Just some notes on the K3. I've been shooting with a K3 the past month or so and I'm loving it. I've found it to be a solid little camera, a very steady image and I've got no complaints about the optics of the stock zoom lens either.
I'm from a video background and the biggest challenge for me in switching to film has been focus. I've found the best way to get sharp images (which is possible with the K3 and the stock lens, the last roll of Vision 2 200T I shot was pin sharp) is to either measure distance and focus accordingly, or to open up aperture completely, get the image sharp through the viewfinder, and then stop down to the proper exposure.
I've found the viewfinder generally completely useless for judging focus unless there's enough light and you open up to find it. If you are shooting low light then forget about the viewfinder completely and measure distance, it's the best way I've found.
I'm by no means experienced, just my $0.02 but it's worked for me. Oh and the built in lightmeter is fantastic, my exposure has been spot on from the first 100ft I ever rolled in the K3.
My favourite stocks are on the slower side, 200 is as fast as I'd go, my experiences with Fuji F500 are giving very grainy results but this is because I've tried to shoot night interiors that are not lit properly and so even if my highlights are properly exposed my blacks have not been black, the Fuji seems to have a blue blotchy grain in the blacks, could be my fault, or old stock.
Here's my experiences:
Ektachrome 100D (7285) - Fantastic, cross processed and is lots of fun.
Vision 2 200T (7217) - Great! Love it, good all round results.
Fuji F500 - Only tried night interior, practical lights only, and have not achieved the best image possible with this stock yet due to underexposing. My problem, not the stock. Grainy.
I'm shooting some Kodak 50D this weekend for the first time, some Fuji F500 emulsion out (shooting through the back, just for fun) and some Vision 3 500T (7219) but I've got lights this time!
The first few hundred feet I shot with the K3 were definitely soft and definitely looked amateur. After that, it's fantastic, crisp, sharp, nice shallow DOF when opened up, looks totally professional.
After you get to grips with exposure and focus, the rest (in creating a professional image) I am sure comes down to lighting, framing and composition.
Bottom line. Practise, great results are possible with the K3.
Just some notes on the K3. I've been shooting with a K3 the past month or so and I'm loving it. I've found it to be a solid little camera, a very steady image and I've got no complaints about the optics of the stock zoom lens either. I'm from a video background and the biggest challenge for me in switching to film has been focus. I've found the best way to get sharp images (which is possible with the K3 and the stock lens, the last roll of Vision 2 200T I shot was pin sharp) is to either measure distance and focus accordingly, or to open up aperture completely, get the image sharp through the viewfinder, and then stop down to the proper exposure. I've found the viewfinder generally completely useless for judging focus unless there's enough light and you open up to find it. If you are shooting low light then forget about the viewfinder completely and measure distance, it's the best way I've found. I'm by no means experienced, just my $0.02 but it's worked for me. Oh and the built in lightmeter is fantastic, my exposure has been spot on from the first 100ft I ever rolled in the K3. My favourite stocks are on the slower side, 200 is as fast as I'd go, my experiences with Fuji F500 are giving very grainy results but this is because I've tried to shoot night interiors that are not lit properly and so even if my highlights are properly exposed my blacks have not been black, the Fuji seems to have a blue blotchy grain in the blacks, could be my fault, or old stock. Here's my experiences: Ektachrome 100D (7285) - Fantastic, cross processed and is lots of fun. Vision 2 200T (7217) - Great! Love it, good all round results. Fuji F500 - Only tried night interior, practical lights only, and have not achieved the best image possible with this stock yet due to underexposing. My problem, not the stock. Grainy. I'm shooting some Kodak 50D this weekend for the first time, some Fuji F500 emulsion out (shooting through the back, just for fun) and some Vision 3 500T (7219) but I've got lights this time! The first few hundred feet I shot with the K3 were definitely soft and definitely looked amateur. After that, it's fantastic, crisp, sharp, nice shallow DOF when opened up, looks totally professional. After you get to grips with exposure and focus, the rest (in creating a professional image) I am sure comes down to lighting, framing and composition. Bottom line. Practise, great results are possible with the K3.