FWIW, Apparently the book is less reflective than the bigger card. So the book is more suited to photographing fine art (which is generally where I need the exact colour match) etc.

Although the 203 says you can do JPG as well, I'm not 100% sure how! It seems geared towards a RAW workflow (and much better for it, compared to the 201, IMHO).

I will take a little while since I'm trying also to see if there is any significant colour shifts in the K5 and Q through the ISO ranges. Initial examination looks good (which means I can use a single profile file). I'll then have to work out how much things shift when using different lighting...

Matt

I did the same originally... but decided to stump up the cash last week
(Happy I did )

The process is quite, quite different

The QPcard 201 (which I've had since 2005) works with their software to process a JPG and correct it for the scene.

The QPcard 203 is for digital camera profiling/calibration. It creates a profile file for Lightroom & ACR (and can do ICC files too) so that colour are accurately rendered. The white balance is a secondary process within the RAW program.

As I said, I'll do some more technie notes later
Matt

Just received my QPcard 203 book

I had a bit of time this morning, and some artwork to copy (legally!), so put the QPcard to good use. The weather was nicely overcast, so I grabbed RAW reference images with the K5 and the Q at all ISO settings

Am incredibly pleased with the results - I produced a set of Lightroom profiles and the differences are sometimes subtle, but nonetheless worthwhile. Tried a set of flower and tree images too - lilacs and purples are much more "defined", greens are less 'icky' and warmer, light blues are richer. In fact, the scenes are much more like I remember them (though admittedly my colour memory is not that great). I'll certainly be using my profiles in favour of "AdobeStandard", that's for sure.

The QPcard.se website is helpful, but I feel there are a couple of things not spelled out enough (especially for first time users to colour management). So, I'll probably add a couple of extra bits here

Effectively you profile the camera with the QPcard - and that process is practically instantaneous.
Then, you need a decent grey point for each scene to get the white balance (and the card has that on there too - though any grey card will do).

More info and results to come later...

Matt

There are a couple of web pages that show similar ideas:
http://cow.mooh.org/projects/tiltshift/diyexamples.html

http://www.creativepro.com/article/build-a-tilt-shift-camera-lens-peanuts

It's interesting to me looking at the Olympus lens you've used Firstly, the back mount is easily removed, and secondly the 'throat' is nice and narrow. The Pentax M42 screw thread lenses aren't much good for this project as the mount isn't easily removed, and the throat is large.

...going to scour the second hand shops for cheap lenses to butcher now

Matt

Is the lens fixed to f/1.8 aperture, and set to infinity and you focus with by physically moving the whole lens?

And how did you bond to the K-mount body cover?

Might reuse an aged 50mm f/2 M42 Pentax lens....

Thanks!
Matt

No problem...

ND4 is 2Ev (two stops)
ND2 is 1Ev (one stop)

See: http://www.darktable.org/usermanual/ch03s04s12.html.php

If you have TTL metering, then the meter should be able to 'just work' - assuming that when the ND is added the exposure is not out of the exposure range of the meter

Matt

My guess is you've enabled lens correction on the camera

The DA lenses are "known" and will be corrected for distortion and CA but the older FA lenses will just save immediately (because the camera won't be know the correction details).

Personally, I do all the corrections in LR anyway from RAW and so leave in camera correction turned off

Matt

Definitely possible... Think iMatch for PC does it.
Also some free & Open Source packages out there somewhere - can't remember names at moment!
Matt

I've also put on washing up gloves (aka Marigolds) to get some extra grip
But the hair-drier tip is useful... as long as it's not too hot!
Matt

"I've got it...."
Matt