All Forum Comments
Comment by isdky posted on Another Teleconverter question... at 10/05/2009 - 21:38
I came from a Nikon D80 setup to a K10D then onto the GX20 - switched from Nikon due to the Nikon getting every so slightly wet in a brief shower which stopped half the buttons on the back from working!!
After looking at the Canon 400D that felt like a kids plastic toy that would squirt water out the front rather than take images, I settled on the K10D - I got the GX20 as I got a really good deal on it at the time.
My very first DSLR was an Olympus e500 which produced fantastic images, but gave me tunnel vision! lol!
After looking at the Canon 400D that felt like a kids plastic toy that would squirt water out the front rather than take images, I settled on the K10D - I got the GX20 as I got a really good deal on it at the time.
My very first DSLR was an Olympus e500 which produced fantastic images, but gave me tunnel vision! lol!
Comment by isdky posted on Why did you choose Pentax? at 06/05/2009 - 22:15
Quote:
I also liked that it looked kind of dreary and overcast, so decided to keep that sort of aspect.
Oh yes... extremely dreary - had been heavily raining for the best part of the day and there was still a bit of drizzle when I took the shot!I also liked that it looked kind of dreary and overcast, so decided to keep that sort of aspect.
Comment by isdky posted on RAW Challenge #2 at 06/05/2009 - 22:09
Quote:
That was the question I was posing, because I don't see much evidence that the RAW aspect actually adds anything to this.
If you compare the original jpg preview of the RAW (ie straight from the camera) to the edited RAWs from iceblinker and Mike-P you can see exactly what RAW adds to this, there is no way you could pull those details and colours from the shadows out of a straight JPG as that is the data that is discarded by JPG processing to reduce file size.That was the question I was posing, because I don't see much evidence that the RAW aspect actually adds anything to this.
If anything, these types of 'RAW' challenges will help to enlighten people to the absolute advantages to shooting RAW over JPG.
Comment by isdky posted on RAW Challenge #2 at 02/05/2009 - 23:20
MGraley:
@johnriley: I guess the RAW aspect is only important for the added amount of room to play with regard to more data per pixel, other than that it is pretty much a variations exercise demonstrating how one shot can be processed to varying different degrees.. Already here we have a few different takes on an otherwise uninteresting image. Its more of a post-processing challenge than RAW I suppose (maybe a re-title for challenge number 3!?).
Quote:
By the way, I had great difficulty in reading the DNG properly. Irfan failed! Used a trial (ie free for now...) thing called Contenta.
I use Serif PhotoPlus, which is fine once you're past the PEF / DNG stage!
Sorry to hear that Malcolm! It was shot with the GX20 and losslessly compressed in Adobe Bridge/CameraRAW CS4. If anyone is having trouble with the file on Mac OSX, the free app Xee can open the file no problems.. if anyone has other suggestions for Windows? as I dont use that OS other than at work (where we have CS4 anyways)...By the way, I had great difficulty in reading the DNG properly. Irfan failed! Used a trial (ie free for now...) thing called Contenta.
I use Serif PhotoPlus, which is fine once you're past the PEF / DNG stage!
@johnriley: I guess the RAW aspect is only important for the added amount of room to play with regard to more data per pixel, other than that it is pretty much a variations exercise demonstrating how one shot can be processed to varying different degrees.. Already here we have a few different takes on an otherwise uninteresting image. Its more of a post-processing challenge than RAW I suppose (maybe a re-title for challenge number 3!?).
Comment by isdky posted on RAW Challenge #2 at 02/05/2009 - 22:37
Wow you guys where all fast! 4 entries in the first 2 hours - I'm not going to comment on individual entries - I'll be reserving judging until the challenge closes (but I'm impressed with what has come out so far!).
@sanderscapes: everyone starts with limited skills, try and learn a new tool in photoshop on each photo you edit and soon you'll have a wide set of skills! I've been photoshopping since version 6 and probably only use 1/100th of the tools available in photoshop, and learn new things everytime I use it!
@Malo: I'm going to judge the entries the same way its done in the other forum competitions, so theres no messing around with voting and then vote counting (I was always terrible at maths anywho).
@woodworm: The GX20 DNG files come out of the camera as uncompressed RAW images around 20-27mb per shot - if you open them in bridge/camera raw - you can click save as, select DNG from the drop down box, then check the "use lossless compression" - I wish Samsung would compress the RAWs in camera like the Pentax models do with the PEF format - I think they leave them uncompressed to increase the burst rate for continuous RAW shooting...
Hopefully we'll get a few more entries before Sunday the 10th!
