Hooray, sunshine!

Finally got to take my K10D outdoors into the sun, managed a few shots before it clouded over again.
Posted the following test image to compare adjusted and straight from the camera images, let me know what you think.
Image cropped to 1/8th original, taken at ISO400 1/250th f6.7, at 500mm on Bigma, SR on and supported on a monopod (in high winds)
First image is straight from the camera;

http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/?action=view&current=IMGP0225a.jpg

Second image adjusted in photoshop, saturation ,contrast and brightness adjust by +5 each, unsharp mask applied at 75%, pixel radius 2, threshold 2.
http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j168/impotentspider/?action=view&current=IMGP0225b.jpg

I wonder how much this level of adjustment compares with the level of adjustment applied to images "in camera" in Canons. any ideas?

QUick edit....PS. both images will enlarge further if clicked on

I think you would get appreciably better results shooting RAW and developing in Silkypix.

I find that I have no need for image editting programs after using Silkypix, but then I am a believer in photography rather than image manipulation.

G

nice shot there Spider, it was nice to get the K10Ds out in some half decent lighting today wasnt it?

looks like your Bigma is performing nicely, I'm still tempted by one of those when my finances have recovered from the K10D (so about this time next year!)

George:
Am still toying with the idea of RAW, never got round to it on the D so Its going to a steep learning curve, and I want to concentrate on producing some decent pics with the K10D first, plus I went way over budget so am stuck with the 2gig SD card for a while. Give it a few months and I'll be asking questions about RAW by the dozen.

Mongoose: maybe you'll get lucky and save up in time for the release an IF Bigma, maybe even with power zoom! who knows?

Indeed, I'm holding out for them to put HSM into the Sigma Pentax mount lenses, I figure a lens that size could probably use it. Have you tried hand holding it with the SR on yet?

on the subject of RAW you could always use the RAW+ mode so you get both on small shoots where space is less of an issue. Sort of ease yourself in gently. Since I started using RAW I've never looked back, I really can't imagine how I coped without it now!

My approach is to use RAW wherever possible, but when it's not practicable (like travelling without a laptop) I revert to JPEG.

Silkypix is so good at tweaking RAW pictures to get the best out of them that I find it is faster to edit RAW pictures than JPEGs, and the quality difference is palpable.

2GB cards store over 100 RAW files, so it's not a major limitation if you are just out for the day.

G

Have you seen the size or handled this beast?

Actually I'm probably exagerating, but I do have problems with arthritis so its a beast to me! I cant see me ever handholding this lens, its just too heavy.
As for shooting RAW+jpeg, I have tried the mode (just to see what the files were like for size) and unless I'm only going out to take a few snaps I will be limited for space on the 2gig card, I dont really want to get involved with RAW only to discover I dont have enough room on the card when I'm far from home, OK another 2gig SD card would only cost me another £35 but I really need a rock steady tripod first, the card will have to wait, I would sooner spend £35 more on a tripod than compromise.

Might price up the cards and then compare prices in Dixons duty free next time we go away....assuming we fly from Manchester.


QUick Edit, sorry George you beat me to the post, is the 100 files just RAW or is that RAW+jpeg?

today I took 122 shots and the RAW PEF files total 1.22GB, so if I had been shooting RAW+ I imagine I could have taken a few more and stayed inside 2GB. It would have been more of a problem if I'd been shooting DNG files as those aren't compressed.

I have 2 1GB cards so I'm in a similar situation to you storage wise.

In typical Pentax fashion the frame counter underestimates their compression algorithm and says you only get 61 PEF's on a 1GB card. It's actually more like 100, or at least mid 90s.