The Genius that is Pentax

During my many years of web publishing, there have been two groups of loyalists that I've had to be aware of: Mac users and Pentax shooters. Each group defends its brand and product line with great passion.

To be honest, I understood the Mac side of things more. I was part of the Apple revolution early on, hung in there during the awful 90s, and am still amazed at the company's success today.

But the Pentax folks were a bit more mysterious to me. Of all the brands that I've reviewed over the years, why were the Pentax shooters so different? What made them so dedicated?

It wasn't until I got back into film photography that the pieces began to come together. You see, in round 1 of my analog days, I didn't shoot Pentax, although I clearly remember lusting after the Spotmatic. But I was more of a Canon, Contax, and Yashica guy. 

Years later, when I was writing camera reviews for Macworld Magazine, Pentax was one of my beats. I really liked their digital cameras, and loved reviewing them. To tell you the truth, however, the only lens mount I had experience with was the Pentax DA (digital series). I knew there were older lenses, but I didn't have the big picture.

Fast forward a few years with my return to film photography. A friend gave my a Pentax ME Super with a 50mm Pentax-M lens, and I fell in love with the camera. I began exploring the lens catalog and learned about Pentax-A, Pentax-FA, and other variants.

With only a few logical exceptions, each generation of lens mount would work backwards and forward. As I began shooting with other Pentax bodies, such as the P30, ZX-M, and my current favorite, the ZX-5, I was amazed that I could put any of my Pentax optics on any of these bodies, and take great pictures.

Functionality was determined by the combination of lens mount and camera body. So, for example, I could put a manual focus Pentax-A on the autofocus ZX-5 body and get terrific images. But I had to manually focus, and I had to rely on center-weighted metering. The bottom line was, however, that it all worked, and the results were beautiful.

This mix and match capability protects your investment, and it really adds a lot of fun and experimentation to shooting pictures. Take a look at this lens compatibility chart for an overview of how this all works.

I finally began to understand that the Pentax approach to photography was truly unique. My favorite lens mounts are the Pentax-A and Pentax-FA. But I use anything that I can get my hands on.

I'm thrilled to finally have an understanding glimpse of the Pentax way of life.

You guys are right. This is worth defending.

-Derrick

Even My New Camera is Used

I bought my first digital camera in well over a year. Olympus was having a sale on refurbished models, and I snagged a Tough TG-4. That's right, I finally buy a new camera, and even it is used.

You see, I'm going to Maui in September, and I wanted to upgrade my dependable, but aging TG-1. A lot has happened since I bought that camera. The most noteworthy new features are the addition of WiFi and RAW capture. (RAW in a tough pocket camera... yeah!)

I love Tough cameras in Hawaii. My wardrobe consists of board shorts, a T-Shirt, and flip-flops. If I get hot, I fall into the pool or dash out into the ocean. The Tough camera stays in my shorts' pocket the entire time. I never have to worry about it. And I never miss a shot. 

It is my snorkeling camera, sunset companion, and drinking buddy. It has a compass, GPS, and a clock display. What else do you need?

Now that the TG-4 has been out for a while, you can get it for $349. That's a good price for a great camera. But the outlet store had a 2-day sale, and I could save over $100 more, which is a great deal. Even then, I had to think about it for a few minutes.

What's happened to me? I used to spend $230 without thinking twice. 

It's the darn film camera thing. I tell you.

Since I started spending $50-$75 for classic film SLRs, my perspective has become totally skewed. Most of the cameras I feature in TheFilmCameraShop I bought for $50 or less. Yes, they needed cleaning, and sometime repairs. (That's fun for me.) So I do that and then shoot with them for a week or two, process the film, and if everything looks OK, I put them up for sale for around $75. If they don't work out, I hang on to them for parts to fix something else.

I actually caught myself haggling with a guy the other day for a $45 camera. He wanted $48, I was willing to pay $43. We both dug in our heals and the deal never happened. Have I lost my mind? I walked away over $5. Starbucks costs that much.

Actually, I think what has happened is things have stabilized in the world of photography. Film cameras are cheap. And digital cameras have reached a level of quality where we don't have to buy a new one every year. All of this feels good.  It's been a long time since I've been off the camera buying merry go round.

