samsung gx10 (re badged pentax)

[Usuqa]

Well after using a fz8 for a while i figured it was time for me to buy a "real" camera. After reading many threads looking at pictures blabla i decided the camera i wanted was a pentax k10d. Looking on ebay i managed to find myself a samsung gx10 (basically the same cam) with both kit len's for £365 (second hand) and i jumped at it.

2 days later i went to a market and found myself a pentax k55mm f1.8. Got that with some nice lens case's and extension tubes (asahi pentax ones.. but only 1 and 3 are there) and a skylight filter (was on the 55mm 1.8) for £40.

Anyway heres a few images i took earlier using the prime, the subject was in the back of my brothers car on a okish bright day. Shot in JPG and converted to BW in camera. All ive done otherwise is resize the image.

55mm, f1.8, iso140, 1/90

my parrot flying,cropped a bit.. was just messing around

55mm, f11+ (in between f11 and f16), iso100, 1/6 onboard flash set to -1ev.

this other was using one of my kit len's d-xenon 18-55 (pentax da 18-55 renamed). I adjusted exposure a little as it was a bit dark. Again shot shot in jpg.

33mm, f8, iso100, 1/180


Anyway im loving this camera and i honestly think that compared to my little fz8 (which i used to think was big :P) this thing is a monster with realy fast autofocus (ppl say its slow??) and very nice image quality (even with jpg). Im still learning a lot about it and how it works, i reckon it will be a while before i become one with it .

WOOOHOOOoooooo!!

[mattdm]

Cool, and welcome. I agree that a lot of the fuss about the supposedly inferior JPEGs and focus system are underrated.

Well, of course the focus system on your K lens is about as fast as it can possibly get.

[GEli]

Yay! Another successful convert. The JPEG image quality is just fine, the settings are just a bit conservative by default. Increase sharpness/contrast by a point or two and you'll get fantastic shots. People moaning about the default settings not providing the best possible image quality make me wonder if they've ever ventured into their menus and noticed that most all JPEG image parameters are adjustable to a huge degree.

The auto-focus system isn't bad by any means, and I prefer the fewer focus points to the massive arrays new DSLRs seem to be getting - AF points are the new MP, and the idea 'more is better' is just as incorrect with the former as it is with the latter. I would like slightly faster AF in continuous focus mode, but I'd most likely say the same thing for any camera I tried.

[mattdm]

Originally Posted by GEli

People moaning about the default settings not providing the best possible image quality make me wonder if they've ever ventured into their menus and noticed that most all JPEG image parameters are adjustable to a huge degree.

It comes from an obsession with sharpness, which is the most easily measured aspect of lens/image quality. And since you can measure it, it ends up highly prized by those in favor of objective, "scientific" reviews — even though other more subjective factors may be more important for real photographs. Pentax apparently uses a sharpening algorithm which prioritizes texture over edge sharpness, and that makes reviewers looking for edge sharpness score the JPEGs poorly.

They learned their lesson, though, and the K20D (and presumably the K200D) has a separate setting for edge sharpening.

[Usuqa]

Originally Posted by mattdm

Well, of course the focus system on your K lens is about as fast as it can possibly get.

hehe that is true . theres just something about that lens i seem to like.. and i cant wait to try some other older lens when i have some spare cash :P. The one thing ive noticed tho that even if something is in focus in the view finder (or when the camera says its in focus) sometimes it always isnt, seems to be a little worce when focused at infinity (im still trying things so i could just be me).

the 2 kit lens i got seem to be rather nice, thay focus way faster than my fz8 dreamed of and seem to deliver a pretty decent image. I do miss the little extra reach my fz8 had tho but i do have alot more croping power now, now just because of the 10mp v 7mp but the quality of the image over the fz8 helps alot to.

Today i was messing about with my old 55mm prime and even ventured into iso 1600 and i was still amazed at the quality of the images (anything over iso 400 started to look like a water painting on my fz8).