More than you could shake a stick at. I was thinking, maybe a brillo pad.

No.

What do you think I should do George? I thought I might try cleaning the contacts.

I've had the same issue using a Pentax SMC-A 400mm lens with a Jessops branded 2x AF teleconverter.

Another interesting set. I like the two portraits. Somehow they seem to convey the idea that life for these people isn't exactly easy.

The aerial shots looking straight down aren't easy to assess. They appear mostly to have been taken from only a few hundred feet AGL, and without more of the context, it's difficult to appreciate the romance and drama that's clearly unfolding.

You hardly need me to tell you that it's not easy to fly hands-on like this - especially at low level - and at the same time achieve the composition and technique that would be a lot easier, with a bit more time, and both hands free. I wonder if you have some time free sometime, and another pilot available, you could set up a photographic sortie, where you didn't have to concentrate on the flying as well as the photography.

I particularly like the forward looking ones, though, especially 147 and 162. If you had a graduated filter so that you could expose more detail in the ground without losing the detail in the sky you'd have even more potential for these, but I appreciate that that would add even more to the difficulty of capturing them. As Mannesty says, a polariser would be good too.

One question, if I may. You say you're taking some of these with the camera in your left hand. Does this mean you're holding it like this:




... and continuing with your right on the stick? Or do you swap to your left hand on the stick? Or will it fly in trim while you take the picture conventionally with both hands on the camera?

Indeed, and if the air is at all turbulent, don't underestimate the difficulty of taking pictures in this way.

Still, I'm guessing there isn't also the traffic-avoidance issue in the Argentinian mountains that there is in the South of England on a weekend with good visibility.

What a fabulous job. I'm very jealous. Although I'll keep my fingers crossed for you for no engine failures. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of forced landing fields around.

I like the pictures. You've managed to avoid reflections off the canopy pretty well - even the forward looking one isn't spoiled too much.

Please post some more if you get a chance.

I'd guess it definitely is worth it.

If it's fixable in firmware, I'd be very surprised if they didn't do do, given (a) how frequently they bring out updates and (b) how much, as you've said, it erodes the point of having the features in the first place.

Also, Pentax are probably aware that, unlike Microsoft, they can't afford to rest on their laurels in this sort of area - the K10D and AF540 are their flagship at the moment, and anything that leaves them open to criticism is something I'd expect them to be very interested in. Wireless flash using the pop-up as master isn't some arcane little feature that no one's ever going to use. I think they'll want to get it right.

Sound decision, IMO. You'll be limited by yourself, not by your equipment, which I think is the way it should be.
Do some simple Google searches on these things. There's a wealth of information out there but no single "teach me everything in words of one syllable" site. Sadly, teaching is no substitute for learning.

Certainly from the pictures you've published, you would benefit from a longer lens, so that the intended subjects occupy more of the frame.
Perfectly fine for now.

No, not yet. It's tempting, but I have only two pre-A lenses, and I'm probably going to sell them to recoup some of the money I've spent on other stuff recently!

For maximum life expectancy of A-lenses, do you think it would be better to exercise the aperture ring from time to time, or leave it on A (I only ever use it on A these days)?

Also, if it does go, in the manner you describe, are they repairable?

I've had my A 50mm 1:1.7 since my very first camera (a Super A), so I'm quite attached to it.