Just bought my first DSLR



Pentax K100D Kit
smc PENTAX-DA 18mm-55mm F3.5-F5.6 AL
smc PENTAX-FA J 75mm-300mm F4.5-F5.8AL
Hoya 52mm UV Filter
Hoya 58mm UV Filter
Hoya 58mm Skylight (1B) Filter

So many things to learn

So, here are my photographs. Constructive criticism are welcome

Added: My Album

This post has been edited by uglybee: Jun 16 2007, 09:28 PM

Alor Star
Taken on: 2007-05-23 to 2007-05-24
Location: Alor Star, Kedah

Gratz on your new DSLR

wow..nice picture u have there..loved the 2nd picture
but some picture are underexposed..

is it my monitor or ur pictures are badly balanced in level? opening one in PS would show color level running here n there.

except for the photo of the camera, the rest are badly exposed.
dun give up. keep trying.

All these pictures are using Auto mode. I am still reading the manual and playing around with the settings

DSLR is really so much different from compact cameras. Not easy but powerful

Anyway, there is also some dust in the lens. I've just got it fixed today at Shriro (KL). Service is good. But the dust is really annoying

is it because of the camera? is that camera any good?

I am at no position to the judge whether the camera is good or bad. I think it is probably my shooting skill

The only thing bad is dust!

The Pentax K series, is what people would say, erratic or weird metering.

Some says, it's perfectly normal, while Nikonians would say, it's badly under exposed.

I have the K10D myself too and I always crank it up +0.3EV for evening/night shots.

Just like the review of K10D by Phil Askey, if you are not the kind that wanna fiddle with RAW, you might as well stick with C&N.

Somehow, when I look at these K100D's shots, the behaviour is probably the same. But then again, I've only made 5 shots using green mode, but those are indoor. Perfectly balanced though.

Anyway, any underexposed can be fixed with the PP Lab software, no worries. Just make sure you snap in RAW, else there's no turning back.

Keep up the good work!

well, i tried this camera before i bought myself a DSLR last time around, and my first impression while testing it at the shop is that the metering are a little bit underexposed then other camera i tried at the same time..

i like pentax but it has a steeper learning curve compared to c or n.

good luck.

2nd and 3rd picture seems really underexposed to me. I think the white balance for the third picture is a little off, seems a little too warm to me.

Most probably Pentax default is a bit under for you to do post-processing, you may fine tune it with ev to your preference.

My previous cam, FZ10 also having the same problem, but not so under like yours.

#3 feels dark but i like #2, it does give a feel of sun setting.

i only wished that the pictures were adjusted because the tower seems to be 'senget' most of the shots.

nevertheless good try, i was preparing my bullet to shoot and people already - just in case the shots are about lens cap and mugs.

How do I actually see whether the image is underexposed before I load it in the computer?

So to increase exposure, I have to increase EV? Roughly how to many?

Btw, can the photos I took be edited using Photoshop? Will the effect be nicer?

IMO it takes a while to get used to estimating from the LCD.




of course.

and yes, it will be nicer depending on how you do it. just don't over do it, you can't turn shit into gold. so do your best, then photoshop to correct it a little.

just correct the Levels and saturation is good enough if u're already satisfied with the composition and sharpness...

i'll guess +0.7/ev

Home (Kepong)
Taken on: 2007-05-29
Location: Kepong, Kuala Lumpur

ouhh hey we stay nearby!!! btw pic quite dim. can brighten a bit will look better.

2nd pic can try to align more straight also.

ur house is so big.. are you sure this is your house?

Unless you know him....otherwise...there should be no problem that it is his house....

Hey uglybee, try to brighten up your photos, it's very dark, underexposed (mata sakit ) try with different exposure and compare among it.

I think my timing for shooting the photo is wrong. It is around 7:00pm++. Kind of dark

7pm+ still can take bright enough picture.

You need to tweak the brightness a bit when you do PP.

