I like being out under the stars with my camera. I must admit I have looked at getting an eq mount to carry a longer lens and try catching some far and distance deep space subjects. I was living in Darwin, so the SCP to polar align with was low on the horizon and in the tree tops. Not to mention that the stars that you align with are faint, and are hard to find even on a good night. Now I have moved, it will be something to revisit. I should really master shooting the Milky Way first. Something I have tried, but I have never been 100% happy with my results. Just be aware that things can get pretty expensive pretty quickly. But it also can be very rewarding. The big difference for me now is that Darwin was nice and warm at night, where as now not so much.

Regards

Gary

I am liking this. I am waiting for the clouds to clear to have a crack at the moon. But the forecast is not looking promising for the next few nights. I have seen Jupiter and it's four moons when I have used my Q for night work. Again, I have itchy feet to have a go at that. I just need to find my battery charger for my Q that I have seemed to misplaced in my move.

Regards

Gary

Good going Chris.

You have inspired me to have a go. I have not had a go at the moon for a long time with a long lens. If only if the clouds would clear off.

Regards

Gary

Hello all,

We have recently moved from Australia to NZ. I am slowly working my way through my Australia images as we traveled Western Australia, and I am posting them in the gallery. But since moving to NZ, things have been pretty busy with us settling in, but yesterday was first chance we have had to have a look around. So I dusted off my camera, and we went for a drive. Less than a couple of hours down the road, we found this. I know they are a rough and ready, and nothing special, but I am pretty excited about it.










I am looking forward to getting back out there. I guess this is a bit of a heads up of what will be posted in the gallery from myself in the near future.

Regards

Gary

At the time I was after the full fat version 70-200mm f2.8, and not the slimmed down APS-C equivalent. I can't see me replacing the Tamron unless it gets dropped, or damaged.

Regards

Gary

Sadly I am one that is starting to move to another brand.

There is no one main reason for the move. A lack of lens choice, a lack of choice in general, and the AF is what has done it for me. I wanted a 70-200 f2.8 in the days of my K10. I am pretty sure Pentax did not do one back then, hence a Tamron. I do a lot of dusk and night work, I ended up with a 18-35 Sigma Art lens for speed and being sharp wide open. Again something Pentax does not do. Yes, I have read the reviews about the K1. The only choice you get in in this format, I really want one, but I am not convinced that it is the right choice. Each of us has a choice and desire to what they want to take pictures of, and Pentax is not covering the area's I have an interest in. Do I know what another brand is like to use? Yes, I brought a second hand Canon 400mm and a 7D, and to be honest, my K3's AF is way behind it, even though the Canon is older. I prefer the sensor in the K3, and it's output. But the Canon's AF is fast, and accurate, unlike my K3 which has a couple of goes at getting it right before it is happy.

Tethering is something I would also love to be able to do with my K3.

I really want to stay with this brand as my main choice, but I really can't see it happening. I will keep my K3, and Q. I have picked up an old K mount camera, as well as owning a K1000. I am sure I will buy bits for them, but nothing brand new. So I am not leaving the brand, I am no longer investing in anything new with the company unless there are some real changes.

Not to be a negative post, but I do really love the feel and the in the hand experience of my K3, as well as the dual input wheels, backwards compatibility, and the hot shoe mountable o-gps1 for night work.

Regards

Gary

I have wanted to buy a 35mm film camera for a while to run some B&W film. I was looking for something with a K mount. In Pentax land, all I found in the local shops was a bashed and battered K1000, that did not work. I did find a Ricoh SLR for the cost of a couple of cups of coffee. A couple of new batteries, and it all seems happy. I just need to replace the foam light seals. Ok, the lens is full of fungus, so that has been taken off and replaced with my Pentax 28mm or 50mm A lens. A handful of days ago, I found a cheap K1000. I just need to try some new batteries in the thing, and replace the foam light seals as well. Like Richard, I was thinking that the name on the front of the Ricoh is the same name on the back of my K3.

Regards

Gary

While having dinner at the wharf, the Legend Of The Seas was in port. A nice meal on a relaxed tropical evening, grab a few pictures, and then run to the car before the storm hits.






















Regards

Gary

Hi Richard,

If you are looking for something like this,




This image is at dusk. Tripod mounted, a soft 3 stop ND grad filter, and a 6 stop ND filter if memory serves me right. The lens is stopped down, manual focused, and focused about a third of a the way in. I also check the focus with live view, and adjust as required. The filter system is a square Nisi, which screws into the filter thread. Easier done when it is still light, and not getting dark. Use a solid tripod, and 2 second timer, or a remote as well.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Gary

Hello,

I thought I would poke my nose back in. I know it has been a while but I am back. I have moved, again. I am now going through my Australia photo's, and I will now start posting a few in the gallery as I work my way through them.

Regards

Gary