RE: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
Hi again, I joined the list almost 2 months ago with questions regarding my inabilities to take good pictures with my PZ-1 and FA28-200 combo. I have remained a silent member since then reading as many posts as I can given the lack of time. I realized some of my faults. Thanks to all those who replied, specially Artur Ledóchowski. First, my pics weren't really out of focus as I earlier thought. They just weren't sharp enough. I was stretching the inverse focal length thumb rule a bit too much, e.g., shooting at 1/30 or even 1/15 for focal lengths of 28-35mm. I would go to 1/45 for 50mm and so forth. And I am no pro to be able to hold the camera steady. I now have a simple tripod too that I plan to use next time I take pictures. Then, the front lens element was indeed not as clear. I cleaned it with some lens cleaning fluid/paper and it improved the results, though the lens is not 100% clean even now. I wonder, why I see mist or spots on the inside glass surface. I doubt it is fungus but what do I know? In any case its minimal and it appeared that it is not causing much harm. I am far from being satisfied and have been been reading a Kodak book and looking for some tips on the net too. I would appreciate if you guys could help me with the following: 1. Not all my pics come out well exposed. Some come out very well but a few are either over or under-exposed. When is the camera more likely to get fooled by the lighting conditions? My reading suggested areas where there is too much light (snow?) or too little. I tend to take most pictures on touristy trips of nature, architecture etc. and usually include my family in quite a few. The sky tends to get washed out almost always. I guess, I need a polarizer for that, right? But even otherwise, pictures of beautiful skies, sunsets come out very dull, drab without any colors whatsoever :-( I once under-exposed and the effect was much better. But another time, it wasn't. How do you guys figure out whether the camera is correct or that you need to over/under-expose? 2. How do I improve my framing capabilities. I end up taking quite ordinary and boring pictures even though at the time of clicking, the whole scene is much more romantic and beautiful than the final result. Does this come with experience, is more of a talent than skill?? 3. I haven't managed to locate any print film other than consumer ones from Kodak/Fuji/Konica here in Bangalore, India. I usually use Kodak Gold 100/200 and get the regular 4x6 size prints made. Should I consider importing Supra or Fujipress or would the difference in such small prints be mostly imperceptible? 4. How do I figure out whether my negatives are well-exposed? I look at them and they do seem well exposed but the picture doesn't look as bright and contrasty. Obviously I am missing something here. Thanks a lot for reading such a longish mail... Regards, Gaurav - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
Then, the front lens element was indeed not as clear. I cleaned it with some lens cleaning fluid/paper and it improved the results, though the lens is not 100% clean even now. I wonder, why I see mist or spots on the inside glass surface. I doubt it is fungus but what do I know? In any case its minimal and it appeared that it is not causing much harm. Could that be moisture? My FA100/2.8 had similar problem and I thought there was something wrong. But then the silica gel took care of it. 1. Not all my pics come out well exposed. Some come out very well but a few are either over or under-exposed. When is the camera more likely to get fooled by the lighting conditions? My reading suggested areas where there is too much light (snow?) or too little. I tend to take most pictures on touristy trips of nature, architecture etc. and usually include my family in quite a few. The sky tends to get washed out almost always. I guess, I need a polarizer for that, right? But even otherwise, pictures of beautiful skies, sunsets come out very dull, drab without any colors whatsoever :-( I once under-exposed and the effect was much better. But another time, it wasn't. How do you guys figure out whether the camera is correct or that you need to over/under-expose? If the prints you got was poor, it might be the lab that did a poor job. You would be surprised to know that most labs on earth are poor. You might try some slides when practising your skill. Fuji Sensia 100 is a good starting point. But mind you that prints from slides are expensive. 2. How do I improve my framing capabilities. I end up taking quite ordinary and boring pictures even though at the time of clicking, the whole scene is much more romantic and beautiful than the final result. Does this come with experience, is more of a talent than skill?? Unfortunately, I have the same problem too. ^^ I'd say it's something that you can learn, instead of based on talent alone. 