All Forum Comments
Comment by MattMatic posted on istD and Microdrives at 29/11/2004 - 09:46
www.mxv.co.uk have one at £75
Comment by MattMatic posted on 28-300mm zoom? at 24/11/2004 - 06:43
I find that RAW mode always gives me about one extra stop for highlights and two stops under. It's saved the day many times for tricky lighting. Adobe Photoshop CS does a fine job, as does Capture One of handling the RAW files.
Do watch out for the fact that CCDs are linear, whereas film is not. A full half of the data values cover the top 1-stop. If you shoot in JPG, that's 128 values (8-bit = 256 values) in the top stop. If you underexpose too much, you will end up with seriously posterised images. Shooting RAW gives you 12-bits per pixel colour (4096 values), so there's less chance of posterisation if you underexpose.
Personally, I would tend to meter for the highlights (ie the dress), so that the metering tends to push it to 18% grey, giving a little extra for the highlights. Then shoot RAW and process and correct the grey point in Photoshop.
Matt
Do watch out for the fact that CCDs are linear, whereas film is not. A full half of the data values cover the top 1-stop. If you shoot in JPG, that's 128 values (8-bit = 256 values) in the top stop. If you underexpose too much, you will end up with seriously posterised images. Shooting RAW gives you 12-bits per pixel colour (4096 values), so there's less chance of posterisation if you underexpose.
Personally, I would tend to meter for the highlights (ie the dress), so that the metering tends to push it to 18% grey, giving a little extra for the highlights. Then shoot RAW and process and correct the grey point in Photoshop.
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Set to permanently underexpose? at 07/11/2004 - 17:40
I'd agree about the SMC-F 70-210.
A wonderful lens, very contrasty with great detail. (Picked mine up along with an SMC-F 37-70 which is really quite good too!)
Matt
A wonderful lens, very contrasty with great detail. (Picked mine up along with an SMC-F 37-70 which is really quite good too!)
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Which Telezoom ?? at 12/11/2004 - 14:01
Quote:
Still debating whether the 24-90 from the MZ-S is a good option instead of the 18-55
Personally, with the *ist-D, I use the 24-90mm most of the time. It's a wonderful lens, and very useful. The 90mm end is superb for portraiture. Next to that is the 16-45DA which is razor sharp.Still debating whether the 24-90 from the MZ-S is a good option instead of the 18-55
Matt
I have the Pentax SMC-DA 16-45mm for the *ist-D. A wonderful lens, excellent sharpness, and very, very good flare control. Now, it may not compare directly to a prime lens, but I find there is little difference between it and the SMC-F 50mm/1.7 and the SMC-F 28mm/2.8.
The view is bright and clear, and the results only ever superb. Might be worth looking into
Pano - perhaps you wanted to pay £4000 for a DSLR then?? The size of the sensor is not just marketing. Growing a large piece of perfect silicon is no joke. If you have the money to spend, then go ahead and be angry at the APS sensor size
Matt
The view is bright and clear, and the results only ever superb. Might be worth looking into
Pano - perhaps you wanted to pay £4000 for a DSLR then?? The size of the sensor is not just marketing. Growing a large piece of perfect silicon is no joke. If you have the money to spend, then go ahead and be angry at the APS sensor size
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Wide angle for digital at 20/10/2004 - 10:43
Anna,
Don't forget the following points about the *ist-D LCD (and for that matter, any display):
1. There is a brightness control
2. Ambient light changes the representation, and calibration, of a display
Personally, I find there is not any appreciable difference between the *ist-D LCD and the LCD on my PCs. The PCs have all been calibrated with a Spyder Pro, and there doesn't seem to be a big issue for me.
Generally I use RAW mode - because that gives me an extra one or two stops of latitude when post-processing, plus the ability to adjust the white balance post-shoot. If I use JPG, then I use the AdobeRGB colour space. However, Elements has limited colour space management, and I would suggest you stick to using sRGB (If you have set the *ist-D to AdobeRGB, and are using Elements, and it's assuming sRGB, then the PC images will look very dull).
Colour management and profiling is more scary than learning the *ist-D, and is not easy within Elements. Full Photoshop has full colour management, but even then the subject can catch you out unless you are very switched on!
Bottom line: stick to sRGB JPG, at least until you are comfortable with the whole digital workflow.
Matt
Don't forget the following points about the *ist-D LCD (and for that matter, any display):
1. There is a brightness control
2. Ambient light changes the representation, and calibration, of a display
Personally, I find there is not any appreciable difference between the *ist-D LCD and the LCD on my PCs. The PCs have all been calibrated with a Spyder Pro, and there doesn't seem to be a big issue for me.
Generally I use RAW mode - because that gives me an extra one or two stops of latitude when post-processing, plus the ability to adjust the white balance post-shoot. If I use JPG, then I use the AdobeRGB colour space. However, Elements has limited colour space management, and I would suggest you stick to using sRGB (If you have set the *ist-D to AdobeRGB, and are using Elements, and it's assuming sRGB, then the PC images will look very dull).
Colour management and profiling is more scary than learning the *ist-D, and is not easy within Elements. Full Photoshop has full colour management, but even then the subject can catch you out unless you are very switched on!
Bottom line: stick to sRGB JPG, at least until you are comfortable with the whole digital workflow.
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Ist D LCD calibration at 18/10/2004 - 22:47
Comment by MattMatic posted on great stuff for all at 14/10/2004 - 14:37
Kay,
You should always use NiMH rechargeable batteries with digital cameras. Alkalines (even Duracells) just haven't got enough power to keep going. (You can use high capacity NiCad too, but NiMH are so cheap now and more than twice the capacity of NiCad).
You can buy a set of high capacity NiMH AA cells and a charger from several internet sources like Amazon or 7DayShop.
Try this:
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_...
£11.99 - 8 batteries and a charger.
or
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=91413
£17.99 - 4 batteries and an intelligent charger.
You should find that with these you will only normally need one set, but best keep a spare set charged up for those important moments
It beats me as to why they supply Duracells with the camera - they're only good for emergency use.
Matt
You should always use NiMH rechargeable batteries with digital cameras. Alkalines (even Duracells) just haven't got enough power to keep going. (You can use high capacity NiCad too, but NiMH are so cheap now and more than twice the capacity of NiCad).
You can buy a set of high capacity NiMH AA cells and a charger from several internet sources like Amazon or 7DayShop.
Try this:
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_...
£11.99 - 8 batteries and a charger.
or
http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=91413
£17.99 - 4 batteries and an intelligent charger.
You should find that with these you will only normally need one set, but best keep a spare set charged up for those important moments
It beats me as to why they supply Duracells with the camera - they're only good for emergency use.
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Optio 33LF Battery Problems at 04/10/2004 - 17:43
Physically they will mount (the bayonet fitting is the same spec). If your lenses have the "A" (automatic) aperture, then yes you can use them on the *ist (and *ist-D, DS, and MZ-S)!
These cameras with the so called "crippled mount" cannot read back the aperture of the lens when you manually select an aperture. So, if you have K-mount lenses that do not have the "A" setting, they will not be usable
Hope that clarifies things!
Matt
These cameras with the so called "crippled mount" cannot read back the aperture of the lens when you manually select an aperture. So, if you have K-mount lenses that do not have the "A" setting, they will not be usable
Hope that clarifies things!
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on k mounts at 22/09/2004 - 12:48
Try reformatting as FAT/FAT16 on the PC and check the *istD again.
However, if that's the case, FAT16 has a 2Gb limit.
Matt