Downloadable Photography Products
Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Technical guide, Uncategorized | Posted on 19-04-2010-05-2008
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The PENTAX DSLR Custom Filter (K-7, K-x) – Video
Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Pentax DSLR, Pentax Video | Posted on 01-01-2010-05-2008
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Free eBook: Mastering Digital SLR Photography
Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Technical guide, Uncategorized | Posted on 07-07-2009-05-2008
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Photography with digital SLR and “SLR-like” cameras isn’t exactly like conventional film SLR photography. Nor is it exactly like digital photography with non-SLR cameras. The DSLR has special advantages, special features, and special problems that need to be addressed and embraced. In addition, those of you who work with these cameras tend to expect more from your photography and crave the kind of information that will let you wring every ounce of creativity out of your equipment.
This is a brilliant manual to DSLR photography – you can’t miss it:
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RAW or JPEG?
Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Pentax DSLR, Pentax photos | Posted on 25-04-2009-05-2008
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RAW or JPEG?
How many articles have you read about the superiority of RAW over JPEG? Quite a few, I’m guessing. I’m sure you have also come across opinions saying that JPEG is adequate for most situations. So who is right? Which option is best? My answer is: BOTH!
You might ask “Why bother with two formats and have more work to do and take more space on your memory card?” Well, today you can buy 8GB SD card for peanuts, and having two formats is actually less work, not more (wise people say “Less is more”).
When I bought my first Pentax DSLR, I tested RAW and I thought that there’s little benefit to it, so I quickly switched to JPEG. Then after a while I had a problem with photos having really weird and unnatural colours in certain situations and shooting conditions. I spent some time trying to figure out what the problem was, until I retook those photos in RAW – the colours were perfect! So now I switched to RAW and continued snapping happily.
But now a problem appeared – my old computer was really slow at processing RAW files and it took some 30 seconds to process one photo into a JPEG (Pentium 4, 1.8Ghz). I bought a really fast computer and now it was a pure pleasure (Intel quad core: 4×2.4Ghz). 30 seconds were reduced to 3 seconds – WOW! But still, I noticed that I wasted a lot of time to make photos look really good. Suddenly a perspective of going and taking photos stopped being so appealing as I started to think about how much time I’d have to spend processing those photos.
After some time I decided to do some tests and compare RAW to JPEG again. My Pentax K10D has a RAW+ function, which makes the camera to record both RAW and JPEG at the same time. I noticed that some JPEG’s were quite different from RAW, as expected, but very often they were better! I tried to manipulate my RAW file in a lot of ways using Adobe Lightroom, and I could not produce the same colours as I had in the JPEG from the camera. Eureka! I need to use RAW+ mode all the time! Pentax even has a dedicated RAW button, but I don’t use it now at all – I constantly use RAW+JPEG mode.
Now, I save a lot of time by deleting the RAW files when JPEG’s look good, and sometimes I keep both files as they give me two different photos, both equally interesting. That’s a win-win!
Compare the photos and guess which one is from RAW
(the answer is at the very bottom of this article):
Now, let’s summarize:
• Shooting in RAW only:
1. No need to worry about white balance.
2. Sharper photos (marginally).
3. All the information is retained, so you can retrieve details that would be washed out or blackened in a JPEG.
4. Less noise (marginally).
5. Greater contrast (potentially).
6. Weigh some 5-10 times more than JPEG files, so you need a bigger memory card.
• Shooting in JPEG only:
1. Adequate for most situations.
2. Little post-processing is required.
3. Best format for storing and sharing photos.
4. Colour might be lost or distorted if wrong white balance is set in the camera.
5. Details might be lost if you over- or underexpose your photos.
• Shooting in RAW+JPEG:
1. More to choose from – you can choose to keep the best one or keep both of them.
2. Time saved on processing RAW files (you can simply delete RAW files if JPEG is good enough).
3. You don’t need to worry about white balance so much (you might screw your JPEG, but RAW is not affected by white balance).
4. More space is taken on your memory card and computer hard drive.
5. It is the safest option as you have the RAW file if you need to retrieve the details that are gone on JPEG.
So now do yourself a favour and start shooting in RAW+. For more tips and photography articles, please check other articles of this blog – www.PentaxBody.com
*Answer: the bottom photo is from RAW – you can see there are more details retrieved from underexposed photo, so it looks more natural, but the JPEG has its charm as well 
Kamil Wawrzyszko
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Which Pentax DSLR should I choose?
Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Pentax DSLR, Pentax body | Posted on 25-04-2009-05-2008
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Congratulation on choosing a really good brand of cameras – Pentax DSLR. Now you need to decide which Pentax body you want.Let me help you decide.
Have a look at the table below, and then read my thoughts about it.
|
Body |
Image Sensor |
Shake |
Dust |
Orien- tation |
Battery 4x AA vs. D-LI50 |
Continuous |
Weight |
In Pro- duction |
|
14.6 MP, CMOS, 1.54x |
√ |
√ |
√ |
D-LI50 |
2.8 |
715 |
√ |
|
|
10.2 MP, CCD, 1.53x |
√ |
√ |
√ |
D-LI50 |
3 |
710 |
||
|
10.2 MP, CCD, 1.53x |
√ |
√ |
4x AA |
2.8 |
630 |
√ |
||
|
6.1 MP, CCD, 1.53x |
√ |
√ |
4x AA |
2.8 |
570 |
√ |
||
|
6.1 MP, CCD, 1.53x |
√ |
4x AA |
2.8 |
560 |
||||
|
6.1 MP, CCD, 1.53x |
4x AA |
2.8 |
485 |
√ |
||||
|
10.2 MP, CCD, 1.53x |
√ |
√ |
4x AA |
3.5 |
525 |
√ |
These are the features you need to consider:
1. Image sensor – if your budget is a concern, 6MP is really enough, especially for party snaps. To make use of more mega pixels, you need to have a good lens, anyway, so if you only want the kit lens only (which is a good one; Pentax kit lens is much better than competition), don’t think that 10 MP will make a big difference – it will not. However, if you can afford it, go for 10 MP.
2. Shake reduction – very important. You will want to take a lot of photos in low light (indoors, cloudy day), so extra stability with every lens for free is a real McCoy (built in the camera with all new Pentax DSLR bodies).
3. Orientation sensor – really useful. Saves a lot of time of rotating those photos left and right. With orientation sensor your photo browser will rotate it for you automatically.
4. Continuous shooting – the difference between 2.8 and 3.5 fps is insignificant, so it should not be the main factor while deciding. For sport photography look for cameras with 5-10 fps. Remember, that you can’t use flash in this mode as there is no flash that can charge 3 times a second, so good lighting is required (strong sunshine preferably).
5. Battery - AA batteries are good thing, especially if you run out of power, it’s easy to buy a top up. However, I have not been very happy with rechargeable AA’s performance, which I used with my compact camera. I use Lithium-ion battery with my K10D, and I’m really happy – 300-400 photos with one charge, and flash does not seem to decrease the battery life so much. Also, it charges in around 2 seconds all through the battery cycle. I have bought 2 spares, but I only needed one so far (taking more than 300 photos takes a long enough time to charge the other battery).
Optionally, you can buy a battery grip, which gives you additional battery in a slick looking add on, but also makes your camera look more professional and gives you a second release button, which is useful for vertical shots.
6.Price - as much as you can afford, but it’s better to invest in a better lens as you are likely to buy a new camera after 2-3 years, while lenses last for 5-10 years at least.
Now make your choice!
If price is not a concern, go for K20D or K200D. However, with prices that low you should try to go for K20D – you’re not buying disposables – this will serve you for at least 3 years. If your budget is low, go for K100D with either a kit lens or with Tamron 18-250mm (for help with lens choice, please check my blog www.pentaxbody.com).
Please, do not hesitate to ask me questions on my blog.
Enjoy your Pentax experience.
Please, support me and buy from my affiliates.
Thank you
Kamil Wawrzyszko
Pentax DSLR lenses – FF, APS-C, Crop factor…what is what?
Posted by admin | Posted in Beginners Guide, Pentax DSLR, Pentax lenses, Technical guide | Posted on 23-04-2009-05-2008
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Hi Pentaxian friends.
In the 35mm film era, “non-official” standards of focal length were adopted. All camera makers were more-or-less abiding by these standards. There were the wide-angle lenses, the normal lenses, and the telephoto lenses. The zoom lenses were adopted during the 35mm film era and became standardized as well.
