Kit Lens Appreciation
I am using the original Q, I shoot Raw in AV most times, I do some post processing, I do tend to like a bit of colour. Here is a jpg untouched and raw touched! I mostly use darktable or the Silkpix. I think I push the colours a bit much tbh. I always set my camera to the natural colour profile.
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I definitely love the Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4 kit lens. It's really well-made, relatively bright for a kit lens in terms of aperture, and in a universe (Fuji) where stabilization is a rarity, it's a nice addition. I've mostly used it here at the boarding school where I work, where I do the day-to-day photography at assemblies and such, so I've taken a lot of pictures of people; so just to be sensitive to privacy I guess, here are a few examples of photos that aren't of the students here, that I've taken with that lens using the Fuji X-T1, which I would recommend to anyone. (Honestly though, in terms of shooting experience, I kinda prefer the Fuji X-E2s, or similar X-E2. It's similar in size but lighter, and the four-way AF point selector "D pad" is way easier to find than on the X-T1.)
Below: a very recent photo of one of the dorms here; then a photo of a visiting singing group conducting a workshop; and then a photo from a few years ago, when I knew much less than the little I know now, ha, but I feel like it shows a bit of what the lens (and some intense and probably over-use of the Classic Chrome film simulation!) can do.
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Quote from SpruceBruce on January 28, 2022, 7:01 am@TSTS which actual Q body is it you're using? I have the original one, and my results aren't that sharp and colorful. They've been very underwhelming with my experience so far.
Is the Pentax 18-135 allowed to make an appearance? I'd say it's a common option as a kit for Pentax prosumer models. Mine has gotten me spectacular results!
That's funny you say that, because I was wondering the same thing. It definitely is a kit lens, but I was like "does it count?" haha It is my most used lens by far and I love love love it. Your photos made me go "Wow" out loud. The forest and the mountain range in the background... absolutely top notch. Frame it!
It is absolutely stunning on my K10D (IMO, of course. Just compared to my other lenses on that camera). That's why I was hesitant to count it as a kit lens...what kind of kit lens absolutely transforms a 16-yr old camera? This one!
Here's some of my favorite shots with the K10D + 18-135. It's not the sharpest combo (sharper on my K-3, of course), but I think that the colors and "feel" of the photos are better than my K-3. There's just something about CCD's.
IMGP2231 by Mobusaki, on Flickr
IMGP4157 by Mobusaki, on Flickr
Quote from TSTS on January 28, 2022, 1:06 pmI am using the original Q, I shoot Raw in AV most times, I do some post processing, I do tend to like a bit of colour. Here is a jpg untouched and raw touched! I mostly use darktable or the Silkpix. I think I push the colours a bit much tbh. I always set my camera to the natural colour profile.
It could be fun to have a "photo edits" thread where we post the SOOC and our edit. I'm sure there would be some neat tricks and techniques on display.
Quote from denniscrommett on January 28, 2022, 8:00 pmI definitely love the Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4 kit lens. It's really well-made, relatively bright for a kit lens in terms of aperture, and in a universe (Fuji) where stabilization is a rarity, it's a nice addition. I've mostly used it here at the boarding school where I work, where I do the day-to-day photography at assemblies and such, so I've taken a lot of pictures of people; so just to be sensitive to privacy I guess, here are a few examples of photos that aren't of the students here, that I've taken with that lens using the Fuji X-T1, which I would recommend to anyone. (Honestly though, in terms of shooting experience, I kinda prefer the Fuji X-E2s, or similar X-E2. It's similar in size but lighter, and the four-way AF point selector "D pad" is way easier to find than on the X-T1.)
Below: a very recent photo of one of the dorms here; then a photo of a visiting singing group conducting a workshop; and then a photo from a few years ago, when I knew much less than the little I know now, ha, but I feel like it shows a bit of what the lens (and some intense and probably over-use of the Classic Chrome film simulation!) can do.
Excellent! That lens seems super. That dorm building has got to be the nicest one I've ever seen. Beautiful architecture, nicely framed: the sky and flowers compliment it well. Now I'm looking at Fuji X-T1's again...thanks. haha
Quote from JBP on January 29, 2022, 5:44 pmQuote from SpruceBruce on January 28, 2022, 7:01 am@TSTS which actual Q body is it you're using? I have the original one, and my results aren't that sharp and colorful. They've been very underwhelming with my experience so far.
Is the Pentax 18-135 allowed to make an appearance? I'd say it's a common option as a kit for Pentax prosumer models. Mine has gotten me spectacular results!
That's funny you say that, because I was wondering the same thing. It definitely is a kit lens, but I was like "does it count?" haha It is my most used lens by far and I love love love it. Your photos made me go "Wow" out loud. The forest and the mountain range in the background... absolutely top notch. Frame it!
