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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-11-2023, 05:55 PM
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Inquisitive juvenile Grey Shrike-thrush (which is neither shrike nor thrush, but was named for its superficial resemblance to these families). K-S2 + DA 18-135, recently reprocessed with DxO LP5 and Nik Color Efex Pro.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
10-24-2022, 12:49 AM
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Storm approaching Walkerville, Victoria. K-S2 + DA 18-135. I was on the beach when the storm rolled in. No tripod to hand, so I tried for the slowest shutter I thought would be viable hand-held (1/4th sec), took a few shots, then Bingo!
I posted the colour version a while back (DA 18-135 WR, Show us what it can do - Page 37 - PentaxForums.com), but I've recently re-processed in B&W (DxO PL5 and Nik Silver Efex) and I like this better.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
07-28-2022, 10:01 PM
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Corriedale. Korumburra Show, Victoria. K-S2 + DA 18-135
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-08-2022, 01:11 AM
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Just stunning shots Basie. I hope you will post in the Best of 2021 thread (Best Images of 2021 - PentaxForums.com) even though it will be hard for you to choose amongst so many fine shots. Same goes for the other posters here.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-19-2021, 03:00 PM
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Thanks Hans. I re-processed this shot and like the monochrome better. Adam Marelli made the comment that if there isn't some combination of warm and cool colours in an image it's usually better in B&W. Without being too dogmatic about it, that's my rule of thumb now. Beaches usually have some warm colour from the sand or rocks and cool from the sky and water (look at the shot by @nicolpa47 immediately above which has a perfect balance), but this one was rather misty and lacking warm colours. Monochrome works because the shapes and contrast are distinctive.Squeaky Beach is actually an apt name. The sand is made of quartz (it's dazzling white) and it squeaks when you walk on it! Curiously the beaches to the north and south have different sand which is more yellowish and doesn't squeak - but every beach on the Prom is stunningly beautiful in its own way. More of Squeaky here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/179869-da-...ml#post4250742 |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-18-2021, 04:47 PM
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Squeaky Beach, Wilson's Promontory NP, Victoria. K-S2 + DA 18-135
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-14-2021, 04:01 PM
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A pair of Australian King-Parrots - female in front, male at rear. K-S2 + DA 18-135.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
08-03-2021, 05:27 PM
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Morning cloud over Corner Inlet and Wilson's Promontory, Victoria. K-S2 + DA 18-135
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
05-25-2021, 06:04 PM
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It's not bad in that example Richard. You will get worse PF sometimes with leaves/branches against a sky.
Same here, even with HD coatings. But the coatings do help - it would be good if they were added in a refresh of the 18-135.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
04-03-2021, 01:18 AM
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Nice one Stan. US courthouses always show high aspirations for justice ... not always matched by the reality.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-25-2021, 01:19 AM
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Pied Currawong. K-S2 + DA 18-135.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-04-2021, 02:05 PM
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I like all those changes. It's a cleaner image and is beautifully balanced (left and right, top and bottom).
The castle has an interesting story: Schloss Herten - Wikipedia |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-03-2021, 07:17 PM
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I have looked at the image on Flickr, magnified and even after you mention it I still can't see it!
It's such a fine shot I think it is worth it.
For sure.
Maybe, but maybe the light wouldn't have been right, or whatever. Maybe the "perfect" shot would be in the early morning, with the sun on the facade. But perhaps they don't allow visitors in the early morning. Life has an unfortunate habit of impeding photography.
It's surprising to me too how sharp the 18-135 can be (away from the corners particularly). If it's any consolation for missing out on the DA 21, I don't think the Limited would have been sharper. (The difference with the Limiteds is more in the microcontrast, transitions and overall rendering: see HD Pentax DA 21 f3.2 Limited | Reviews | The Northcoast Photographer) The point this underlines to me is how much value there is in taking the time and trouble to shoot on a tripod and use a filter where appropriate.
I would echo what @ehrwien has said, particularly this:
Amen. The skills matter more than the gear. Develop your eye for composition, shoot on a tripod whenever practical, shoot RAW and work on your post-processing. All of this is within the grasp of the amateur photographer. Photography has never been more affordable.
Just to elaborate on something ehrwien said that might not be obvious. The reason for using a Neutral Density (ND) filter on the lens is to reduce the light. It doesn't change anything else (unlike say a polarising filter). When you are using a long exposure (which can be 1/15th second in really bright conditions), even with the ISO at its lowest you risk your image being overexposed. You can narrow the aperture (ie higher f-number) to compensate but after a certain point the resolution from any lens drops away because of diffraction. With the 18-135 this is particularly noticeable after f11. The sweet spot is generally around f8. Say you want a long exposure of a waterfall with that milky-smooth water. That typically means an exposure time somewhere from 0.5 second to 2 second. At 100 ISO and f8 or f11, the image will be overexposed in all but very gloomy conditions. At f16 or f22, the image won't be as sharp, because of diffraction. So you put on a ND filter to reduce the light. They come in different strengths - 3 or 4 stops is about the minimum you want.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-28-2021, 04:55 PM
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Both fine images. The stronger light on the red roof and in the reflection grabs attention in the first one and the "impressionistic" reflection is a counerpoint to the strong lines and shapes of the building. The second is the more classic "mirror" reflection shot, with more even lighting. Both interesting. I like the "framing" of the branches in the second, although personally I would probably crop/clone out the few stray branches at the bottom left of the frame.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-24-2021, 05:13 PM
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Great story Ray. Wonderful that you got to cover it.
