I decided on the Pentax K10D 'n took whatever lens was in stock and it's pretty good!

[98c43amg]

For any that have read my saga an lamenting over what to get, I decided on the Pentax K10D. (I wanted to strangle the guy helping me -- actually better said, "not helping" -- @ B&H Photo, but that's a story for another time!)

http://images23.fotki.com/v871/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0098-vi.jpg

For lens I wanted the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 or a few others, but had to buy what was in stock. The Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) Macro [lol ... quite a name there!] I normally research everything extensively before buying it, but not in this case. I was happy to read the pro and consumer review on it after getting home ; if the only worry being inconsistencies with some people saying "if you get a good one...", where a notable percentage apparently didn't. I 'do' think I did. But heh, what do I know.

With that focal length I think I'll now need 3 lense instead of 2. One wide angle prime, and I want/need to get the Sigma 50-500mm before leaving for Africa. I'll have to settle on the older 170-500mm if the 50-500 doesn't come available.

The reason I say I 'think' I got a 'good sample' is here's me testing front and back focus (now that I 'think' I know what that actually is) using selective spot focus:
http://images6.fotki.com/v883/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0013-vi.jpg
http://images23.fotki.com/v877/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0014-vi.jpg

...with focus occuring on the subject I expected it to.

I shot all my playing around learning the camera inside w/available light under incandecents and some light from outside, but it got dark later. A few shots with Flash. I set the mode selector on Av and left it there for the rest of the night. I have to learn other modes now.

Here's a shot of my smallest dog who got scared of when I tried the flash, as it reminds her of lightning, where she went to hide behind the toilet bowl. Granted this isn't the most in-focus image, but understand that was a rainy day, with a frosted window -- i.e. quite quite dark -- with the picture taken hand-held [edit: no flash], 75mm, f/4.5, ISO-800 ... ready? 1 second exposure! Yep, handheld. That's w/o me bracing. Image Stabalization is great. With practice, I'm sure I can get those sharp. I should have used f/2.8 or f/3.5. She did move while I shot it.
http://images114.fotki.com/v882/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0091-vi.jpg

Criticism? I'm not thrilled with ISO 800. Worse noise then I thought it would have. It comes disabled by default in the auto ISO range. I enabled it for a while, then disabled it later after zooming in on some shots. Here's an example of a particularly bad example of Pentax ISO 800 Noise.
http://images6.fotki.com/v883/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0048-vi.jpg

Have a look @ the original @ the bottom of the image on this page and you'll really see it.
http://public.fotki.com/m8o/dogs-life/testing---pentax-k1/imgp0048.html
Then again there's others @ ISO 800 where it's not that bad. Dark background is the key of course. The Oly E-510 didn't have the chroma noise, but the luminecense (do I have that terminology right) noise wasn't as low as I was hoping for (based on imaging-resource.com sample images). The Nikon D200 would have been the ticket there; and I loved the way it felt. Cost and lens expense vs. focal length was too much of a compromise for my 1st D-SLR. Plus I expect them to include sensor dust reduction soon. Just didn't make sense @ this time to get that for me.

All my dog pix the 1st night of ownership:
http://public.fotki.com/m8o/dogs-life/testing---pentax-k1/

Thanx for reading. ;)

[kameraguy]

Coolio! COngrats man, i'm sure you'll love having it for your trip. And those pics look darn sharp to me. Cute dogs :D

As for iso 800, maybe noise ninja can salvage them. It works wonders for the crappy iso 400 from my panasonics/leicas. It's worth the money imho.

[98c43amg]

Thanx for the recommendation. I've read about that being part of people's workflow (unhappily/reluctantly). I'll definitely pick it up. Also, I bought the Hyperdrive. ;) Thanx again for pointing me in its direction.

(woa...getting near 2am! gotta hit the sack)

[redline]

Congrats! I've heard good things about the Pentax range. I've also heard not so good things about Sigma glass, so I might try to stay away from that. If you are looking for something really wide, try the Tokina 12-24 f/4. Its got a constant f/4 aperature and the build quality ain't half bad. Although its not a macro.

[kameraguy]

The Hyperdrive SPACE is the sh!zz when it comes to quick and easy backup on the field. You'll love it!

[98c43amg]

One of those big Mosquitos -- what are they the males or females? -- landed on the window today. I decided to try the 'macro' capability of the lens; says 'macro' on the barrel but I think it's more like 'close focus' @ 13" I'd say.

