Fun with the Pentax K5

[scho]

A day in Sarasota - all with the 18-135.

A craft show downtown.

A short walk to the pier and a view of a yacht that had come into town. The yacht is a traveling art gallery and we planned to go but there was an hour or two wait in the sun just to get in.

Jim

Jim,

Very nice walkabout series with the 18-135. I envy the abundant sunshine and warmth that you seem to be enjoying. We are still waiting for the snow to go away.

 

[Amin]

Really lovely macro series, Jono.

 

[jonoslack]

Really lovely macro series, Jono.

Thank you Amin . . . . have you cracked yet :ROTFL:

Those macros are hand held - one of the great things is to use the TAV setting, where you set the shutter speed and aperture, and the camera uses the ISO to get the exposure right - I've also taken to using continuous focus for hand held macros, which really takes away the sway!

Nice shots from Sarasota Jim - I like the first one best.

all the best

 

[Amin]

Thank you Amin . . . . have you cracked yet :ROTFL:

I'm not on the verge of cracking... Very content with my current kit .

I do wish my GH2 had the precious metal thing going on though. I'll just continue to admire from afar .

 

[Sapphie]

I am going to try to use TAV more, as I think some of my 'softer' shots are simply due to not fast enough shutter speeds.

I have a G1 and wondered long and hard about K5 or GH2 and wish I had the time (and the financial justification) to be able to play with both. I could get a GH2 for less than the price of a not-required-but-lusted-for silver K5 (no I haven't yet seen, touched, smelt one etc) but I think I will probably plump for the 35mm macro and 21mm lenses next.

Pentax are supposed to be (maybe) having a mirrorless camera that may take the K mount lenses some day?

Lee

 

[Armanius]

HI There
the 18-135 is great, of course, it's not as good as the primes, and it's a little prone to CA - but it's very small, nicely made, quite, quick to focus and takes great shots - the very good high ISO makes it better than it might otherwise seem. It also focuses closely enough for most of my purposes.

as for the 100 WR - I agree that the oisy screwdriver motor is a pain - especially when going from close up to distance - I've taken to doing it by using the MF clutch mechanism, i.e. if I'm going from close to distance or vice versa, then I'll do it manually before starting the AF - it's a great relief from that awful feeling when the damn thing has started the marathon treck from 3" to infinity and back to 2.5"!:ROTFL:

I just put in an order for the Tammy 17-50 and Siggy 17-50. Will test them both and see how they compare with the DA21 at equivalent apertures. The constant 2.8 was the selling point, but may end up with the 18-135 anyway for more flexibility and the super fast AF.

Yes, it is a total marathon when the 100 runs through the entire focus distance. Reminds me of a dentist's office with the drill. Painful.oke:

 

[ecsh]

Well, enough watching. Saw that Jono was selling his 100 macro, and got worried it was not good. Now i know better. Just out from the yard, nothing artistic.

 

[Armanius]

Well, enough watching. Saw that Jono was selling his 100 macro, and got worried it was not good. Now i know better. Just out from the yard, nothing artistic.

Nice sharp photos! I love the 100 WR! Jono is selling his 100?

 

[Armanius]

I am going to try to use TAV more, as I think some of my 'softer' shots are simply due to not fast enough shutter speeds.

I have a G1 and wondered long and hard about K5 or GH2 and wish I had the time (and the financial justification) to be able to play with both. I could get a GH2 for less than the price of a not-required-but-lusted-for silver K5 (no I haven't yet seen, touched, smelt one etc) but I think I will probably plump for the 35mm macro and 21mm lenses next.

Pentax are supposed to be (maybe) having a mirrorless camera that may take the K mount lenses some day?

