All Forum Comments
Comment by Anvh posted on Decisions decisions...LBA at 26/02/2010 - 10:25
Okay that's quite something. ^^
For beginners the best flash for the money is the Metz48, it has almost all the feature you need or want from a flash.
It has a swivel head, wireless mode, powerful and it has a useful manual mode
The only obvious drawbacks are that it can not give commands to other flash when working in wireless mode and that it doesn't have "auto" flash.
Auto flash is an automatic flash mode that use a light sensor in the flash to calculate how much light you need, it has P-TTL though and will therefore work fully automatic by using the sensors in the camera but P-TTL can not be use with older lenses.
besides that, there is also the Pentax AF360FGZ but that one is missing the swivel head so that can limit you.
The Sigma standard, is the more powerful flash but it lacks a decent manual mode and wireless feature so basicly it can only be used on the camera in P-TTL mode.
That's more then enough for most users but if you want to be creative then I can't recommend it.
The more expensive models have all the features and also the auto mode the cheaper ones lack so they will not limit you in anyway for the couple of years, but they are pricey...
Was this helpful?
If you know a bit about flash terminology you might find your answers here.
link
For beginners the best flash for the money is the Metz48, it has almost all the feature you need or want from a flash.
It has a swivel head, wireless mode, powerful and it has a useful manual mode
The only obvious drawbacks are that it can not give commands to other flash when working in wireless mode and that it doesn't have "auto" flash.
Auto flash is an automatic flash mode that use a light sensor in the flash to calculate how much light you need, it has P-TTL though and will therefore work fully automatic by using the sensors in the camera but P-TTL can not be use with older lenses.
besides that, there is also the Pentax AF360FGZ but that one is missing the swivel head so that can limit you.
The Sigma standard, is the more powerful flash but it lacks a decent manual mode and wireless feature so basicly it can only be used on the camera in P-TTL mode.
That's more then enough for most users but if you want to be creative then I can't recommend it.
The more expensive models have all the features and also the auto mode the cheaper ones lack so they will not limit you in anyway for the couple of years, but they are pricey...
Was this helpful?
If you know a bit about flash terminology you might find your answers here.
link
Comment by Anvh posted on which flash? at 26/02/2010 - 10:22
Hello Emma, glad you're getting more into photography, flash will complicate things even more though but it's fun.
There are already a lot of topics about which flash to get so what do you want to do with your flash and what's your budget?
There are already a lot of topics about which flash to get so what do you want to do with your flash and what's your budget?
Comment by Anvh posted on which flash? at 26/02/2010 - 10:07
MrCynical wrote:
DA*:
Sharper and better contrast wide open
Quick Shift (ie you can still use the focus ring in AF mode)
Designed specifically as a 'portrait lens' (the typical use of a 50 on digital) - so more aperture blades for better bokeh for example
Weather sealed (I think)
FA:
Cheaper
Lighter?
Doesn't rely on Pentax's (dodgy) SDM motor for focusing
Can be used on film cameras (if you have one ofc)
Presumably less vignetting at larger apertures since it's a film/FF lens
Another option, if you're feeling lucky, is the Sigma 50. It is cheaper than both the FA and DA* (the former could be had for £300 at SRS until recently, but they're gone) and has much better sharpness/contrast wide open than the FA (it is also designed as a wide-open portrait lens like the DA*). However there are two major caveats to this: the first is that it's (relatively) quite heavy at about 500g, the second is that it is notorious for front/back-focusing.
Now the first problem is down to your opinion: do you want to have a prime that can be pocketed or taken around in a small bag, without weighing you down, or do you want better wide-open quality in a less-portable package?
The second is a flaw rather than a mere downside, and has not been 'fixed in later batches' as reported in some places (I bought one from SRS in January which suffered badly). The solution to this is to buy from a dealer which pays for return postage on faulty items (IIRC both SRS and Park do this - though best to email them before ordering to confirm).