This is nothing to do with the timing.. is just the matter of ur skill ..
As a talented photographer he should be able to take good photo anywhere or anytime he is...
perhaps ur skill still not yet reach that level... or... maybe u dun have such talent...

a photographer should know when is the best time to take the shots, snapping at different time of the day, will have light from different angle and intensity.

even the clouds at the background to make or break the images.

so don't discount timing from photography.

woah..i see this tower all the time but never really go take piture of it..
lol

Got two bee here....
That house shot is a bit dark laaa....or purposely want it like that

Not purposely. It is really my kungfu not there yet

2 bee
Cute = wife
Ugly = husband

My wife is just trying to make fun of me ler

This post has been edited by uglybee: May 31 2007, 09:54 PM

Spider-Man
Taken on: 2007-05-31

nice attempt.. try to play more with lighting and see the result..

your spiderman is underexposed
4th and last one blur.
3rd one, focus either on the head or the hand, not the shoulder.
keep trying.

Cloudy Day (Johor Bahru)
Taken on: 2007-06-08
Location: Johor Bahru, Johor







This post has been edited by uglybee: Jun 10 2007, 12:21 PM

Sulcata Tortoise
Taken on: 2007-06-10

hey there!

i'm a new k100d user too!

nice pic u got there!

do u use CPL?

what brand?what price?

I'm a new user like you too, my first SLR

Sorry, too new to understand what is CPL? Mind to enlighten me

uglybee, your dslr so fast got dust already?? o_O

i noted a spot at the upper centre of the photos.. there's a mark there.. do you notice?

I know, and it is a stubborn one. Couldn't remove it by using blower

Lucky got it removed at service center. Now I don't bother to change lens. Scared got dust

I wonder how people avoid this problem?

yer, so nice ohhhhh

yer, so nice ohhhhh

I would like to know too!

any sifu here can guide us?

This post has been edited by uchan: Jun 10 2007, 08:49 PM

I am using K100D too, the thing with Pentax is that the metering is default to underexpose between ngeative 0.3 - 0.7ev . So for everyday use and to achieve exposure results like C&N out of camera, just increase your exposure compensation to +0.3 or +0.7 ev.

Mine is defaulted to + 0.7 ev. The reason Pentax choose to underexpose is in order to hold on to details that might be lost due to over exposure because once the detail is lost no matter how much pp is done, the details cant be brought back , the reverse is true for under exposure.

As for lens changing, ensure your camera is switched off, then make sure your environment is not too dusty, and when u remove your lens, face the camera body to your body and immediately mount the next lens and make sure to fit the lens mount cover on the lens that you just removed from the camera.

And no matter what you do, dust will always be there and cleaning will be necessary.

Just my 2cents, hope it helps.

Quartz Bracelet
Taken on: 2007-06-13

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Added on June 13, 2007, 10:42 pmMy macro shots aren't nice.

I am using Macro mode, and the camera have problem finding focus. So can't snap the photos. Is this normal?

This post has been edited by uglybee: Jun 13 2007, 10:42 PM

which distance u using? using zoom?

This post has been edited by tongyam: Jun 13 2007, 10:51 PM

I was aiming the lens quite near the object and with zoom

Pentax and I
Taken on: 2007-06-13



This post has been edited by uglybee: Jun 14 2007, 12:11 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong. I found out that, with SLR lenses, zoom or not zoom, your minimum focus-able distant is unchanged.

For eg: your kit lens is 30cm for minimum focus distant. You can try that with minimal/maximum focal length and see the results.

Basically, at minimum focus distant and set your focal length to max, you are getting something which is close to macro. But of course there are better lenses to do macro, such as those that they call it "Macro lens". Haha.

Look for the flower symbol.

This post has been edited by Harddisk: Jun 14 2007, 12:09 AM

Seiko Watch
Taken on: 2007-06-14

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Added on June 14, 2007, 10:17 amKind of a bit dark

This post has been edited by uglybee: Jun 14 2007, 10:17 AM

such a good cam,....... but ...aiz.... add framing somore

such a good cam,....... but ...aiz.... add framing somore

My friend, give chance a bit ler

I'm still buta buta shooting. Haven do all the reading

i say say jek la

while touching the camera, use 2 day to finish it lor, wait wat jek

Sulcata Tortoise
Taken on: 2007-06-16

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Added on June 16, 2007, 9:40 pmAt night, under white light, not so nice

This post has been edited by uglybee: Jun 16 2007, 09:40 PM