3. I haven't managed to locate any print film other than consumer ones from Kodak/Fuji/Konica here in Bangalore, India. I usually use Kodak Gold 100/200 and get the regular 4x6 size prints made. Should I consider importing Supra or Fujipress or would the difference in such small prints be mostly imperceptible? These consumer films are quite good. I'd say you might keep using them until you have gained enough experience on exposure. 4. How do I figure out whether my negatives are well-exposed? I look at them and they do seem well exposed but the picture doesn't look as bright and contrasty. Obviously I am missing something here. If you can live without prints, shoot slides. regards, Alan Chan _ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
An indication that your pictures are underexposed is when your blacks look dark gray, instead of rich black. Sometimes it's a good idea to set your meter a little lower (125 or 160 for 200 film, for example) to ensure sufficient exposure. You also might want to check your meter against the one in another camera. As for sky, it's much brighter than land, so often the sky is ok, but the foreground is too dark, or the foreground is ok, but the sky is burned out. Use a circular polariser, or a graduated neutral density filter and you'll get much better results. Your meter should accurately expose average scenes, but if they're not average, you need to compensate. With lots of white in the frame (snow, etc.) add up to two stops of exposure, and with lots of black, stop down some. For film, you wouldn't see much difference with pro film in 4x6s, and it's quite a bit more expensive. As for framing, it takes practice to know when you can capture what's in front of you, or whether it'll disappear when you put a frame on it. You could try cutting out a 4x6 hole in a piece of cardboard and holding it up at various distances from your eye (to simulate various focal lengths) to help you visualize the actual picture. Good luck, and keep shooting! Pat White - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
On Fri, Apr 05, 2002 at 01:09:18PM -0800, Pat White wrote: An indication that your pictures are underexposed is when your blacks look dark gray, instead of rich black. Isn't that over-exposure instead of under ? (when blacks look gray that is). - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re[2]: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
Nitin, It depends on whether you have positive or negative film. If you underexposed negative film, the darks/blacks will go gray and the picture will seem a bit washed out looking. Just the opposite of shooting slide. So the rule of thumb is slightly underexpose slides, slightly overexpose negatives. Bruce Dayton Friday, April 05, 2002, 1:21:21 PM, you wrote: NG On Fri, Apr 05, 2002 at 01:09:18PM -0800, Pat White wrote: An indication that your pictures are underexposed is when your blacks look dark gray, instead of rich black. NG Isn't that over-exposure instead of under ? (when blacks look gray that NG is). NG - NG This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, NG go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to NG visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
In a slide you would be right, but for prints, Pat was correct. When the whole neg is underexposed, the lab will make the print lighter to try to keep some detail, which makes the blacks grey. -Original Message- From: Nitin Garg [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 05 April 2002 22:21 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1 On Fri, Apr 05, 2002 at 01:09:18PM -0800, Pat White wrote: An indication that your pictures are underexposed is when your blacks look dark gray, instead of rich black. Isn't that over-exposure instead of under ? (when blacks look gray that is). - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
ah yes indeed :) Looks like i have been shooting slides for too long now :) On Fri, Apr 05, 2002 at 01:43:39PM -0800, Bruce Dayton wrote: Nitin, It depends on whether you have positive or negative film. If you underexposed negative film, the darks/blacks will go gray and the picture will seem a bit washed out looking. Just the opposite of shooting slide. So the rule of thumb is slightly underexpose slides, slightly overexpose negatives. Bruce Dayton Friday, April 05, 2002, 1:21:21 PM, you wrote: NG On Fri, Apr 05, 2002 at 01:09:18PM -0800, Pat White wrote: An indication that your pictures are underexposed is when your blacks look dark gray, instead of rich black. NG Isn't that over-exposure instead of under ? (when blacks look gray that NG is). NG - NG This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, NG go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to NG visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