Lee

Lee-

So far, I have found that my K5 with DA21 wide open produces very sharp files at ISO 80, at least on the center. I took a few photos during an art festival last weekend and will post them soon. I was very impressed with the quality of the photos. I don't believe the GH2 is sharper than the K5 at base ISO. In my eyes, they are at least equally sharp. It may however be largely dependant on the lens used. I thought the GH2 was sharper than the Sony A55 though, even when I was using the Zeiss 16-80. The K-5 photos also seemed to have more "pop" to it than the GH2.

While the K-5 is a bit bigger and heavier than I care for, at this time, even though my experience with both cameras has been fairly limited, I can say that I like the IQ from the K-5 still photos more than the GH2. On the other hand, I like the handling of the GH2, the fast AF even with the LCD, and the swivel LCD better.

Alas, if they could just stick the guts of the K-5 into a weather sealed body shaped like the GH2 (and add a front dial and a couple more buttons).

 

[jonoslack]

Well, enough watching. Saw that Jono was selling his 100 macro, and got worried it was not good. Now i know better. Just out from the yard, nothing artistic.

I quite agree - it's great. My issue was not about the quality, but that when I want macro I'd rather use the 35mm, and if I want 100mm, then I'm more likely to have a longer zoom attached.

I was hoping to use the funds for a 77 FA - which I would use for portraits.

So, my lens sales are nothing to do with quality, but more to do with amount of use . . .

Having said all of that, I'm beginning to wonder about the 100 macro anyway :ROTFL:

 

[ecsh]

The 77 is a wonderful lens, LOL.
Too many nice primes here in this line to iqnore it any longer. The only one i did not make friends with was the 15 as well. Mine was soft all over at F4. At F8 the center was still not sharp.
Joe

 

[jonoslack]

Not a nice day here, but it's kind of teetering on the edge of spring.

so here are some springish shots!

First some coffee - here is the debris:

with the 35 f2.8 macro

We had the first asparagus the other evening - I guess it had been forced, and it wasn't that grand, but it's always a treat:

with the 18-135

The chickens are enjoying it - even our pathetic auraucana cockerel!

16-50 DA*

The daffodils are in full swing

16-50 DA*

 

[benroy]

Pentax K-5 with Sigma 70/2.8 Macro lens: first day's tryout images.

Roy Benson

 

[ashwinrao1]

Great captures, Roy!

 

[ashwinrao1]

with the 35 f2.8 macro

Nice, Jono...the creamy rendition is perfect here!

 

[ashwinrao1]

A few macros...heavy handed processing, all shot with a 100 mm f/4 SMC-M lens, shot manually and handheld at ISO 1600, wide open, using the K5 in early evening lighting:

'

Seems like spring has brought out the macro in all of us...

 

[JMaher]

Ashwin,

I really like the first B&W macro. The texture makes the photo.

Jim

 

[iiiNelson]

Great shots all.
Jono- You always have great pictures of the "ordinary" things in life.

Roy- That Sigma looks like a winner. Very good color, sharpness, and pop.

Ashwin - That 100/4 looks like it's working out. The texture is great and gives the impression of film grain and watercolors.

I should stay away from this section of the forum. My K5 resistance is wearing down daily.

 

[Paratom]

HI There
the 18-135 is great, of course, it's not as good as the primes, and it's a little prone to CA - but it's very small, nicely made, quite, quick to focus and takes great shots - the very good high ISO makes it better than it might otherwise seem. It also focuses closely enough for most of my purposes.

as for the 100 WR - I agree that the oisy screwdriver motor is a pain - especially when going from close up to distance - I've taken to doing it by using the MF clutch mechanism, i.e. if I'm going from close to distance or vice versa, then I'll do it manually before starting the AF - it's a great relief from that awful feeling when the damn thing has started the marathon treck from 3" to infinity and back to 2.5"!:ROTFL:

Jono,
you should hear the Leica 120Macro going from close to infinity. I wonder how many horsepowers the motor has.

 

[Amin]

Can Jono or anyone else tell me whether the silver color of the silver K-5 comes from silver paint on the body, or is that the color of the metal itself we are looking at?

Not that I am considering buying one or anything .