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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-29-2018, 12:23 AM
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I also have the DVD with "Photography Masterclass" and also the one with retouching. I can't sell them now because he included those lessons in the monthly 14$ subscription. :) I like reading books, but I learn easier watching photographers at work. :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-26-2018, 12:44 PM
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I think I didn't make myself understood. :) A photographer who manage to make a living from photography can be called a real business no matter if:
- he is photographing landscapes, weddings, wildlife, etc.
- he is shooting an Olympus or a Pentax 645z
- he gains 2000$ or 20.000$ each month, as long as those money are helping him to make a good living.
But it's not what I was talking about. I'm talking about photographers who grow their business in a certain way, like Karl Taylor do it. To me (and I repeat, to me) he is a good example of what kind of business I consider to be a real/succesful/inspiring business. :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-25-2018, 01:41 PM
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I don't know if your friend is a photographer or not (if he is, it will be nice if you show us his portfolio so that we can learn something) but I was talking about success in photography, not about business in general.
Having a photography business like the one that Karl Taylor has is in my opinion a good example of a real business (or as I said, a successful one).
You can visit his website in the link from the above comment. Maybe then you will understand something from what I said.
Later edit. If you missed my point, then let me expain:
1. Becoming very good as a photographer helped him to become ambassador for Broncolor and Hasselblad
2. His skills and talent helped him getting big contracts with known and important clients
3. He builded an impressive studio so that he can approach any kind of demands from clients
4. He provided workplaces by hiring people
5. He's providing lots of quality (free and paid) content for photographers with his Youtube channel and with his training website
These things to me are a definition of a successful photographer and in the same time a real business.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
08-25-2018, 01:00 PM
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Karl Taylor in my opinion is one very good example of real business (or a succesful business to be more precise). He has an impressive studio, a medium format camera which he uses because his clients requested him that level of camera for best posible results, Broncolor lights and a team behind him who deals with marketing, clients, etc.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-10-2017, 04:23 AM
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Of course a modern line of lenses is needed for all the DSLR manufacturers, not only for Pentax.
Canon updated the 35mm f1.4L and released 85mm f1.4L with IS. Next year a new 135mm with IS will be released and also the Canon 50mm f1.2L lens (which is 11 years old) will be updated.
After the primes or in between releases, I think some f4 zoom lenses may be comming for Pentax users. Let's just hope that we don't have to wait 5-6 years until we will see those lenses.
Canon 50mm f1.8 STM is sold because on a crop camera the angle of view is 80mm, which is a good focal lenght for moms who want a fast, very cheap and very light lens.
I don't have a 50mm lens because it's an unconfortable focal lenght for me. I like to shoot with 35mm, 85 and 135mm lenses on a full frame. And I use f4 zooms for flexibility and weight.
As Rondec said, the release order is the reason we discuss it and it is a little strange for me the release of the 50mm lens before a wide angle lens given the fact that K1 has a lot of features for a landscape users and an 85mm + an wide lens would have covered weedings, portraits and landscapes in the same time. But, Irix 15mm and Pentax 15-30mm will do it very well until Pentax will release a new wide lens.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-09-2017, 03:38 PM
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Looking at the comments from a few threads, a lot of people seems to want a wide prime lens as an alternative to the 15-30mm lens which is heavy. Given the fact that K1 is a landscape orientated camera, I also expected that the first 2 primes released by Ricoh to be the 85mm lens and a wide lens, wider than 50mm. I'm sure that a wide lens will come sooner or later. It seems that it will come a little later than I and others anticipated. If people think that is pathetic or whatever what I wroted in my previous comment, then I think I'm lucky for not seing those comments. :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-09-2017, 12:35 PM
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I tend to agree with you. I was expecting to see from Ricoh the 85mm and either a 35mm f1.4, either a 20 or a 24mm f1.8 or f2.8. 50mm is a popular focal lenght but not that important because at weedings 24-70mm or 35mm are the most used lenses and an 85mm or 70-200mm f2.8 for close up shots. Maybe a wide lens will be released previous to this 50mm lens or soon after.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-05-2017, 02:04 PM
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Probably it will come a similar lens in Pentax mount. It has to sooner or later... Ricoh created the f2.8 zooms first probably because a lot of people want this kind of lenses. Although I'm not a fan of f2.8 zooms because those lenses are big and heavy, I understand their choice. I use primes when I need an aperture between f1.8 and f2.8 and I use f4 zooms when I want to travel light and have excelent IQ. Pentax 15-30mm f2.8 is one heavy lens (1040g). Canon 16-35mm f4 weights 615g. Even Canon 16-35mm f2.8L III weights 790g, but it's quite expensive (almost 40% more expensive than Pentax 15-30mm, at least in my country).