People outside Australia probably won't know about Francis Greenway. He was an architect in Bristol, who in 1812 was sentenced to death for forging a financial document. His sentence was commuted to transportation to the colony of New South Wales. While still a convict he was commissioned by Governor Macquarie to design a number of what became Sydney's most iconic buildings. To complete the circle, this forger of a financial instrument ended up immortalised on the $A10 note! Francis Greenway - Wikipedia |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-24-2021, 02:19 PM
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Nice shot Ray. Portraits with the 18-135 are under-represented in this thread.
Bicentennial of what? Poor Lachlan Macquarie being driven out (and into an early grave a few years later) by the forces of darkness (John Macarthur in particular) in 1821? An early example of the power of fake news: Heroine Elizabeth Macquarie dared to defy fake news 200 years ago |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-19-2021, 10:33 PM
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Thanks very much. I might give the reviewing a rest for a while now!
Enjoying this series Matt. It's dramatic and spectacular. It seems far removed not only from our high summer (as now) but even from the depths of our winter!
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-17-2021, 03:43 PM
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No doubt. But I think it is still worth posting fresh reviews. Things change. Many (most?) of us now use 24mp sensors. Cameras have better high-ISO performance (which reduces the disadvantage of slow-aperture lenses). Software has improved and in-camera corrections for distortion and vignetting are more common. Alternative wide-normal WR zooms like the DA 16-85 and the DA 20-40 Limited have become more affordable and available secondhand. Lenses like the DFA 28-105 and DA 55-300 PLM have raised the bar for affordable zooms. There is a wider range of viable options for a compact and versatile kit.
I agree that it has proven to be robust and reliable, although I think in some respects the optical performance is shown up by other more recent zooms.
Thanks. Yours was a good review. We have similar views about the lens.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-17-2021, 02:12 AM
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Thanks very much Uwe.
It surprised me how many of the reviewers expressing the most extreme opinions (for or against) don't support them with any examples. I guess that encapsulates the problems of social media. ;)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
01-17-2021, 01:17 AM
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-23-2020, 05:03 PM
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Which King Harry is it named for Colin? Given its width, maybe Henry VIII? Or perhaps Henry VI, who was out of action for much of his reign. Or Henry VII who stole the franchise he was not entitled to? Or Henry II, who had his troublesome CEO disposed of by his lackeys?
Both poster shots Matt.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-08-2020, 05:20 PM
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Thanks Ray. I do love the Vic high country. Haven't been for some time.
I like your shot of the cottage at Red Cow Farm. As with the cattlemen's huts, people were great improvisers back in the day.
Thank you. We did a lot of trips to the Vic high country in 2000-2002 and most of it hadn't had any major fires for a very long time. Since then there have been repeated major fires, with disastrous consequences. It's been as hard-hit by climate change as anywhere in Oz.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-07-2020, 05:41 PM
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Nice result with short DOF. Didn't need a fast shutter to capture the action either!
From a trip to rugged hill country in Gippsland, Victoria, in 2017. K-S2 + DA 18-135
Stitched panorama from a lookout on the road into the hills. The dominant massif is Mt Wellington (1634m). (There is a rugged 4WD track that goes over the summit - left to right from this view - to the cliffs at the southern end.)
One of the 4WD tracks in the area.
Snow gum on the Howitt plain (about 1500m ASL). These hardy eucalypts can cope with the annual covering of snow,
More snow gums (I think I was using a CPL)
Guy's Hut (built in 1939), on Bryce's Plain. Cattlemen from the stations (ranches) in nearby valleys used to take their cattle to feed on the snow plains in summer. There is a whole Australian folklore about the harsh lives these stockmen led. The huts are masterful buildings. The area is now in a national park and grazing has been stopped to protect this fragile environment. The huts are protected, but a number have been destroyed by bushfires.
Snowgums on Bryce's Plain. (The rye grass was introduced by the cattle.)
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
12-01-2020, 01:05 AM
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Sure, Hans, but they are not inconsistent. If you have the time and inclination to write a review, great. The sample threads are an important PF resource too, so people can look at images and judge for themselves. Popular lenses like the DA 18-135 should be properly represented - sample threads are not just for those chasing one of the 7 surviving copies of a lens produced at a factory in East Germany for 6 months in 1973. ;)
There are active parallel sample threads and lens clubs or lens-specific threads for a number of other popular lenses, like the DA 35, DA 20-40 Ltd, DA 16-85 and DA 55-300 PLM, just to mention a few. See this index: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/130-lens-sample-photo-archive/406974-abo...s-section.html |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
11-30-2020, 02:13 PM
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I understand your concern Kevin, but the samples thread has ceased to be useful as a showcase for images with the 18-135, due to inactivity. This thread serves as a means of showing a lot of good everyday images, as well as the real standouts - it's too big now to serve as a samples thread. There's a place for both, and neither need water down the other. I'm just suggesting some VERY JUDICIOUS cross-posting of carefully selected images to the samples thread. You've got some crackers here!!
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