I love this lens's Bokeh ... tho I guess @ macro focus level, all lenses have Bokeh to the extreme:
http://images114.fotki.com/v882/photos/2/296054/3609056/IMGP0282-vi.jpg

The Depth of field calculator on DPReview says a 75mm lens with 1.5x sensor crop @ 13" is about 2mm. Note the hairs on the antenna on the full rez 800x800 crop in the 3rd pic below... progressing from the full crop shrunk down to 800 wide, then a medium crop, then a tight 800x800 crop: (though exposure was a little lower on this -- one of the 1st shots actually -- then the above and most other pix, focus on this was the best out'a ll of them)
http://images104.fotki.com/v884/photos/2/296054/3609056/IMGP0281-vi.jpg
http://images104.fotki.com/v884/photos/2/296054/3609056/IMGP0281b-vi.jpg
http://images114.fotki.com/v882/photos/2/296054/3609056/IMGP0281c-vi.jpg

Ya, I'd say that's about a 2mm DOF... :cool: I'm willing to say ... Tamron -- Good Glass! (Just wish the glass of the window was clean and clear! )
______________________________

My subject was kind enough to remain still even when the glass wasn't between us. Sun was about 1 hour before sunset ta'boot.

I shot this one below RAW. But with the customized in-camera setting of sharpness set to two clicks up, I really didn't notice any difference in the JPG vs. RAW quality coming out of the Camera! The Software vs. in-camera converted JPG just had slightly better dynamic range; same vibrance of colors pretty much, dark just got darker and bright brighter in some spots. Again, lower rez version of the full crop, then a tighter crop:
(should have stopped down more then 4, to 4.5 or 5.6; and really wasn't well focused unfortunately, nothing like above. oh well)
http://images114.fotki.com/v882/photos/2/296054/3609056/IMGP0316b-vi.jpg
http://images114.fotki.com/v882/photos/2/296054/3609056/IMGP0316c-vi.jpg


What I was most amazed at when doing this is how utterly invisible the bug becomes just 1 foot from the lens when the camera focuses on the trees, deck, or outside furniture. It was a real biatch @ times to find that damn bug to get the camera to auto-focus on it @ times.

To show my kindness for it being such a patient subject, at risk of it fertilizing 1Million other mosquitos, I let the damn thing live...
______________________________

The config options and features abound on this thing. Another kewl ability is the built-in softening filter. Can make a pic B&W, Sepia, 'slim' someone down (no kidding), alter RGB, more ... and here I tried the 'softening' filter that's near and dear to every portrait photographer and film-maker who shot close-ups of the actresses [divas] in the B&W era...

Before:
http://images23.fotki.com/v878/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0157-vi.jpg

After:
http://images114.fotki.com/v882/photos/2/296054/5048169/IMGP0158-vi.jpg

hehehe ... "I'm ready for my close-up now..."

In all honesty, I love how there's better/lower contrast and detail around the bottom of the eyes and nose. I changed the in-camera JPG settings for image tone, sharpness, and contrasts, and see they should be a tic lower actually. I have to check the firmware version. Because the one criticism of the K10D is it didn't have the perfect JPG conversion like the K100 did, and K10D stock conversion is a little soft and dull in color. I changed the settings here to what the DCResource.com reviewer recommended, and I thing that over did it.

That's it for today's playing around. Needless to say, this camera and lens pair is a keeper! Ya, after reasearching the options, will probably splurge for the Pentax 12-24 f/4 (though there's debate of whether it's the same lens as Tokina's, it doesn't change the fact the Tokina hasn't released theirs with a Pentax mount), but which will be almost 2x the $$$ of the Tamron; implying just what a great bargan the Tamron is too. Thanx for that direction redline.

[babycarlsson]

Congrats on the new toy! I too own K10D, absolutely love it, and have that 28-75mm F2.8 Tamron as well, great lens for the money, sharp, well built, nice walkaround lens, well regarded even by pros!

To be honest with you, I have not seen any extensive issues with ISO 800, I posted few images here as a sample while back, even ISO 1600 is very acceptable (unless it is very difficult set with very high contrast)...

Enjoy the camera! So now it's you, Ozzie and myself - go Pentax!!! :)

Regards,
D

[98c43amg]

To be honest with you, I have not seen any extensive issues with ISO 800, I posted few images here as a sample while back, even ISO 1600 is very acceptable (unless it is very difficult set with very high contrast)... Ah, the Pentax club is good company then... :)
(ya, and as a company, they need all the support they can muster)

Oh, that's right. I was telling someone about a person who spent one week w/a a wide-angle ... I see "One week, one lens - Sigma 15mm EX fisheye (http://www.bnzsport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12246)" is you! Loved that thread!

