|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-07-2016, 03:43 PM
|
| |
Ah, but how many would buy a Pentax (or generic) version at a price that results in worthwhile profit? If it was doable, I would have thought there would be some generic 3rd party version, but there isn't so either its uneconomic or that flash style just doesn't suffice for large camera/lens formats.
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-07-2016, 06:24 AM
|
| |
Something like the little add-on flash that was included with my Oly EPM2 - roughly 4cm x 5cm at the top, and about 2cm thick when folded. It's petite... and (I would think) useless on a K1 size camera system as it's not particularly impressive (although occasionally handy) on the tiny little m43 Oly. But hey... it's a tiny little flash! (Olympus FL-LM1 Flash V326120SW000 B&H Photo Video if you're curious)
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
03-21-2016, 05:06 PM
|
| |
Just to add another factor... I found that when I processed my oly or nikon RAW files via a third party app*** I could not duplicate the in-camera jpegs. I could duplicate them via oly's software. That didn't mean one was better or worse, but yeah... unless the program you use to develop the RAW files on the computer applies exactly the same processing as the camera does (which in my experience, requires a program written by the camera manufacturer), then the jpegs that result will be different. Presumably Pentax is not different; while the third party software can read the RAW image, they all actually apply processing using their own algorithms - and only Pentax's own software would have the exact same algorithms as the camera.
*** I use PaintShopPro and it's associates and have tried several free options. I don't have lightroom.
|
|
Forum: Pentax Full Frame
03-16-2016, 06:53 PM
|
| |
That... does not make sense. What are you meaning here by exposure? In this context, I take it as the light volume registered per square mm of sensor - it's independent of total sensor area. But assuming the same light volume per square mm and the same iso setting, then the noise level per pixel will be the same. Each square mm of sensor doesn't know if it's part of a large sensor or a little sensor - it generates the same sensor noise regardless. (Although, if they're cut from the same wafer, the larger sensor has -more pixels-. So if you downsize the result to the same dimensions as the smaller sensor, sure, the larger sensor has less noise. You're losing noise with the downsampling (along with resolution). But if you're not downsizing, then the noise in each 100% crop is inherently the same, because it comes from the sensor.)
But... that doesn't mean you can get an identical image out of them, though, because in order to get the same FoV and ISO, aperture and consequently DoF must vary. If you want to hold the DoF and FoV constant, then ISO must vary (due to, as you say, different light volume) and on the 'cut from the same wafer' pair of sensors, that means they will have a different level of noise. But that is a result of a choice to vary ISO in order to duplicate FoV -and- DoF across the two sensors, it isn't that a smaller sensor cut from the same wafer suddenly has different noise characteristics by being cut smaller.
(Please tell me if that was coherent!)
Which comes down to... if you are trying to capture an image strictly defined by it's FoV and DoF, then the smaller sensor will need a higher iso setting. Higher iso = higher noise, if the sensors are 'same wafer' identical tech. Hence, larger has less noise. How much difference than makes in the the real world is mostly 'not much' and occasionally 'a lot'. Which side of that fence an individual's photography falls is made up of way more factors than the nice little exposure triangle has.
This one is a case where the sensors are not from the same wafer. They both have the same 16 megapixels, but with the D7000 being larger, the pixels are larger. The difference isn't from the size of the sensor, but in the size of the pixels on the sensor.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
03-15-2016, 08:05 PM
|
| |
When I was in school, one of our excursions was to the Gallery and yep, we all had to troop past "Blue Poles". I think I was outlier in that I actually liked it. Not sure why, but I found it appealing, much more so in person than in any of the photos of it that I have seen. Which then leaves me pondering the challenges of taking photos of paintings. Not just to reproduce the colours, but to give an impression of the texture and to capture something of the 'presense' a painting can have. Although, that might be super challenging when one considers the size. An itty bitty picture on screen or even a decent sized print just can't reproduce the visual impact of something "212.1 cm × 488.9 cm (83.5 in × 192.5 in)" in size.
|
|
Forum: Pentax Full Frame
03-15-2016, 07:55 PM
|
| |
... but isn't inherent noise determined mostly by two factors - the age of the sensor and pixel pitch? With processing by the camera to generate the RAW file being the first noise-filter?
That aside:
I do not have a Canon 5DIII or 5DS, but I had a D7000 and I have an oly EPM2, one of the bottom tier m43 cameras that has the 'same' sensor as the top tier Oly m43 cameras. Quite frankly, I've had shots wrecked by noise from both cameras - the problem was always the idiot holding the camera(me), not the camera itself. I had also managed to take some shots with both that I really really like and which are not discernibly noisy when viewed in smallish prints or on screen. I've even got a couple from each which I have printed medium-ish without noise being noticed as an issue. That's the practical point that it really isn't an issue compared to the skill (or lack of it) of the photographer. However, without a doubt, the best shots in terms of noise levels were with my D7000. The two cameras are both nominally 16MP and I think the sensor tech is reasonably close. So the lower pixel density on the D7000 probably made the difference when the other factors (lighting, subject, etc) aligned to support it's somewhat better capabilities.
