizon 30 minutes prior - the conditions were just right an I was smack in the middle of he golden hour with no one else around.
I stopped shooting for a few minutes and just took it all in.
Utter silence on the beach, just the sound of lapping waves.
A light on-shore breeze and golden sunlight.
Just me and the owl.
To think in a few months that same spot will be riddled with hundreds of umbrellas, flip-flops, coolers, chairs, surfboards, and tourists from afar...
I often say I live in a bipolar town.
---------- Post added 02-15-18 at 08:09 AM ----------
Here's one more from that same day:
K-3ii + 1.4xTC + DA*300
F8 - ISO100 - 1/1000s
 IMG_3878-Edit by Logan Hall, on Flickr
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Forum: Lens Clubs
01-27-2018, 12:33 AM
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I was lucky enough to cross this Snowy Owl today... It flew from a top of a barn to the top of a tree, where the moon filled the background.
I have to tell it's my lady that provided me the idea to position myself in order to cath them both in the frame... Thanks to my beloved! :-)
Handheld with Pentax K-3II + HD Rear Converter 1.4x + DA*300f4 (420mm)
1/800s, ƒ/13, ISO 1250
Le harfang et la lune / Snowy and the Moon |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-07-2018, 11:20 PM
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Good old times...
A leave any comment to the reader :)
cheers
Paolo
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-18-2018, 04:33 AM
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Anyone who buys Pentax equipment new or old is supporting the brand. The guy who buys a five-year-old Pentax camera and a handful of second-hand lenses (because that's what he wants, or it's all he can afford) provides funds to the seller, who then gets to go out and buy his K-1 and shiny new glass. Even the K-1 buyer who doesn't want or can't afford the latest, expensive own-brand glass supported the brand by buying the K-1.
Why, even just helping others in these forums is supporting the brand, as it makes this an increasingly useful resource for existing and potential Pentax owners. One of the reasons I've stayed with Pentax (and bought more Pentax equipment) is because of the advice and support I've had from this community.
Support of the brand isn't measured by how many of the products you buy or how much you spend :)
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-21-2017, 01:58 AM
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My last couple of posts were taken at the 150 end of the lens and with small apertures . These two were from the 450 end and larger apertures . First at F/5.6 and the second F/7.1 . Both shots are of Australasian Grebes diving . The first is also presented as a high key type of shot with a very slick bird . The second has frozen the power take off before diving .
Regards Anthony .
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Forum: Lens Clubs
10-03-2017, 02:21 PM
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(sorry if that is off-topic, but this photo was taken with a K20D and the lengendary F*300/4.5 )
Hi guys, seeking for your votes for this picture I submitted on a local Wildlife Photo contest...
The votes are to be done via a Facebook account only (if you have one), and are only for a "People's Choice" prize that will also be awarded for the photo that gets the most votes! (so we all know this part is biased and the people with most contacts will probably win that prize). A jury will choose the winner in the "Grand Prize" category.
Concours photo Zoo EcoMuseum
thanks guys in advance for your support !
here's a preview of the same photo from flickr FYI...
Lynx du Canada / Canada Lynx [Lynx canadensis] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-27-2017, 07:13 AM
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Another 2015 outing with K3 and Sigma 500. The Sigma 500 is capable of terrific results. I would like to buy the new version.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-28-2017, 06:56 AM
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More catching up on some overdue shots
These are from June 2015 shot with the K3
The first one is using the Sigma 500 I owned and the second is using the Pentax 560 on loan
Osprey waiting for Big Daddy to deliver some food
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-27-2017, 07:20 PM
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A couple of years ago I learned of a heronry in my area but I only found its exact location this year. There were eight nests and they were located down in a sharp valley that allowed me to view the nest from a location above the nest. The nest nearest to me was roughly 300 feet away and I had a great location to set up and watch the nest without disturbing the birds at all. I shot all the photos with a K3 and my FA 600. I had to pack my gear up a trail to get to my vantage point and packing the FA600, camera, tripod collapsible stool and what ever other gear the weather and bugs dictated this gear isnt really designed for back country photography.