It's actaully only on both my wife's two Sony computer's monitors that is shows. There's no contrast setting on either (one is a hi-end laptop, the other is the all-in-one multi-media PC that's basically a laptop on a stand), just brightness. Every other monitor I look @ the ISO 800 pix on, even when very bright playing with contrast high or low, it's not very noticable. ...is if the Gamma of the monitor that brings it out? Dunno.

Thanx for the reply. I actually posted some pix I'm extremely happy with in the two (last month's and this month's) two 'contest' threads. Have a look. Working on posting all the good flower pics of yesterday to my Fotki account @ the moment too. Still completely ameturish tho, I know. ;)

[98c43amg]

The Hyperdrive SPACE is the sh!zz when it comes to quick and easy backup on the field. You'll love it! Kam, "eet shtopped!" Had it a couple of weeks. Did a couple of back-ups. Shut it down one day. And it won't start back up! When I plug it in to charge, the screen lights up but no display. Unplug it and screen goes blank shortly after and unit won't start up. ...grrrr.... can't find a phone #! Hate having to do support over e-mail. :waaa:

[kameraguy]

Damn man! That sucks. I actually haven't heard of anyone having problems with the Space...it's a pretty common item in use on sportsshooter. But I suppose there are always exceptions. If there's a positive, i'm sure you'll be able to get a replacement soon...good thing you found this out before your trip!

I also tried to find a way to contact them but they really don't have a # to call like you said. Ironically they are only one city away from me, yet no phone #. That's odd. But hopefully you will get an e-mail response by tomorrow.

Well, hopefully this really is a one-off problem. For me, i've had nothing but success with it. I just came back from a backpacking trip from the Sierra Nevadas where it went through a lot of tumbling and even a sand storm with winds up to 40 mph. At almost 10,000 feet, it was still running strong on a single charge. I backed up about 10gb of data:

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4770/p1010424nu1.jpg

Only difference I can think of is if you bought the pre-configured setup. I purchased the chassis and dropped in a 120gb Seagate. Maybe there was a "bad" batch of HDDs from the factory. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

[98c43amg]

Lol! You have a pic for every situation. :werd: :p Sounds like a great adventure. ... the wife and I would go for a walking/hiking/climbing trek in Tanzania if not for my in-laws we are going with (who are bringing -us- along actually).

No word yet, but I'm keeping my blood pressure down since I expect loads of people to be off with the 4th in the middle of the week.

Ya, I bought with a 120G drive; was distressed when I looked inside and saw "Western Digital". ...I don't trust them!

[98c43amg]

Damn man! That sucks. I actually haven't heard of anyone having problems with the Space...it's a pretty common item in use on sportsshooter. But I suppose there are always exceptions. If there's a positive, i'm sure you'll be able to get a replacement soon...good thing you found this out before your trip!....Damn, I think I'm screwed! It seems if it keeps working everyone's all smiles. But if there's a problem it's bad bad, really bad news; really crappy customer service.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=20943
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=23992 (last message)

There was this # here but it's not in service...
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=20458

I don't like hearing "all email support comes out of Singapore". At least when I bought my Little Dot Head-amps directly from China I knew I was doing that, and I knew they at least had excellent customer support.

I was blaming the lack in response to me to the July 4th holiday, but if the company is from overseas, that thought is null & void. I think I'm going to a) contact my credit card company to see if I can put a hold on payment or get the money back, b) send this back to the address they list even if noone responds. If I wasn't leaving beginning of August I might be willing to see how this plays out; but not willing with that hard date.

[kameraguy]

Steve, sorry to hear you haven't received any response. Those threads you found do certainly make me nervous as well. Sounds like putting a stop payment on your CC is an "effective" way to get them to listen :(

I know what's it's like to be in this kind of a jam. While you are working out the problems with your unit, I can loan you my extra 100GB hyperdrive for your trip "just in case they don't come through". It's the older version but works fine. PM me your addy and i'll get it out to you this week :)

[98c43amg]

All is well in the land again... ;) Someone finally called tonight about 8:30pm my time tonight. I'm guessing in response to my 3rd e-mail where I had lost most all my patience and started asking for my money back and stating I was going to start sharing my experience publicly on the big forums unless I heard from someone

Turns out they had been sending e-mails all along. I use my Yahoo accounts for all registrations and purchases. However Yahoo! must have HyperDrive on their "naughty list", I assume because of marketting e-mails they send out. HyperDrive e-mails either do not make it or ends up in the spam box.

