All Forum Comments
Comment by johnriley posted on My Iconic Camera at 23/12/2003 - 21:02
Hi Ava
You have a camera very capable of producing superb images from its 6.1MP sensor, but these files will be large. I guess they might produce a photographic quality print of around 15 by 12 inches at 300ppi. You could argue that there's no point having such a high resolution and then reducing it so that you can fit more pictures on a card, otherwise a smaller MP count would do perfectly well. So personally I would buy more cards, or perhaps one of the portable hard drives that are now available and which will allow you to store vast amounts of data on a portable device. Your card would plug into this device. There are also similar devices that will burn a CD from your card data.
Probably the RAW setting will not be needed, but perhaps save in camera as TIFF files or the highest quality JPEG setting, depending on what is available in the *istD.
Otherwise, you're OK with Photoshop 6 (There's a great book available called "Easy Photoshop 6") and from here on it's practice, practice, practice!
You have a camera very capable of producing superb images from its 6.1MP sensor, but these files will be large. I guess they might produce a photographic quality print of around 15 by 12 inches at 300ppi. You could argue that there's no point having such a high resolution and then reducing it so that you can fit more pictures on a card, otherwise a smaller MP count would do perfectly well. So personally I would buy more cards, or perhaps one of the portable hard drives that are now available and which will allow you to store vast amounts of data on a portable device. Your card would plug into this device. There are also similar devices that will burn a CD from your card data.
Probably the RAW setting will not be needed, but perhaps save in camera as TIFF files or the highest quality JPEG setting, depending on what is available in the *istD.
Otherwise, you're OK with Photoshop 6 (There's a great book available called "Easy Photoshop 6") and from here on it's practice, practice, practice!
Comment by johnriley posted on learning ist D at 20/12/2003 - 19:55
Hi Ava
You have asked a series of very complex questions, so first a few basics. The *istD is usually packaged with its 18-35mm FAJ lens, so perhaps you should start with that. If your maual focus lenses are A series you will be able to use many features of the camera, but if they are M or K series the functions available will be very limited.
If you want high quality you will need large file sizes and this will reduce the number of pictures per CF card. If you are happy with lower quality perhaps for web use then smaller file sizes will enable many more pictures to be taken on one card.
The idea is not, however, to store pictures on the CF card long term, but rather to download them to your computer and then re-use the card. A card reader is one of the more convenient ways to achieve this.
Do you have a suitable imaging program such as Adobe Elements 2 or Photoshop 7 or CE? This is where you will manipulate and refine your images ready for their final purpose, be it a print or web use or whatever else you have in mind.
I would suggest starting with the digital magazines, trying out the CDs that come with them and picking up tips and practice from there and also perhaps buying a beginners guide to digital photography.
But first keep on studying that camera manual, ask questions in this forum as you need to, read lots of material in magazines and web based and do get the appropriate lens for the camera.
Hope this helps a little at least!
You have asked a series of very complex questions, so first a few basics. The *istD is usually packaged with its 18-35mm FAJ lens, so perhaps you should start with that. If your maual focus lenses are A series you will be able to use many features of the camera, but if they are M or K series the functions available will be very limited.
If you want high quality you will need large file sizes and this will reduce the number of pictures per CF card. If you are happy with lower quality perhaps for web use then smaller file sizes will enable many more pictures to be taken on one card.
The idea is not, however, to store pictures on the CF card long term, but rather to download them to your computer and then re-use the card. A card reader is one of the more convenient ways to achieve this.
Do you have a suitable imaging program such as Adobe Elements 2 or Photoshop 7 or CE? This is where you will manipulate and refine your images ready for their final purpose, be it a print or web use or whatever else you have in mind.
I would suggest starting with the digital magazines, trying out the CDs that come with them and picking up tips and practice from there and also perhaps buying a beginners guide to digital photography.
But first keep on studying that camera manual, ask questions in this forum as you need to, read lots of material in magazines and web based and do get the appropriate lens for the camera.
Hope this helps a little at least!
Comment by johnriley posted on learning ist D at 20/12/2003 - 19:13
The sequence is wind on-release shutter-wind on-release shutter, etc. If the shutter is not released you will not be able to wind on, and if there is no battery you won't be able to release the shutter!
One thing to watch is if the lens cap is in place when you release the shutter and the camera is on auto it will think it's very dark and will give you an incredibly long shutter speed. Set it manually to 1/1000 second to minimise delay in loading.
If you still have a problem, there may be a fault. Let us know how it goes.
One thing to watch is if the lens cap is in place when you release the shutter and the camera is on auto it will think it's very dark and will give you an incredibly long shutter speed. Set it manually to 1/1000 second to minimise delay in loading.
