Fun with the Pentax K5

[scho]

I got bored shooting bookshelves and went out for a walk with the K5 and 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited.

River Birch

 

[tsjanik]

Well, I still don't have a K-5, although I intend to get one. I am really enjoying the shots in this thread and I hope no one minds my posting. I'm a big fan of the 18-55mm kit lens, I also am amazed at the color from the DS sensor. Out-of -camera jpeg:

 

[scho]

Some Pentax peppers. K5 with the 35mm f/2.8 macro limited, diffuse kitchen window light at ISO 6400.

 

[vincechu]

Hey everyone, I've finally found some time to post. I've had the K5 for a good 2 weeks now, and decided on getting the FA 31 Limited as opposed to a set of lenses - so far it's not been limiting and I'm really enjoying the results (with both the lens and camera)

I've been pretty lucky and haven't had any focusing issues or sensor stains (touch wood).

St Martin's Birmingham


IMGP0038.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

Leaf from a fake plant


IMGP0001.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

ISO 80 Long exposure (think it was 30 seconds) I'm not sure why I shot at f14 (I need to get practicing my hyperfocal distances!) but love the corner sharpness of this lens.


Untitled by vincechu89, on Flickr

Self portrait of myself and Emily - blur probably because of camera shake or because the camera focused on the wrong area (I faced the camera towards us with my left hand and pushed the shutter button with the middle joint of my thumb!)


IMGP0055.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

I'm really liking what you can do with images in camera, from changing the jpg parameters to using the "in camera filter" effects (which have adjustable parameters too). This one's posterisation i think


IMGP0145.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

A friend smoking - I should have got him to pose with his mouth open so it looked like the bokeh was coming out of it ;-)


IMGP0210.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

ISO 6400! not too bad at all - looks like, or probably even better than ISO 800 on my old Panny G1


IMGP0205.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

Me by Emily, only cropped in Lightroom - love the rendition/colour from the camera + lens


IMGP0244.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

My nephew Sammy - I love how the 31mm's bokeh is smooth and it draws kind of 3d images, which kind of pop out of the screen. I'm trying to improve my "capturing the moment" and the K5's quick, accurate focusing really helps, especially with small children. I've noticed the 31mm is slightly slower than the 18-55 kit lens to focus, probably because it's heavier as it's solid metal


IMGP0283.jpg by vincechu89, on Flickr

Hope you all like the photos.

Oh and thanks to everyone who helped me decide on the K5 and 31mm, I received some top advice here - thanks!

 

[m3photo]

Re: ISO 6400

Some Pentax peppers. K5 with the 35mm f/2.8 macro limited, diffuse kitchen window light at ISO 6400.

Wow. I bet Pentax would love this one to promote high ISO capability.

 

[scho]

Re: ISO 6400

Wow. I bet Pentax would love this one to promote high ISO capability.

Hi Michael,

Yes, color holds up well at high ISO. This was processed in LR3 with no noise reduction and no saturation boost.

 

[scho]

Hey everyone, I've finally found some time to post. I've had the K5 for a good 2 weeks now, and decided on getting the FA 31 Limited as opposed to a set of lenses - so far it's not been limiting and I'm really enjoying the results (with both the lens and camera)

I've been pretty lucky and haven't had any focusing issues or sensor stains (touch wood).

Hope you all like the photos.

Oh and thanks to everyone who helped me decide on the K5 and 31mm, I received some top advice here - thanks!

Hi Vince,

Looks like you are enjoying the new K5 an 31 limited. The bokeh and sharpness of that 31 are really nice.

 

[scho]

I do most of my raw processing in LR3.3, but today I tried the new (6.1.1) version of C1 for comparison. I'm not used to the C1 environment, but liked some of the new tools. Here is a shot from today processed in both LR3.3 and C1. I used the keystoning tool in C1 to straighten the leaning sign post on the right in this image.

C1

LR3.3

 

[jonoslack]

Carl, Tsarnik, Vince and Jim - great shots . . . and welcome to the newcomers.
This thread is gradually gaining momentum! (could it be that I've been busy elsewhere! :ROTFL

Not great weather in the uK at the moment, but I was trying to catch a little of the winter sunshine through the kitchen window to catch the tulips:

K5 35 macro limited

K5 Sigma 10-20 f4

I put them on the floor to catch some sunshine there . . . and Caspar the dog thought he had something to contribute . . . .

Still Life - by Caspar and Jono:

K5 Sigma 10-20 f4

 

[scho]

Carl, Tsarnik, Vince and Jim - great shots . . . and welcome to the newcomers.
This thread is gradually gaining momentum! (could it be that I've been busy elsewhere! :ROTFL

Not great weather in the uK at the moment, but I was trying to catch a little of the winter sunshine through the kitchen window to catch the tulips:

I put them on the floor to catch some sunshine there . . . and Caspar the dog thought he had something to contribute . . . .

