K-5 Focus Questions

I agree which is why it is useful to carry a depth of field calculator (I have a free Android one I find useful). DOF is worse at wide apertures and very difficult at certain distances, for example a subject at 3 metres say with 300mm is very shallow at any aperture (.032M at F5.6 .045 at F11.) Something at 20 metres (1.004 metres at F5.6) is much easier it seems. Stopping down is of course limited with poor light even wiht the High ISO capabilities we nowadays have.

I'm a bit worried about trying to do this myself...
I believe my FA35 & DA18-55WR are spot on (or at least pretty close to it) but think my other lenses could benefit a bit of AF-fine tuning especially my FA50 which I'm pretty sure was much sharper on the K-x than it is on the K5...
I tried to do it with the AA's at 45%s a while back but got so confused I reset everything back to zero and gave it up as a bad job.
I also thought AF fine tuning was to be done with the lens wide-open... Is f8 the way to go?

Wide open all the way I always thought, surely the narrower depth of field the more back or front focus will show...

Well if there's anyone local to me who knows what they're doing with this stuff that would like to test and fine-tune/calibrate my K5 & lenses I'm happy to pop round and bring them ale...

Sorry, I was responding to the question asking how K5 owners got on. I get on fine and was stating that F8 is my starting point to avoid problems taking telephoto shots (not playing with lens settings).

If owners had major problems then surely they should have used their warranties while they had them unless this is a progressive issue over time.

My mistake Bill, no worries... I don't think I've got any 'major' issues the FA50 is sharp but I don't think it's 'as sharp' as it was on the K-x...

My FA35 is as sharp or sharper on the K5...

I bought my K5 used from SRS so if and still have some waranty left on it - happy that if there was a major problem they'd sort it...

But it does seem that a lot of Pentax users use the AF-adjustment feature... Is this a feature specific to Pentax? As I don't hear about the CaNikon users I know using the feature on/for their cameras/lenses...

It's on other cameras. link

Best regards

"used a test chart, free in Amateur Photographer"

i had this chart but from recollection the instructions were chart at 45 to camera, wide open aperture and 25 or 50 x focal length of lens between chart and lens. which is why i queried the distance. there was also a tutorial on youtube around the same time with what appeared to be the same chart that said just beyond minimum focal distance. then you have ricehigh doing comparison checks with live view. no consistency, probably best to send to JOHNSONS and have body recalibrated

Glad it is, the Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 OS I bought for my 7D a few weeks back needs +10 dialled in to get it sharp.

The cheaper Canon's (60D and below) don't have
any adjustment.

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So the question is: If Canon don't feel they need it, why do Pentax?

The positive point is that this professional feature is available even on lower priced Pentax cameras. It's needed mostly for third party lenses I would imagine. I haven't found a Pentax lens yet that needed adjustment. No doubt I will one day.

I don't see anything negative about something being available though.

It's called selling up.... the same way that basic Fords
don't have things like carpets in the boot and lights over
the rear seats unless you pay another £1,000

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I am sure ut says in the manual that feature is specic for pentax lenses.

Which is kind of worse... You'd think that a camera making company would make their cameras work with their lenses without need for any adjustment...