Fun with the Pentax K5

[Jim Radcliffe]

Pentax K5 IIs in a weird Antique store..

I came across a very strange antique store not long ago and decided to revisit it for the sole purpose of shooting the strange stuff I saw there. All shot with the Pentax K5 IIs and DA 35mm macro lens. ISO was 1600-3200 due to the extreme darkness inside the building.

The first is really weird.. antique wedding dress on an unusual mannequin.

A vase of some kind I believe....

Military shoes of some type.. I believe from India....

Back in a very dark corner of the building I found this crucifix hanging on a weathered green door...

I thought these old shells might be a good monochrome experiment...

This last shot was literally shot in almost total darkness between stacks of shelves with very little light available.. ISO 3200 on this one at 1/13s handheld. Apparently this is the fabled "Typewriter Graveyard".

 

[benroy]

Jeepers, Jim! 1/13s handheld...you must have neurosurgeon's hands.

Roy Benson

 

[Jim Radcliffe]

Jeepers, Jim! 1/13s handheld...you must have neurosurgeon's hands.

Roy Benson

I do have very steady hands... I utilize what Uncle Sam taught me about firing a rifle... breathe, exhale and squeeze the trigger.. er.. shutter release. What's the saying? One shot, one kill.

 

[Jim Radcliffe]

Re: Fun with the Pentax K5 IIs - One more..

Here is one more that I really liked from the K5 IIs. Another low light shot with the DA 35mm.

After two weeks of using the K5 IIs I am sure that I made the right decision to upgrade. The fine detail I am getting truly is better than what I was getting out of the original K5. I think this shot is a testament to that effect.

 

[woodmancy]

Re: Fun with the Pentax K5 IIs - One more..

Here is one more that I really liked from the K5 IIs. Another low light shot with the DA 35mm.

After two weeks of using the K5 IIs I am sure that I made the right decision to upgrade. The fine detail I am getting truly is better than what I was getting out of the original K5. I think this shot is a testament to that effect.

Yes Jim, it is. I feel the same way as you about the resolution of the K5lls.
I have three cameras that use Sony chips without AA filters (K5lls, Ricoh A12 M, and Ricoh A16 Zoom) They all provide delicious looking images, even at small size. I think something really positive happens to micro contrast with that filter removed. The Sigma DP Foveon users are also chatting about the same effect (in there case, they might have too much resolution!)

Keith

 

[Jim Radcliffe]

K5 IIs and the lowly WR 18-135mm Kit Lens

I Don't Know His Name

I visted a construction site today and one of the workers had just finished spray painting some drywall. He had just taken off his respirator and I asked him if I might take his photograph. He agreed.

By the way, this was taken with the much maligned Kit Lens WR 18-135mm Looks pretty good to me.. maybe the lack of the AA filter on the K5 IIs is working for this lens rather than against it.

Pentax K5 IIs WR 18-135mm

 

[ustein]

Jim, again great images.

 

[Ario Arioldi]

Jim, again great images.

+1

 

[Knorp]

+1

+2 And Jono liked that much maligned lens a lot too.
I have no experience with it, but on your K5 IIs it certainly looks superbe.

All the best.

 

[Rich M]

Keith and Jim....these really are some great images.

Keith, I recently picked up the 15mm.....THAT lens has some secret sauce. Very different than what I expected.

Jim....quite a few of the lens that I expected to be stellar on the K-5 disappointed (both the FA31 and FA43). They also needed significant amounts of micro adjustment.
These same lenses have found a second life on the K5iiS, so your 18-135 shot doesn't surprise me.

R

 

[Jim Radcliffe]

Keith and Jim....these really are some great images.

Jim....quite a few of the lens that I expected to be stellar on the K-5 disappointed (both the FA31 and FA43). They also needed significant amounts of micro adjustment.
These same lenses have found a second life on the K5iiS, so your 18-135 shot doesn't surprise me.

R

I have both of those lenses and they seem to perform well on my IIs. They do not live on my camera but I use them for low light work and more often than not when I want to do a B&W conversion.. they just seem to produce really good files for B&W conversion.

None of my lenses have needed any micro-adjustment on the K5 IIs but every one of them did require micro-adjustment on my original K5.. and not all the same adjustment either.... I can't figure that one out... but I am not going to waste time trying... on the K5 IIs I am finally getting the IQ I was hoping for from the K5 system when I switched from Canon to Pentax.

My DA* 16-50 returned yesterday from CRIS (replaced SDM) and it too seems to be working properly again with no micro-adjustment.

 

[raist3d]

Re: Pentax K5 IIs in a weird Antique store..

Jim- some interesting light, subjects in this sequence (old shop, old wedding dress). One thing that caught my attention on the technical side of things- no color MOIRE on that dress? I don't see it at least at this size in an obvious way anywhere (or not so obvious way even)- is this the case? I am surprised.

- Raist

 

[raist3d]

Re: Fun with the Pentax K5 IIs - One more..

Here is one more that I really liked from the K5 IIs. Another low light shot with the DA 35mm.

After two weeks of using the K5 IIs I am sure that I made the right decision to upgrade. The fine detail I am getting truly is better than what I was getting out of the original K5. I think this shot is a testament to that effect.

I must say now I am seeing more of that extra detail I expected to see. To me the #1 need to upgrade continuous being the AF. If the AF of my K-5 was predictable most of the time with the lenses I use the most, I wouldn't mind.

That said, if the color moire is hard to get (still thinking about that old wedding dress shot you did) I may as well go for a K-5IIs and not the K-5II.

- Raist

 

[raist3d]

Well, I'll be damned. I saw a string of shots on Flickr with K-5IIs and I am starting to see a difference. I may very well go for it including for weddings, moire be damned.

- Raist

 

[VladimirYo]

Party. First kiss I guess.

 

[Knorp]

A sweet moment captured, Vladimir.
Though, the masked figures are a bit scary.

All the best.

 

[raist3d]

A sweet moment captured, Vladimir.
Though, the masked figures are a bit scary.

All the best.

I have to agree with Knorp... those masked figures..... umm... ay.



- Raist

 

[mediumcool]

Saturday night at the pub

K-5/16–45/iso3200

 

[Knorp]

For a Saturday night that's one empty pub !
So, where's the crowd, Ian ?
:chug:

All the best.

 

[Jim Radcliffe]

Just Back from New Orleans & Mardi Gras with the K5 IIs

I've spent the last week in New Orleans doing photography with the K5 IIs during Mardi Gras. Had a wonderful time. Shot over 1500 frames during a five day stay.

The K5 IIs performed perfectly. No problems, no glitches, no lockups.. just good dependable photography. The weather was a bit rainy and damp but the K5 was totally unaffected. Worst case situation was Tuesday night when there was fog rolling in off the Mississippi River and I was waiting to shoot the Trolley line that rolls beside the river. The fog caused a bit of condensation on the front element of the DA* 16-50mm but I was able to keep it clear by using a bit of lens tissue. The K5 IIs is a keeper. AF was accurate and performed extremely well in very dark situations at night.

The shot below is the kind of shot I drive 8.5 hours to take. Mardi Gras is so much more than the drunkenness and flashing on Bourbon Street. This was taken with the DA*16-50mm f/2.8 ISO 200 @ 1/80s.

And one more........