kelvin_lau

That's correct Jamie, I was referring more to the full-time manual focus feature available to Canon lenses. I wasn't aware that Pentax had the feature available to some of their newer lenses - in which case the 'OK' button AF function makes more sense.

 

I am not familiar with Hyper Manual so I can't comment on that, but when you use the AE-L button in manual exposure mode it seems to decide on its own shutter-aperture combination, probably based on its own AE program. You can't bias it towards one end or the other. When using TV or AV mode it functions normally as an AE Lock button.

I would also like to add that Pentax added an excellent function when manual metering - you press the AE-L button and it will set the exposure for you. It helps with setting a starting point from which you can very your settings. Very thoughtful.

 

RAW file support from Adobe is still in beta stage (the beta RAW converter will work) - it seems the RAW file is different to the older *ist D.

 

Flash sync is 1/180 and top speed is 1/4000. There is no PC sync socket for studio flash, nor a conventional cable release socket.

 

There is enough eye relief to see the whole frame with eyeglasses. The manual lists 2 other focusing screens (one grid, one cross-hair) but none with microprism or split-image.

 

Feel free to post any other questions about the camera in this thread if you're thinking about buying this camera model & I will have a go at answering them, time permitting.

I thought I'd share my first impressions of the Pentax *ist DS with

the photo.net community, as I have found this camera quite

remarkable. I have been a dedicated film shooter for several years,

with only brief digital capture experience with a Fuji S2 and a

friend's Canon 10D, both of which were excellent cameras. I

purchased the Pentax *ist Ds outfit in Australia for $1500rrp, which

included a Sigma 18-125 zoom lens, just before I headed off to work

in rural NSW for six months. I purchased it expecting easier use

with just a camera & laptop, rather than have to carry a film

scanner with me (as well as find a convenient lab). I also added a

Sigma DC 18-50mm f/2.8 to the kit.

 

It is a very compact & reasonably lightweight camera, with the

majority of the bulk resulting from the lens rather than the body.

The viewfinder is relatively clear & much larger than the S2 or the

Canon 300D/Rebel, but not quite EOS-1V or Nikon F3 quality. I'd say

it is half way between a Canon consumer DSLR and 35mm EOS viewfinder

in size. Unfortunately the focus point indicators don't seem to be

centred properly (quality control?) although the focusing sensors

seem centred. I've turned off the indicators anyway, as I use

manual focus.

 

Although there is only one command dial, manual shutter & aperture

settings are straightforward - you change the aperture by holding

down the AV button behind the shutter button whilst twirling the

dial. It is more fiddly than a conventional manual film SLR

dial/aperture ring setup, but workable. The available metering modes

are multi-segment, centre weighted & spot, but are only selectable

via the menu. This is irritating when switching between point-and-

shoot mode & manual 'thoughtful' mode, as I prefer multi-segment

when shooting in P and spot mode in M.

 

Autofocus is slow compared to an EOS but on par with the Fuji S2 /

Nikon F80. You can only use Continuous AF by choosing 'Sport' idiot

mode. You can turn the 'ok' button into the AF button (a la Canon

Custom Function 4) but it's pointless, as there are no USM lenses.

I shoot mainly in MF.

 

Like any other digicam, you have to be very careful with your

exposure when shooting high contrast subjects (such as landscapes)

and using JPEG. One day I'll do a pseudo Zone System exposure

latitude test with different colours to see what tone placements are

using the spot meter. It is pretty much the same approach as

shooting slide film - expose for the highlights - except that you

have to watch the shadows too, as they can get mudy too quickly.

 

A quick shoot using ISO3200 revealed loss of definition & shadow

noise - there were a lot of noise reduction artifacts - but if you

compare it to a roll of pushed TMZ3200 or Fuji 1600 it's really not

too bad.

 

All up I have found the *ist Ds an excellent camera for the advanced

photographer who does not intend to enlarge bigger than about

10x15". It is the most compact DLSR available right now &

definitely the cheapest outfit (at least in Australia), allowing

careful manual focus & exposure without compromise. If you are from

the 'smaller is better' school of thought (I prefer using my Leica

M6 over the clunky EOS-1V and Hasselblads purely due to size) then

there really is no other choice. Compact size & excellent

viewfinder make the *ist DS stand out from the crowd.

