Pentax/Ricoh CNY 2015 Gathering - Please post your photos here

[airconvent]

wow Fengwei. I took a look at your EXIFs. They are all at typical or auto settings and wide open yet your shots all came out so awesome, sharp and contrasty. I guess its your skill and steady hand cos I used the same settings with not so good results! For all the shots, did you focus-lock on the subject face and compose from there? Hope to see our group photo too

 

[fengwei]

So many great shots Fengwei ;p

Thanks Bro. It's a great walkabout w you again over there on the day

 

[fengwei]

wow Fengwei. I took a look at your EXIFs. They are all at typical or auto settings and wide open yet your shots all came out so awesome, sharp and contrasty. I guess its your skill and steady hand cos I used the same settings with not so good results! For all the shots, did you focus-lock on the subject face and compose from there? Hope to see our group photo too

Thanks Richard. The lenses I used for he day are two of the best lenses ever made (by any lens maker), FA77 and FA43, of course the results would be sharp w great colors . I know you've had quite a bit lenses, but I really think you should give these good quality lenses a try. Image quality wise are far better than the 18-135 you are using.

And yes, I do focus on target then recompose as usual, it's fsdter than selecting focusing points in the viewfinder for street photos. For steady subjects I use both methods, but for very close distance subjects (near minimum focus distance) I prefer selecting focusing points.

I myself don't use zoom lens much, especially for street photography. With a smaller fixed lens plus a compact camera body, it won't be too offensive to most candidates. This would help w getting the shots too.

The group photo is in the first post which I added in when posting other photos

 

[pinholecam]

Seems like only 4 posted photos.
But its easy to single out those who did not.

 

[airconvent]

Seems like only 4 posted photos.
But its easy to single out those who did not.

Paiseh..mine too crappy to show. Better examples of the same subject already shown...ha ha. Will try to improve and see if future photos can see light...

 

[fengwei]

Seems like only 4 posted photos.
But its easy to single out those who did not.

I thought I'd be one of the last to post photos again, but somehow I'm not ...

Please don't make me the last one to post photos again, keep posting guys

 

[pinholecam]

Paiseh..mine too crappy to show. Better examples of the same subject already shown...ha ha. Will try to improve and see if future photos can see light...

We will all have varying standards and staying points in our photography.

Most important is to suppot the pentax section and outings with discussions, turnout and picts.
This is the main strength of Pentax here in SGP imo.

So do post more and if shy, then work to improve the shots along the way.
But do post.
And don't give up on us as we have not given up n anyone.
Despite the difficulty to take personal time off family, the mods try very hard to make it happen each outing.


One simple way to get more apparent sharpness is to make sure your contrast is there.
Are your shadow values clipped on n the left? Or you just leave it as it was taken and is actually more like dark gery instead of black?

 

[cyk13]

Seems like only 4 posted photos.
But its easy to single out those who did not.

Will avoid group photo next time. :bsmilie:

As usual two photos.

 

[pinholecam]

Will avoid group photo next time. :bsmilie:

Your BnW photo dev really comes in handy.
Wish I will have time and space in the house to do it in the future.

 

[airconvent]

We will all have varying standards and staying points in our photography.

Most important is to suppot the pentax section and outings with discussions, turnout and picts.
This is the main strength of Pentax here in SGP imo.

So do post more and if shy, then work to improve the shots along the way.
But do post.
And don't give up on us as we have not given up n anyone.
Despite the difficulty to take personal time off family, the mods try very hard to make it happen each outing.


One simple way to get more apparent sharpness is to make sure your contrast is there.
Are your shadow values clipped on n the left? Or you just leave it as it was taken and is actually more like dark gery instead of black?

haha. Thanks Bro. My shot generally don't have the impact. Once you crop it a little, you can see its not tack sharp focus. Maybe I will switch back to my Limited primes instead and forgo the flexibility of the 18-135mm next time

I have uploaded two of the best ones to show what I mean ..

 

[kengoh]

haha. Thanks Bro. My shot generally don't have the impact. Once you crop it a little, you can see its not tack sharp focus. Maybe I will switch back to my Limited primes instead and forgo the flexibility of the 18-135mm next time

I have uploaded two of the best ones to show what I mean ..

PENTAX KR,18250,18135,35,21,40,70,600,AF360

Wow Richard, you have the same lens as uncle Loke, the FA* 600?

 

[airconvent]

PENTAX KR,18250,18135,35,21,40,70,600,AF360

Wow Richard, you have the same lens as uncle Loke, the FA* 600?

No lah...mine is a Sigma 600mm Mirror Lens..

 

[kengoh]

No lah...mine is a Sigma 600mm Mirror Lens..

oic :embrass::bsmilie:
Did you go birding with this lens?

 

[pinholecam]

haha. Thanks Bro. My shot generally don't have the impact. Once you crop it a little, you can see its not tack sharp focus. Maybe I will switch back to my Limited primes instead and forgo the flexibility of the 18-135mm next time

I have uploaded two of the best ones to show what I mean ..
/QUOTE]

I see...

MHO (so I may be wrong),
Pict#1, your shutter speed probably dropped too low because of the amount of dark areas in the scene.

Pict#1, #2, probably suffer from anxiety to take the shot. (MHO)
Perhaps its not your genre, or you are uncomfortable taking stranger shots or just too excited to get the shot done and probably did not allow focus to lock and/or moved the camera away too early before the shutter sequence completed.
Or, just hand shake.

If your still shots are ok, then its certainly not the camera.

We can certainly discuss this more next outing.

 

[creampuff]

Richard, Pentax cameras have shake reduction built in but that is no substitute for shooting with a steady hand. Camera sensors are much better now and shooting at ISO 800 and above still deliver good results handheld. Important thing is to ditch that slow variable aperture zoom in favour of a fast prime. Your camera focus lock is going to be more positive and when you start shooting with wider apertures, your shutter speeds will naturally be higher and you'll start getting better results. No zoom? Move in with your feet.

 

[sonikbyte]

Lousy lens leh, made me look sad and old

Heh so that was you. I didn't join the outing but this was taken with the ricoh GRD iv.

 

[fengwei]

Heh so that was you. I didn't join the outing but this was taken with the ricoh GRD iv.

Yeah, that's me. Not my best looking photo, but you got the ideal how I look like

 

[airconvent]

oic :embrass::bsmilie:
Did you go birding with this lens?

No. Not into birding. ...Bought it for moon shots when I was interested in astrophotography. Have since moved on but its still an interesting lens to play with

 

[airconvent]

Richard, Pentax cameras have shake reduction built in but that is no substitute for shooting with a steady hand. Camera sensors are much better now and shooting at ISO 800 and above still deliver good results handheld. Important thing is to ditch that slow variable aperture zoom in favour of a fast prime. Your camera focus lock is going to be more positive and when you start shooting with wider apertures, your shutter speeds will naturally be higher and you'll start getting better results. No zoom? Move in with your feet.

Thanks Dennis. I do notice my prime shots in the past are better but never as sharp as your photos. .

 

[sonikbyte]