All Forum Comments
Comment by johnha posted on K-5 problems with Vista reading SD card? at 17/03/2012 - 14:06
LazyPup wrote:
When looking at the old M42 lenses an auto lense has the aperture control pin on the back of the lens mount that stops the lens down when you turn the light meter on or when you snap the shutter. Nearly all true Pentax or Takumar lenses had a slide control to switch from manual to auto. That was so those lense could be used on the old H3v, S1A and such that did not have the auto aperture control in the body.
Hi LazyPup,When looking at the old M42 lenses an auto lense has the aperture control pin on the back of the lens mount that stops the lens down when you turn the light meter on or when you snap the shutter. Nearly all true Pentax or Takumar lenses had a slide control to switch from manual to auto. That was so those lense could be used on the old H3v, S1A and such that did not have the auto aperture control in the body.
The S1a (to my surprise) does have automatic stop-down of the aperture in the body (not sure about the H3v and others). Although as the S1a doesn't have a meter, open aperture viewing is only useful for focussing and framing.
John.
Comment by johnha posted on Impulse Buy Spotmatic at 17/03/2012 - 02:09
Hi All,
I've been out shooting today (PEF+JPEG) and had problems with my Vista laptop reading the last half of the images from the SD card (files copied but weren't openable). Pentax Camera Utility 4 also wouldn't read them (and had random images from other folders present in the browser section).
Curiously the image numbered 300 was fine, all the later ones weren't.
The laptop was able to open/copy the files when connected by USB, so I'm assuming it was a problem with the PC side of things (1Gb RAM and not much space on the discs). Total is approx. 300 files and 3Gb of data.
Has anybody seen this before?
John.
I've been out shooting today (PEF+JPEG) and had problems with my Vista laptop reading the last half of the images from the SD card (files copied but weren't openable). Pentax Camera Utility 4 also wouldn't read them (and had random images from other folders present in the browser section).
Curiously the image numbered 300 was fine, all the later ones weren't.
The laptop was able to open/copy the files when connected by USB, so I'm assuming it was a problem with the PC side of things (1Gb RAM and not much space on the discs). Total is approx. 300 files and 3Gb of data.
Has anybody seen this before?
John.
Comment by johnha posted on K-5 problems with Vista reading SD card? at 16/03/2012 - 20:57
Pentax only have the Kr & K-5 at the moment, Nikon and Canon have 3 or 4 cameras each between the two price points. If someone new to the DSLR game has 600GBP ish to spend, Pentax need something to tempt them if they want to get them into the system. Ultimately they also need a 135 frame offering too, then we'll have the option of using the FA Limited lenses properly.
Comment by johnha posted on Pentax camera prices at 16/03/2012 - 00:16
Having compared my Z-1 from the '90s and my K-5, the screwdriver sticks out by a similar amount (approx. 1mm) on both.
Having also compared my F50/1.7 & Sigma 70-300 APO Super lenses, the screwdriver socket rotates in opposite directions towards infinity, presumably due to the different focus directions (I had assumed this would have been compensated for by gearing in the Sigma lens):
F50/1.7 socket goes anti-clockwise when focussing to infinity.
Sigma socket goes clockwise.
Having also compared my F50/1.7 & Sigma 70-300 APO Super lenses, the screwdriver socket rotates in opposite directions towards infinity, presumably due to the different focus directions (I had assumed this would have been compensated for by gearing in the Sigma lens):
F50/1.7 socket goes anti-clockwise when focussing to infinity.
Sigma socket goes clockwise.
Comment by johnha posted on K5 or lens problem ? at 16/03/2012 - 00:02
Looks like an M6, isn't the metering TTL though? Surely you'd notice the meter reading!
Comment by johnha posted on Oh yeah, we've all been there! at 14/03/2012 - 22:39
Hi All,
My old Optio-S flash has stopped firing, any suggestions? The rest of the camera appears to work fine.
Thanks,
John.
My old Optio-S flash has stopped firing, any suggestions? The rest of the camera appears to work fine.
Thanks,
John.
Comment by johnha posted on Optio-S flash not firing at 11/03/2012 - 13:55
I've got a Unilock 1600 (as previously mentioned similar to a Benbo). I don't know how much weight it can take, but up to about 80cm high you can drop the lower end of the centre column to the ground for a 4th leg.
Of course I wish I'd bought the 1700 which had much thicker leg sections.
Of course I wish I'd bought the 1700 which had much thicker leg sections.