I know this isn't great news for manufacturers, but that's not really my problem. I'm far more concerned about my budget. And I'm glad that I have trusty friends such as the OM-D E-M5 Mark II and 5D Mark II to depend on for my work. We're comfortable with each other.

And I guess that's why I'm so excited about TG-4. I feel like I just bought a new car. In fact, the model I purchased is racing red. And I am going to drive that baby all over the island of Maui.

-Derrick

Video: The Other Format

For those of us who have been still photographers our entire lives, video feels like that odd friend that comes home with your son. Intriguing, maybe. Comfortable, not so much.

Video for still shooters is a byproduct of the digital age. Prior to the new millennium, you bought a film camera or a movie camera. Now, they're rolled up into one.

And so the pressure mounts to learn frame rate, mic patterns, and an entirely new workflow. Plus those files... they're some damned big.

Yet, nearly every client I have in the corporate world wants video as well as stills. And the balance of formats is tipping in that direction. Thanks to the intelligence of our smartphone cameras, customers don't value professional still photography as they did a decade ago. But professional video, well there's still some mystery there.

"Do you shoot video as well?"

"I do, short form pieces, 3 minutes or less."

"Great!"

I'm thinking about this because I'm heading down to San Jose tomorrow for a job that involves frame rate and shotgun mics. I'm fine tuning the audio settings today because it's an interview piece, and I want it to sound really good, but also somewhat spontaneous and natural. In other words, no lapel mics.

I'll probably shoot only a few stills the entire day. Otherwise it's me and movie mode.

It's like my son took off for an errand and left his odd friend at the house for me to entertain. I feel a little awkward. 

I was never very good at small talk.

-Derrick

The Nimble Photographer Workshop

I have this idea that I've been working on, and I want to pass it by you. It's called The Nimble Photographer Workshop.

I tested the concept in Chicago last week. And to be honest, it was a big hit. So now I'm thinking about the next phase. And that's where you come in.

Here's the concept. The Nimble Photographer Workshop is a one day event for up to 20 people. The location could be anywhere. I would work with a host who lives locally and who would help me with the logistics. The host would be compensated by free admission and a gratuity.

I would fly in the day before the workshop and coordinate with the host about the last minute details, lead the event the next day, then fly out that night.

The cost for each participant would be $199. And we would have a blast. I think this would be particularly good for camera clubs and other groups who share a passion for nimbleosity.

If you would like to be a host for such an event, send me mail, or use the Contact Form on this site. And let's take this show on the road.

-Derrick

Duck In Out of the Sun

Nothing was really going right. I was standing somewhere on Wabash Ave. without having captured a single image. Not one picture in 45 minutes of walking.

I decided to change lenses. The 14-42mm that I removed from the camera jumped out of my hand, landed on its side with a thud, and rolled down the sidewalk 15 feet before bouncing off the foot of a homeless man.

Stunned, I just stared at him for a minute. He looked down at the lens on the sidewalk, then raised his head and looked back at me. I walked over to him, smiled, and picked it up. After a quick inspection as I strolled away, I didn't see any cracks in the glass. Amazingly, it seemed OK.

But still no pictures.

I walked another couple blocks without even bothering to take the camera out of my bag. Then it hit me. Just sit down for a moment and watch.

I found a tall, concrete planter just off the sidewalk, and took a seat. My feet swung freely like a little boy waiting for a ride. I began to feel better. People walked by without a glance. But I was watching them. I started to see things. I was feeling like myself again.

I'm amused by my tendency to keep pushing when clearly no progress is being made. What I really need to do is hit the reset button. Relax for a moment. Take a deep breath. Observe. Doing so seems to balance me. Why do I forget that?

I was just about ready to resume my walk when it started to rain. The drops fell gently, and they were warm. I was fine. I pulled out the baseball cap I had stashed in my camera bag, and went to work.

Over the next hour I shot nearly 200 images. Some of them I like a lot. The combination of refueling my energy and seeing the reflections of historic Chicago in asphalt puddles inspired me.

After a while, the rain stopped and the sun shone brightly. "Damn," I thought. It was time to duck in to a restaurant for a bite to eat. 

I know that seems backwards. Most city people retreat from the rain. That is, unless they're photographers.

I'll take it easy for now, then be back at twilight.

-Derrick