raybrizzi

<p>Super telephotos. Are you talking about the 200-500mm f2.8 lens? The one that goes for $35,000 and weighs about 40 pounds?</p>

<p>I notice you have a dangerous option set (files like monalisa.jpg.exe from bad sites will look like monalisa.jpg). Go to tools/folder options/view and uncheck "Hide Extensions for Known File Types." This will show what type of file is there. Raw files might be either .dng(adobe raw) or .pef (pentax raw.)<br>

<br /> xnview is a free graphics viewer you can get on download.com that handles raw files and will show the exif data when you look at properties. I would try it first just to make sure. It doesn't sound good, but gettting a second software opinion might help.</p>

<p>it finally showed up on Amazon and was getting ready to order... didn't notice the small print right away</p>

<p>Usually ships within 1 to 3 months.</p>

<p>Ditto... the gnomes at PN work tirelessly giving us improvements.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>sorry! thought I was just updating the first message when I added the text from the online listing.</p>

<p>The K20D body is going for $742 at Amazon. Not a bad price, but...<br>

<br /> They're also throwing in an Optio 40 point and shoot camera and bag. The Optio goes for 189 by itself on amazon.</p>

<p>Free Optio A40 Digital Camera, Free Crossover Bag <br /> For a limited time only, purchase a qualifying <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_82934951_2?ie=UTF8&docId=1000316741&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=08QYF3TQKND7NZ269WTJ&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=465269031&pf_rd_i=B0012Q94AI">Pentax K20D digital SLR</a> and get a free 12-megapixel Pentax Optio A40 point-and-shoot digital camera and crossover bag (a total value of over $200). Simply add the K20D, Optio A40 and bag to your Shopping Cart and we'll apply the discount at checkout. Offer good only while supplies last. (Applies only to products sold by Amazon.com. Does not apply to products sold on our site by third-party merchants or through third-party areas such as Amazon.com Marketplace, Auctions, or zShops.</p>

 

<p>That automatic EXIF information when adding pictures is a terrific feature. Saves going back to lightroom to get date and all that other stuff. Thanks!</p>

<p>Hi Andrew. Apparently I was wrong... Here's a breakdown on the Hoya corporation.<br>

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/38669-structure-hoya-corporation-myth-about-tokina.html<br>

Anyway, I'm counting the days till March!</p>

<p>Hi Andrew. This corporate information seems to disagree with you about Hoya - Pentax...<br>

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/38669-structure-hoya-corporation-myth-about-tokina.html<br>

Anyway, I'm counting the days till March!</p>

The Tokina 12-24 and Pentax 12-24 are the same lens according to a number of sources I've come across, just with the $200 Pentax nameplate. So why should Tokina sell it for less, being parts of the same company?

 

I took a look at the Tamron site and they mention a March date for Pentax on the 10-24.

I'm puzzled by the recommendation to go to lightroom 1.4 when 2.0 has been out since August or so and adds many useful features. Cost perhaps...

 

Also, export just creates a copy in another format for external use. It doesn't remove the original from the catalog. Lightroom will let you make many variations of a photo, i.e. different croppings and settings, each of which can be separately exported. To get things out of the catalog, you have to either delete from disk and catalog OR just remove from catalog.

I went to B+H today to pick up a few things. the pentax model is listed on their computers but only the nikon is in stock.

 

Not going to buy anything until pentax checks out my camera, warranty runs out jan 5. I've had it with autofocus inconsistencies.

and it says it makes them for Pentax. Nothing available yet, only for Nikon, but it should be coming soon.

looking forward to this one.

http://ricehigh.blogspot.com/2008/05/k10d-firmware-13-debug-mode-unleashed.html has a link to an english version of the program.

 

the install password is penta-club.ru

 

I have been very frustrated with this focus issue and only found out about this program recently. I think it's a disgrace that they can't get something so critical to digital photography right. From my lens experience with a number of lenses, it seems that longer lenses work better, wider ones worse. I'm torn right now between sending it to Pentax or trying this program. The main issue seems to be getting OUT of debug mode from what I've read.

I tried copying the files from the last batch of 2gb cards and its capacity is about 720 pictures, the same as 4 2gb cards I copied from.

 

Maybe they used the same algorithm for calculating the capacity that they use for focusing, which would account for inconsistencies.

 

Thanks

I've been using 2gb sandisk ultra ii cards, which are fast enough to do about 8 raw pictures in continuous drive,

and seemingly unlimited jpgs. I lost one of them on a recent trip and checked prices, and the Sandisk Ultra II

8gb was at 39.99.