They sent me three since Friday, I only got one re-send today, and that ended up in my Spam folder. The person I spoke to on the phone sent me an e-mail from his personal account containing the two previous e-mail's contents, and I received that fine.

So I'll try taking out the battery again for longer. Then charge it overnight. If it's still no good, I'll send it back. Thanx so very much for the offer. I'm pretty sure now all is OK and it will turn out well.

-steve

[kameraguy]

- sorry, double post.

[kameraguy]

Steve,

As a heads up, i'll explain a problem i had with my Space so you can avoid the same problem.

In this case, the problem was entirely my fault!

I just pulled my Space out of my camera bag and witnessed my LCD half black.

Turns out the screen got pressed-in by some other luggage, cracking it internally.

The reason is because I placed the drive in my outer-most camera bag pocket which offered no protection for it. And as you know, the soft case is...soft.

It was just (un)luck(y) that the stars aligned and one of my camera cases must have slid into my camera bag at just the right angle to indent the screen.

Fortunately I backed up all the images on it last week to my computer. Although I suspect the HDD is fine, the cracked screen doesn't work, and it appears the damage done also broke the circuit board as I can't press the same sequence of buttons to get the unit into USB mode...the unit is dead.

So if you can, consider getting some hard case for it that has a hard shell over the screen...that way the unit is fully protected. It may not be as sleek as the soft case, but since your data will be held in this thing...try and protect that screen at all costs!

I contacted Hyperdrive to see if it can be repaired...otherwise i'll pick up another one as I love it so much. I'm guessing I can (hopefully) move the HDD into the new case and it'll be the same as before.

BTW- Hyperdrive has sent me the beta SW which now supports the new 8GB 300x UDMA cards in case you are going to use them in the future. Let me know if you want it.

[98c43amg]

You do realize it's Friday the 13th, right Kam? :blink: (lol)

So sorry to hear that; thanx for the recommendation. BTW, I have a phone number for HyperDrive if you're not getting their e-mails either. Good luck!

[kameraguy]

I will have to say that my experience with Hyperdrive support has been extremely positive so far. They were prompt to help me with the beta FW, and regarding this recent problem, they sent me a prompt and satisfactory response explaining my unit can be replaced with a new one for $50. They also allow will-call so i'll stop by Monday and pick up the new one. Awesome!! :banana:

First thing after I get the replacement is to get a pelican hard case for the sucker!! :p

But for real, Daniel from Hyperdrive has been a great help in my case and deserves props.

In the meantime, I have been using my backup Hyperdrive HD-series (older generation), and man...it's a clunker compared to the Space. It works perfectly fine, but is so much more of a hassle. It's not until you compare the Space to the older generation that you realize just how much better the Space is!!

[98c43amg]

Glad to hear that's working out; pretty excellently @ that. Awesome they offer that upgrade path. Surprising at that.... what do they do with the old units? They're no longer available online.

I got a new battery and external charger in the mail yesterday. I gave it all a go. While my unit now comes on, it isn't seeing a HD. So the SPACE and what they just sent me are all going back to them Monday to get a replacement unit.

-steve

[98c43amg]

Update... I took it apart again. I took the HD out and reseated it (again). I even put my old battery back in. And all is working now. :wacko: Ya, that certainly doesn't make any sense! Not sure if I should send it back for another less 'flaky' one, just in case.

[98c43amg]

BTW, I haven't been back since the trip. Got back 2 weeks ago; still itching bloody mosquito bites I got in the Airport on my way out (really didn't get bit until that damn airport!).

Want to thank everyone that participated in my threads and incessent questions and 2nd guessing of the decision I should make... ;) I knew I needed to stop after others were making mention in other threads that this has pretty much become a protographer's board. :p

Took about 3500 RAWs. Processing is painfully slow. Got through a bit over 1000, up to/thru the 1st park, Tarangire National Park. Using Lightroom but might try LightZone for the next location we visited, Ngorongoro Crater. (might slow me down tho, as I now have a pretty good set of presets to start with in Lightroom, and I tweek evey shot).

The Gallery of photos can be found here:
http://public.fotki.com/m8o/outdoor_adventures/tanzania-2007/

For an "executive summary" -- aka excerpt of my "best of excerpts" -- you can go just here ... where I mirrored my image posts from pentaxforums in one place on Digital Grin:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=70267

Hope you enjoy...

