Hiya,

I would take ALL so-called review sites with a huge pich if salt, especially Mr Rockwell, who is well known for just making things up. His so-called review of the new Zeiss ZF 50/1.4 Nikon F mount lens was full of totally incorrect 'facts' half truths and nonsense.

The chances of Pentax making a Full frame DSLR are about the same chances as Mr Bliar (correct spelling) scoring the winning runs for England in the final ashes test. Apparently some sources are suggesting that Canon makes no profit at all on the 5D and it is simply a loss-leader. If this is true, then I would suggest that Pentax certainly do not have the finances to pursue a FF DSLR and there must also be huge doubt over Nikon being able to. I do wonder if the outside bet might be Sony? If only to throw the cat amongst the pigeons.

cheers Steve.

Hiya,

I just have to say that having been part of this group for about 2 years or more, it is a joy to use. This is in stark contrast to others.

The photo.net forum can be very handy, but it does get a bit bloody from time to time..but at least they let the men sort themselves out usually without the forum police stepping in.

My most dissapointing forum has been the AP one run on the amateur photographer wesite. It used to be very good, but lately has been terminally spoiled by frankly hopless moderation. One or two of their own moderators not only start arguments themselves but also greatly stoke the fires. Indeed they have one moderator who is amazingly arrogant and aggressive, but they allow him to verbally bully all the newer members.

This has then been made worse by the same moderators coming down prematurely hard on forum members, whilst they let their own little 'clique' get away with pretty much saying what they like..they are very much like the hated school prefects who are power crazed little hitlers. It is made worse by the fact the AP editor just seems to give them carte blanche to do whatever they wish.

There have been several long standing members of that forum leave over the last few months after spats with the forums own moderators!

So, it is so refreshing to have no such juvenile nonsense here...

thanks to sane and sensible mods here..cheers guys!

regards Steve.M

Hiya,

"I came aross these websites today and it make me really wonder about the quality of the 77mm. It seem to me that the 77mm has much less detail than all 85mm lenses. Some how it also looks like pics from 77mm are brighter and less saturated. If someone has different opinion about the 77mm could you please share it with me?"

Please learn...just because someone puts something on a website does not make it true or valid. It frankly does my head in, the number of people who choose lenses based on totally incompetent lens test websites...this one takes the biscuit..judging lenses by hand-held shots..who are they kidding?

The absolute WORST way in the world to try to compare photos is on a PC monitor..they are just nowhere near good enough in image quality. The only way is to compare professional standard large prints side by side in daylight, with shots taken on a solid tripod by someone who actually knows what they are doing...not some so-called website lens tester who quite clearly does not have the faintest clue how to do lens testing.....so, IGNORE INTERNET LENS TESTERS...they are usually hopeless.

This is good advice from G : "The 85 1.4 is a superb lens, but bigger, heavier, and more expensive than the 77. As far as optical quality is concerned, any sensible person would be happy with either"

The real truth is that both these lenses are better than most photographers ability to use them. The lens will not be the weak link in the image chain, YOUR own ability (or lack of it) will be the weak link usually. Unless you ALWAYS use a tripod AND use slow film AND produce large pro quality prints every time, then there is no point whatsoever anguishing about which to buy.

cheers Steve.

Hiya,

'Limited' lenses are made in limited numbers and are therefore not 'mass' produced"

..Peter, I have to disagree. Any items which are produced in more than just a handful AND are produced on a mechanised production line, ARE by definition mass produced items. Just because the limited lenses are made in 1000's rather than tens of thousands does not make them any less mass produced items.

That is why the QC procedures are so important at the end of any production line.

cheers Steve.

Blimey, Matt, you are quick off the mark..

Hi all,

Just to let you fellow Pentax folks know, I have just listed on a certain auction site a super original pentax aluminium case. Search under Pentax LX will find it..

cheers Steve.

