Remote control

Don't know what the score is on the Samsung battery grip, but the fact the Pentax one has a slot designed for the IR remote would swing it for me. Keeps it safe and at hand.

As the camera has sensors front and back the IR remote works for all the situations I have needed it for so far.

I hate to swear, but I believe the Canon wired remote for the 350D and 400D will also work on the Pentax. So if you see one of those cheap then it may be worth a buy.

Getting back to the original "Remote Control", if you have a hand-held computer running the "Palm" operating system, you can fire the shutter on your Pentax with a software add-on

i'll send you the link if you need it.

As for choice of type, I have both.
Cable - for shutter open lock on B
IR - Camera on tripod in low light (particularly in bird hides which have rather flexible floors)

BTW is there any info re K10 camera control via Photo Browser?

Colin,

AFAIK the K10D doesn't work "tethered". I tried it without any success. I don't know if it is the camera or the Photobrowser software that needs updating!

Regarding remote controls, the cable release for bulb exposures came in useful last night, trying to photograph the eclipse!

Thanks, Ammonyte

I too was trying on the Eclpise - some success but no where some of my previous film efforts... so I'm keeping them to myself! Did have the K10d on an old 77mm Kowa scope to give me a 35 equiv of 1200mm. The main problem with lunar eclipses is the obviously you have to have a full moon and hence no nice shaddows to pick out surface detail.

I believe I've seen some talk that the tethering will be accomplised with a software drop in into the pentax browser... wasn't this recently done for the K100?

BTW I've seen that some one uses their Organiser with IR Remote software to successfully send the shutter open signal for specified periods of time (neat)

Colin[/quote]

Regarding IR remotes, I bought the Seculine Twin 1 R2-UT (wire and wireless) little gismo on a keyring for just £19.50. It works with both the *istds and the K10d that I have, either as wireless (up to about 25 meters) or wired if you prefer. Also, much to my surprise I find that it works on the *istds from behind, even though it shouldn't do really!!. A far better option than the Pentax imho, with a greater range and the ability to fire the shutter from behind on the *istds. A great buy indeed................

http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/productdetails~ProductID~6112~selection~1286.html

Philip

Hi Genesisphil
Does the Seculine permit half press on the button to focus and set exposure ?. Incidentally Morrisphoto site state that this item is temporily unavailable. !!!

Hi

The Seculine only permits a half press to focus/set exposure when it is used with the wired connection. When using it wirelesly you need to ensure that the subject is already pre-focussed and ready as it simply fires the shutter.
For me, if using it for my wildlife shots, where I needed perhaps to be hidden away, I would manually pre-focus on a point somewhere and wait for the 'quarry' to arrive and have already determined (as best I could) what aperture (for DOF) and what shutter speed I would need to ensure, as far as possible, that the subject was in focus. the rest is down to patience and luck !!

It is available from a few other sources in the UK if you do a google search.

Philip