 

As for the Sigma lenses? The 18-50 f/2.8 seems to be an excellent

lens offering good colour & contrast, with good 'real world'

resolution. I can't comment on distortion or flare yet - that will

have to wait until I shoot more straight-line subjects & backlit

locations. One major problem I have found is difficulty with

achieving good out of focus blur - even at f/2.8 the depth of field

doesn't let me completely blur out the background when shooting some

portraits. I think this is a problem linked entirely to the laws of

optics/physics & common to all small-sensor digital cameras. As for

the 18-125 kit lens - it's not bad (I only have it because you can't

buy the camera here without it) but it tends to stay in the bag most

of the time.

 

To be continued.

Hello Bryan. I had the exact same problem with an FM3a I once owned. It would do this with an AF-Nikkor 50mm 1.8 and AF-Nikkor 28mm 2.8, but with no other lenses. I took it to a camera technician who basically pulled it apart three times, adjusted it, and he could never fix it. I ended up selling the camera because I couldn't depend on it.

 

My guess is that the FM3a is not very tolerant of any slop or misalignment with the aperture lever - it's out of the way when the aperture is set wide open, but is pushing down on the mechanism at small apertures. You might find you can replicate and/or obliterate the problem when firing & winding whilst holding down the depth-of-field preview lever.

 

My guess is that it is a design fault unique to the FM3a, as I have never heard of this problem with the FM2 or FE models. One other person has posted in photo.net with a similar problem.

 

This might not help in solving your problem but at least you now know you're not alone.

Marc that's a great shot. Could you please tell me what kind of shutter speeds you are running for shots like that? My biggest 'blad problem is the slow CF lenses, and even with NPH400 most indoor available light shots aren't really hand-holdable. Generally I can't hand-hold steady below about EV 10. Do you bother with a tripod?

Yes it's possible with a tall multi-reel tank such as a Paterson. As long as the film is identical and the rated ISO film speed is the same, you should be OK.

Fuji makes a '6 for the price of 4' box of Sensia 100 35mm x36 exp - should be available from most decent camera stores. Retails for AUD$49.95. I lived on the stuff in my first year of photo college!

Richard, I have been using a 2-head Minilite 200 kit since 1990. It has been a reliable kit but it's fairly basic, with only 1/2 power or full-power settings. Typically you will get apertures of f/5.6 to f/11 using the umbrella for a head-and-shoulders or half-shot portrait. The accessories are well-built but quite expensive. It uses a 3/8" threaded mount for the stand, rather than the more common quick-release mount.

 

Multiblitz doesn't make the Minilite anymore. I suggest looking at newer lighting kits such as Bowens or Elinchrom which offer more features.

Unreliable sync cables are the studio photographer's greatest bugbear & source of frustration. I think that's your problem. A favourite trick amongst my photography gang is to use a hotshoe flash, turn the manual power to minimum (1/64 or something), and point the flashhead backwards or towards the studio exit. Set your studio flashes to Slave mode.

 

This is a great trick when using a fairly large studio such as a cyclorama, but watch out for unwanted fill if you're in a small studio or the on-camera flash is very powerful.

 

Also make sure you are using a basic 'M' mode on the flash, instead of the latest fancy TTL modes - the new Canon & Nikon speedlights can shoot off a pre-flash, which will fool your studio strobes.

Hi Jason. Yes, you can download the RAW files directly from the CF card to the computer with a card reader. Photoshop CS (ie. version 8) can open the RAW files of all of your listed cameras without requiring a plug-in from the manufacturer.

Hello Brooks, thanks for your great free lesson. keep up the good work. I find the lighting breakdown very informative. Could you perhaps tell us your preferred key/fill light ratios, especially for this image, including the approximate ratio of the light reflected off the bounce card to the front & left?

Hi there Matt. Please tell us what type of 50mm f/1.8 you have. From my experience the manual focus Nikkor 50 1.8's are pretty good and hold up well with heavy use, but the plastic AF Nikkor 50 1.8's wear out quickly and develop sloppy and/or uneven manual focusing. This may be normal and I never found it to impact on the image quality.

