Hin's Photo Corner: pentax k-5

Showing posts with label pentax k-5. Show all posts

Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4.0 for inexpensive full frame budget wide zoom

2016-04-08 Posted by Hin Man

If you are tight on budget, I recommend Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4.0. It is not likely in the same league but a wide lens that is FF and proves itself on my K-5

Wall With Glasses & Water
by Hin Man, on Flickr

Exploratorium Entrance
by Hin Man, on Flickr

IMGP7689
by Hin Man, on Flickr

Meet Up
by Hin Man, on Flickr

Tree Age
by Hin Man, on Flickr

Two Friends
by Hin Man, on Flickr

It is a dependable and consistent lens that I love even in aps-c use. It is not common lens that you find on eBay but you are on tight budget and don't mind having a 'follow interest' on ebay, this one should come in the range of $175 to $275.

Pentax K-3 -- The New Standard of Performance

2013-10-22 Posted by Hin Man

Allen Birnbach is the photographer behind the shooting. More of his work can be seen in his website and his blog.

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8 and Sony NEX 5N

2013-01-30 Posted by Hin Man

The lithium grease seems to work well with my ball-head and I manage to try my travel camera with Nex 5N on the same Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB). It is another problem and challenge to face as the nex is a thin body and I don't have the expensive L bracket. The setup oscillates even when I try to touch the focusing ring. Unlike the Pentax, my travel camera don't have SR for manual lens and with the setup, I pick a higher ISO 400 to shoot the moon yesterday night to gain for a faster shutter to avoid shaking

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm adaptall-2 f/8 (55BB) and Sony NEX 5N

Tamron SP adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB) mounted on NEX 5N

Having a flip out LCD is a big plus especially when the moon rises more to the vertical above.

Tamron mirror and Sony nex 5N on tripod

All documentary pictures was shot single hand with K-5 and FA 43mm as my left hand is holding a remote for the nex 5N setup. I usually do documentary with DA 35 but the 43 is more suited for night shooting

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB) and Sony NEX 5N

Having the fold out LCD is a great help especially when the moon is closer to the vertical above you. And I share the same pain on my first shooting where I have to crouch under my tripod to find the moon with K-5. But in actual shooting in hand-held shots without tripod, the optical viewfinder in K-5 allows me to back myself against a wall and brace with the camera aimed high to the moon. The shooting becomes easier without the restraint of tripod. I am lucky to have the lightweight Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror as it is quite alright to hand-held the moon shots with the mirror lens in iso 200 ~ 400 and have a higher shutter.

And with a fold out LCD, I find the setup with less restraint and with more freedom to find the moon when used on a mono-pod

This is my mono-pod setup with the Tamron mirror mounted on my nex. I have an inexpensive Dolica WT-1003 mono-pod and a very cheap Manfrotto RC2 like quick release from Amazon. I am thinking of Manfrotto 494 ball head for my next upgrade on my lightweight traveling setup. If any of you have manfrotto 494, please help me if there is better alternative that I can consider in similar price range. My current traveling tripod head is Manfrotto 3229 which works better on mono-pod but falls short on a tripod due to absence of a ball head for more directional control.

My boy helps in holding the mono-pod setup. The Tamron mirror lens is actually quite small in use and it is one of long focal lens that I actually enjoy shooting hand-held. But it is best use on a mono-pod if lowest iso is what you are after. The AF ring is very capable for fine tuning. Sharpness and color is very reasonable for such a long focal length. When time allows, I will try to reshoot similar moon pictures with my 300mm with a 1.7x TC -- Photosniper Tair Phs 300mm f/4.5 or my F* 300mm f/4.5

Hin's Camera Gear

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror and Pentax K-5

2013-01-28 Posted by Hin Man

I was up all night attempting the moon after few days of rains in California. I had a lot of trouble tonight with my tripods and focusing. I never manage to shoot the moons well for various reasons. And Jupiter is absent and perhaps hidden in the clouds. With the clouds moving in and out, I am not able to focus on the moon. All shots come out burry and not worthy of showing.

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 adaptall-2 mirror lens (55BB) and Pentax K-5

My eyes are getting old with bi-focal glass and I see two moons if I shoot with glass and I can't see anything in focus if I take off my glass. I am desperate for a photo. I can only salvage the old shot that I took in 2009. The shooting was much easier then

pentax K20d, pentax f* 300mm f/4.5, pentax afa 1.7x TC

Old shot in 2009 with K20D and Pentax F* 300mm f/4.5 and Pentax AFA 1.7x TC.

All shots with my 300mm primes fail to deliver. I will show what I manage to get with the Tamron adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0.

When it is close to midnight, I manage to see the clouds escape from the scenes. But my tripod head gets stuck in earlier shooting. It was all my fault as I got it damaged in dropping my tripod onto sand and no matter how I clean the adjustment knobs after the accident, it is never like its original form.

I give up on my tripods tonight and shoot with Tamron adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror lens. These are not great shots as I am shooting all hand-held with the mirror lens. I will try to fix my Linhof ball-head with lubricant. If you know of the right lubricant to use on ball-head damaged with sand and water invasion, please help me with a comment.

