new lens

Same again but with less noise reduction:

[IMG]http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr298/lime501/Tests/IMGP0934-1.jpg[/IMG]

I use the sharpening in another layer with the layer mode in luminosity, I do that with all the filters and sometimes I use different layer mode so you can keep on editing and tweaking till your done. I do mostly first the clean up though before I do anything else, except CA that get's removed in the end.

Yea a e-book about photoshoping would be great since it gets more and more important

Great editing Pete, you've put much more time in it then just my click on a button
could you please crop it at 100% zoom for me of the head with some of his right wing?

100%

[IMG]http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr298/lime501/Tests/IMGP0934-2.jpg[/IMG]

It's only one of an almost infinite number of sharpening results possible with Silkypix. It's hard to know what's best.

Would have been better if the original was RAW.

Outline emphasis: 9
Detail emphasis: 65
False outline control: 50
USM: 420/0.2/2 (I wouldn't normally use a setting like this, but it seemed to do the trick with this image)

I'll post another one of my Silkypix efforts while I'm here. This is going way topic because it's from a 50mm lens and heavily cropped and through my dirty kitchen window!:

[IMG]http://i493.photobucket.com/albums/rr298/lime501/IMGP9358-2.jpg[/IMG]

1/4000 iso100 f2.5.

Again deliberately kept a little soft rather than over-sharpened.

Great looking at differences in sharpening and learning the effects. I thoroughly enjoy reading the exchange of ideas and wisdom between you all more experienced ones and little lights are starting to light up in my brains and I am starting to understand them slowly.

Talking about kitchen windows Pete, I have been wanting to ask this, although its slightly off topic. Up to what extent detrimental effect does an image have, taken through a glass door or window? Anyone with experience care to comment on this? Taking for granted of course that the glass is as clean as possible of dirty spots. The reason I ask this is because I would love to take more shots of wildlife that proliferate my back garden Something to look forward to sitting down by my patio door and capturing a few images.

What I do know is that depending upon the angle of the sun (when it decides to make its prestigious appearence with this climate ) sometimes the glare does destroy some of the images. I tried a few times but I decided not to persist thinking that its a no go area, but now seeing what pete posted and that he managed to capture that image through the kitchen window perhaps I should persist and see what I get. At least would have more oportunities rather than tucking myself and going into the backyard and spending sometime there in the cold. Much more apetising with a cup of tea indoors by the patio door, which is a wide one facing directly a long deep garden that I am lucky to have with quite a few trees. Lots of squirrers also around so here I go

Amin

iceblinker: the picture is awesome!

Shooting through perfectly clean clear glass should have no detrimental affect when there is no glare. Small spots of dirt on the glass slightly reduces sharpness; greasy smears more so.

A polarising filter sometimes helps with reflections and glare.

Cheers. I didn't realise how awesome these ordinary birds (starlings) were until I froze them at 1/4000th of a second!

hi, decided on the pentax 55-300mm lens, i think the very helpful link that prieni gave to me, to pentax gallery of photos taken with this lens swung it for me. got it today. tried it out a bit this afternoon and delighted with the results so far. thanks for all your helpful replies. great to have such friendly and helpful people to ask.

jacqui,

I am sure you will be happy with the purchase. Now let's see some pictures with it and we can all see how great the lens is .

Amin

hi amin, as soon as i have a chance to get out and get a few decent pics i will post them. really happy with this lens.

Thank you very much for the 100% Pete!
I would wanted to play a bit myself to see how close I could get to yours didn't found the time though but the funny tihng is you use more sharpening them me I was "only" at the 200% so need to play around a bit to see how you got the halos so small

Amin, it would be helpfull for me if you could upload some photos taken at the long end.
If I would get one I would use it there most of the time.

Try not to shoot at an angle through the glass, as the glass in windows is nothing like the optical quality of lens glass. Shooting at say 45 degrees will almost certainly introduce some distortion to the image.

I've always noticed a lack of contrast in shots taken through the window, but this can be rectified to a large extent on the computer afterwards.

If you can avoid shooting through glass, you're better off. Just open the window or patio door enough to get your lens through, the birds will soon get used to it.

Dan

Thanks for all the advice regarding shooting through the glass. I am going to have a go at it now.

Stefan

I have a few shots taken yesterday at the long end. Some are embarrassingly horrid, looking through my perspective as a very inexperienced chap in the field, but some do seem you might get something out of it. Thinking of the best way to pass them to you... let me just scoop them first into my server and then will decide on the best way for you to get them and the you wearing your patience over them . But I definitely am interested to see the end result. This is like having a benevolent tutor guiding me, cool .

Amin

One thing to think about when using the 300mm end of the lens is that it is very hard to hand hold at that focal length --- not impossible especially with SR but certainly difficult --- whatever the shutter speed. If at all possible, use some support, tripod, monopod, bean bag, whatever you can lay your hands on. Actually, a shoe comes in very handy for low level shots. Also, use a remote control. I prefer a cable release but usually use the IR one as it is stored in my grip.

Best wishes, Kris.