I should have never borrowed the Sigma DP2m from my brother. I was quite happy in my ignorance, shooting what I thought were very nice Pentax lenses on very nice Pentax bodies. But then I made the mistake of borrowing the Sigma and running a little backyard test against my brandy spankin' new Pentax K-3 mated with the very nice FA31mm F1.8 Limited. The Sigma had bested the 16 megapickle K-01 with the FA31 (I used the K-01 instead of the K-5 because of the allegedly weaker AA filter). I thought that the K-3, with extra megapickles and without an AA filter would draw closer to the DP2m, but to be honest, it wasn't close.
Back in the 70s (when having a big bushy mustache wasn't ironic), the standard kit of most budding photographers included a SLR without the "D" mated with a fast 50. It was F2.0 if you were on a budget, F1.7 if you ate cheese sandwiches for a week, and an F1.4 if you just got that big promotion.* With some change rattling in your piggy bank, you'd save up for a moderate wide around 28mm and a short telephoto of around 105mm and Bob was your uncle.** The fast 50–the normal–got the hardest workout, as it was pretty close to your actual vision and useful in a lot of situations.
That's it. I was going to bring the DA* zooms but then I looked at the photos I'd taken six months ago and the DA70 and DA21 got the most keepers. I'm bringing the FAs for a little workout. My wife will be shooting the K-01 (currently with the FA31) and I'll start with the K-5 with the FA43.
For lighting, I've got a Metz 58 AF-1 in the bag, but we'll probably use the CFL softbox more. It's an 85watt bulb that puts out as much light as a 400 watt tungsten without the heat.
In some ways, capturing candids of family members is really hard. The low light of most houses forces you to push the ISO and open up apertures, which slices down the depth of field which in turn taxes AF systems. And the truth is, some family members can get downright ornery when you point a camera at them*, especially when you blind them with the AF assist light or, worse yet, flash. Fast-moving toddlers makes things even harder. On the other hand, capturing candids of family can be really easy. I've been bringing a camera of some sort or other to family for twenty years now, so most family members are more or less desensitized to my photographic presence. But the low light, moving subject issues still remain, and some cameras are better at it than others.
Went to PhotoPLUS a couple of months ago to speak to manufacturers about cameras for motorcycle touring. Sony chose to show off the RX100, a camera most of you know about and might even drool a bit over. Here's what they had to say:
Shooting video in a convention center (Jacob Javits in NYC) is horrid. Let me count the ways - poor lighting, noisy, crowded, etc. This year I brought the K-01 with the FA31mm F1.8 mounted on a Vanguard CF monopod (Elite) with Manfrotto 701HDV fluid pan head. I also had a Sennheiser MKE400 mic and Switronix TorchLED mounted on the hotshoe via a v-bracket. I wish that I had a boom mic. I wish I had more lights. I wish I had other people to operate the gear so that I could ask more questions. But you do what you can when you're essentially a one man show.
Overall, the K-01 did just fine. I only needed web resolution and the ability to edit and upload via my iPad, so the K-01 got the nod over the Panasonic GH2, whose AVCHD files can be cumbersome to deal with on slower systems. My biggest gripe is the lack of audio monitoring, which is especially difficult since the K-01 doesn't even provide levels on the display. So it's totally spray and pray. I'd also love focus peaking while recording, not just before. With just these small changes, the K-01 could be a much better video tool, especially because you can use lovely lenses like the FA31.
I've got other shots that I think are good, and I'll be posting them at some point, but likely more randomly instead of the big bunch that I just did. I'll close with this shot of Olga, in between poses. There's something ambiguous, provocative photo that I like. Can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's because it is between poses, a moment not meant to be captured.
Coming up next - Pentax K-01 and Q try their hands at street photography....
Followers of this blog (both of you) might surmise that I went to the American Photo Model Shoot in NYC, courtesy of friend and fellow photographer Stephen Harris. Fellow photog Don Hoffler joined as well, and after a light breakfast, we got to shooting in a cool, spacious former warehouse space in SOHO. Hardwood floors, brick walls, tall ceilings, very 19th century industrial and very cool. American Photo, Sigma, and Unique Photo were all there, along with pro photographers Kevin Ames and Lindsay Adler who spent the day generally being really cordial and helpful, walking the floor, manning the Sigma SD1 station, and giving informative and inspiring speeches. I always enjoy hearing other photogs talk about their process and how they arrive at photos. There's always something to learn.
While swapping out the summer tires for winter snows on the Honda S2000, I took a moment to appreciate the engineering of the car as well as the wonderful patina left by 7 years in the Northeast. The FA31 f1.8 mounted to the Panasonic GH2 feels like a really nice match. The combo feels good in the hand and it's easy to toggle viewfinder zoom for sharp manual focus. The 31mm becomes 62mm FOV of course, making for a moderately long normal lens. My primary use for this combo will be video of course, but it really is quite nice for stills as well. I can also shoot square format and compose for the square too with the EVF, which is quite nice.
Youth soccer is almost over. It's been fun to watch how the players' skills have progressed over the course of the season. And it's starting to get chillier, so with the clouds and the impending gloomy storm I decided to process accordingly. It's like I'm channeling English weather or something.
