All Forum Comments
Comment by MattMatic posted on Will the Pentax K-mount ever be "de-crippled"? at 28/09/2012 - 09:16
Condolences to the family.
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on More sad news at 26/09/2012 - 08:45
Without a touch screen, and without a numeric keypad it would be a PITA to use
As has been said, the PIN code is there to protect the data in a phone, and that's easily accessed in a camera by removing the card.
Providing genuine security to protect the device is an enormous undertaking in terms of firmware (it's one of the areas I do for my day job )
Matt
As has been said, the PIN code is there to protect the data in a phone, and that's easily accessed in a camera by removing the card.
Providing genuine security to protect the device is an enormous undertaking in terms of firmware (it's one of the areas I do for my day job )
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on What do you value more . . . your camera or your mobile phone? at 25/09/2012 - 08:45
Quote:
I take it the IQ is ok bearing in mind the sensor is the same as any other compact camera
As far as I've seen it runs rings around other compact cameras with the same sensor I take it the IQ is ok bearing in mind the sensor is the same as any other compact camera
It's extremely nice to be able to shoot JPG, then just dump a copy of the RAW for the 'good' shots (the user interface is practically identical to the K-5, and allows a button press on review to save the last RAW file). Lightroom 4.1 includes the profiles for the Q lenses so they correct nicely.
Of course, I can get a ton more detail from the K-5, but as far as I can see, a well exposed shot from the Q will be fine to 18x12"... in fact that's next on my test list.
These are from the Q:
Cat's Whiskers (100% crop), and Dog - RAW + Topaz tools.
Shop around though... Tescos had the twin lens kit for a mere £308 (and I got mine for less than that from Park Cameras)
Trouble is... all of it's too tempting
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Q10 Vs New lens Vs K5lls at 23/09/2012 - 20:17
A very fine example of what the Q can (surprisingly) deliver
Matt
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on One with the Q at 23/09/2012 - 17:29
Just be warned with the Q...
It is ultra desirable First, my wife laid claim to it... now my son begs to use it for any college assignment. I hardly get a look in!
Having used the Q exclusively for 5 weeks while my K-5 was away for mirror box repair, I've grown to like it more and more The Q06 15-45mm is now firmly on the wish list...
Matt
It is ultra desirable First, my wife laid claim to it... now my son begs to use it for any college assignment. I hardly get a look in!
Having used the Q exclusively for 5 weeks while my K-5 was away for mirror box repair, I've grown to like it more and more The Q06 15-45mm is now firmly on the wish list...
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Q10 Vs New lens Vs K5lls at 23/09/2012 - 17:27
Update: K-5 went off for warranty repair via SRS (to Johnsons)...
...they replaced the mirror motor.
(And at the same time calibrated the body to my DA*16-50 that was seriously back-focussing. Oddly it now appears that most of the other lenses I have don't need any AF adjustment either - when they were all slightly different! The FA50/1.4 is an exception, but the DA*50-135 and DA12-24 both seem bang on the money. It's odd that adjusting the body can make all the rest fall into line!)
Looks like the shutter/mirror issue is resolved (though I'm going to give it a work out over the next week to see)
Matt
...they replaced the mirror motor.
(And at the same time calibrated the body to my DA*16-50 that was seriously back-focussing. Oddly it now appears that most of the other lenses I have don't need any AF adjustment either - when they were all slightly different! The FA50/1.4 is an exception, but the DA*50-135 and DA12-24 both seem bang on the money. It's odd that adjusting the body can make all the rest fall into line!)
Looks like the shutter/mirror issue is resolved (though I'm going to give it a work out over the next week to see)
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Every button press sounds like a photo is being taken!! at 21/09/2012 - 13:47
Warm wishes and condolences to the family.
Matt
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Tony Aylen at 21/09/2012 - 10:12
Some additional thoughts...
If you shoot high ISO, then continue to do so (maybe one notch down). A common mistake is to get a flash and try and shoot at ISO 100, hoping that the flash will somehow produce the energy of an H-bomb to light up the room
Keeping your ISO high will mean the flash isn't working so hard and your batteries will last much longer (i.e. not hearing the 'thwack' of the flash completely discharging each shot). That also helps a great deal with cycle times - if you can aim to discharge one quarter (or less) then you'll be able to rattle shots off more quickly.
I've had very, very good success with an AF-360 or AF-540 but set up this way: Manual exposure on the camera, fairly high ISO (e.g. ISO1600), and set for one or two stops darker than ambient; flash on P-TTL. That nails it every time.
If you're going to do bounce flash all the time, then a fully manual flash will do the job too! Just do a test shot or two to get everything set up and you're away... (which is the way I work for studio style photography like portraiture).
AFAIK, the Pentax flash guns are made in an OEM factory (they bear a canny resemblance to other makes of flash). The Metz I have has always been excellent, and the quality of light is more daylight balanced than the Pentax flashes. But the user interface on some of the guns can be a bit painful - especially if you're making lots of changes. It's all a bit horses-for-courses really...
Some of the bigger Metz guns have a secondary fill-in flash which is useful, and will have higher guide numbers and more power control. The cheaper Metz guns lack very fine grained power control, but the bigger units allow control down to less than one 256th! (Superb for very, very close macro flash)
Buy the best you can afford, and invest in some learning time for the situations you need to cover. (And there's my e-book on flash too :lol
This site: http://pttl.mattdm.org/ is also helpful (different Matt though )
Matt
If you shoot high ISO, then continue to do so (maybe one notch down). A common mistake is to get a flash and try and shoot at ISO 100, hoping that the flash will somehow produce the energy of an H-bomb to light up the room
Keeping your ISO high will mean the flash isn't working so hard and your batteries will last much longer (i.e. not hearing the 'thwack' of the flash completely discharging each shot). That also helps a great deal with cycle times - if you can aim to discharge one quarter (or less) then you'll be able to rattle shots off more quickly.
I've had very, very good success with an AF-360 or AF-540 but set up this way: Manual exposure on the camera, fairly high ISO (e.g. ISO1600), and set for one or two stops darker than ambient; flash on P-TTL. That nails it every time.
If you're going to do bounce flash all the time, then a fully manual flash will do the job too! Just do a test shot or two to get everything set up and you're away... (which is the way I work for studio style photography like portraiture).
AFAIK, the Pentax flash guns are made in an OEM factory (they bear a canny resemblance to other makes of flash). The Metz I have has always been excellent, and the quality of light is more daylight balanced than the Pentax flashes. But the user interface on some of the guns can be a bit painful - especially if you're making lots of changes. It's all a bit horses-for-courses really...
Some of the bigger Metz guns have a secondary fill-in flash which is useful, and will have higher guide numbers and more power control. The cheaper Metz guns lack very fine grained power control, but the bigger units allow control down to less than one 256th! (Superb for very, very close macro flash)
Buy the best you can afford, and invest in some learning time for the situations you need to cover. (And there's my e-book on flash too :lol
This site: http://pttl.mattdm.org/ is also helpful (different Matt though )
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Flash models and battery life at 20/09/2012 - 14:43
Quote:
Can't believe no one seems to want such a fine piece of glass...
Quite the contrary. I'd love the DA*60-250 (to make it a DA* threesome )Can't believe no one seems to want such a fine piece of glass...
It's just the funds won't allow it
Matt
Comment by MattMatic posted on Selling up again... at 20/09/2012 - 13:40
So much as I'd like the Pentax cameras to be more compatible with old lenses in principle, in reality I can't get too excited about it.
It would have been nice years ago when I still had M lenses.
Matt