Magic Latern Guide - Pentax K20D Book

hoshisato
Posted 01/11/2008 - 09:13 Link
Did anybody have any experience with the Magic Lantern Guide for their camera? With my K20D I start to feel the need the read up a little on the camera and the manual is good at explaining how to switch on and off a feature, but not very good at describing what the feature actually does with some clear examples. Would the Magic Lantern Guide - Pentax K20D Book cover that better?
Cameras: Pentax 67II / 645NII / K20D / MZ-S / MZ-3 / ME
Gallery: Hans ter Horst Photography
Edited by hoshisato: 01/11/2008 - 09:13
johnriley
Posted 01/11/2008 - 09:19 Link
The Magic Lantern guides are pretty much expanded instruction books so the step you want to make is not really there.

I think you need to be inspired with photography, not the camera, to see what you can achieve with it. Understanding how the camera works is necessary, but only to give you the tools you need to become a photographer.

I would suggest the following, in no particular order: Take a trip out with a more experienced photographer and do a day's shooting and learning, join a Photographic Society, buy magazines and look at the images (all magazines not just photographic ones), browse a good bookshop or Amazon and buy some books on the areas of photography that interest you (landscape, portrait, etc.)

The try everything for yourself.
Best regards, John
Hyram
Posted 01/11/2008 - 11:44 Link
I found the Magic Lantern Guide for my K10D a useful addition to the manual.
Hyram

Bodies: K20D (2), K10D, Super A, ME Super, Auto 110 SLR, X70, Optio P70
Pentax Glass: DA* 300, DA* 60-250, DA* 50-135, DA* 16-50, DA 70 Ltd, FA 31 Ltd, DA 35 Ltd, DA 18-55 (2), DA 12-24, DA 10-17, M 200, A 35-70, M 40, M 28, Converter-A 2X-S, 1.4X-S, AF 1.7, Pentax-110 50, Pentax-110 24
Other Glass: Sigma 105 macro, Sigma-A APO 75-300
Flash: Metz 58 AF-1 P, Pentax AF160FC ringflash, Pentax AF280T
hoshisato
Posted 01/11/2008 - 19:17 Link
Thanks John and Hyram for your replies. The discussions about the D-Range and the Catch-in Focus mode functionality made me wonder if there was a book covering these K20D and Pentax specific features in more detail than the manual does. I'm comfortable with the "standard" options of a camera, having started on a Pentax ME way back and having used a *ist DS for a couple of years now.
Cameras: Pentax 67II / 645NII / K20D / MZ-S / MZ-3 / ME
Gallery: Hans ter Horst Photography
terje-l
Posted 01/11/2008 - 22:22 Link
Like Hyram, I find the Magic Lantern manuals valuable additions to the user's manual. They may appear somewhat old fashioned, being all in b/w. But the price is reasonable...
Best regards
Terry

K20D, Optio I10, DA 18-55 1:3.5-5.6 AL II, A 1:1.7/50, D FA 1:2.8/100 Macro, Sigma 70-300 1:4-5.6 APO DG Macro, Pentax AF 360FGZ
Hyram
Posted 02/11/2008 - 08:32 Link
terje-l wrote:
But the price is reasonable...
Especially when bought from Amazon.

£9.74 for the K20D version.
Hyram

Bodies: K20D (2), K10D, Super A, ME Super, Auto 110 SLR, X70, Optio P70
Pentax Glass: DA* 300, DA* 60-250, DA* 50-135, DA* 16-50, DA 70 Ltd, FA 31 Ltd, DA 35 Ltd, DA 18-55 (2), DA 12-24, DA 10-17, M 200, A 35-70, M 40, M 28, Converter-A 2X-S, 1.4X-S, AF 1.7, Pentax-110 50, Pentax-110 24
Other Glass: Sigma 105 macro, Sigma-A APO 75-300
Flash: Metz 58 AF-1 P, Pentax AF160FC ringflash, Pentax AF280T
Clarky
Posted 02/11/2008 - 08:57 Link
The book I found very user friendly and informative is
" Pentax K20D. everything you need to know and them some" By Yvon Bourque

Its around the same price as the Magic Lantern Guide and is also available in an E-Book for a few quid.
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
Gwyn
Posted 02/11/2008 - 09:53 Link
That sounds interesting Clarky. I'll Google it in a bit, unless you have the link handy?
Clarky
Posted 02/11/2008 - 10:07 Link
Here you go Gwyn

link
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
Clarky
Posted 02/11/2008 - 10:13 Link
Sorry Gwyn I posted the wrong link. The one above is to Yvon's forum he participates in.

This is the correct link

link
Camera:|K-7|
Pentax Lenses:|DA12-24/f4 ED AL|DA35Ltd Macro|FA31Ltd|FA77Ltd|FA50/1.4|F70-210|FA20-35 f4/AL|A*200/f4 Macro ED|A50/1.7|A50 Macro f2.8|1.7xAF adapter|
Voigtlander|125/f2.5SL Macro APO Lanthar|
Sigma Lenses:|EX DG 100-300 f4|2X & 1.4X TC|
Flashes:|AF540FGZx2|RingFlash AF160FC|
Gwyn
Posted 02/11/2008 - 10:25 Link
Thankyou!
hoshisato
Posted 04/11/2008 - 18:32 Link
Thanks Clarky, the free download seems interesting and the price in unbeatable, of course.
Cameras: Pentax 67II / 645NII / K20D / MZ-S / MZ-3 / ME
Gallery: Hans ter Horst Photography

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