RE: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
I second this: shoot slides! Minilab prints make a very poor guide for improvement any of these aspects. If you must shoot negatives -- scan them with a slide scanner. Otherwise do slides. They 1. give you very precise feedback about whether you meter correctly or not. the same goes for accurate colors. 2. you won't depend on lab's personell skills. 3. have MUCH better contrast and color brilliance than prints. on more one occasion i had the same sunset shot on slide and print film, and the difference was HUGE 4. slides are cheaper to process. where i live, a roll of slides, mounted, in an 1hr lab is $6, in the same lab the prints go for $10 or something like this. so you can shoot more. 5. when slides turn out well, they turn out amazingly great! you will feel really really good about yourself -- and this kind of positive reinforcement is important. for me anyway. and finally, the shots that you really like you can still print from slides. 1. Not all my pics come out well exposed. Some come out very well but a few are either over or under-exposed. When is the camera more likely to get fooled by the lighting conditions? My reading suggested areas where there is too much light (snow?) or too little. I tend to take most pictures on touristy trips of nature, architecture etc. and usually include my family in quite a few. The sky tends to get washed out almost always. I guess, I need a polarizer for that, right? But even otherwise, pictures of beautiful skies, sunsets come out very dull, drab without any colors whatsoever :-( I once under-exposed and the effect was much better. But another time, it wasn't. How do you guys figure out whether the camera is correct or that you need to over/under-expose? If the prints you got was poor, it might be the lab that did a poor job. You would be surprised to know that most labs on earth are poor. You might try some slides when practising your skill. Fuji Sensia 100 is a good starting point. But mind you that prints from slides are expensive. 2. How do I improve my framing capabilities. I end up taking quite ordinary and boring pictures even though at the time of clicking, the whole scene is much more romantic and beautiful than the final result. Does this come with experience, is more of a talent than skill?? Unfortunately, I have the same problem too. ^^ I'd say it's something that you can learn, instead of based on talent alone. 3. I haven't managed to locate any print film other than consumer ones from Kodak/Fuji/Konica here in Bangalore, India. I usually use Kodak Gold 100/200 and get the regular 4x6 size prints made. Should I consider importing Supra or Fujipress or would the difference in such small prints be mostly imperceptible? These consumer films are quite good. I'd say you might keep using them until you have gained enough experience on exposure. 4. How do I figure out whether my negatives are well-exposed? I look at them and they do seem well exposed but the picture doesn't look as bright and contrasty. Obviously I am missing something here. If you can live without prints, shoot slides. - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
On 8 Feb 2002 at 6:10, Gaurav Aggarwal wrote: Hi all, I bought a used PZ-1 in the US a few years ago but hardly used it. Subsequently, I moved to India and have been using it off and on, more as a tourist photographer only. snip Lately, I observed that my pictures aren't any good compared to what fellow tourists take primarily with their PS or sometimes with Canon EOS Rebel (2 of my friends have this one). Neither the focus is as great (clarity misses out), Blurry pics are due to mis-focusing and camera shake. Are you sure you're focusing properly, and have set a reasonable shutter speed? nor is the color, brightness and contrast. Given a good exposure, this has more to do with the film and processing used than anything else. Underexposure can screw with these properties too. Are your negs well-exposed? Somehow, something is always missing in my pictures. If they were in focus and well-exposed would you like them? I had read quite a few books on photography while in the US 3 years ago and had felt that I knew what I was doing when I put the camera in Aperture priority mode, and click at f8 or f16. Obviously, I am wrong somewhere. This should work ok if you've got enough light and you don't have the spot meter accidentally selected. Then lately, I started using the 50mm/f1.7 manual focus thinking that the prime might be much better. The results are hardly any good compared to 28-200. I mostly shoot Kodak or Fuji films of speed 100 or 200. I have changed my developer couple of times and did see some difference but nothing major :-( You need quite a bit of light to shoot at f/16 and ISO 100. Are you using a tripod? Also, I