Pentax K-5 and Tamron SP adaptall-2 500mm f/8.0 mirror (55BB)

Darn it, the more that I look at it, the more my moon shots look exactly like a water melon. It is a shame. It may have something to do with my post processing. Watermelon is all jammed in my tired mind Yesterday late into the making of Jupiter missing Moon shots

My very watermelon like Moon shot

Hin's Camera Gear

Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) on Pier with Twilight

I am cheap-o lens fanatics and as usual, I have strange shots with the Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) just to see the off focus rendering that includes ring lights. I like to see how the lens renders. My previous post on Seeing Lights At Night with Pentax K-5 was using the FA 43mm limited in f/2.2 and close distance ring lights all show hexagon shapes. And I personally prefer a round ring lights, the closer to a circular shape, the more pleasing that I find. Distance play a factor as the farther it goes, the hexagon shaped ringed lights from the FA 43 will turn closer to a circular rings. The following two shots were taken purposely off-focus a bit at f/2.8 with the Tamron prime

The background is a pier in Cayucos beach where I found myself alive, well and grateful for photo opportunities while enjoying the scenes and togetherness with family.

tamron adaptll-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) on pier with twilight color using Pentax K-5

Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) and Pentax K-5 on Pier with Twilight

Around the same twilight color time zone, this is also an odd time to take portraits. But it can be rewarding if I use flash. I ain't a strobist and I certainly dislike the use of built-in flash. In traveling, I seldom find myself carrying an external flash. Whenever I come to a decision to filling a slot in my Kata bag, I always end up choosing an extra lens instead of the flash -- the flash is just too bulky and heavy. I ran into professional photog like shooting in the beach in a couple of occasions with serious flash shooting takes place after sunset while the background is the dimming twilight after sunset.

With lack of strobing gear, I used the built in flash and I normally try to dial in negative 1/3, 2/3 or even 1 stop in flash adjustment. But with the 135mm and a far distance, the flash compensation can be moot.

I wish in 2013 to make a change and bring a flash instead. At the minimal, I am trying to find a trustworthy diffuser that I can count on. I am looking to this built-in flash diffuser in Amazon. I tried film cartridge but I am not finding satisfactory results. If you have tips with a smaller flash that is easy to carry in traveling, please clue me in. I have bought this Neewer slave flash from Amazon for my use with Sony NEX and I will try it with Pentax built-in flash but I need a light blocker to shield the built-in flash as a master for the optical slave.

Similar twilight color shots happen on an earlier day on the Cayucos pier. Not as dramatic color but the blue, orange and red varies as time gets deeper into the evening.

Cayucos Beach Pier

with FA 43mm f/1.9 limited

My model on far end on the pier

with FA 43mm f/1.9 limited

And this is the parting shot where my model dodges to my right and I pan right and miss my original framing on the fishing poles on left. I did not clean up the noise, shot in 1600 straight out of K-5 and FA 43mm f/1.9 @ f/2.5.

I don't know if it is the AWB picked up by the camera, there are times that the same scene will come as more red and yellow while a slight change of angle will have all the bluish tint in the background.

Parting Scene On Cayucos Beach Pier

with FA 43mm f/1.9 limited

Related:

Seeing Lights At Night with Pentax K-5

Hin's Camera Gear

Twilight Color After Sunset with Pentax K-5

2013-01-26 Posted by Hin Man

I shot this one about 30 minutes after sunset. I often find the mystic colors right after sunset magical. As usual, my older boy does his best in running away from my camera and I can only shoot him in a distance with a longer focal length. I have my K-5 with Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B). Picture was taken in Pismo Beach over the long weekend.

Twilight Color After Sunset with Pentax K-5, Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

K-5 and Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

And about 30 minutes earlier, I missed the sunset shots for late arrival to the beach I mange to get this one in focus for the last few seconds of rim light from the sunset

K-5 and Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

And the not-in-focus shot earlier

K-5 and Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B)

A forum discussion mentions about the wonderful work of J M W Turner's seascapes using beautiful watercolor in his sesscapes paintings. It is an inspiration and fascinating work to study from the great artist. Here is another shot of my running boy in the twilight color

I found the mystic colors usually about 15 to 45 minutes right after sunset. I usually see the glow of red and orange as the residual light from sunset. And bluish tint comes along when the darkness approaches the lighting scenes gradually and quickly. It is a suite of magical colors in red, orange and blue and the mix varies upon angles and how much darkness looms over the residual light from the sun.

And I will encourage everyone not to shy away from a scene that looks unusually dark to our naked eyes. The timing is right around 30 minutes after sunset. That was the time that you think that the AF or MF will hamper your shooting in focusing. Sure enough, I have my share of troubles in focusing as my eyes are aged. But my enthusiasm and fascination of the dark scenes take over the handicap. The K-5 ups two notches and pick up the slack with great metering and AWB. I would have an easier job if I have my favorite zoom with Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8. But the traveling light criteria takes over in the decision to bring my Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) instead. I fault in a lot of focusing errors but that manual 135mm prime excels with lighter weight and compact form factor in traveling.

Here is a shot that is less dramatic but I like it as my wife darts with joy in catching up with my boy

Seeing Lights At Night with Pentax K-5

2013-01-17 Posted by Hin Man

My family visited the Global Winter Wonderland in Great America in Santa Clara of California. I was totally fascinated with the light displays in the park. I have my K-5 and it was a joy to use along with FA 43mm and DA 15mm.

pentax K-5, pentax da 15mm f/4.0, global winter wonderland, great america park

Pictures linked to my flickr page for more exif information.

Hin's Photo Corner

Tamron 17-35mm f/2.8-4.0 for inexpensive full frame budget wide zoom

Pentax K-3 -- The New Standard of Performance

Related

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8 and Sony NEX 5N

Moon Chasing with Tamron SP 500mm f/8.0 mirror and Pentax K-5

Tamron adaptall-2 135mm f/2.5 (03B) on Pier with Twilight

Twilight Color After Sunset with Pentax K-5

Seeing Lights At Night with Pentax K-5

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