Hint: You can change the template used in your Profile preferences. It's the option at the bottom "Board Style".

"subSilver" is the default.
"subRed" is the Pentax-friendly one

But... according to the admin comment I wonder if subRed will work 100%?
Matt

John,
Info mentioned here:
https://www.pentaxuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2782&highlight=

Matt

I've done it far too many times! I also keep one of the *ist-D's custom setting with "Sensitivity Correction" set to on, and another with it set to off - that helps a bit, and I usually (now) check the ISO setting along with checking which custom setting I'm on.

More a case of getting into a habit...

But I have mentioned it to Pentax a few times all the same
Matt

Or:
Buy Capture One LE to convert the files.

Incidentally, I read that Sandisk are shipping their Extreme III cards (1Gb, 2Gb, 4Gb) with a license for Capture One LE - bargain! (But you must make sure they are the new versions with the license inside )

Matt

(Back from hols )

There are two types of rechargeable CR-V3s. There's the original that are to be avoided - they have an output of 3.6V, and this is too much indeed.
Then there's the Uniross "compatible" CR-V3s which have three terminals and output at 3V and claim "100% compatibility".

As to why you use them - they have a much lower self discharge rate (so fully charged cells remain that way longer when not being used), and I also found that they seem to run cooler when doing very long exposures. I did some simple astro-photog on hols with 30s to 80s exposures and the batteries were only just warm. The last time I tried with NiMHs they got really warm. The warmer they get the more noise you get

Oh yes, and they are fractionally lighter in weight!

Matt

As a firmware developer myself I don't find it worrying at all.
Don't underestimate the amount of code that goes into such firmware! My current project has nearly half a million lines of code (own code plus libraries) The scope for errors and omissions is high!

Qudos to Pentax for being "on the ball" in updating. There's nothing worse than having firmware in a device and the manufacturers are slow (or can't be bothered) to update it.

Matt

Andy,
The Adobe DNG format allows for compressed and uncompressed versions. For instance the Samsung 815 (?) uses uncompressed DNG. The Adobe DNG Converter will allow both options, but defaults to compressed.

BTW, the compression is lossless (unlike JPG), so the only downside of the compression is time - it takes significant time to compress (which on a PC is negligible).

Hope that explains it!
Matt

Dan,
I certainly will keep you posted

Here's one, but it's not the one I had in mind:
http://www.phaseone.com/upload/captureone_creativeprofiles_002.pdf
(The Pro demo will still let you edit profiles )

I think this was it:
http://www.outbackphoto.com/artofraw/raw_08/essay.html
The profile is linked in the page, but it's here:
http://www.outbackphoto.com/artofraw/raw_08/profile_BW.zip

Have fun

Matt

George,
I measured the AF360 flash with and without the Stofen using both the QPcard and the Expodisc.

Here are the values that you can punch into C1 (shown as color temperature/tint):

AF360 straight:
Expodisc 11800K/31
QPcard 13600K/29

AF360 and Stofen:
Expodisc 7000K/15
QPcard 7100K/11

(I haven't performed these tests with the wide angle panel or the catch light panel - the values will probably be slightly different.)

These values work better than the camera's flash WB setting And I'd go with the Expodisc settings, rather than the QPcard.
These values look great using the "Pentax istD generic V2" profile in Capture One.

I generally never touch the "Color balance correction" wheel, and leave it at Hue=0, Sat=0. My profile (not the generic one) seems to give almost Velvia like response and I always get great results with a good WB.

Hope that helps!
Matt

George,

Capture One also detects the EXIF information for the camera. There isn't really any such thing as a "bang on" profile. It's very subjective. The "bang on" profile usually gives really "eurgh" flat results, and a clinical image.

C1 allows you to override the default and apply a profile for the given job in hand. And it does make a difference - sometimes subtle, but definitely a difference. The pro version also allows manual creation of profiles - so you can fine tune a profile's response.

As a simple "for instance", there's a black and white profile available for C1 (I can dig out a link) that makes C1 completely black and white through and through - it's great

Most, if not all, the RAW convertors use a simplistic conversion between the colour spaces. dcRAW does this and comments that the values given were provided by Adobe. From what I've seen of convertors I reckon they mostly use these figures.

As far as I can tell, SilkyPix doesn't ship with any colour profiles so it can't have anything Pentax specific... not that it won't, but colour is a tricky business, and something of a "black art" (excusing the obvious pun!)

I'll double check the installation of SP and the resources it uses, but I'm pretty certain that profiles are not on its list. But that shouldn't stop most users from trying it - it's only geek-heads like me that get all up tight

Matt