So yeah, all things being equal, a smaller sensor does give more noise. That is a reasonable expectation from a technical point of view. Why is that something to argue about?
(Well, aside from that common impulse to argue that our personal choices are the best choices period instead of just best for us. I mean, I decided the extra IQ I could sometimes extract from the D7000 to be insufficiently worthwhile to keep it when m43 came so close and was so. much. smaller. That's the compact vs. DSLR argument really. I do plan to get a K1 as I think that's enough of a performance leap to be worthwhile... for me.)
I do think too that the oly m43 cameras demonstrate just how much the processing tech can affect noise too. The OMD cameras - EM1/EM5/EM10 technically have the same sensor as my little EPM2. But they do produce cleaner images - because Olympus has refined their ability to extract data from that sensor read-out.
|
|
Forum: Pentax Full Frame
03-02-2016, 06:13 PM
|
| |
I think it would need to be more like 5 frames - the four sensor readouts plus a frame-map detailing which pixels composite and which do not. If the frame-map could be manipulated as if it was a mask, a lot of options could open up. Especially if one could specify which source-frame to use, not just an 'all' or 'one' but 'here use the first two' and 'there use the first and last' and 'overthatway use frames 1, 2 -and- 3 but not 4'. That kind of thing should be comparatively simple to implement in a raw-processor; it's just a specialized layer handler. If it was approached that way - so the PS raw file is more like a container for the 4 base raw files plus the mask-map, then it should also be possible to process each of the base files individually. It would also be possible for software to auto-create an alternative mask-map with adjusted parameters regarding movement, etc. It was mentioned that the movement compensation was on/off - imagine having it as a dynamic slider so you could apply just enough to avoid artifacts and no more. The flexibility would seem to be maximized with this strategy.
I'm looking at it as a computer programmer, though, not a photographer - I have comparatively minuscule experience in PP.
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-25-2016, 07:02 PM
|
| |
If it can't stand up to abuse, there would be a lot of unhappy people wanting warranty repairs... Considering the reputation hit that would involve (and the cost to ricoh of making repairs), I suspect that the designers were told it simply had to be next-door to unbreakable. (Well, unbreakable from yanking, twisting, dangling, etc.)
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-22-2016, 06:15 PM
|
| |
Weirdly enough, considering the exchange rate, it's more that the d750 and d810 are cheap here. (the d750 price at DCW - subtract 10% gst and convert comes to just over 1500usd. Or the d810: gerry gibs price minus gst comes to about 2100usd!) Perhaps Nikon brought in a good stock when the AUD was much higher??? In any case, while the AU comparative value hasn't materialised, it's more complex than just the K1 being priced high.
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-22-2016, 04:28 PM
|
| |
*ponders* For a moving sensor, either you move the heatsink (noisy, slow, power hungry) or you need some kind of flexible thermal gel to go between moving sensor and fixed heat sink. That... may be the solution, but it would be a whole new technical challenge to develop.
I wonder if any camera manufacturer is researching along those lines, or if the focus is all on lowering the heat generated in the first place.
|
|
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
02-22-2016, 04:09 PM
|
| |
^ Well, maybe she'll get a good resale price one day. No way if knowing if that can make up for lost photo opportunities though.
If a camera I want is available in a more interesting colour, I definitely prefer the colour. Its easier to find, easier to identify as mine (for family/friends) and seeing it makes me smile a bit more. I am unashamedly fond of colour. :D I regularly wish it was easier to add colour or choose colours for gadgets - phones and tablets have cases, etc. but much harder to do something like decals on a camera.
That said... Colour does not substitute for the technical aspects. I wont buy a unsuitable anything just to get a purple one. (although, I did special order a purple-flower decal for my Nexus. ;))
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-22-2016, 03:45 PM
|
| |
2kg = must add a suitable tripod to the shopping list. ;) (my other gear is m43, and the little tripod I have for it would look very sad if I asked it to hold a K1.)
|
|
Forum: General Photography
02-22-2016, 01:36 AM
|
| |
Someone who is taking photos is a photographer. The rest is context and assumptions.
It seems that the argument is more about the unspoken context to 'photographer'. Enthusiast? Professional? Working? It's kind of like the noun 'cook'. I'm cooking dinner, at that time, I am a cook. But I am not an enthusiast cook, or a professional cook or a working cook or anything else special - I'm a 'need to eat=need-to-cook=a cook right now' cook. So if it comes up again, I suggest you use a few such analogies to ensure everyone knows they're really just arguing about what 'add-on' term they think belongs with 'photographer' in the absence of anything specified. Honestly, the take-away message for anyone involved is that if one wants clarity in communication, one must avoid assumptions and be precise about the language used.