 

When I put a newly formatted 2gb card in the k10d, it has a capacity listed as 160. But with the 8gb card, it

only showed 476, rather than around 640 as I would expect. That's only 3 times the capacity of the 2gb. I know

there is some loss with formatting, but most of that should be reflected in four 2gb cards as well.

 

Is this just bad math on pentax's part or can there really be that much overhead in an 8gb card, losing 2gb in

formatting?

 

Thanks, Ray

I really question Pentax's marketing strategy. The 12-24 lens they sell is the same as the Tokina I can buy for a Canon for 200 dollars less, and most Tokina lenses aren't marketed with Pentax mounts though it's the same parent company probably for the same reason. I see this as a reason not to continue with Pentax in the future.

 

Competing with Leica by selling fewer but overpriced lenses? Yeah, that sounds like a winning strategy.

 

Vietnam going capitalist with a stronger currency? John Wayne must be turning over in his grave...

Well, I'm happy with the Sigma 24-60 but their 10-20 was a disaster. It wouldn't autofocus right. I could take a shot that should focus at infinity and it was set at 5 meters. On some shots, I would focus on something at 4 feet, then something at 12 feet and it wouldn't change. Back to Amazon it goes :( I'll try an exchange first because there's nothing like it at that price for pentax. Pics after thanksgiving...

Misere, unless they've changed the rules of mathematics, multiplication in any order gives the same results.

 

I don't think my photography would improve with a bigger sensor, but I would just expect better technical quality, more detail, and less noise. A smaller ratio would be great, making my wide angles even wider.

 

But I would be extremely disappointed if they came out with a Pentax that wouldn't be compatible with lenses from Pentax and other vendors that I've already bought. This would probably spell the end of the line for people buying the line.

 

At the PDN show I asked about futures and all the rep would say was that the K20D would have about the same life span as the K10D. So something should be happening late in 2009 if he's right.

I'm not happy with the noise in the K10D. Even at 200 it starts to show up. I shoot raw, so those adjustments don't come into effect. Of course, all noise reduction is slightly blurring the image, so there will always be some compromise there, just as there was with film grain. I assume they improved it with the K20d with the new sensor, but would like to hear other opinions on this.

 

I'm disappointedto hear the G10 is noisy. I was considering buying one of those nest year as a smaller less intrusive camera for some purposes. But I'll try one out myself and see.

Amazon dropped the price of the Sigma 10-20 from $567 to $487, right when I made the decision to buy one. And

also through Amazon, Cameta Camera was selling the Sigma 24-60 F2.8 for $199.

 

I guess their new i[dated lines are coming out soon. with the 24-70 replacing the 24-60. Combined with the Sigma

70-300 I bought last year, I'm set pn lenses for quite a while. Will update this with some pictures from the new

lenses in a few weeks when I break them in on vacation down south.

I had it on my canon t90 and really miss it. It's not as critical now with postprocessing, but I wish I had a quarter for every sunset slide with the horizon on some angle. It was also helpful in composition.

Well, it looks like it's me. I worked with a tech at the show, and I tried the K20D with my lens and found no difference in terms of focus, but when we used a tripod, it was fine. Better lenses were sharper as I thought, but it's not the camera. So I guess Parkinson's medication or a tripod are in my future.

 

As far as some of the shots in the folder, the high apertures were to see if that made a difference. The low speeds were because the camera adjusts the speed down if the exposure is too low.

 

Ian, I disagree on the Sigma. I'm very satisfied with this lens, and the camera's shake reduction works very well, and I get good shots even at 1/60. Pictures can be very sharp with it.

 

Haig, I tried the TAV, but at high ISO's, there is just too much noise. But it is an option.

 

Now that I know it's not the camera, I can get that Sigma 10-20 zoom lens I've wanted for a while. Thanks to all for the responses.

Thanks to all!

 

I've also noticed that it may be a motion error and that some shots were slow. But I get the same softness even shooting at 1/500. I generally exhale before shooting and press firmly. So perhaps the sensor itself is moving... the anti-shake feature. Again I will be trying my lenses on a k20d and new lenses on mine tomorrow at the NYC PDN show.

 

Maybe I'm just asking too much for a 700 camera...

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=870915

 

This folder contains dups of each picture. One was taken raw, the other jpg max size and max sharpness. Do they look sharp to you? Looking at them in the camera, the details were muddy everywhere. Tried different apertures, speeds, etc.