Still Life - by Caspar and Jono:

K5 Sigma 10-20 f4

Jono,

Beautiful tulip shots with the Sigma 10-20 and my compliments to Caspar as well for his brilliant composition.:ROTFL:

 

[m3photo]

Re: M8

Still Life - by Caspar and Jono:

K5 Sigma 10-20 f4

Brings back memories of the first M8's - the dreaded magenta blacks but only in the lower half of the shot. Does Caspar project a magenta shadow or is there another reason?

 

[jonoslack]

Re: M8

Brings back memories of the first M8's - the dreaded magenta blacks but only in the lower half of the shot. Does Caspar project a magenta shadow or is there another reason?

Hi Michael - interesting point.
Actually, I think it's just the lamb's nose - I was probably a little careless in raising the shadows here. I've not noticed any obvious IR sensitiviity with the camera, and even if this were actually evidence of it, it would be such unusual circumstances as to be irrelevant. Just imagine the light difference between the sunny wood and the shadow around the lamb.

all the best

 

[scho]

Re: M8

Hi Michael - interesting point.
Actually, I think it's just the lamb's nose - I was probably a little careless in raising the shadows here. I've not noticed any obvious IR sensitiviity with the camera, and even if this were actually evidence of it, it would be such unusual circumstances as to be irrelevant. Just imagine the light difference between the sunny wood and the shadow around the lamb.

all the best

Jono,

Could this be the magenta cast issue in the latest version of the K5 profile in Aperture?

 

[Sapphie]

Finally some Devon sunshine ... nothing very arty but I think this camera returns some of the most 'film like' dynamic range I have seen on any of my digitals. All on 18-135mm. I did find a tendency to overexposure in sunshine, which is interesting - previous Pentaxes would underexpose, LOL. Most such overexposure was recoverable but I might dial in -0.3 next time. And I'm still not convinced they are as sharp as they could be, especially at the long end, I may try some AF adjustment tomorrow ...

Lee

 

[Paratom]

My K5 preplacement is here and while I took some snapshots in the garden I realized I really like the out of camera colr and tones
I was also surprized how much alike the images came out regarding color compared to the S2.
K5:

 

[m3photo]

Re: 18-135mm

All on 18-135mm.

Lee. The more I see work done with this lens, even on top of Jono's positive writings on it, the more I'm amazed a long zoom like this can deliver such quality. Could you do us a little favour and tell us what aperture the first two were shot at? I imagine they were at the 18mm setting but the fact that even on web-sized jpegs I can make out individual trees on the horizon in the first image and separate branches at the far end of the second, both having good definition at the edges makes me think my 21mm and 70mm primes would be redundant as a travel kit with a K5.

 

[scho]

Finally some Devon sunshine ... nothing very arty but I think this camera returns some of the most 'film like' dynamic range I have seen on any of my digitals. All on 18-135mm. I did find a tendency to overexposure in sunshine, which is interesting - previous Pentaxes would underexpose, LOL. Most such overexposure was recoverable but I might dial in -0.3 next time. And I'm still not convinced they are as sharp as they could be, especially at the long end, I may try some AF adjustment tomorrow ...
Lee

Lee,
Lovely countryside images. Everything looks so lush and springlike compared to our wintry landscape here.

My K5 preplacement is here and while I took some snapshots in the garden I realized I really like the out of camera colr and tones
I was also surprized how much alike the images came out regarding color compared to the S2.
K5:

Tom,
Beautiful shot and she appears to have had some fun playing outdoors. Pentax K5 colors are indeed very nice.

 

[scho]

Re: 18-135mm

Lee. The more I see work done with this lens, even on top of Jono's positive writings on it, the more I'm amazed a long zoom like this can deliver such quality. Could you do us a little favour and tell us what aperture the first two were shot at? I imagine they were at the 18mm setting but the fact that even on web-sized jpegs I can make out individual trees on the horizon in the first image and separate branches at the far end of the second, both having good definition at the edges makes me think my 21mm and 70mm primes would be redundant as a travel kit with a K5.

Michael,

On my Mac EXIF data will be displayed by simply control/clicking on the image. Lee's first image was 18mm at f/11 and second was 36mm at f/11.

 

[Sapphie]

Hi Guys

Oh good, so I am doing something right with my K5! Glad the pics are of help.

Cheers

Lee

 

[jonoslack]

Finally some Devon sunshine ... nothing very arty but I think this camera returns some of the most 'film like' dynamic range I have seen on any of my digitals. All on 18-135mm. I did find a tendency to overexposure in sunshine, which is interesting - previous Pentaxes would underexpose, LOL. Most such overexposure was recoverable but I might dial in -0.3 next time. And I'm still not convinced they are as sharp as they could be, especially at the long end, I may try some AF adjustment tomorrow ...

HI Lee
Well - they look great to me - lovely shots, and there's certainly no sign of spring here in East Anglia - just grey and wet brrrrrr.

Tom - glad you've got your camera back - I agree, the colour is similar to Leica.
As for the sheep's nose - not the new profile, just poor post processing . . . on the other hand, with any other camera I've had that sheep would have had to stay in the shadows!

Michael - the 18-135 is pretty much welded to my body, it's small as well, and satisfyingly well made into the bargain.