It's funny how a thread about tree competition photographs ends up discussing kilts!

John K

Arriving in the post today came a new DA*300mm f4 from Amazon.

Despite quite flat lighting I had to go and find something nearby to snap so the first victim I came across was this seagull on the garage roof. I thought I would share it as it was taken at ISO 3200 and some may like to see it to add to the noise debate. (That's noise in the image rather than seagull noise though this particular fellow does makes plenty of noise of the audible kind!)

Full image (from unmodified camera jpeg but reduced to 800 pixels width for the forum in Irfanview.)



Same image but cropped from the DNG and processed in Elements 11 (some noise reduction applied but no sharpening and reduced to 800 pixels again.)



To me the noise level in the image doesn't seem overly excessive.
Quite pleased with the lens too!

John K

Knocking the kit lenses isn't knocking the camera and as Pentax kit lenses are possibly the best of any make in any event that's a pretty good thumbs up.

John K

Me too. The camera can only really focus at one point (well one plane.) If it 'focuses' on more than one point it must be compromised somewhere as technically it cannot do that. I'd rather make the decision as to which is the key focus point myself as I have ever since the split prism viewfinders. It's quicker than pressing buttons to select the correct dot. Shame split prisms aren't still standard!
I've taken many a picture with various compact cameras that only offer auto focus. I frame the picture of a say a landscape with a tree in the foreground to frame the image. What comes out in focus? The tree, not the subject. I truly hate focussing systems that try to guess it for me because they usually get it wrong.

John K

A screw on one should prove more convenient and usable with the original lens hoods (the Pentax ones have that slide out section specifically to allow rotation.)

A bumper bundle of step-up/down rings here for a reasonable price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/49mm-82mm-Step-Up-Rings-UV-CPL-Set-82mm-49mm-Filter-St...

I would think the Cokin polarizer would be far more cumbersome when it comes to rotating it. I've used their NDs but not polorizers for that reason.

John K

Sorry to hear that John, hope nothing too serious.

John K

For me it's the camera's interface. Can I find the menu items where I expect them to be? I've tried Canon and they weren't, never tried Nikon. I went back to Pentax so I could use my old film era lenses if I wished, but could never understand the lack of a 36x24 sensor in a body that seemed designed to hold one, but otherwise was pleased with the results. Pentax's budget lens options seemed far superior to other makes (optically.)
The K-3 is the latest in their tradition of innovative cameras and as the K5 was improved upon, as day follows night, the K-3 will be too. I actually believe the K-3 to be a test run to iron out issues with the new SAFOX etc. before turning it to a FF model - and that surely ought to resolve high ISO noise.

John K

I thought that too but considered they may only have just begun. It makes sense to concentrate on one region at a time rather than flit around. Think of all the extra travelling that would incur.

John K

Yes, there have been examples.

John K

Have you tried taking those two images with a zoom lens yet?

John K