You almost got it perfect DA*:
Sharper and better contrast wide open
Quick Shift (ie you can still use the focus ring in AF mode)
Designed specifically as a 'portrait lens' (the typical use of a 50 on digital) - so more aperture blades for better bokeh for example
Weather sealed (I think)
FA:
Cheaper
Lighter?
Doesn't rely on Pentax's (dodgy) SDM motor for focusing
Can be used on film cameras (if you have one ofc)
Presumably less vignetting at larger apertures since it's a film/FF lens
Another option, if you're feeling lucky, is the Sigma 50. It is cheaper than both the FA and DA* (the former could be had for £300 at SRS until recently, but they're gone) and has much better sharpness/contrast wide open than the FA (it is also designed as a wide-open portrait lens like the DA*). However there are two major caveats to this: the first is that it's (relatively) quite heavy at about 500g, the second is that it is notorious for front/back-focusing.
Now the first problem is down to your opinion: do you want to have a prime that can be pocketed or taken around in a small bag, without weighing you down, or do you want better wide-open quality in a less-portable package?
The second is a flaw rather than a mere downside, and has not been 'fixed in later batches' as reported in some places (I bought one from SRS in January which suffered badly). The solution to this is to buy from a dealer which pays for return postage on faulty items (IIRC both SRS and Park do this - though best to email them before ordering to confirm).
The DA*55 also has a bigger "view" then APS-C it will work on film as well.
Also the Number of blades has indeed something to do with Bokeh but it's only 10% of the whole story the optics of the lens are far more important with rendering a good bokeh.
From all the lenses the Sigma is the sharpest wide open but at f/2 all the lenses preforms equal.
The FA is softer in the corners then the DA* and Sigma and at later apertures, around f/5.6 the DA* is also more constant across the frame where the sigma peaks more in the centre with the sharpness and the corner are then softer as well.
I don't know how the speed is with AF with all the lenses.
Basicly if you want to use the lens wide open and want sharpness there Sigma is the choice.
For overall preformance the DA* is the better lens.
On a budget the FA50 is of course super as well and can play with the big boys.
Btw DPreview have all the 3 the lenses reviewed http://www.dpreview.com/
Comment by Anvh posted on 50mm vs 55mm DA at 26/02/2010 - 09:25
Well you could make multiple accounts so that you can still buy more then one every 3 months.
Comment by Anvh posted on Missed a lens in the classifieds? at 25/02/2010 - 21:41
TOZZA27 wrote:
Who knows ???????
I clicked on "shop" at the top of the page and then "classifieds" - put in the description,price etc and clicked upload photo - said I would get 1 photo for a £1 ( which I was in credit for ).No photo,and never had a nibble all month.
Didn't even know they had that and that after 4,533 posts Who knows ???????
I clicked on "shop" at the top of the page and then "classifieds" - put in the description,price etc and clicked upload photo - said I would get 1 photo for a £1 ( which I was in credit for ).No photo,and never had a nibble all month.
Comment by Anvh posted on how to attach photos at 25/02/2010 - 21:06
MarkD wrote:
To see if it recognises the drives plug them in and boot up with the original 80G system disk. Go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools,Computer Management,Storage, Disk Management, and see if they come up there.
It is probably because they are unformatted.
Hopefully they will show up in the disk management menu and you should be able to select them and format them. I can't remember off the top of my head but you may have to select them and thr right click menu has some obscure command like "make partition active" before you can format it.
Once formatted you should be ok.
Good luck
Was thinking about that so thank you for writing it down, save me the trouble ^^To see if it recognises the drives plug them in and boot up with the original 80G system disk. Go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools,Computer Management,Storage, Disk Management, and see if they come up there.
It is probably because they are unformatted.
Hopefully they will show up in the disk management menu and you should be able to select them and format them. I can't remember off the top of my head but you may have to select them and thr right click menu has some obscure command like "make partition active" before you can format it.
Once formatted you should be ok.
Good luck
Comment by Anvh posted on Why did I buy a PC!!?? at 25/02/2010 - 20:54
I bought Silvershotz again and they have dates for all the exhibitions and such in it so I will shamefully copy just the data.