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-04-2017, 12:49 AM
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I also prefer the renting option instead of buying and return option, but others prefer the other way. Each with his choices. :)
For those who shoots weddings or portraits, this lens may be another reason for Pentax users to stay in Pentax's boat. Pentax FA 77mm f1.8 Limited is very slow and it has a lot of chromatic aberrations, so this new lens is going to be a nice addition for a lot of people, even if it will not be a light lens. Look at the new released Canon 85mm f1.4L IS lens. It weighs 950g. It's a heavy lens, but I will choose it anytime instead of the 70-200mm f2.8L lens because it's still 550g lighter than the zoom lens and because the f1.4 aperture it's better than f2.8 in places not so well lit (a church or a restaurant for example).
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-24-2017, 05:15 AM
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I said that I won't go off topic and I did it again. :( Sorry, I was weak and distracted. :D Back on topic and ignoring Kunzite, the 85mm focal lenght to me it's the most versatile one for portrait photographers. I have also 135mm f2L lens which I love and I had also the 100mm f2 lens, but I need some space to use them if I want a full body shot for example.
I've tested FA77mm and I had the DA70mm (I found it to be better at focusing than FA77mm) which I liked for the weight and optics, but an 85mm f1.4 it's different and I think it's going to be a very nice lens for Pentax users if will be a fast focusing lens, sharp from f1.4, without cromathic aberation and with WR. And looking at the lenses release by Ricoh since K1 came into market, they have the knowledge to make this 85mm lens one that will be a must have for the portrait photographers.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-24-2017, 04:50 AM
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As I said, we live in 2 different worlds and unless you provide facts when you participate to discussions (or at least some pictures to see if you're just a forum guy or a photographer), for me it's not worth the effort in talking to you. Call it personal or whatever, but I'm tired of listening how you are interested in doing things, but only on paper. On paper you wanted an workshop-type meeting, on paper you wanted to come to photograph birds, on paper you are good at doing things. We on the other hand (yes, Pentax shooters also) are actually do the stuff you wrote about here that you want to do. Finding excuses for each thing that you "can't do" for me it's funny, at least. Even with the non existing support of Pentax in Romania and I was still able to test K1 with the new lenses and apreciate the improvements that Ricoh has done. When you really want to do something, fell free to contact me. I'm always open to any kind of idea that involve shooting and socialising at the same time. Until then, let's make a service for everybody and start ignore each other in topics. This will be my last comment to you in PentaxForum until I see that you are actually start to do the things you're talking about.
---------- Post added 11-24-17 at 11:51 AM ----------
So, you say that I have to pay each time:
- 4500$ to buy 3 lenses and see which one is the best for me
or
- 3.000 - 4.000$ for a 5D Mark IV/5DsR, etc. to see if it fits my needs, even if I have the option to return that gear after 4-5 days and get my money back? If I tell this to Pentax users or if I and another 3-4 friends of mine will do this if we want to play with Pentax products again, Pentax dealer will be out of business in 3 weeks. :D
On a serious note, with lenses maybe I can do that, but not with cameras. There is a buying rule that say if you have more than 300 actuations taken with a camera, you can't return it and get all your money back because it can't be sell anymore as new. So, renting for me is the best option.
If there were 3 or 4 Pentax full frame on the market, how would you chose the right one for you? Based on specs and internet reviews? :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-24-2017, 01:23 AM
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You're confusing the meetings. I came to your Pentax meetings for 2 years and it's the same each time. 8-12 people are gathering at the same restaurant and the main preocupation is drinking and eating. The cameras and lenses of the participants are shown on the table and you have the chance to briefly put you hands on that gear. This can't even be called a briefly test of equipment. And I remember that each year I told you that I can help organise some photo meetings by providing:
- one of my large training rooms or even a studio
- a lot of flashes and modifiers
- professional models
- a known photographer who can provide trips and tricks
When I realised that you're not interested in such meetings were we can:
- put to test our lenses and cameras
- photograph and socialise in the same time
- test flashes and triggers
- etc.
I stopped coming to your Pentax meetings.
But since you're so sure about what you talk here, let me ask you something: have you ever went to a Canon or to a Nikon meeting? It's a one day or 2 days meeting with a theme. If we want to shoot wildlife, Canon or Nikon provides tele lenses, from the cheap ones to the big and expensive ones. If the theme of the meeting is city landscape, then Canon or Nikon provide wide angle lenses and fisheye lenses. A full day or 2 full days of shooting in real life conditions is not the same with putting a lens on a camera and take a few shots in a restaurant until the food is coming.
And speaking of F64, have you ever organise a meeting and went to F64 and ask for Canon or Nikon lenses/cameras? I have organised a few this year and F64 was always open to discussions. And have you ever walked into F64 store, showing them your portfolio and ask for a camera or for a lens to test for 1-2-3-5 days and in exchange write a short review with your experience in testing the gear you wanted?
As I said, only if you don't want to test something from Canon or Nikon you can't.