 

If you are talking about the AF version then it may not be economical to get the lens serviced. The last time I got a quote to service my worn AF 50 1.8 it was about half the price of a new replacement lens. Maybe you need to consider ignoring the focus feel & just keep using the lens until it falls apart.

Yes they are expensive but the asking price isn't that astronomical, considering it's for 18 new cameras and 3 new Summicron lenses.

Hello Bryan, my first medium format camera was (and still is) a Hasselblad 503CX with waist-level finder. The learning curve was very steep after using 35mm SLRs most of the time. It's now almost 15 years since I acquired the 503CX, and I still notice the different approach to photography.

 

Last year another photographer showed me his Mamiya 645 SLR with pentaprism and motor winder grip. The way the camera handled blew me away - it was so much easier to use than the 'Blad and was very similar to using a large 35mm SLR.

 

If I had my time again I would skip the 'Blad and go for a 645 Mamiya or Bronica SLR with eye-level prism and power grip. Of course the options these days are wider (such as the expensive 'Blad H1 and Contax 645), but I have seen excellent condition second-hand 645 format Mamiyas, Bronicas and Pentaxes listed for bargain prices. I'd suggest checking them out!

No they don't fit.

Hello Jason. I suggest you try out the digital SLRs before taking the plunge. I've used the Fuji S2 and found the picture quality to be quite good, especially using RAW mode and coversion with Photoshop CS. The greatest drawback was the smaller viewfinder, which is simply a masked F80 focusing screen. I found it difficult to focus manually and a few of my portraits had in-focus ears or noses but blurred eyes. The AF isn't great either. You will notice a big difference in viewfinder clarity compared to your F100.

Hello Andy. I've shot Delta 3200 at 1600ASA and 3200ASA and definitely get better image quality at 1600ASA, even with DD-X developer. In high-contrast indoor situations with spot lighting (such as music performances) the highlight-shadow differences can be extreme and the pushed 3200 negs have high contrast, poor shadow detail, and are hard to print & scan.

 

I think other photographers have previously posted messages about Delta 3200 which are consistent with my experiences. Although it doesn't really help with your current batch, if you ever need to shoot Delta 3200 again I reckon you should give it a go at 1600. All the best!

Hi Chris. You don't need a darkroom to process film - I use a large changing bag to load the film reel & assemble the Paterson tank, and then use the kitchen or laundry to do the wet part of processing. You only need to worry about dust in the film drying stage. You shouldn't have any problems with smell either as long as you don't spill any chemicals.

 

I suggest buying the largest changing bag you can find, as it's easier to do things with more room available. Good luck!

Frontier labs I have used request the files in the following format: JPG or TIFF uncompressed, 8-bits per channel, set for 300dpi print resolution, Adobe RGB or sRGB colour space.

Vanbar has a lab service as well as a discount card, but bring a big stick to beat a path through the RMIT students. Also make sure you shut your wallet so you don't buy anything expensive & shiny lying around.

 

I forgot to mention one important thing - parking.

 

Vanbar - virtually none, a metered street space if lucky

CPL - small off-street car park behind building

Lab X - single 15 min loading zone in front of the lab

Pinewood - adjacent Coles supermarket car park

 

http://www.vanbar.com.au

http://www.cpldigital.com.au

http://www.labx.com.au

CPL in Wellington Rd, St Kilda - E6 and C41, caters mainly for commercial market. Does a cheap 20x32" Pegasus print from digital file for $33. I think they also do XPan. Very busy lab but generally friendly.

 

Lab X on Pakington Rd, St Kilda - Primarily E6 processing, does Frontier prints but a bit pricey. Very friendly service, also one for the commercial market.

 

Pinewood in Mount Waverley (south-east suburbs) - does everything (E6, C41, Durst Lambda printer), friendly service, caters mainly for portrait & wedding market.

My understanding of 8-bit and 16-bit colour depth is that it is a purely mathematical function. You have the option of 2 colours, 4 colours ('CGA' in the old PC days), 16 colours ('EGA'), 256 colours ('VGA'), 65536 colours, 16.7 million colours, and so on. There's x^2 increase with each step. It probably has something to do with the way the computer addresses data & memory. I suspect you are right in saying that 8 bits per channel is a legacy of computer design rather than any conscious decision on the part of digital imaging programmers!