My first SR test @ Iso 800 : )

[snostorm]

bahadir wrote:

Anyway, observing the lastpictures shot @ISO 800withan exposure time of 1/4, I observed that when SR was off my pics. usually-if not always- turned out even sharper !!

Itwas only whenI shot @ a longer exposure time of 1'' did I start to see the adventage of the SR:?

I wonder if there's something wrong with my new toy, ordoes it signal to stable hands ( I could shoot decent pictures @ 1/8'' with my powershot S70) !!

Hi bahadir,

My handholding techique is pretty good, and I've always found that image stabilization, not only from Pentax, but also from Panasonic, and I imagine all the other mfgs, does not make as much of a difference in my shooting as it seems to for some others. I also remember a blog from Pentax USA's Dir. of Marketing, Ned Bunnel, before the K series cameras were released, where he stated that when testing the SR, he found that holding the camera more casually usually resulted in better SR performance.

I tried linking to the blog page, and can't get it to link correctly, but if you google his name and find his photo blog, scroll down to the archived blogs and click on July 2006, you'll see his comments concerning SR and a looser camera hold.

I doubt that your K10 has a problem. It's just that your handholding techique is good enough to make the SR less effective. The silver lining is that I have found that it's a lot more fun shooting with a more relaxed stance and letting the SR do the bulk of the work. Of course, for your 1 second shot, starting off with good technique is still a must.

BTW, I think that this is possibly why most of the camera reviewers have not found any image stabilizing systems to live up to the mfg's claims, as they are experienced photographers, and use good technique as a matter of habit.

Scott

[bahadir]

mtngal wrote:

All I can say is that I'm really impressed that you can take a picture at 1 sec and have it look so good - I can't do that with or without SR on.

Your results are interesting - the owners manual suggests that you don't use the SR with a tripod, I wonder if you are so steady that the SR compensates for something that isn't there? Personally, I haven't seen any particular difference between my tripod mounted shots with or wtihout SR, but I rarely take night shots). Or perhaps you moved a bit more on the SR one, just enough to go beyond it's ability to correct (it helps me quite a bit, but it isn't perfect under all conditions). In any case, the one at 1/4 sec. is only slightly worse than the non-SR one (or is the full sized version more noticable?), making it look only a little softer than the first one. It's definitely interesting.

Oh! Thanks the compliment : ) As for 1 sec. shot, well... I might not do it as decently evertime. But, fortunately, I can feel it before if I'm in the mood or not!

Never thought personalabilities will clash with those of the camera :-)Maybe I'll have to learn when it is agood time to turn off the SR depending on my moodbefore pressing the shutter release!



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@nabnerd: Thank you for your kind interest : ) Because the SR works to compansate the movement detectable on the body butnot the subject,I'll have to agree with interested observer's comment below. Anywaybe ready tosee acatalogue of further tests from me :lol:

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interested_ observer wrote:

Maybe I am missing something, but from the images and labeling, SR is functioning exactly as I would expect it to perform. On the 1 second frame with SR off it's a bit blurred and with it on, it is much better. How bahadir is holding the body steady for a quarter of a second and a second is beyond my mere mortal abilities. We have to get his secret and it just can't be tea. My wife drinks ice tea by the gallon and her hands are very unsteady - especially with her little kodak that she loves.

There is no way that object's motion can have any effect on the SR sensors, so everything is based on bahadir's exceptional skills of holding the body still!!!!!!

There is another expirement that he can perform. Rather than based on low light, use the longest lens available and focus on the smallest item possible - say for instance a 200mm lens and use a box with some small printing on it, setting across the room. That will setup a situation, essentially a momentum arm - where by the distance between the camera and the object (printing on the box) versus the width or height of the printing) is such a large ratio, that any small movement of the body would be amplified (ie blurred) and recorded. Plus you can have good control of the lighting of the object.

I'm humbled by your kind words! Going beyond 1 sec. is also beyond my mortal abilities:-)Still, as you expected!, I tried even longer exposure times (than 1 sec.)to see that the trouble is not the shake of my hands but the complete movement of my arm ormy entirebody, inwhich case the SR will be unable to help:!:

As for the secret :lol:,yea, I'd agree about the adverse effect of tea.Or could it be that the secret lies insome practices I did and lots ofbooksI read on Zen including the Drahma Bumsby Jack Kerouacwhen inuniversity years! Lol! Just imagine a book: Zen and low light photography!

Btw, thank you for your good advice! I performed some further experimentsbut this time during the daylight, shooting theback cover of the User's Manual book! Could't even think how manuals couldprove to be so useful:-)This time the 'SR On' shots were consistently better thoughthe difference was not assignificant as the ones I saw on the web!

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@ Scott:Your lines made me thinkwe're probably sharinga verysimilar case, though Iwonderif mine could be called a true technique :-)Yeah, Iknow Ned's blog but I'llneed to search the archive you spoke of. Thank you for the suggestion! Btw, a sentence of yours was just what was uppermost in my mind!

The silver lining is that I have found that it's a lot more fun shooting with a more relaxed stance and letting the SR do the bulk of the work

Anyway, I won't feel totally disappointed even if the SRwon't work as I had expected of it,because the colour rendition, low light ability, a wide dynamic range, lens and filter choice were my actual priorities in moving from my good old compact to DSLR : ) Ah, one more thing! I never felt a camera to feel as secure as the K10D in my hand, relieving me of the anxietyof the possible awful experince of dropping it!

[danielchtong]

bahadir wrote:

Dear Pentaxians,

Thanks to your kind support and feedback I finally took the plunge and got the k10d with the sigma 17-70! Updated to firmware to 1.30 which was a breeze, and took some shots indoors and outdoors, some of which are richly qualified for send your boring pics. :G Btw, I must say the lens gives a good corner to corner sharpness and the AF worked great even under worst indoor and outdoor conditions! The body is sooo handsome!! You can even hold it with one hand very securely

Congrat for your new camera and lens. Others have said it all: you have steady hand.

One thing I want to comment is that your SR test is very subjective thing. Why? When we take pict we adopt certain measure to steady the camera : like holding breath . But when you know you are with SR or without SR, you tend to deviate from your usual shooting pattern. To isolate that variable , you have to generate some uniform vibration for testing SR which is difficult for non-commercial situation.

Again post more pict when you have settled down with the new gears. Love your non-Pentax shoots earlier and certainly look forward to some cool Pentax shots from now on

Daniel, Toronto

[bahadir]

Daniel, thank you for putting yourvaluable thoughts and good wish!

Honestly I had good reasonto bemore inclined to find a very goodreason to justify my purchase:lolHere, due to the Euro thing and 18% VAT. we have to payconsiderably morethan in the US for such stuff !!) Considering, all my shooting experience is a subjective thing, the subjective test was the bestI could do to understand what I would be doing with my new gear (practically when to turn off and on the SR and why) :-) Anyway, I can feel morecomfortable about my long exposure shotsnow for I had never though I could shoot a decent picture @ 1 sec.untillthenightbefore :!:

[nadnerb]

Sorry for my stupid comment, I forgot how the SR worked for a moment! :-)

I only own a DL so don't have any SR

[bahadir]

Oh, come on! Thanks again for your kind interest : )

Btw, I must say I reallyliked the silhouette composition in your avatar

[hercules]

Congrats on your new toy my friend, with alot more pictures to come

[bahadir]

hercules wrote:

Congrats on your new toy my friend, with alot more pictures to come

That's been a very pleasant surprise to hear from youat Pentax' , my friend!