---------- Post added 11-24-17 at 08:25 AM ----------
Let me tell you my gear and see if it makes sense for you my arguments based on the country I live. I shoot with 5D Mark IV and the following lenses:
- Canon 16-35mm f4L IS (light, excelent in terms of optics, good build); it's excelent for landscape, corporate events and large indoor portraits with flash
- Canon 35mm f2 IS (light, very good optically from f2.8, good build); I can do a corporate event or a wedding only with this lens
- Canon 85mm f1.8 (very nice lens for the price)
- Canon 135mm f2L (one of the best portrait lenses, at half the weight of 70-200mm f2.8)
- Canon 70-200mm f4L IS (the most used lens I own, incredible versatile, light, superb in terms of optics)
I was testing 16-35mm f2.8L lens side by side with 16-35mm f4 and 35mm f2 lenses. I was also testing 70-200mm f2.8L IS lens side by side with 70-200mm f4L IS and 135mm f2L lenses.
How much it would have cost me to buy all this gear and return most of the lenses after 4-5 days? Initially I really wanted to buy 16-35mm f2.8L lens and also the 70-200mm f2.8L lens, but after shooting in my normal shooting conditions with all the above lenses, I realised that I don't need the f2.8 lenses at all. I didn't saved money by buying the other lenses. But I have excelent optical lenses now at half the weight. Yes, I've spent 280$ on renting all the lenses from above just to make sure I made the right choice. 2 days of renting a lens costs between 12$ and 30$.
I don't need to buy a fisheye, a macro lens or a wildlife lens because I preffer to rent these lenses on the few occasions that I need them. I had the wildlife lenses this year rented for 30 days for 300$. Assuming that I was shooting with Pentax, the DFA 150-450mm costs 2400$. This means 8 years of shooting with a rent lens. And the benefit of renting is that today I can rent a Sigma 150-600mm, tomorow I can rent a Canon 100-400mm and the day after tomorow I can rent a 300mm f2.8 lens, which is a lens that cost more than 6000$.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-23-2017, 01:34 PM
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Nice try, but I'm not going off topic again by providing facts that you don't have to be a silver or a gold client at a particular store so that you can rent a 5D Mark IV for example or a lot of L lenses. And I'm not even look for the image that I took when I was at a Canon meeting were Canon Romania has brought all the lenses that the participants asked for (I think only the 800mm and the 600mm lenses were missing because they were sent to a wildlife photographer that went on a european tour).
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-23-2017, 07:44 AM
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Now you understand why I don't buy anything unless I test it? :) People overlook the importance of the rental services, but I rather spend 100$ and shoot 3-4 days with a camera in my normal shooting conditions than spend 2000$ and then thinking that I may have made a mistake.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-22-2017, 05:01 PM
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None! Even if Pentax will release tomorow a K3 Mark III with the af at the D500 or 7D Mark II level, there are no lenses (except D-FA 150-450mm) for wildlife. D-FA 150-450mm is more expensive than Nikon 200-500mm and KP is more expensive than D7200. Because of this and because of the lack of any kind of support from our local dealer, there are fewer people that look for Pentax here, in Romania.
Sony and especially Fuji are the brands that people choose when they want to swich from Canon or Nikon. People want a safe investment rather than the best camera between K1 and Canon 6D Mark II, Fuji X-T2, Nikon D750, etc.
I don't know how many Pentax users own also a mirrorless camera, but more and more Canon and Nikon shooters added a mirrorless camera in their backpack. I see a lot of Sony A6500, Fuji X-Pro 2, E-M10 next to a big camera from Canon or Nikon.
Canon and Nikon seems to know this and that's why rumors say that we will be seing a full frame mirrorless from Canon and Nikon in 2018.
So, if you ask me, mirrorless cameras may hurt Pentax sales in the next 2-4 years rather than the lack of a fast af-c on the next Pentax flagship cameras. We will see... At least Pentax give us some signs with these 2 new lenses that they are trying to do something to make Pentax system more apealing.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-22-2017, 07:35 AM
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Normhead, the Pentax af-s it's a totaly different story than the Pentax af-c. For stationary birds or animals there is no point in using af-c as long as you don't want to catch the bird in flight or at least when it takes off. From what you describe, you often use long shutter speed in order to keep ISO as low as posible so my understanding from this is that catching the bird in flight is not a priority for you. Please correct me if I'm wrong. In this situation, your technique is more than adequate.
For the below image I used af-s because I wasn't interested in catching the bird in flight because the bird was already on the shade and the ISO was already at 1600 with a 600mm lens and a shutter speed of 1/320s. The keeper rate for this kind of subjects has to be high because there is no action involved, other than the movement of the bird head.
You have to agree that for action shots like these 2 images from below, af-s may not be the best option due to the small DOF area and due to the bird's super fast flight. I'm not saying that this kind of images can't be taken with Pentax (far by me this thought), but you have to work a little harder to get them, even with the newest lenses like 150-450mm. Sometimes you don't have the luxury to reshot a particular bird in that day and an interesting moment may be lost because the af-c hesitate or gets distracted by the background/foreground.
Anyway:
- a good technique
- the photographer's ability to keep the bird in the frame with long lenses
- a fast focus lens
can increase quite a lot the keeper rate with Pentax cameras.
As for the D-FA 85mm lens, it was about time for such a lens to come. :D Portrait or wedding photographers must be very happy. I know I would have bought it as soon as it became available. :) I hope I will have a chance to play with it if some of my friends with K1 will buy it.
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