Tsubasa Mfg Discusses | Best Camera Settings for Urban Landscape Photography | PENTAX K-1 Mark II | Knowledge #170

Creators who love photography share their stories with their cameras. The presence of a 'beloved camera' reflects each individual's worldview and values. In this series, Tsubasa Mfg, who uses the PENTAX K-1 Mark II, appears.

He discusses practical techniques for urban landscape photography, such as effectively using the mode dial, reflection photography with a CPL filter, and tips for carrying your camera lightly. Enjoy capturing the expressions of the city along with this story.

Equipped with an approximately 36.4-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor, it achieves high-sensitivity shooting with a maximum ISO of 819200 through the combination of an accelerator unit and the PRIME IV image processing engine.

Additionally, it features the Pixel Shift Resolution System II, allowing for high-resolution images even with handheld shooting. The 5-axis shake reduction mechanism 'SR II' enables stable shooting in various scenes. Furthermore, it is equipped with features that enhance the convenience for photographers, such as an optical viewfinder offering a bright and wide field of view and a flexible tilt-type LCD monitor.

Many cameras are equipped with a mode dial, allowing you to quickly recall set contents. In urban landscapes, you may encounter decisive moments in an instant, and you definitely want to seize those opportunities.

In addition to the normal shooting mode, I set modes for continuous shooting and dynamic focus for fast-moving subjects like vehicles, slow shutter mode for panning or blurring people, and large F-value/low Ev mode for strong light conditions. 

In urban landscapes, you can create dramatic works by overlaying the scenery reflected in building windows or show windows with the actual scenery. Using a 'Circular Polarizing Filter (CPL)' during such photography allows you to adjust the amount of reflected light, enabling your preferred overlay.

There are various CPL filter products, but I recommend the 'push-in type'. The 'screw-in type' takes time to attach and detach and is cumbersome to operate. The push-in type allows for speedy attachment and detachment, enabling flexible responses. 

Have you ever experienced severe stiffness from carrying a camera on your shoulder or neck, causing you to finish shooting early? One way to carry your camera lightly is to hold it at your waist. Like a quick-draw gunslinger in a Western, you can quickly get into shooting position and be free from shoulder stiffness.

Not everyone in the city is friendly towards photographers. It's important to be aware that just carrying a camera can make you seem suspicious. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I make it a point to 'snap and go.'

Practicing quick shooting and making equipment adjustments are useful.