The following photo was taken with the FA31 and shows the valley where the nests are located. Most of the nests are tucked into the trees but fortunately the closest nest was wide open for viewing.
June 1 Im not sure when the chicks hatch but my best guess is that they were five or six days old when I first made my way to the nest.
June 4 - For the first week and a half the adults stayed very close to the young but as you will see that changed as the chicks developed.
June 7 in the earlier stages you could see significant differences between the chicks in terms of their development and throughout their growth there was always differences between the chicks in their stages of growth and development
June 11 Mom is still staying relatively close to the nest
June 18 they reminded me of little pterodactyls -
June 19 From June 1 to June 19 there is huge difference in the chicks in terms of their feather development and they were also starting to become more active
June 21 The chicks feathers are really starting to take shape two of the chicks were always more active for a while I questioned whether or not the third was getting enough food and I wasnt sure if he was going to make it
June 25 One of the adults has come in for feeding this was really quite an exciting time in the nest
June 29 The adults did a little parade when they came in for feeding It appeared that they seemed to wait so all three of the chicks were in place for feeding because feeding time only lasted a matter of seconds and if they werent ready they were going hungry
June 29 The actual reading reminded me of a rugby scrum and it was actually quite brutal for all involved
July 4 by early July the chicks were starting to jump around the nest and there was lots of wing flexing and practice going on
July 7 another feeding assault
July 7 the chicks spent a lot of time preening this was quite constant from the time they were very young until they left the nest
July 9 the food truck showing up at the nest not certain but I think this is the male coming in, when the adults landed at the nest the chicks all crouched down and fanned out they feathers it was very ritualistic
July 13 In a month and a half since I began watching them the change has been immense here is one of the chicks flexing its wings and showing off its wonderful wingspan
July 16 - There appears to be some type of discussion going on here I would assume it would be regarding who made a pig out of themselves at the last feeding
July 18 Another shot of an incoming adult this photos shows more clearly the outstretched subservient stance the chicks displayed when the adults showed up. By this time the adults typically stayed at the nest about a minute and a half at most and seemed they could not get away from their enthusiastic brood fast enough. The feeding ritual started with the chicks surroundings the adult, the chicks would all stand upright and grab the adults beak and wrench the adults head downward. The adult seemed to regurgitate into the nest and sometimes directly into the beak of a chick. The feeding was simply brutal.
July 18 The chicks are having another discussion as the adult readies to make a hasty exit from the nest.
July 20 The chicks have assembled for feeding
July 22 One of my last photos with the chicks on the nest I did not return till July 25 and by then the chicks had all left the nest.
If you are interested I put together a Youtube video with stills and some video capture of the chicks on the nest the feeding sequence is so hard to explain you really have to see it.
You Tube
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CGeMNd-wAcI?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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Thanks for looking
Robert
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-26-2017, 10:39 AM
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I forgot about this thread also. This lens spends quite a bit of time on my camera when traveling. I love it.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-26-2017, 06:21 AM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-16-2017, 06:30 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-13-2017, 11:33 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-04-2017, 07:10 AM
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A little more from White Pocket at Night
D FA 24-70mm F2.8
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
07-24-2017, 02:04 PM
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Beautiful !
Meanwhile in the Vineyard
 2
The final version of the thunderstorm in the Champagne's vineyard ! Stiched with AutoPano Giga
Pentax K-1 smc PENTAX-DA 35mm F2.4 AL /16.0 35.0 mm 8s 100 Iso
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-05-2017, 10:02 PM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
07-02-2017, 04:25 AM
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
06-17-2017, 03:46 AM
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Given the above, I find it bizarre that there are so many successful, internationally-renowned photographers using exactly the sort of lenses you dismiss. Either they, or you, have got it wrong. Perhaps Erik Madigan Heck should upgrade from his beaten-up "3rd rate Japanese beer glass" Canon 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5. I wonder how his auction at Sotheby's last month went...
It must be wonderful to have gained such experience and not lose a sense of humility along the way.
Of course, it's just possible that what you see - like anyone else with any level of skill - is subjective. Informed, perhaps - but entirely subjective. Ah, what do I know? Back to my beer glass lenses...
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