It is absolutely stunning on my K10D (IMO, of course. Just compared to my other lenses on that camera). That's why I was hesitant to count it as a kit lens...what kind of kit lens absolutely transforms a 16-yr old camera? This one!
Here's some of my favorite shots with the K10D + 18-135. It's not the sharpest combo (sharper on my K-3, of course), but I think that the colors and "feel" of the photos are better than my K-3. There's just something about CCD's.
Beautiful shots! Love the foggy moody one.
The talk and shots with the fuji remind me that I haven't shot a fuji camera in a long time. First and only I owned was an xpro-1 for a summer, and honestly I don't totally know why I sold it. I think the market had dipped and went back up and I stood to make ~$200 profit for selling it then, and as always was looking at lots of other stuff to buy haha. But I loved using it, and always wanted to try the native glass for the system (I was just adapting). Now I have more capital than back then. I'll have to start my research again and see which model to target 😉
Thanks for the kind words and for sharing those beautiful photos, @jbp! That dorm is a really nice new one. And @james-warner-b, ha, admittedly I feel weird posting so much about Fuji here while you all are talking so much about Pentax, but, it's all I've used -- but I can definitely say I like it! Some of the prices are pretty silly and for me, prohibitive, but there are cheap things, and they're definitely fun. Some day I'll have to dive in and get an awesome Pentax though; I'm intrigued by the K10D, or a K-3 of K-5 iis which don't have AA filters. But, I still do wonder if I could "go OVF" since I've spent years as an EVF-only guy. Anyway, fun to talk and think about!
Thank you, Snappy. 🙂
Don't feel weird, @denniscrommett. We may all have our favorite brands but I think we all just love photography here. I love seeing stuff from different cameras. And I think Pentaxians in particular have a not-so-secret love affair with Fuji.
Those are great choices for when you get a Pentax. The K10D is old but beautiful (you not like the autofocus..., but I can't believe how snappy and accurate it is with the 18-135 - see my bird in flight shots with it!), but the CCD magic is real. I think the K-5 has that magic somehow, even though I'm pretty sure it is CMOS. But since you already have the awesome APS-C Fujis, I think you'd really enjoy a K-1. You'd get the best optical viewfinder experience that way and the full frame goodness. I see people pairing K1 + Fuji APS-C a lot on the Pentax forums and elsewhere.
PS: Someday I'll dive in an get an awesome Fuji!
Quote from Estelon_Agarwaen on January 21, 2022, 4:09 pmQuote from Snappy on January 18, 2022, 2:01 amQuote from KankRat on January 18, 2022, 12:28 amCanon XSI with 18-55 @18mm. probably had a polarizer on there.
Wildcat Canyon Starved Rock State Park by Mark Kasick, on Flickr
Wonderful shot!
This whole thread is wonderful. I don't have my 18-55 kit lens anymore, but I do have some shots from back in the day.
Pentax K200D and 18-55
these photos are insane.
the focus and sharpness of the kit lens are not that great in my latest pics for some reason, but the photos still look great:
Is that Luebec in Northern Germany with he metal model of the town?
Quote from denniscrommett on January 30, 2022, 3:18 amBut, I still do wonder if I could "go OVF" since I've spent years as an EVF-only guy. Anyway, fun to talk and think about!
Offtopic but this was something I was wondering too but I just had to have a certain old camera body, and now I have two different ones which are OVF only, no live view.
It's… nice. Really nice. I'd forgotten what it was like to look through the lens with my own eyeballs and it's good.
Not to say there aren't downsides (like no focus peaking!) but it's a pleasingly different experience and that's a good enough reason to try an affordable camera, I think!
Especially since there's a company like focusingscreen.com that makes high quality aftermarket focusing screens.
Quote from denniscrommett on January 30, 2022, 3:18 amThanks for the kind words and for sharing those beautiful photos, @jbp! That dorm is a really nice new one. And @james-warner-b, ha, admittedly I feel weird posting so much about Fuji here while you all are talking so much about Pentax, but, it's all I've used -- but I can definitely say I like it! Some of the prices are pretty silly and for me, prohibitive, but there are cheap things, and they're definitely fun. Some day I'll have to dive in and get an awesome Pentax though; I'm intrigued by the K10D, or a K-3 of K-5 iis which don't have AA filters. But, I still do wonder if I could "go OVF" since I've spent years as an EVF-only guy. Anyway, fun to talk and think about!
I only felt like i could join the forum after getting a k10d. ive tried so many other cameras too. oh and "going ovf" is really fun to do, at least for me. it makes me slow down more and be less click click than on my modern mirrorless cameras. its a whole different experience. get a k10d and youll not even have live view xD