@sanderscapes: everyone starts with limited skills, try and learn a new tool in photoshop on each photo you edit and soon you'll have a wide set of skills! I've been photoshopping since version 6 and probably only use 1/100th of the tools available in photoshop, and learn new things everytime I use it!
@Malo: I'm going to judge the entries the same way its done in the other forum competitions, so theres no messing around with voting and then vote counting (I was always terrible at maths anywho).
@woodworm: The GX20 DNG files come out of the camera as uncompressed RAW images around 20-27mb per shot - if you open them in bridge/camera raw - you can click save as, select DNG from the drop down box, then check the "use lossless compression" - I wish Samsung would compress the RAWs in camera like the Pentax models do with the PEF format - I think they leave them uncompressed to increase the burst rate for continuous RAW shooting...
Hopefully we'll get a few more entries before Sunday the 10th!
Comment by isdky posted on RAW Challenge #2 at 02/05/2009 - 00:00
Hi all, sorry for being a day late putting this up - its been raining almost non-stop here the past few days, so the only shot I have for the challenge is out of the 3rd floor window at work looking towards Trafford Park, Manchester. So its a city skyline shot with the houses and trees in the foreground, so lets see what your processing skills can do to a pretty mediocre shot!
Preview image:
The DNG RAW file is 12mb in size shot at 14mp on my GX20 with Sigma 50-150mm lens.
And a few ground rules to make it all crystal
1. You can edit this as much as you see fit - no holds barred, and post an 800x600 max resolution jpg into this thread.
2. You can composite other images of your choosing to enhance the shot if you think its necessary.
3. Entries must be in by Sunday 10th May, The voting didn't work so well on the first challenge, so I think its best to stick with the flow of the other competitions on this forum and judge after the closing date rather than vote. I will try and give good valid reasons for my choices and the winner will need to setup the next challenge.
Any questions, just ask and let me know if I've missed anything!!!
Preview image:
The DNG RAW file is 12mb in size shot at 14mp on my GX20 with Sigma 50-150mm lens.
And a few ground rules to make it all crystal
1. You can edit this as much as you see fit - no holds barred, and post an 800x600 max resolution jpg into this thread.
2. You can composite other images of your choosing to enhance the shot if you think its necessary.
3. Entries must be in by Sunday 10th May, The voting didn't work so well on the first challenge, so I think its best to stick with the flow of the other competitions on this forum and judge after the closing date rather than vote. I will try and give good valid reasons for my choices and the winner will need to setup the next challenge.
Any questions, just ask and let me know if I've missed anything!!!
Comment by isdky posted on RAW Challenge #2 at 01/05/2009 - 21:49
All very nice shots! 1 and 5 are a little on the dark side from the HDR processing, but still excellent work.
Comment by isdky posted on Pics taken Last Weekend with the K20D and 18-55..... at 29/04/2009 - 22:10
Quote:
so, Isdky, would you like to submit next RAW, maitain new topic for the challenge, set-up ending date, count votes, (etc) and all that fun ?
Sorry for the late reply, I haven't been able to get onto the forum over the past week. I shoot mainly in RAW and so if its ok with everyone, will post then next RAW for challenge #2 - I'll have a wander out tomorrow and post the RAW in a new thread titled 'RAW Challenge #2'.so, Isdky, would you like to submit next RAW, maitain new topic for the challenge, set-up ending date, count votes, (etc) and all that fun ?
Hope thats ok with everyone, and hopefully we'll get a few more entries/attempts !!
Comment by isdky posted on Raw Challenge #1 at 29/04/2009 - 22:02
Ok, heres my effort
[IMG]http://i43.tinypic.com/1y0ooz.jpg[/IMG]
Reduced highlights, darks, clarity, vibrance and saturation and increased shadows slightly in Adobe camera raw - then opened in photoshop twiddled with shadows and highlights in a copied layer to get detail in bricks then set layer mode to darken@70%ish. Flattened, noise reduction, smart sharpened, unsharp mask - then converted to a b&w with default selected.
Not a great deal to work with lol, but I had a go
[IMG]http://i43.tinypic.com/1y0ooz.jpg[/IMG]
Reduced highlights, darks, clarity, vibrance and saturation and increased shadows slightly in Adobe camera raw - then opened in photoshop twiddled with shadows and highlights in a copied layer to get detail in bricks then set layer mode to darken@70%ish. Flattened, noise reduction, smart sharpened, unsharp mask - then converted to a b&w with default selected.
Not a great deal to work with lol, but I had a go
Comment by isdky posted on Raw Challenge #1 at 13/04/2009 - 20:02
I use it mainly with my Sigma 50-150mm.