The Pentax "shopping cart" or the Nikon "shopping cart"?

[ukcatfan]

I've never heard of anyone doing macro work without a tripod.

This is not sarcasm, it is a serious question b/c I have not done macro work, but might like to in the future. What if the subject of your macro work is on the move, how could you use a tripod? Do you just wait for a lucky shot?

Kevin

BTW... I like your Sony analogy. Can anyone say Beta, DAT, or MiniDisk? I do not trust Sony for a split second with thier history of abandoning customers.

 

[jann1033]

This is not sarcasm, it is a serious question b/c I have not done macro work, but might like to in the future. What if the subject of your macro work is on the move, how could you use a tripod? Do you just wait for a lucky shot?

Kevin

BTW... I like your Sony analogy. Can anyone say Beta, DAT, or MiniDisk? I do not trust Sony for a split second with thier history of abandoning customers.

most of the macro stuff i have attempted has been flowers but bugs etc i am planning on setting it up where they seem to be and then waiting for the opportune moment...i have a ball head with a macro slide on it so you can move the camera in tiny increments. i figure when i see a bunch of bees or whatever , i'll set up the tripod there and then focus on a flower, lock focus and snap when a victim appears.( basically what i have been doing for birds since they are also fast ) the problem i have with macro is every little sway of the flower or camera is magnified so that makes it tough with out a tripod. i had a panning head on my old tripod and just could not get enough range of motion with it. i saw a few fat little bumble bees yesterday so i might try things today but not many flowers open here as yet. just thought since i have seen an infestation of carpenter ants in my house as of yesterday, maybe they can be my guinea( sp?) pigs before I exterminate their little bodies

 

[Master Mason]

BTW... I like your Sony analogy. Can anyone say Beta, DAT, or MiniDisk? I do not trust Sony for a split second with thier history of abandoning customers.

Some things by sony are great.... anything with an established format or standard. TV's Sound equipment, DVD players etc.

Where you get hosed with Sony is when it is something new they are trying to introduce, as they always try and go against the grain so they can rule the heap. Sometimes they are successfull see the playstation line, or the walkman line. Sometimes they suck see your examples above.

And One of my huge problems with them in the Digital Cameras is their proprietary memory...

 

[ukcatfan]

And One of my huge problems with them in the Digital Cameras is their proprietary memory...

That is actually how Canon first got my business. I was a p&s Olympus man and really liked my D460, but at upgrade time they went to xD, which was $$$ then. So, I went with an A70 that took CF, which was about 1/2 the xD price back then. The switch to SD was not as big of a deal b/c the prices were so close to CF. I have had four Canon p&s cameras now. I wold have liked to have gone with a 30D for my DSLR, but there is no way DW would ever agree to that much for a camera. She thinks I was crazy for spending over $500 for my K100D. I will have to slowly convince her that these are good investments.

Kevin

 

[Groucho]

In vaguely related territory, I just saw some of the new ad campaign that Pentax is doing, it kind of goes along with some of the stuff we've been saying here. Here's what it looks like.

One of the ads reads:

We’re lousy at marketing. Never been much for self-promotion. Here’s the thing: we’re a bunch of photography nerds. We’d rather be using our cameras than blathering on about them. And we’re always working to make them better. What’s that marketing word everyone uses? Innovation? Yeah, that applies to us. Although we’d prefer a word that’s more, well, innovative. Of course, to us innovation means building DSLRs with in-camera shake reduction that’s compatible with 24 million existing Pentax lenses. No marketing-obsessed corporate bean counter is going to green light this program. But despite our lack of horn tooting, our cameras always seem to find their way to the people we make them for. The K1000 was the best-selling SLR ever (toot!). And people are already talking about the K100D and K10D. We hear that’s called “Buzz.” Well, given that we’ve just talked about ourselves way more than we ever have in our lives, we’re going to get back to making cameras now. Happy shooting.

