Okay a simple test
Tell me which one you find better.

You want a macro so










if you find the bottom images the best then you like the effect of a polarizer so you probable use it frequently maybe even almost always just like me.
so do you think it's handy to have a Cokin system on your lens all the time or a screw-in?

Full auto is really the mode what you say, to be on the safe side.
The only problem is that you don't know what the camera is doing so if somethings go wrong you won't be able to tell what only that the camera did something stupid.

the sunny sixteen is... i don't know not really a rule. you can make perfect photos against the sun but you need to know what to do.
and the third isn't the only composition rule there is. You can guide eyes for example over your photo with lines and light... to make a good photo is very hard and not just a click.

I know that most of the noise is made by the blue pixels so if you can filter those out that might save quite a lot in the noise.

you can only select the blue layer in photoshop and blur it a lot or remove it... don't know what effect it would have on the photo.

Don't forget to join the PU club http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18498760282

... to be honest I can't follow your reasoning.

Those are both taken with digital right?

digital sensor capture only! red green and blue light.
This a good example how an sensor sees the world.





So if you're using a colour filter infront of the lens, you will reduce the effectiveness of the pixel. Orange light is mostly red and a bit of green so no blue. so your resolution drops with 1/4th because you can't use the blue pixel and probable also that amount with green, you're basicly working with half the resolution.... does that make sense :

I've the rule to never use a colour filter because of that and do all colour conversion on the PC and would like to know that's a good idea.

Max, really don't look too much into those graphs everything above 2050 is pixel peeping so everything above 1750 is simply very good, 1450 is very acceptable.

Almost every Pentax lens tops at f/8 but is excellent stopped down till f/16. The Pentax primes and *star lenses mostly tops out at f/5.6
I don't know what it is with Sigma or Tamron but really stopdown till f/16 is very usable and if you really need sharpness get in between 5.6 and f/8 that's all you need to remember for every lens.

Yes f/16 is the limit after that it can drop pretty low, sharpness wise.
Also wide open the lens isn't good so stop it down if you can.
So the 50 f/1.7 isn't the best to use wide open, you probable have the most aberrations, lack of sharpness and vignetting. With f/2 and certainly f/2.8 it's probable a finer lens.

Most modern review you have an MTF chart.
Photozone.de do a lot of lab test but don't pay too much attention to them, sharpness is only a part what makes a good lens.

Sometimes Photozone doesn't have the lens test on the pentax but you can look at the other brands on how they preform... but it's only n indication since lenses can preform differently depending on the camera as well. Also these test are done under controlled condition so in real life they can preform better or worse.

DA 12-24
Sigma 17-70
DA 55-300

They also have tested the DFA100mm and the Tamron 90mm macro
DFA100mm macro
Tamron 90mm macro
When they don't have the lens with Pentax look under Nikon, I believe thats the closest to Pentax.
Sigma 105mm macro - Nikon

Wow awesome
Congratz

You can see the sharpness as a hill, it improves steeply at the beginning and levels off mostly around f/8 to f/16 and goes down again, just Like John said.

Here is a little read about the older Pentax lenses link
He says:
For the vast majority of lenses, the peak of centre resolution is at f/8. For a few it is f/5.6, and even fewer f/11. However, corner resolution usually peaks one stop smaller. This is because corner resolution benefits from increased depth of field. Part of the reason why corner resolution is lower is because the field of focus of a lens is actually a curve, whereas the test pattern is a flat surface. Hence, if the tester sets the focus for the centre, the corners will be slightly out of focus.

I don't have a nifty fifty but most appear to peak at f/5.6 till f/8

Same here but I'm using Opera 10 and also not really windows XP... they never get my version right

When is the Samsung Hybrid coming btw?

Also Samsung new phone here.


12-megapixelcamera with 3x optical zoom.
It looks like a decent camera...