Comment by johnha posted on Pentax 67 II tripod at 09/03/2012 - 23:54
Hi Bjorn,
Looks like you've got some great kit there. My preference is for colour transparency film because they're big enough to view direcly on a lightbox (and because prints are expensive). I think they scan better than negatives too.
MF is great to slow down your photography, just be careful not to take too much kit out with you to the point where you get too tired to think about your photography. I've dragged a heavy bag on one shoulder, tripod on the other to the point where I'd just lost interest. Camera, one lens, tripod and film is all you sometimes need.
Getting used to the film handling is important, and unil you're confident, you may want to consider finding somewhere sheltered to change rolls.
And don't forget to share some of your shots.
John.
John.
Looks like you've got some great kit there. My preference is for colour transparency film because they're big enough to view direcly on a lightbox (and because prints are expensive). I think they scan better than negatives too.
MF is great to slow down your photography, just be careful not to take too much kit out with you to the point where you get too tired to think about your photography. I've dragged a heavy bag on one shoulder, tripod on the other to the point where I'd just lost interest. Camera, one lens, tripod and film is all you sometimes need.
Getting used to the film handling is important, and unil you're confident, you may want to consider finding somewhere sheltered to change rolls.
And don't forget to share some of your shots.
John.
John.
Comment by johnha posted on 67II worth buying? at 09/03/2012 - 22:46
I'm joining this a little late, but I've got quite a lot of MF gear (Mamiya 6x6 & 6x4.5 and Bronica 6x6) and would offer the following advice:
1) When buying MF you need to consider what you want to shoot with it, primarily so you can decide how many lenses you'll want. There are very few zooms (and no 'affordable' ones), and lenses can be very expensive. Building a system is likely to be very expensive (there are few independent lens options). Pick your first lens focal length with care and plan what your next might be.
2) Everything is expensive, do your research and decide what you'll need, and how much it's likely to cost before you start.
3) Assume it'll cost you at least a pound per shot to get a negative/transparency (more for prints/scanning). Don't fret about this, the results are easily worth it when you get it right.
4) Be prepared to lug bulky/heavy kit about (including a decent tripod), especially if you're shooting the landscapes the 6x7ii is well suited to.
5) Be prepared to be blown away by the quality of a format 8x larger than APS-C. If you scan it at a reasonable resolution you'll get huge files.
I think every photographer should try shooting with larger formats, but the investment needed means you have to be really committed to justify the expense. Unless you're buying new kit, if you buy carefully you should get most of your money back if you decide to sell it on later.
If you like to take things slower, take your time and ask yourself 'Is pressing the shutter now really worth a pound?', your photography will become much more considered and careful.
I'd recommend trying to borrow/rent some gear before making a significant investment (not that I did which is why I've ended up with more than one system). I put too high a value on interchangeable backs and studio work when a 67 would have suited what I now want much better.
Hope this helps.
1) When buying MF you need to consider what you want to shoot with it, primarily so you can decide how many lenses you'll want. There are very few zooms (and no 'affordable' ones), and lenses can be very expensive. Building a system is likely to be very expensive (there are few independent lens options). Pick your first lens focal length with care and plan what your next might be.
2) Everything is expensive, do your research and decide what you'll need, and how much it's likely to cost before you start.
3) Assume it'll cost you at least a pound per shot to get a negative/transparency (more for prints/scanning). Don't fret about this, the results are easily worth it when you get it right.
4) Be prepared to lug bulky/heavy kit about (including a decent tripod), especially if you're shooting the landscapes the 6x7ii is well suited to.
5) Be prepared to be blown away by the quality of a format 8x larger than APS-C. If you scan it at a reasonable resolution you'll get huge files.
I think every photographer should try shooting with larger formats, but the investment needed means you have to be really committed to justify the expense. Unless you're buying new kit, if you buy carefully you should get most of your money back if you decide to sell it on later.
If you like to take things slower, take your time and ask yourself 'Is pressing the shutter now really worth a pound?', your photography will become much more considered and careful.
I'd recommend trying to borrow/rent some gear before making a significant investment (not that I did which is why I've ended up with more than one system). I put too high a value on interchangeable backs and studio work when a 67 would have suited what I now want much better.
Hope this helps.
Comment by johnha posted on 67II worth buying? at 09/03/2012 - 02:37
NOW FIXED - It wasn't the card, but my old laptop's built in SD card reader not being SDHC compatible. A quick trip to my local photo shop sorted the problem and I now have a USB SDHC card reader.
John.