Hiya,

"Pentax uses the what is considered to be the best lens coating available, the SMC coating"

Look..I use Pentax myself, but I think we need to put this myth to bed..I think you will find that a certain two German lens makers may disagree with you about the Pentax coatings being the best.

SMC just stands for super multi coating and all the major lens makers have their own 'super mutlti coating' processes.

I think I am also correct is saying that Pentax 'borrowed' lens coating technology from Zeiss when they had a brief partnership just before they linked up with Yashica...Zeiss has a certain T* coating....

cheers Steve.

Hiya,

I would say it seems a shame to leave it IN it's box..

cheers Steve.

Hi all,

Just to add my tuppence re ebay:

I feel fairly well qualified to comment, as I have been a retailer for a large slice of my life and also collect antiques, so have attended many auctions. I have also traded many items privately from the age of 16 and have used ebay a lot for about 5 years now.

In no particular order..

1. ebay is a microcosm of society, so the vast majority of users are honest and genuine. There are a minority of thieves and scammers, but since ebay has millions of users, this minority is a large minority. There are also many, many users with no knowledge whatsoever of the items they are selling and many lazy users who cannot be bothered to do even a little research on the items they are selling. The scammers are usually easy to spot, as are the lazy users, who have poor listings with short and bad descriptions. A listing in caps throughout also says: 'lazy user'

2. The feedback system works as well as it could in it's present form. It was a masterstroke by the ebay founder Pierre Omydar, it is simple and yes, it does have faults, but NO-ONE has yet come up with a better and workable alternative.

3. Feedback is VOLUNTARY and users should not forget this. I get the impression sometimes that ebay users are more concerned with collecting good feedback than trading succesfully.

4. ebay themselves advise that buyers should be the first to leave feedback. This is so the seller knows the buyer is happy with the goods and the transaction itself.

5. Users also forget that many things can still go wrong after the buyer has paid. A transaction is not completed the minute a buyer pays, it is completed once the transaction is successfully concluded by BOTH parties.

6. The feedback whingers are usually users who either only sell or only buy. They only tend to see things from their own perspective and have a biased viewpoint. If you both buy & sell then you are able to be far more objective in your views. The only realistic way to use the feedback system is to let the buyer go first. I have no problem with this and I buy many items.

7. The most important mistake many users make is to treat ebay as if it is a shop..it is not a shop and does not work like a shop does. It is an auction and works like an auction. In other words, it is a case of BUYER BEWARE, if users do not like this, then they should not use ebay at all.

8. The only real difference between ebay and say, Sotheby's, is that on ebay you have to buy blind, or 'sight unseen'. This is probably the issue that causes most disputes on ebay..usually when a buyer thinks the item has been wrongly described by the seller. This is why the item description and photos are so important on ebay. Lazy buyers cause just as much trouble on ebay as lazy sellers. If you cannot be sure the item is 'correct' for you from the description, then ask questions!

9. Just returning to feedback, I advise you to ignore the percentage score, as it can be misleading. I always check the actual comments given. A seller with for instance 97% positive f/b can actually be just as difficult as one with 80% or less. It purely depends on the amount of transacations concluded. Also if you read all negative and neutral comments you often find a common thread amongst the comments that may send alarm bells ringing, even if the seller has on the face of it, a high percentage of positive f/b.

Here is a link to a very useful FREE site. You can enter the ebay ID of anyone and it will show just the negs & neutrals given and received by the person with the ID you enter.

http://www.toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?User=carpe-noctempoetry&Dirn=Left+by

cheers Steve.M.

Hi Mac,

I would guess and here again this is speculation, that there could easily be a handful, probably less than 10, which would be pre-production prototypes. If they do exist, they will be in the hands of Pentax managers and people very close to the factory and the odd Japanese collector or two may have one..I know this is the case with the pre-production Contax lenses I mentioned...these are held by Zeiss themselves and people who used to work for Zeiss.

cheers Steve.