I have the Kenko 1.5 and was disappointed that it doesn't appear to work at all on my DA* 300 mm/K10D. You have to manual focus since the lens seems to think that it is still in SDM mode. Also, with the combination attached to the camera, when you press the menu button it flashes off immediately and you cannot get into the menus. Remove just the lens leaving the convertor atached, and the Menu button functions as normal! Strange.

John

[/quote]Thanks for the f8 tip John, I will give that a go. In all my tests I have used a tripod and tend to get the effect of the image being unfocused rather than camera shake. However my lens is not 'D' rated so I wonder if trying to get a lens that has been optimised for 35mm to focus on a CCD is the cause?[/quote]I don't think that the lens being pre-digital would have that effect. I have a Vivitar 105 mm Series 1 macro which I purchased before digital cameras were perhaps though of and that gives superb results. As I understand it, one of the benefits of a lens being optimised for digital is the reduce fringing.

John

I have the APO DG version of this lens and have had no problems with image sharpness though I do tend to use it stopped down at least to f8. My only other comment would be that the lens is quite long when extended and becomes somewhat unbalanced which could lead to camera shake when hand held. Did you use it on a tripod? Certainly to use its macro function, a tripod is essential. The only other possibility is that it is back or front focusing!

John

Following a call to Pentax who were unable to help, except to say send the camera back to them for repair, I tried reloading the firmware, after which the camera started to perform correctly again. However, during a photo session, the user accidentally pressed the flash button on the top plate when the camera went into the frozen shutter mode again. Since the flash appeared to have been involved in the earlier incident, I suggested firing a flash shot off, which she did, and the shutter worked again. I assume that the camera was waiting for some sort of flash complete message before completing the exposure but could not get it because the flash was not raised. However, pressing the flash button again did not cause the fault to recur, so something is amiss.

Lowepro Slingshot 300 AW for sale. As new condition; no outdoor use. £45 Please PM me if interested.

My old istD (given to a relative) has developed a fault. The camera appears to work OK (metering, autofocus, etc.) but when the shutter is fired, the mirror lifts but the shutter doesn't operate. The main batteries are OK but the backup battery (lithium cell) has never been changed and the camera is over 5 years old (it still registers 3V on a voltmeter but I can't test the current delivery). Before I venture out to try and find a replacement, does anyone know if the failure of this battery can knock out the shutter operation, since it is related to timing, i.e. the clock setting?

John

I have the Seagull RA finder which works well. The only weak point is the attachment adapter which is plastic; the unit comes with ones for the leading camera manufacturers including Pentax. If it were to fail, spares can be obtained in the UK. It has two magnifications 1x and 2x but at the 2x setting, the display settings cannot be seen.

It works fine with the K10D and is invaluable for low-level shots, eg. fungi.

It can be obtained online for about £30 including postage from Hong Kong (try Ebay).

John

Goldfinches have become more common in gardens, particularly near farmland, but only if there is plenty of food for them and that means either nijar seed or stripped sunflower seeds. I use the latter because the bits discarded by the goldfinches are picked up by other birds such as chaffinches and sparrows waiting below; and nijar seeds make such a mess beneath.

Once you start feeding, it is essential to try to continue it. Our goldfinches get through about 1.5 kg of sunflower seeds per week on average, and sometimes more. Late winter/early spring is the peak time since much of the natural food has gone. But they do make superb subjects for photography! Great shots - I wish I could get near enough to ours.

John

Must hold the record for the longest surviving Ink Jet printer ever made -I think it was only discontinued early last year! Mine continues to produce good prints after over 5 years!

John

I had an ME, MX x 2, Super A, LX and MZ5n and, without doubt, the LX was the finest - easy to use, extremely good metering system, interchangeable pentaprisms, interchangeable focusing screens, solid as a rock. Only got rid of it when I went digital. Second would be the MX. I must say that I have been very happy with all my Pentax cameras and never had one go wrong on me.

John