The old school Pentax photographers knew what to expect from a 28mm, a 50mm , a 105mm, a 200mm or a 70-200mm zoom lens. Today’s photographers (new school) using the Pentax DSLRs with theAPS-C sensor, have to think in terms of actual focal length multiplied by a crop factor of 1.5 to convert the lens to 35mm equivalent.
(The terms crop factor was made-up in an attempt to help 35 mm film format photographers understand how their existing ranges of lenses would perform on newly introduced DSLR cameras which had sensors smaller than the 35 mm film format, but often utilized existing 35 mm film format SLR lens mounts. Using an focal length multiplier of 1.5 for Pentax, a photographer might say that a 50 mm lens on his DSLR “acts like” its 50mm has been multiplied by 1.5, by which he means that it has the same field of view as a 75 mm lens on the film camera that he is more familiar with. Of course, the actual focal length of a lens is fixed by its optical construction, and does not change with the format of the sensor that is put behind it.)
Manufacturers have continued to produce lenses to the 35mm standards. A 50mm lens is still thought of as a normal lens, but when used with an APS-C sensor, the angle of view is that of a 75mm and thus becomes a better portrait lens, in terms of filling the frame. Listed below are the current line of Pentax lenses, with the 35mm equivalent.
PENTAX DIGITAL = 35MM EQUIVALENT
DA * 16-50MM F2.8 = 24-75MM
DA * STAR 55MM F1.4 SDM = 82.5MM
DA * STAR 50-135MM F2.8 = 75-202.5MM
DA * STAR 200MM F2.8 = 300MM
DA * STAR 60-250MM F4 = 90-375MM
DA * STAR 300MM F4 = 450MM
DA 10-17MM F3.5-4.5 = 15-25.5MM
DA 12-24MM F4.0 = 18-36MM
DA 16-45MM F4.0 = 24MM-67.5
DA 17-70MM F4 = 25.5-105MM
DA 18-55MM F3.5-5.6 = 27MM-82.5MM
DA 18-250MM F3.5-6.3 = 27-375MM
DA 50-200MM F4-5.6 = 75-300MM
DA 55-300MM F4-5.8 = 82.5-450MM
DA 14MM F2.8 = 21MM
DA 15MM F4? AL LIMITED = 22.5MM
DA 21MM F3.2 AL LIMITED = 31.5MM
DA 35MM F2.8 MACRO LIMITED = 52.5MM
DA 40MM F2.8 LIMITED = 60MM
DA 70MM F2.4 LIMITED = 105MM
D FA 50MM F2.8 MACRO = 75MM
D FA 100MM F2.8 MACRO = 150MM
FA 50MM F1.4 = 75MM
FA 31MM F1.8 LIMITED = 46.5MM
FA 43MM F1.9 LIMITED = 64.5MM
FA 77MM F1.8 LIMITED = 115.5MM
Back to the old school Pentax photographers expecting a 28mm, a 50mm , a 105mm, a 200mm or a 70-200mm zoom lens as he always knew, he would now need the Pentax lens closest to his 35mm equivalent. That would be the DA 21MM F3.2 AL LIMITED = 31.5MM, the 
DA 35MM F2.8 MACRO LIMITED = 52.5MM, DA 70MM F2.4 LIMITED = 105MM, the D FA 100MM F2.8 MACRO = 150MM, and the DA * STAR 50-135MM F2.8 zoom lens = 75-202.5MM . Of course, using zoom lenses, he could easily get to the focal lengths he is familiar with.
If you get all the current DA* lenses, you can cover 16-300mm or 24-450mm in the 35mm equivalent. Who said Pentax did not have a wide coverage?
I hope this help some of you visualize what the actual angle of view of the current Pentax lenses will be in terms of 35mm equivalent.
Please Note: For the purists and the advanced amateurs and the Pros, the Pentax crop factor is actually 1.53~4 as the actual measurements of the sensor is 23.5mm long x 15.7mm high for the CCD and , 23.4mm long x 15.6 high for the K20D CMOS sensor. For all practical purposes, we are using the 1.5 crop factor as Pentax also use the 1.5 factor for the conversion on their website.
Thanks for reading,
Yvon Bourque