have been able to make use of DoF and regret this. Try as hard as I might, I can hardly figure that something is indeed going out of focus at small apertures (i.e., wider openings). Are you saying you don't understand this, or you can't see it in the finder? Any tips, criticism, suggestions would be more than welcome. Thanks!! I am relatively new to PUG and so pardom me if I have violated the charter/norms of the mailing list. Welcome aboard, you're remarkably on-topic. All I can suggest is to make sure the camera is set at a decent shutter speed if hand-holding (1/focal length), that the spot-meter isn't on (set it to matrix), and that exposure compensation is set to 0. It might be helpful if you could scan and post some of these photos you're talking about. Good luck. tv - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
Gaurav, I have some suggestions for you. 1.) Shoot slide film and use the camera in manual mode to teach yourself how to expose correctly. It sounds as if you might need a refresher course. 2.) Practice proper technique. Perhaps your hands are too shaky. Relax as you take the shot. Invest in a tripod, even a small table top one. 3.) Purchase good film. I stick with Provia 100F and Velvia for slides. It is tough to beat Superia-Reala for outdoor portraits. If I need speed, NPZ is the way to go. Don't settle for cheap film. When it comes to film from my experience you get what you pay for. 4.) Force yourself to stick with the 50mm prime for a while to keep things simple for a while. You will soon understand its limitations and what to expect from this focal length, which will help you understand your zoom better. 5.) Find images you like, then do some reading on how to duplicate them. Then experiment to see if you can. The more you try, the better a photographer you will be. Good luck. Sherwin Abesamis mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Odp: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
Original Message - From: Gaurav Aggarwal [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1 I have 2 lenses: FA 28-200mm Pentax and A 50mm/f1.7 Pentax (manual focus) that I bought used. I usually used the 28-200 lens even though I know that such large-range zooms will never give very good performance. However, I liked the ability to capture landscapes at 28-35mm as well as subjects of interest at 120-150mm when travelling as a tourist. Unless you enlarge your prints over 13x18cm, the difference between ultra zooms and normal zooms or even primes may be unnoticeable. I emphasize the word may because the final result depends on you. That FA 28-200 is actually the Tamron lens with SMC and it's a good tourist lens... Lately, I observed that my pictures aren't any good compared to what fellow tourists take primarily with their PS or sometimes with Canon EOS Rebel (2 of my friends have this one). Neither the focus is as great (clarity misses out), nor is the color, brightness and contrast. Somehow, something is always missing in my pictures. Well, one thing you must find out is whether your pics are really out of focus or just aren't sharp - and it's a substantial difference. If they are out of focus, then it can be due to AF system malfunction, but it's but a one possibility. It's also IMHO hardly possible, because if the camera focused unproperly, you would easily notice it in your viewfinder. The PZ-1 has a very narrow focusing area - perhaps your focusing technique is wrong. Perhaps you focus on wrong elements. Perhaps your camera is set to a Servo AF mode, and you press the button before the focusing. And if your pics simply aren't sharp, then it's more than obvious that it's due to the camera shake. Have you tried using a tripod? Especially with the 28-200. Do you know such a rule: the slowest shutter speed, that prevents the camera shake to be recorded on a film, while handholding that camera, is 1/actual focal length? Thus if you use your 28-200, you can try to shoot at 28mm with 1/30sec, but at 200mm no less than 1/250 sec (and i's good to increase the margin by at least 1 to 2EV - the longer the focal lenght, the greater the margin; for example at 28mm - 1/60sec, but at 200mm - 1/1000). If you can't get that fast with your slow zoom then go for faster films - let the ISO400 be your standard (I truly recommend the Kodak Supra 400 - very sharp, no grain). Besides, are your lens clean? If you have problems with color, brightness and contrast, then there can be several different causes of it. If you bought used lenses, then maybe the lens coating is damaged. Maybe your film was too old. Maybe you didn't apply necessary exposure compensation, while your metering system was fooled by too bright or too dark elements of the scene (don't worry - all metering systems are fooled that way:)). Perhaps you could scan some of those bad pics and put them somewhere