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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
08-29-2016, 03:10 PM
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That's why it's in contention, I like the whole "it's basically a flash with a built in power pack but without the bulk" thing.
I did find one review which said the yongnuo was a hair faster on fresh eneloops, but I understand the godox maintains its performance better throughout the charge.
On the yongnuo side, it's cheaper, and there seems to be some debate over the reliability of the godox.
Howeib101, you say you have several of the v850, what's your experience reliability wise?
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
08-29-2016, 02:04 PM
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The 540fgz would be the ultimate answer in Pentax flash world, but I think it's going to be outside my means for the time being. Thanks for the suggestion though!
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Forum: Flashes, Lighting, and Studio
08-29-2016, 12:24 PM
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I'm looking for a new flash to use both on and off camera with my K5ii.
Principle requirement is quick recycle time and low cost. Pttl isn't necessarily a priority, since it will mainly be used in controlled conditions and I have a sigma 530 DG ST for occasions where pttl is necessary.
So far I'm looking at the yongnuo 560 and the godox v850.
Does anyone have direct experience of either or both of these units, or any suggestions for others I should consider?
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-26-2016, 01:32 PM
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I've got an F 35-70 which I always like the idea of because it's so compact, but it just doesn't quite match up to my style on a crop sensor.
The auto focus speed of the f series is generally excellent though, as they were designed to be acceptable with the first generation SAFOX bodies.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-26-2016, 01:18 AM
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I opened this thread to link to that page, it's a goldmine.
Sadly the mighty Bojidar no longer has time to maintain it so he's looking for someone to take over who can give it the time it requires (I suspect quite a lot!). Anyone feel up to the task?
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-25-2016, 08:31 AM
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if that listing's available, buy it, buy it now before it gets away! that's what I'd do if I didn't already have an FA 50 1.4
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-25-2016, 07:27 AM
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I made a not totally disimilar upgrade to my kit by going Zeiss Flektogon 35mm to DA 35 f/2.4
The Flek is still a lovely lens and now resides in my "manual lenses for fun and no profit" kit, but the DA35 gets all the use on my main DSLR. The convinience of full AF/AE is just too much for any difference in the optics to matter. I have never actually compared to see which is optically better, both are excellent and to tell a difference would require more pixel peeping than I generally do, but my hit rate is deffinitely higher with the DA lens due to better integration with the modern camera
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-25-2016, 03:26 AM
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IIRC there was an optical re-design between the M and A series, and historically Pentax's 1.7/1.8 50s have always been better within their aperture range than the 1.4's
I'd be surprised if the DA 50 1.8 isn't optically better than the M 1.4 in every measurable respect from 1.8 onwards, obviously if you need the extra third of a stop then there's only one choice but if that were the case you wouldn't be asking the question.
Build quality wise the small light plastic primes are as solid as they can be given the materials, unless you're in the habit of being very nasty indeed to your lenses I wouldn't worry about it.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-25-2016, 03:20 AM
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My Dad took a photograph of the front gate of Hampton Court Palace on a K10D. It was distortion corrected and printed at insane size onto the temporary replacement gate while the original was away being renovated.
Don't forget it was an award winning enthusiast/semi-pro camera in it's day, in good light you can get real stunners from a K10.
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Forum: Pentax Price Watch
08-25-2016, 01:26 AM
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I'm guessing about the same time as I bought a 50 f/1.4 brand new for £160, there was a massive jump in Pentax lens prices a few years ago, particularly the primes.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-23-2016, 09:29 AM
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Vivitar never made a single lens, they are all rebadged by various other manufacturers and the results were variable between excellent and mediocre.
As above, if it's cheap, take a punt and wack it on ebay if it's no good
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Forum: Lens Clubs
08-23-2016, 04:04 AM
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pepperberry farm you're looking a little lonely in here! (some really nice pics btw) so I thought I'd add some of my Adaptall equipped shots.
First up and Atlas moth taken with my old K10D and the SP 90mm f/2.5 (52B) with 01F 2x converter
and one without the converter, Dallas Stars vs Vancuver Canucks waaaaaay back in 2007. Pretty heavily cropped this one, I think it was down to ~2MP
---------- Post added 08-23-16 at 04:16 AM ----------
And now a couple with my dearly missed 60B, 300mm f/2.8. I loved that lens but it was just too big and heavy for me to use it often enough to get good with it.
