Forum: Troubleshooting and Beginner Help
11-19-2019, 11:01 PM
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Ok, just FIY, i am traveling towards Denver (flying to Denver and driving to Colorado Springs next day) for Thanksgiving weekend (Wednesday night - Sunday night) and bringing my Pentax 11-18mm F2.8 (I also have O-GPS1, probably will bring as well and some clip-in and screw on astro filters (unfortunately, screw-on one was for different lens).
I did have Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6, Rokinon 10mm F2.8 and Bower 24mm F1.4, but sold them all after buying 11-18, as it covered my needs (wide angle bright AF lens).
I did take some shots with Sigma 50mm F1.4 (I still have it), but I definitely would recommend O-GPS1 or other tracking system for that and to work on stitching later (e.g. this image is combined from 11 shots https://www.astrobin.com/204053/F/?nc=user )
I might also be interested in astroshots locations reasonably close to Colorado Springs /Garden of the Gods, if anyone can recommend some...
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Forum: Pentax KP
07-03-2019, 07:04 AM
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My one of first tries new for me Pentax 100mm WR
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Forum: Pentax KP
06-11-2019, 09:12 AM
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First time trying my new (for me) Tamron 70-200mm F2.8
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
09-18-2018, 01:36 PM
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Unfortunately, I saw them only in photo... so no, I was not able to check. Though in our country spiders are most common in flowers, but cannot guarantee, of course.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
09-18-2018, 12:21 PM
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Even got spider legs :D
Pentax KP + Sigma APO 70-300mm
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Forum: Pentax KP
09-18-2018, 11:00 AM
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My last result... still working on it, but I am more than happy on details. |
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
09-04-2018, 05:12 AM
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Thanks, will try - it is same location, only several years apart. I understand about light pollution, but I don't like how the gradient got more ugly.
Let's hope I will get one more clear or semi-clear night before leaving back to Bortle 8... (initially they said the Thursday night will be clear, no longer, though)
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
09-03-2018, 05:30 AM
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Not sure if to write to Postprocessing or KP forums.
The issue is with ETTR astroshots: I did such shots previously with K-30, and did now with KP. However, the problem is that when I am darkening shots made with KP, the noise and gradient, even with ISO 800 (K-30 files were ISO 1600), becomes terrible and visible with plain eye. Same computer, same colorspace settings, working on RAW's. Maybe KP files are a bit brighter, but I do not think it should cause such gradient issues.
Could it be some kind of insufficient support for KP RAW's, or is this some other issue I am not aware of?
Fast samples: K-30: https://i.imgur.com/HHCYmGT.jpg (don't mind the "before - after", ACR displayed in such way for some reason), and KP https://i.imgur.com/RkYRGit.jpg . Same settings on postprocessing, but KP image has clear gradient, and not a smooth color change. If I try to darken image more, the gradient becomes even more visible. I did a bigger piece of MW on K-30 before as well, and did not notice these issues, only with KP.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
09-02-2018, 06:02 AM
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At least she poses :) mine does not like being a model :)
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Forum: Pentax KP
08-21-2018, 05:23 AM
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It was bulb, so you need to click again to stop. I have remote with me, but did not have enough batteries (only 2 AAA instead of 3 - 2 for remote and 1 for O-GPS1). Still will try with 10mm first.
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Forum: Pentax KP
08-21-2018, 04:56 AM
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I did use the same O-GPS1 on K-30 previously, so for me it is not very difficult. This shot was 1 successful out of 6 or so, but: 1. I had no remote or stand with me, so 1 was moved when clicking the button, 1 way too bright (90+ s on ISO 3200 and F1.4), 2 were too dark (I had aperture ring on F22 before and forgot to turn it back), 1 is overexposed - can be saved down to the visible stars and MW, but no colors Astrometry.net
I have not used O-GPS1 in mountains, though. The forecast shows clear, will try going with Rokinon 10mm F2.8 tonight and remote at least (this one was Bower 24mm F1.4, so needs a panorama for a good shot).
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Forum: Pentax KP
08-21-2018, 04:02 AM
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Finally took several I liked...
First image with O-GPS1 and KP.
Liked a few during the flight |
Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-20-2018, 03:56 AM
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If I remember correctly, the queen bee cannot lay unfertilized eggs after she is mated. Basically, only a new queen bee lays unfertilized eggs, gets males from them, mates with them, and then lays only fertilized eggs from then on. When nest becomes too big, worker bees feeds one larvae different diet, get a new unmated queen and part of the nest flies out with it and some food reserves.
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-09-2018, 09:27 PM
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I am aware of that rule, but that crop does not look good for me in any way... Maybe it's just me.
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Forum: Sold Items
08-09-2018, 04:31 PM
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Got my snap-on cover. So far holds well, will see how it will hold while traveling (but looks like it fixed in quite firmly).
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Forum: Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories
08-09-2018, 04:14 PM
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Unplanned shot... KP+Pentax 18-135WR . I am bad at crops, though - maybe had to crop more? (currently 2823x1944px) |
Forum: Welcomes and Introductions
07-27-2018, 11:10 AM
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Hi from another Dallas :)
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Forum: General Photography
07-23-2018, 08:34 AM
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We will be waiting for samples!
A lot of filters shows what waves do they filter out, but I did not find for this one filter to compare.
For example, Hoya Red Intensifier:
Pure Night:
Astronomik CLS filter:
Not all filters provide transmission data, but if you check, most of them covers the same wavelength (+-). So this is the reason I went with the cheapest one, Hoya Red Intensifier. But it would be interesting to compare the results side by side. Though it is full moon, I might try taking my own sample shots on Wednesday, they forecast a clear evening and night.
Also, there is an Astrophotography group in Pentaxforums :) for like-minded.
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Forum: Lens Clubs
07-20-2018, 04:58 PM
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Nothing too special, pulled out my Autorevuenon MC 135mm F2.8 to remember why I have it - I like it's bokeh, but it is not often used lens in my bag :/
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Forum: General Photography
07-20-2018, 02:34 PM
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I tried DSS, but definitely was not happy with it. It either did not give me good results, or gave me exceptions. There are lots of settings and they are way too difficult for me, as I am strictly hobyist. Also, the problem in this case was vigneting for different frames in panorama (I cannot darken them one by one, as then the final image is different shaded, and vignetting is not removed good when working with ETTR images)
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Forum: General Photography
07-20-2018, 12:49 PM
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Forum: Sold Items
07-20-2018, 12:14 PM
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This looks snap-on. For me different snap-on caps holds reasonably well. I hope it will hold better than current push-in cap.
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Forum: Sold Items
07-20-2018, 12:06 PM
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Thanks for the link, I grabbed it for my XS as well - the default cap constantly falls off.
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Forum: General Photography
07-20-2018, 11:38 AM
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Some time ago I even had a topic with different filters, diameters, prices, reviews - not sure where that topic had gone. Anyway, I found from the same article that Hoya Red Intensifier is one of the cheapest and works almost as well as Pure Night, which quite a bit more expensive. The only negative part - it comes to fixed diameters, so can be used only on matching or close sized lenses. So I bought a specific diameter filter and several rings (up or down). Did not have a chance to try them on normal sky, only on Bortle 8 towards Bortle 9 or so, so cannot comment a lot, but going to Bortle 4 sky where I got reasonably good Milky Way pics, so will see how it will go there. Deciding what lenses to take with me, though...
BTW, Amazon Hoya Red Intensifier comes from Adorama usually, and it is faster to buy from them directly. Would make some better samples, but it says cloudy in my astro weathercast.
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