on the Net so we could see them and judge... Then lately, I started using the 50mm/f1.7 manual focus thinking that the prime might be much better. The results are hardly any good compared to 28-200. I mostly shoot Kodak or Fuji films of speed 100 or 200. I have changed my developer couple of times and did see some difference but nothing major :-( See above... - use faster films so you can use faster shutter speed. Buy a tripod. Focus carefully. What could I be doing wrong? Is the metering mode on my PZ-1 set incorrectly?? I do not have its manual with me. I usually leave the camera in HyP mode, and select either Aperture (when taking lanscapes or portraits) or Shutter (when photographing traffic or waterfalls, river). I typically never use the spot-metering. Always look for your fault first - not the camera's. If you always use the matrix, then most probably there must be something wrong with your technique, since that matrix (8 segments) is one of the best:) Unless it's damaged, which is IMHO unlikely... Also, I have been able to make use of DoF and regret this. Try as hard as I might, I can hardly figure that something is indeed going out of focus at small apertures (i.e., wider openings). Just watch carefully - there's a big difference between f5,6 and f11. Try to watch some brighter elements since the smaller the aperture, the darker the viewfinder while in DoFP. You must notice it... HTH Greetz Artur -- Tego nie znajdziesz w zadnym sklepie! [ http://oferty.onet.pl ] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
Hi all, I bought a used PZ-1 in the US a few years ago but hardly used it. Subsequently, I moved to India and have been using it off and on, more as a tourist photographer only. I have 2 lenses: FA 28-200mm Pentax and A 50mm/f1.7 Pentax (manual focus) that I bought used. I usually used the 28-200 lens even though I know that such large-range zooms will never give very good performance. However, I liked the ability to capture landscapes at 28-35mm as well as subjects of interest at 120-150mm when travelling as a tourist. Lately, I observed that my pictures aren't any good compared to what fellow tourists take primarily with their PS or sometimes with Canon EOS Rebel (2 of my friends have this one). Neither the focus is as great (clarity misses out), nor is the color, brightness and contrast. Somehow, something is always missing in my pictures. I had read quite a few books on photography while in the US 3 years ago and had felt that I knew what I was doing when I put the camera in Aperture priority mode, and click at f8 or f16. Obviously, I am wrong somewhere. Then lately, I started using the 50mm/f1.7 manual focus thinking that the prime might be much better. The results are hardly any good compared to 28-200. I mostly shoot Kodak or Fuji films of speed 100 or 200. I have changed my developer couple of times and did see some difference but nothing major :-( What could I be doing wrong? Is the metering mode on my PZ-1 set incorrectly?? I do not have its manual with me. I usually leave the camera in HyP mode, and select either Aperture (when taking lanscapes or portraits) or Shutter (when photographing traffic or waterfalls, river). I typically never use the spot-metering. Also, I have been able to make use of DoF and regret this. Try as hard as I might, I can hardly figure that something is indeed going out of focus at small apertures (i.e., wider openings). Any tips, criticism, suggestions would be more than welcome. Thanks!! I am relatively new to PUG and so pardom me if I have violated the charter/norms of the mailing list. Gaurav Bangalore, INDIA. Looking for a job? Visit Yahoo! India Careers Visit http://in.careers.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
It is nothing wrong with your equipments. I tried several times to draw pictures but results from other artists were much much better. After changing paint brushes several times I stayed with my cameras. Andreas Wirtz Gaurav Aggarwal [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi all, I bought a used PZ-1 in the US a few years ago but hardly used it. Subsequently, I moved to India and have been using it off and on, more as a tourist photographer only. I have 2 lenses: FA 28-200mm Pentax and A 50mm/f1.7 Pentax (manual focus) that I bought used. I usually used the 28-200 lens even though I know that such large-range zooms will never give very good performance. However, I liked the ability to capture landscapes at 28-35mm as well as subjects of interest at 120-150mm when travelling as a tourist. Lately, I observed that my pictures aren't any good compared to what fellow tourists take primarily with their PS or sometimes with Canon EOS Rebel (2 of my friends have this one). Neither the focus is as great (clarity misses out), nor is the color, brightness and contrast. Somehow, something is always