The problem I have with royal mail is also that I don't know who their partner company is here.
GLS use "Matkahuolto", so I get a letter and then have to go to the local supermarket to pick it up. Posti - I go to the post office. UPS works better at work (daily pickup). DHL try and deliver directly to home, but if that screws up - or TNT fail to see a two-stairwell, six-storey block - then I can go pick up at the depot. It's only a mile or so away.

Looks like I can do this via Teamwork. Also because I've used them before. I'll test and see.

Thanks for the comments, it's heartening to see I'm not the only one with niggles

Bret

which size filters they take? 100mm?

to the OP: how many slots? You could always try it and see....

Bret

like the last one.

Bret

Warning: rant.

I want / need a studio flash.

I had hassle before christmas with SRS trying to get them to deliver to a different address - "nyet" - won't work. Because of security.
Thing is, we both work. It's a flat. UPS fail epically in finding it, never call first, and will guaranteed try to deliver while we're not at home.

So I want it to be delivered to work... nope, no dice. What about a UK address? No, that can't be done either. In the end, my brother orders it for me, I send him the cash via Paypal and away we go. Apologetic sales staff, which is fair enough, but I was frustrated.

Fast forward: the flash centre won't accept international credit cards on line or over the phone full stop. Maybe I did get told this at some point on the phone, I can't remember, I registered the words "IBAN" and "no problem", but that's it. I even asked my parents to drive the thirty-odd miles to Brum to go and pick it up before I'd ordered it... ha, bad idea.

So, who else has these "special" kits still in? (D-Lites are being updated at focus on imaging). WEx... ah yes. Delivery possible, but it will be a 48 hour service with Royal Fail and cost £35.
My box, up to 30kg, costs me just over £20 when I use the correct courier.

Ah yes, WEx can't deliver to any other than my registered card address, either.

Well, they could, if my card was a "Mastercard Securecode" wotsit thingy. Aha. Let's go look that up... huh? UK site? naa, give me Finland... no such thing.

What is the use of a security "PIN" if it's only available in certain countries? WHY WHY WHY?

Someone, somewhere, please justify this with words that don't include "banks" and "security measures" and specify what security measures? You want a copy of my payslip with my company on via fax? Hell yeah, if you can look after it; I trust you with my cash, so where's the issue?

I can order in the states without any problems. Why can't I do it within Europe?

Anyone got any reliable information on how fast IBAN transfers are to the UK? I know inside Europe it's 2 working days (and possibly less).

I'm very, very annoyed. And no, I don't want to pay PP charges.

Bret

I don't like either. I don't understand quite why; the "cover" seems to me to be just that. I also find his pose slightly too contrived. Like the lighting, though.

The top one: the color and the expression, as already mentioned.

If the customer's happy...

Bret

gels here.

What model is the tripod?

Bret

... use manual or a trigger and you won't have pre-flash...

I think I will order a bunch of these for a laugh. Cheap enough.

Plus you can gel them for some colour. Then snoot / grid.

Bret

Now I've really looked at the pics, there's a Mamiya 500TL involved, with a 50/f2, a Teleplus x2 TC, a Version 1 viv (3.5, 67mm thread dia) and the MC version of the revuenon 300 /f5.6.

I think personally the cam is worth a few quid (but only a few), the lenses are both apparently reasonable... but they're M42 and I don't have an adapter (yet). The 300 would be great *if* the fringing isn't too heavy, as I have some swans to photograph in the summer.

Thanks for the link, Kris, it's also confirmed that the viv is probably as old as me (!)

Bret

Both of the above lenses are available through a friend. His father used to have a Pentax film camera; the viv still has it's original box and looks pristine.

Anyone have experience with these and would like to put a value on them? Should I grab them with both hands? (I'm tempted on the 300 but not sure about PF....)

thoughts appreciated!

Bret

aaaahhh, now if thomann have it... then I'm sorted. As then I'll get the 'frotto stands at the same time.

yep, they do, and it's cheaper than the other stuff, too, at 500mmx80x400 for €18.

Now all I need to do is get sketchup out and work out where everything will go... anyone have a model of the K10D or lenses handy?

I'd like to use the space as effectively as possible. The 190 won't fit, but the d-lites should, as should all the lenses, a laptop, and a disk or two. A battery would be nice as then I can also fit a highpower LED to see in the dark.
Bret