Another:

If you're afflicted with lens-buying addition (LBA), stop reading right now. Seriously. Because our latest offerings have the kind of unique appeal that will get your head spinning over the creative possibilities. Just imagine the things you can do with our DA fisheye 10-17mm with a true 180-degree view. Then there's our versatile, must-have FA 50mm F1.4 - you won't find a better value in a fast prime. And because you can't let even the smallest bit of space in your camera bag go unused, we offer our absurdly small pancake lenses. These ultra-thing DA Limited prime lenses include a 21mm F/3.2, a 40mm F/2.8 and 70mm F/2.4 to give you wide, normal, and telephoto options in a pancake. Just how flat are they? The 40mm marvel is all of .59 inches thin. And introducing the weather-resistant DA* 16-50mm F/2.8 and DA* 50-135mm F/2.8. These SDM lenses give you fast, quiet, accurate autofocus. More glorious glass to add to the 24 million existing Pentax lenses that are compatible with our K100D and K10D. But to those with LBA: just take a deep breath and walk away.

Good stuff, IMHO. Is this the first camera ad that specifically mentions LBA?

 

[jann1033]

In vaguely related territory, I just saw some of the new ad campaign that Pentax is doing, it kind of goes along with some of the stuff we've been saying here. Here's what it looks like.

One of the ads reads:


Another:


Good stuff, IMHO. Is this the first camera ad that specifically mentions LBA?

i don't know ..would that be innovative? groucho i just decided you are in love with pentax which is fine as long as your wife is ok with that better to be happy with a purchase than hate it

 

[fitzperry]

i don't know ..would that be innovative? groucho i just decided you are in love with pentax which is fine as long as your wife is ok with that better to be happy with a purchase than hate it

I think perhaps Groucho and my dh were separated at birth. In fact, sometimes I wish dh would get interested in photography so I could capitalize on his obsessive need to gather knowledge and constantly upgrade the techie stuff he uses. Instead I get to listen to him spout off about Linux and Infinitis.

 

[Groucho]

Jann: Yes, that's exactly it - I'm happy with my purchase. I challenge anyone to buy more camera than I did for the $367 that I spent. And everything I've learned since then just reinforces my belief that I made the right decision.

fitzperry: Well, I go on about FreeBSD, Subarus, and Lotuses. In fact, I'm building a FreeNAS box out of components lying around at the moment... (FreeNAS is a FreeBSD-based network-attached storage setup.) My wife is fairly into photography but doesn't really care what name's on the front, and for the past few years, has been more interested in having a pocket camera than an SLR. (She loves tiny electronics!) She does near choke when she sees the prices that some of the lenses go for, though - I've managed to keep my lens prices under $200 each so far... I suspect that that can't last forever!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Well, I go on about FreeBSD, Subarus, and Lotuses.

I'm quite different. I run on Windows and drive cheap, boring Hondas. I bought my NASes from Infrant. I do build many of my own PCs, but that's usually because I want something I can't get off the shelf.

I challenge anyone to buy more camera than I did for the $367 that I spent.

I worry less about the cost and more about the capabilities of the camera stuff I get. Corners were cut for me when shooting talent was handed out, so I've got to make up ground where I can.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

This is not sarcasm, it is a serious question b/c I have not done macro work, but might like to in the future. What if the subject of your macro work is on the move, how could you use a tripod? Do you just wait for a lucky shot?

Because that's a good question and this has been a long (and rather boring) thread, I'm going to repost that as a new thread. I hope you don't mind.

 

[Groucho]

I'm quite different. I run on Windows and drive cheap, boring Hondas. I bought my NASes from Infrant. I do build many of my own PCs, but that's usually because I want something I can't get off the shelf.

Well, I have way too many hobbies, and cars is a big one... if you're not afflicted with such a disease, consider yourself lucky. I'm just grateful that my father's boatlust skipped my generation, now those are expensive!

I do run Windows, of course, but like to have my servers run unix.

I worry less about the cost and more about the capabilities of the camera stuff I get.