missing in my pictures. I had read quite a few books on photography while in the US 3 years ago and had felt that I knew what I was doing when I put the camera in Aperture priority mode, and click at f8 or f16. Obviously, I am wrong somewhere. Then lately, I started using the 50mm/f1.7 manual focus thinking that the prime might be much better. The results are hardly any good compared to 28-200. I mostly shoot Kodak or Fuji films of speed 100 or 200. I have changed my developer couple of times and did see some difference but nothing major :-( What could I be doing wrong? Is the metering mode on my PZ-1 set incorrectly?? I do not have its manual with me. I usually leave the camera in HyP mode, and select either Aperture (when taking lanscapes or portraits) or Shutter (when photographing traffic or waterfalls, river). I typically never use the spot-metering. Also, I have been able to make use of DoF and regret this. Try as hard as I might, I can hardly figure that something is indeed going out of focus at small apertures (i.e., wider openings). Any tips, criticism, suggestions would be more than welcome. Thanks!! I am relatively new to PUG and so pardom me if I have violated the charter/norms of the mailing list. Gaurav Bangalore, INDIA. Looking for a job? Visit Yahoo! India Careers Visit http://in.careers.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . Send FREE Valentine eCards with Yahoo! Greetings! - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
Re: unable to take good pictures with my PZ-1
I would suggest the following tests: take shots of distant object/landscape with both lenses so that the focus is set to infinity. If the pictures turn out out-of-focus, then your cam body is likely to be screwed (unlikely for both lenses to be bad). If both are in-focus, cam body is good. Also if you set lens to infinity focus, looking thru viewfinder the distant landscape should appear sharp (this would mean your prism system isnt screwed). To see if the AF of the cam is not working well: focus on somebody standing nearby, switch to MF mode and see if you can get sharper focus than that selected by camera. Does the lack of quality seem like due to light leakage ? You can test that by say loading film, wrapping a black cloth all around the body so only the lens is sticking out, shoot some pics, develop the photos and see what happens. basically eliminate possibilities one by one... or you could just find a good repair place nearby and have a lookover done :) and yeah, indian weather is excellent for fungus growth. So check that out in your lens first. On Fri, Feb 08, 2002 at 06:10:01AM +, Gaurav Aggarwal wrote: Hi all, I bought a used PZ-1 in the US a few years ago but hardly used it. Subsequently, I moved to India and have been using it off and on, more as a tourist photographer only. I have 2 lenses: FA 28-200mm Pentax and A 50mm/f1.7 Pentax (manual focus) that I bought used. I usually used the 28-200 lens even though I know that such large-range zooms will never give very good performance. However, I liked the ability to capture landscapes at 28-35mm as well as subjects of interest at 120-150mm when travelling as a tourist. Lately, I observed that my pictures aren't any good compared to what fellow tourists take primarily with their PS or sometimes with Canon EOS Rebel (2 of my friends have this one). Neither the focus is as great (clarity misses out), nor is the color, brightness and contrast. Somehow, something is always missing in my pictures. I had read quite a few books on photography while in the US 3 years ago and had felt that I knew what I was doing when I put the camera in Aperture priority mode, and click at f8 or f16. Obviously, I am wrong somewhere. Then lately, I started using the 50mm/f1.7 manual focus thinking that the prime might be much better. The results are hardly any good compared to 28-200. I mostly shoot Kodak or Fuji films of speed 100 or 200. I have changed my developer couple of times and did see some difference but nothing major :-( What could I be doing wrong? Is the metering mode on my PZ-1 set incorrectly?? I do not have its manual with me. I usually leave the camera in HyP mode, and select either Aperture (when taking lanscapes or portraits) or Shutter (when photographing traffic or waterfalls, river). I typically never use the spot-metering. Also, I have been able to make use of DoF and regret this. Try as hard as I might, I can hardly figure that something is indeed going out of focus at small apertures (i.e., wider openings). Any tips, criticism, suggestions would be more than welcome. Thanks!! I am relatively new to PUG and so pardom me if I have violated the charter/norms of the mailing list. Gaurav Bangalore, INDIA. Looking for a job? Visit Yahoo! India Careers Visit http://in.careers.yahoo.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