First the day the Red Arrows came to play at my (then) place of work
and then some photons which left their source before mankind left Africa.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-23-2016, 03:09 AM
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I worked for 3 years for a company which supplied digital archiving software to national archives. This impacts my file choices in two ways
1. I use DNG because it is much less likely to become an orphaned format, which should save me hassle in the future.
2. I don't worry too much about my older photos taken in PEF, because I know that truely orphaned file formats with no hope of conversion are incredibly rare unless you're talking about files from a dead system like the BBC micro or Comadore Amiga (where the problem is usually more to do with reading the media than the file itself). Particularly when you're talking about a raw photo format, dcraw is open source and will serve as documentation of the file format if nothing else, chances are if I really had to I could write the decoder myself on some mythical new system which can't run dcraw.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-23-2016, 01:58 AM
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nothing wrong with a stick shift transmission. My wife likes her automatic, but I prefer to have changed down before I stamp on the accelerator.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-22-2016, 09:13 AM
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I am often tempted to say hi to fellow Pentax users when I spot them, but then I remember that all I have to say is "Hi, I see that we both use Pentax cameras, aren't they good?" and always bottle it, for fear that they will think I'm some sort of crazy person.
I have been known to use my Auto110 to gauge the level of staff competance in a camera shop though. The ones who know what it is are worth listening to, the ones who are facinated by it are worth talking to, the ones who dismiss it as a toy I ignore.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-22-2016, 08:30 AM
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At the last two software companies I've worked for there have been a disproportionate number of Pentax users, 2.5 at my current place out of 15 employees (I say 2.5 because one uses Pentax glass on a Sony Mirrorless). I choose to believe that this implies an above average level of inteligence and judgement at the companies I work for.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-22-2016, 08:12 AM
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My standard kit is K5-II with DA 16-45, DA-L 55-300 and DA 35 f/2.4. Relatively low cost with all the quality I need.
Deppending on the situation the 35 f/2.4 may be replaced by an FA 50 f/1.4, or even occasionally a Tamron SP 90 f/2.5 macro if I expect close range small things, but there's always a fast prime in my bag to compensate for the relative slowness of my f4+ zooms.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-22-2016, 02:33 AM
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@shardulm, you know what they say about a poor workman! @danielchtong has demonstrated nicely that there is nothing wrong with the kit in the right hands, great shot!
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-19-2016, 01:25 AM
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Pentax make cars now? I'd totally pay £30,000 for a Pentax Kar-1 with 300BHP......
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-18-2016, 05:48 AM
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I think it was jealous of the entry level models and their snazzy colour schemes
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-18-2016, 01:42 AM
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of course glass isn't "forever". Glass lasts until you can afford/justify something better. Right now I have a DAL 55-300 which does just fine for the ammount I use long tele, I have no plans to replace it but I certainly don't regard it as being "forever". The day I can afford a 60-250 will be the last day the 55-300 is ever mounted on my primary DSLR.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-17-2016, 02:08 AM
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Oxford UK here, since Jessops bought up almost all the independant camera shops and then went bust, I don't have a local camera shop of any kind that I know of, Pentax stockist or no. Unless you count Curries that is, but they make Jessops look like photographers heaven.
When I want a camera shop, I drive to Watford (about 1.5 hours) to SRS Microsystems. They are 100% worth the drive, with a great selection on the shelf and really good knowledgable staff, and very competitive pricing. They may not always beat the internet, but they usually come close enough that I'm willing to pay the difference for the service. They also do lens and body rental on Pentax gear, which is something I'm not aware of anywhere else, and very fair trade in prices on old kit.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-16-2016, 11:42 PM
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I would expect a noticeable difference in AF performance between those two kits, the K3 has more af points which are also more sensitive (at least the centre ones are). It was also designed to be a flagship with a specific focus on putting to bed Pentax's poor reputation for auto focus, while the K50 is a very capable enthusiastic consumer camera, it is just not in the same league.
Also the 18-135 is a very different beast from the 18-55, not just in focal length but it has the dc silent focusing motor which is very quick indeed.
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Forum: Pentax K-1 & K-1 II
08-16-2016, 01:31 AM
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wow, really nice! I've got to have a go with astrotracer one of these days.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
08-16-2016, 01:28 AM
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you could take pictures with them?
I recently put together a kit of lenses I rarely use (mainly fully manual ones) in a bag with my old *istDL2. It now lives under my desk at work with a couple of 1GB memory cards and 2 sets of long shelf life NiMH AAs, and I take it out in lunchtimes if the mood takes me. In decent light it still takes a great photo, it's the person holding it that makes the picture.
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