I have tested the adapter with the A35-105 today, and the images I get are very good. It seems as if everything is just fine when using the adapter on the K20D... Maybe the stains on the glass do not have any negative impact on image quality when using the adapter with a 1.5 crop sensor? The adapter is unused and the price is very good, so I really want to keep it. Hm... what to do:

Thank you Mike! I will put it in a box with silica gel packs, I guess that is about all I can do. And then wait and hope for the best... I can/will also return the adaptor if it becomes 100% obvious that it has problems with coating or cement.

I know it is very difficult to give any diagnosis of the adapter glass based on my pictures, but I have already gotten very valuable advice. Anyway, here are two more photos of the glass. The second one is taken after having breathed air onto the glass.

[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/AF_TC_3.jpg[/IMG]

AFTER BREATH OF AIR
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/AF_TC_4.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks! How could one remove the condensation if this is indeed the problem?

Thank you for your answer! I believe it is under the glass. Maybe this is then a "lost case", perhaps I should return the adapter to the seller?

I received today an 1.7x AF adapter that I recently purchased. When checking the condition of the adapter, I noticed that there are some stains on the glass. I have tried wiping the glass with a microfiber cloth, but the stains do not go away. The stains are best visible when blowing a breath of air onto the glass (which I also have done with the photos below). Could this possibly be oil of some kind? Any suggestions to what this could be?

Regards
Bjørn

[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/AF_TC_2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/AF_TC_1.jpg[/IMG]

I have found the Pentax A35-105 to be a very useful older zoom. It has the "A" setting, making it easier to use on DSLR than the K and M series zooms in achieving correct exposure. It is very sharp and produces wonderful colours. The drawback is the focal length. On a crop sensor 35mm is for most purposes not wide enough for this lens to be the primary "walk-around-lens". But maybe in combination with the DA12-24 or a few wide primes, one could find a useful lens combination. I paid about GBP 70 and 100 for mine A35-105 zooms (I have two).

Regards
Bjørn

This may be slightly off topic, but I just noticed this ad on the major Norwegian internet marketplace:

http://www.finn.no/finn/torget/tilsalgs/annonse?finnkode=30499255

A Pentax A35-105mm f3.5 with a pricetag of NRK 2700,- = GBP 307,-
The first sentence in the ad reads: Cheaper than on eBay!


What planet is this seller from...

Bjørn

A great set! My immediate favorite is number two, although I really like all of them

Very good shot! The patterns in the eroded stone add to the gloomy dark quality of the image. I also would have preferred a less tight crop, especially on the sides.

If you read my second post above, you need not speculate about my cropping. All the images are cropped about 100%. The Heron is a very shy bird, it is difficult getting close enough. I also want to respond to your comment about my images presented above not being "satisfactory from an aesthetic point of view". I have studied quite a few very good bird photos, and many of them are heavily cropped - so what: If one were to develop your argument further, using a tele zoom like the Tokina 80-400mm would also considered be "cheating" then I guess...

Below is image number three straight from the camera, just rescaled to 800pixels for the forum. It was taken at 360mm.

I have not used a tripod/monopod, but I placed my LowePro bag on rocks on the shore, and rested the camera on the bag, thereby achieving at least some support. I will have to get a monopod in the future.

Smeggy: I am positively sure I saw the Heron smoking something before our photo session started

Thank you all for constructive C&C!

Best regards
Bjørn

[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/HERON_ORIGINAL.jpg[/IMG]