EDIT: I forgot to mention. Kam, imagine my feeling when with about 2 days to go, I fill up a memory card, put it in the HyperDrive, pressed Copy, and it read "HDDeviceNotFound". Eeek! Take it out and try it again; same thing. I then did whatever any sane man with 8 days, 1500'ish RAW Safari images he can no longer get to would do. ... I put the Hyperdrive on its [edit] side and smacked it against my leg a few times, to try to re-seat the HD. ...it worked! :D

[kameraguy]

Will anxiously look at your photos when i get home! :)

Oh and gawdamnn! Yeah, that unit needs to go back. Crazy!!

[98c43amg]

Just updated the DGRIN (executive summary ;)) thread with about 40 more of pix. Looking back, I'm amazed at how from post #4 - #11 is all one day.

[kameraguy]

Great stuff!!!

Wow, you were really close to get that kind of magnification and looks like there was quite a lot of wildlife around.

Also looks like you definitely upgraded a lens in your stable :)

[98c43amg]

(grin... oh, that's right. I never posted my acquisition of that big heavy expensive glass here ... quite a story behind it. Another time; @ work and it'll take too long.)

Too close, many times. It wasn't until the last few days the drivers/guides began understanding my dilemma. Though great for my wife and in-laws, it left me w/only animal parts in the frame. ;) By then I was using the Sigma 2x TC w/the 300mm f/2.8 prime, so it was real close.

I have to jump a few days ahead. There's some lioness and cub pix up on a kopji (rock outcropping) that I can't wait to convert to JPG. Couldn't get the full lion in frame, but the converse is the detail of her head, neck and part of her legs is unreal. I Don't think I'll see the reflection of our Land Rover in her eyes like in the Dik-Dik I pointed out, but looking forward to it none the same.

Thanx for looking,
-steve

[hvmercy]

BUMP! This is such a great thread + the other threads about your dillema on
camera purchase.

I have made the decision and I'm going for the K10D.


:banana:

[redline]

What the hell! I just found this thread! These are great photos!

[98c43amg]

I wish Fotki wasn't screwing up again and all my image links were active. There's the post on the 1st page where most everything is broken; did they just become unavailable as there's talk of the pix being great (and thank you! :) ) so I'm thinking they were there until just now?

I'm getting really sick of Fotki @ this point. Beginning to think unlimited space & unlimited bandwidth doesn't do me much good if their servers crash, and they don't maintain the URLs on a mirror server that takes over for the crashed one.

Congrats hvmercy. Looking forward to the great pics you take from it. Yep, don't stop there. Now, comes the acquision of your lenses! I've been going batty over a new Manual lens I recently purchased and it hasn't come off the body since:
- Last of the Dogwood Leaves... (http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/14153-last-dogwood-leaves.html)
- First moments with the Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 Macro APO-Lanthar (http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/13603-first-moments-voigtlaender-125mm-f-2-5-macro-apo-lanthar.html)

I don't bring it up to be a 'pusher' and get you hooked-on a Lens Buying Addiction [LBA] even before you have the body, :p , but just mentioning because the lens is no longer made and supplies are limited.

[kameraguy]

Great you are taking advantage of how versatile that mount is with the manual focus lens purchase. LBA, that's a term i'll have to keep in mind :)

And your dogs are really gorgeous!!

[hvmercy]

:) Picked up the camera right after work and opened the boxes as soon
as I got home. Like any other things I buy before I use them, I RTFM first
of all. Wasn't able to use it for the kids' trick or treat, used the point and shoot for that purpose.

Thank you indeed. I look forward to shooting many pix to share.
BTW, the camera came with 18-55mm lens so it's quite basic for now.
LBA, lol, things I learn from this forum.



Congrats hvmercy. Looking forward to the great pics you take from it. Yep, don't stop there. Now, comes the acquision of your lenses! I've been going batty over a new Manual lens I recently purchased and it hasn't come off the body since:
- Last of the Dogwood Leaves... (http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/14153-last-dogwood-leaves.html)
- First moments with the Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 Macro APO-Lanthar (http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/13603-first-moments-voigtlaender-125mm-f-2-5-macro-apo-lanthar.html)

I don't bring it up to be a 'pusher' and get you hooked-on a Lens Buying Addiction [LBA] even before you have the body, :p , but just mentioning because the lens is no longer made and supplies are limited.

[98c43amg]

What the hell! I just found this thread! These are great photos! btw, I got wondering, which do you mean? I had 1st thought you meant the 1st page, but do you mean the Tanzania pics actually? If so, did you look @ Dgrin or Fotki? If you mean that, I've lost my steam ... still about 1500 RAWs to go through! 2nd day of Ngorongoro and all of the Serengeti still to come. (only jumped ahead for the Lioness and her cubs ... many more.other lions to come. Giraffes fighting. The list goes on.)