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-22-2016, 01:02 AM
|
| |
Don't forget the effects of the exchange rate being so bad. I mean, if the AUD was close to parity and they priced it at (say) $2299, they're still getting a big percent profit but I think we'd all find it much more palatable. *sigh* (I've been buying from overseas for 5-6 years now, and the exchange rate has a huge impact on my spending. When the same AUD will only get 70% of what it did a few years back, it hurts. And it isn't like what I'm buying even has a local purchase option. Gah!)
But I'll probably get the K1 anyway. I can't buy before mid-year anyway, so I have time to see where the street price settles. I can hope it ends up comparable to the d750 by then, can't I?
|
|
Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
02-21-2016, 08:30 PM
|
| |
Allowing for gst and the seemingly inevitable small-market premium, I wouldn't have been surprised at about $2800. (heck, the nikon d810 is only $3598 at DCW... and the d750 is $2297). I wonder if Teds will keep to that price. :/
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
10-16-2015, 08:01 PM
|
| |
Ditto.
If in a manual mode, the exposure lock button is pressed and then one of the three (aperture, iso, shutter) is adjusted, the exposure lock should simultaneously adjust another of the three to keep the exposure locked. Why shouldn't we be able to pick which of the three is adjusted?
Menus options for exposure lock in manual:
When e.l. button is pressed and...
... aperture changed, adjust 'shutter' or 'iso'?
... shutter changed, adjust 'aperture' or 'iso'?
... iso changed, adjust 'shutter' or 'aperture'?
There. Three simple choices for people to customise their camera's behaviour as they wish.
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
10-06-2015, 02:49 AM
|
| |
The Digital Show
It is on in 9 1/2 days here and Pentax is listed on the exhibitor list; I wonder if they'll have anything at all about the FF there.
|
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
10-04-2015, 04:51 PM
|
| |
Maybe, maybe not. I have an Olympus m43 MILC; an e-PM2. It was cheaper than any DSLR at the time, is small enough to slip in my handbag (which my Nikon D7000 is not and will never be) and takes much better pictures than any of the P&S cameras I've had in recent years, much less my phone (which was chosen on the basis of taking decent photos). It's the size and weight thing that is the biggest MILC advantage and yes, that could easily persuade people who are not interested in something as large as a DSLR to consider it. At least, it would if people see MILC in person - I am regularly irritated at seeing piles of Canikons on display but little of the alternatives, mirrorless or Pentax or anything else. Sony doesn't have a significant size advantage over DSLR, but the m43 certainly can.
|
|
Forum: General Talk
09-14-2015, 03:41 AM
|
| |
You just need a variety of 3D printers equipped with wifi and a WiFi-to-earth comms unit deposited in a suitable locale. As long as the printers can, between them, print spare parts for each other, you can eventually build whatever required. ;)
|
|
Forum: Photographic Technique
09-13-2015, 03:34 AM
|
| |
| |
|
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
09-04-2015, 10:47 PM
|
| |
Hi,
I'm Kate, I live in Melbourne, Australia and I have a Pentax camera that I have never used... yet! :lol:
To be more precise... it is a K2 film SLR that was owned by my grandfather; I inherited it along with it's 55/1.8 first lens and two third party lenses (a Takumar 135/3.5 and a mirror Makinon 300/5.6). It got lost in the disorder of a few house moves but I found it again a few days ago, only now I know enough to contemplate actually using it. :o I had played with P&S cameras in my teens and twenties, discovered they were not satisfying about 5 years ago and thus embarked on a quest to a) get a better camera and b) learn how to use a camera properly! Along the way I aquired a Nikon d7000 (my dad already had a Nikon dslr; we share lenses for them), and an Olympus E-PM2 (looking for something portable) and I've even managed to produce some photos I really really like.
I am looking at my K2 as I write this - it appears to be in excellent condition at first glance. It has a leather cover/case and the camera body looks near mint aside from a vfew slight marks on the bottom and a single scratch/rub on one end. The FP and X flash ports still have their covers even! It still has it's original instruction booklet with it (yay!) and thus far, every dial and knob seem to move smoothly, except the ASA ring - it's hard to hold down it's lever enough and it seems a little stiff. But I guess I wouldn't be changing that one very often! The mirror has a few specs of dust but no marks, but more worryingly, at the back, above the mirror, there appears to be some fungus. :( It's not on the mirror or the shutter... I think the mirror was left locked up for a while too. It comes down fine with the lever. Batteries were removed (I remember doing that when I first got it), and there are some spare batteries still in their packaging that are dated 2007.
In as much as I can tell without trying them, the lenses all appear to be in good shape. The front of the 55/1.8 has some smears/fingermarks on it and there is some dust here and there. The Takumar still has it's hard leather case. No fungus on the lenses at least!
I digress though. :lol: I will persist and when I get some film, I'll put it through and it anything is worth showing, I'll share. :)
|