Well, fortunately that isn't an issue, my little $367 camera has with the same sensor as the D50 and possibly the best kit lens of any DSLR. It also has spot metering and DoF preview, a big 2.5" LCD, and a top LCD unlike the D50/XT/XTi. I'd say that I've got as many capabilities as any entry-level DSLR, with the exception of the K100D and A100, just because they have IS. I've also got an exceptional 50mm, a pretty darn good 50-200mm, a very nice 16mm fisheye, and a passable 400mm, plus my old lenses from my 35mm days - all for a little under $1,000! As someone who is concerned about cost and value, I think that's a pretty amazing pile of equipment for the amount of money invested, and the only lens that's maybe a little subpar is the ancient 400mm, but I actually got some surprisingly good shots when I took it to the zoo last weekend. By and large, moving to another camera will not gain me improved image quality, just more features.

I'm sorry you're bored with the thread. But I think we long agreed to disagree. No worries...

 

[Groucho]

One last thing: there's an interesting interview here with Pentax management. The key points:

Successor to both K100D and K10D should be out before November, they're shooting for new updates about every year, and they don't want them to be trivial updates; ie, a slightly bigger LCD, slightly more mp, etc.

High-end (K1D?) camera in development, maybe a full-frame? Maybe 1.25 crop factor? They're currently paying attention to what the K10D owners are looking for in an upgrade.

Their DSLRs are, unsurprisingly, selling very well, better than even their best predictions. They are working to increase capacity and are shooting for 20% of the market in a couple years.

Lots more lenses coming.

It sounds like it should be another exciting year for Pentax fans!

 

[Goofy4Disney!]

I have been debating and researching...and researching...and researching...and being a voyeur and reading this thread...for a while now. Thanks to this thread, I do believe my decision has been made. Pentax K100D...here I come. Thanks thread!

 

[KrazyPete]

Thanks to this thread, I do believe my decision has been made. Pentax K100D...here I come.

Groucho needs to put a camera store affiliate link in his signature so he can earn a commission on all of his sales.

 

[handicap18]

It also has spot metering and DoF preview, a big 2.5" LCD, and a top LCD unlike the D50/XT/XTi.

The D50 does have a top LCD and spot metering. DoF preview is done by taking the picture and viewing it on the rear LCD. But it is only 2".

The XT/XTi don't have spot metering or the top LCD, not sure about DoF preview.

 

[jann1033]

xt has dof preview...wondering.... not to change the subject but this kind has run it's course anyway right?... what is the difference between spot and partial metering...if this offends thread purists i can start another

 

[Groucho]

Spot metering should be more exacting than partial, ie, only looking at the very center (or the "dot" if you can pick one.)

Goofy4Disney, good choice, I predict you'll love it.

Handicap18, I meant that the neither the D50, XT, or XTi feature all of those features, only some of them. DoF preview by taking a temporary photo is kind of cheating, you have to admit.

 

[tinksdad]

xt has dof preview...wondering.... not to change the subject but this kind has run it's course anyway right?... what is the difference between spot and partial metering...if this offends thread purists i can start another

Not a lot of difference between the two as I understand, just a matter of size of meter sample. Spot metering covers about 1% to 3.5% of the image area (typically 3.5%). Partial metering covers about 9.5%. The different cameras handle the metering differently.
Check out this link, some good stuff there if you can retain it.....
PhotoZone

 

[jann1033]

Not a lot of difference between the two as I understand, just a matter of size of meter sample. Spot metering covers about 1% to 3.5% of the image area (typically 3.5%). Partial metering covers about 9.5%. The different cameras handle the metering differently.
Check out this link, some good stuff there if you can retain it.....
PhotoZone

that's what it looks like to me as well
wasn't sure if the "retention' meant me personally but yep i decided to bookmark it instead of trying to just remember..guess I need to go back to "understanding exposure" again as well. thanks for the link

 

[FutureSailor]

Just thought I would post an update (and thank everyone for their input). I decided to go with the Pentax K100D. In the end it really came down to the feel of the camera. I did take a bunch of test shots over the weekend and had some prints made at Walgreens. So far I really like that the image shown is really the image that prints (this is probably true of all digitals, but it is really cool to see right away what the picture will look like.) Specifically, I am pleased with the indoor shots without the flash. Some of the outdoor shots I took at dusk did not do well at all--extremely dark (underexposed). I'll have to play around with the manual settings. But I am happy to have finally made a decision! My advice to those who are still trying to decide--pick one, try it out, and if you hate it, take it back!