If you still have a problem, there may be a fault. Let us know how it goes.
Comment by johnriley posted on wind on film at 20/12/2003 - 11:18
We have not used any digital camera yet that presents us with pictures that do not need some sort of treatment in Photoshop. It would seem from this thread that this is not unusual.
Quite a few reviews of the *istD mention that the pictures are initially a little flat and soft until they are adjusted in Photoshop, after which they sparkle with life as expected.
Quite a few reviews of the *istD mention that the pictures are initially a little flat and soft until they are adjusted in Photoshop, after which they sparkle with life as expected.
Comment by johnriley posted on *istD underexposure? at 27/12/2003 - 10:28
The pentax SP500 is a very useable camera that will give superb results, although some photographic knowledge will be helpful to get the best out of it.
It's value is not high, depending on condition perhaps anything from £45 to £90 or so, so it's real value will lie in using it!
Modern accessories will be useable with no problems and a vast number of 42mm screw thread lenses from Pentax and others are available at very low cost on the second hand market.
I hope you get a lot of fun out of owning this quality camera.
It's value is not high, depending on condition perhaps anything from £45 to £90 or so, so it's real value will lie in using it!
Modern accessories will be useable with no problems and a vast number of 42mm screw thread lenses from Pentax and others are available at very low cost on the second hand market.
I hope you get a lot of fun out of owning this quality camera.
Comment by johnriley posted on HELP REQUIRED at 14/12/2003 - 19:22
The book sounds good to me, Leaf, and if she perseveres she will learn a lot more about photography using the K1000 rather than a more modern auto-everything camera.
I hope it works out well!
I hope it works out well!
Comment by johnriley posted on Asahi pentax K 1000 - panic ebay buy!!! at 16/12/2003 - 20:42
They work, not sure about how many features you lose with the adapter, but I think the real problem is the size of the lenses. A 50mm 645 or 67 lens would be a pretty big beast compared to a 35mm version, and you are losing some functionality probably as well.
Why unbalance a perfectly good 35mm camera with lenses not really intended for it. It might be OK for very occasional use (for whatever reason) but not as a routine thing....
I could probably see a better case for using 67 lenses on the 645, not such a disparity of size.
Why unbalance a perfectly good 35mm camera with lenses not really intended for it. It might be OK for very occasional use (for whatever reason) but not as a routine thing....
I could probably see a better case for using 67 lenses on the 645, not such a disparity of size.
Comment by johnriley posted on SMC PENTAX-A 645 ZOOM 4.5 45~85mm with *ist D at 17/01/2005 - 13:58
Polarisers don't work very well with wide angle lenses because a large expanse of sky will have varying degrees of polarisation across the field of view and this will show up as variations in colour intensity. The wider you go, the worse it gets. However, with very wide lenses the vignetting in the lens causes nice fall off of illumination in skies anyway!
But back to your problem. The filter just needs to be very close to the front element of the lens, and large enough not to cause vignetting. Perhaps the P series Cokin filters would be a better choice (they are larger) or alternatively the newer thin screw mount filters which have been designed with this very problem in mind.
But back to your problem. The filter just needs to be very close to the front element of the lens, and large enough not to cause vignetting. Perhaps the P series Cokin filters would be a better choice (they are larger) or alternatively the newer thin screw mount filters which have been designed with this very problem in mind.
Comment by johnriley posted on Vignetting at 11/12/2003 - 18:48
Hi Julia
Welcome to the site!
I've been thinking about the *istD as well and the time will come, but for now I'm waiting and still using my Pentax 35mm and 645 kit.
Getting the camera will be one half of things, but then something like Photoshop 7 or CS will complete it. It's going to be an exciting journey for you!
Welcome to the site!
I've been thinking about the *istD as well and the time will come, but for now I'm waiting and still using my Pentax 35mm and 645 kit.
Getting the camera will be one half of things, but then something like Photoshop 7 or CS will complete it. It's going to be an exciting journey for you!
Comment by johnriley posted on New to the board at 10/12/2003 - 18:24
You could, for example, consider the original Leica, which introduced 35mm photography to the mass market. Or the Kodak Retina which made 35mm affordable and inroduced the standard 135 cassette that we use today. Or the TLR Rolleiflex? Even (darte I say ot on this forum?) the Canon 300D, reducing the ball park figure for digital SLRs to more realistic levels.
My choice? The Pentax Spotmatic of 1964, giving the mass market through the lens metering and a new standard of exposure control of accuracy. All our modern cameras stem from this.
What are your nominations? Don't be shy, it needn't be Pentax! (But it could be...)
If you want to see how the other forums are responing look at:
www.adaps.org.uk
and
www.lcpu.co.uk/content1/fhome.asp
I'm fascinated to see what you all think!