Spirits of Age - Birmingham
May 29th & 30th, 2010
Contemporary group event by the Royal Photography Society.
www.rpscontemporay.org
Toronto Photography Festival
May, 2010
teaser: Marshall McLuhan described photographs as "dreams that money can buy" which could be "hugged and thumbed more easily than a public prostitute"
www.contactphoto.com
TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) - Maastricht
12-21 March, 2010
Wide range of works on paper from all over the world, from any time and from any type of art.
www.tefaf.com
2010 Arena Senimar - Bournemouth UK
12-14 March, 2010
Event where like-minded phoyographers discuss and enjoy their art from some of the best practitioners.
www.arenaphotographers.com
The City Of Freemantle Festival Of Photographers - West Australia
20 March - 18 April, 2010
Fotofreo is a month long celebration of photography showcasing the work of internationally renowned and emerging photographers.
www.fotofreo.com
Grace Jones And Chris Levine - London
18 March - 1 April, 2010
Chris Levine is a unique artist with a rare sensibility for the use of light. Renowned for his historic 3D and still images of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, he has now gone on to create a series of stunning 3D portraits of legend Grace Jones.
http://www.chrislevine.com/wd/?page_id=252
-For collectors-
25 - 27 March the world's largest collection of original vintage glamour photography is made available via an on-line auction.
www.profilesinhistory.com or www.liveauctioneers.com
ps. do anyone find this helpful or shouldn't I waste the time on it?
Spirits of Age - Birmingham
May 29th & 30th, 2010
Contemporary group event by the Royal Photography Society.
www.rpscontemporay.org
Toronto Photography Festival
May, 2010
teaser: Marshall McLuhan described photographs as "dreams that money can buy" which could be "hugged and thumbed more easily than a public prostitute"
www.contactphoto.com
TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation) - Maastricht
12-21 March, 2010
Wide range of works on paper from all over the world, from any time and from any type of art.
www.tefaf.com
2010 Arena Senimar - Bournemouth UK
12-14 March, 2010
Event where like-minded phoyographers discuss and enjoy their art from some of the best practitioners.
www.arenaphotographers.com
The City Of Freemantle Festival Of Photographers - West Australia
20 March - 18 April, 2010
Fotofreo is a month long celebration of photography showcasing the work of internationally renowned and emerging photographers.
www.fotofreo.com
Grace Jones And Chris Levine - London
18 March - 1 April, 2010
Chris Levine is a unique artist with a rare sensibility for the use of light. Renowned for his historic 3D and still images of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, he has now gone on to create a series of stunning 3D portraits of legend Grace Jones.
http://www.chrislevine.com/wd/?page_id=252
-For collectors-
25 - 27 March the world's largest collection of original vintage glamour photography is made available via an on-line auction.
www.profilesinhistory.com or www.liveauctioneers.com
ps. do anyone find this helpful or shouldn't I waste the time on it?
Comment by Anvh posted on What to do the upcomming months. at 25/02/2010 - 17:16
Mike-P wrote:
Yeah indeed Anvh wrote:
Indeed the silver ones are better, it makes girls look slimmer
Same as the 80-320mm? Indeed the silver ones are better, it makes girls look slimmer
Too bad it isn't the case with the DA*50-135 because that's a fine range for portrait photography
Seems I need to get some FA* lenses for the girls
Comment by Anvh posted on Decisions decisions...LBA at 25/02/2010 - 16:09
Adqam wrote:
The DA70 is the one to get if you are thinking with your head, the FA77 (in silver) is the one to get if you are thinking with your heart.
I agree with that, my money will probably go to one instead of a 85mm f/1.4 I was looking at.The DA70 is the one to get if you are thinking with your head, the FA77 (in silver) is the one to get if you are thinking with your heart.
Indeed the silver ones are better, it makes girls look slimmer
Comment by Anvh posted on Decisions decisions...LBA at 25/02/2010 - 16:00
Of course if you bought the DA 70mm you would have enough left for something like a FA 50mm f1.4 as well