IIRC you can still buy a new SMC-A 50/1.2 to special order? At least I'm pretty sure someone found that it was still in the Pentax price lists recently.

I've tried it on my P30 and couldn't see any vignetting in the corners, although I've yet to try an actual photo that way. I think it's full frame, just Pentax don't bother mentioning that as it's irrelevant to their current DSLRs.

I will try a couple of shots with it on my current roll of slide film and see what comes back. The P30 can deal with the lack of an aperture ring although it'll be stuck in Program mode with unknown aperture choices all the time.

"Pixel peeping and measurebating" I think I might have to appropriate that phrase, it does describe those lens reviews which seem more interested in numbers than in what the images look like rather well!

You've missed the DA 35mm f2.4 which is an absolute steal considering the image quality. It's strongly suspected to be optically identical to the old FA 35mm f2, just ever so slightly slower. If you want the modern version of the classic 50/1.7 then this is it.

The K lenses are getting harder to find and more expensive. I've got the 28mm f3.5 which I found made a very handy standard lens on a DSLR, it's now back in its usual habitat as a wide angle lens on film after being replaced by the DA 35mm. Sharp at all apertures and very well made, the DA lens is just easier to use on digital.

It does occur to me that there may be a campaign to be had from pushing for "gift aid" and similar state assistance to privately owned museums to come with a few strings, including allowing people to take any photos they like for non-profit use?

I would imagine the Police absolutely love them. Never mind their actual purpose of enforcing the law and protecting the public, they've been scrambled to a museum where someone was taking photos of bits of ME109 and the owners are demanding action!

Grounds for a prosecution for wasting Police time, perhaps?

The slides turned up this morning, here's one of the better ones:

[IMG]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x21/Kingofthemountains/Landscapes/PICT0619.jpg[/IMG]

Bollards at Llyn Clywedog, near Llanidloes in Powys. I was intrigued by the way they're chained together like little wooden climbers marching off along the wall. The chain is useless as a means of controlling movement, all it would do is trip anyone up who failed to notice it!

Thanks for that

I find the M 50mm lens much nicer to use on film than the A series, simply as they have a metal aperture ring which makes for more precise control. Obviously being able to use these with TTL flash is extremely useful!

While TTL flash doesn't work with newer DSLRs you can use Program flash or the Auto flash modes, which are pretty effective in my experience.

One to cross off the list then!

The Imperial War Museum at Duxford are far more welcoming and have a collection I doubt anyone else could match. Last time I went on a sunny day there was a Spitfire having some engine tests (so that gorgeous Merlin startup noise on several occasions) and the Land Warfare curators were playing with some of the exhibits in the space at the back of their building, including a Daimler Ferret scout car which seemed intent on getting stuck in the muddiest hole it could find but failed to do so!

The RAF Museum at Cosford is worth a look for photography too. Free entry, there is a charge for parking but it's worth every penny. They have an incredible collection of prototype and experimental aircraft along with examples of all three V-bombers.

Yep, that's the one. I would imagine that the other address is that of the lab who pick up the contents of the PO Box, I just send it to the address on the envelope which works perfectly. Do remember to take it to the Post Office as they won't accept it with a 1st class stamp on now - it needs to go as a small packet.

I should be receiving another batch of slides in the near future, but I've sent five or so off to them in the past year and had no trouble. Need to speed up my usage of slide film a tad as I have two and a half rolls with a use by date of next month, from previous experience they'll be fine so long as I use them this summer. I imagine I'll get through the half roll in the next week or so, then another one or two over Easter weekend.

The slides are returned mounted, in a cellophane wallet-type thing rather like the negative pages you can buy to put in a ring binder. This is posted in a sturdy white card envelope which will fit through a standard letterbox, I've never had any trouble with damaged slides and the mounts are perfectly compatible with my projector and scanner.

To be fair, they seem to be saying they charge on days when they're closed to the general public. £80 for a chance to photograph the wildlife without some idiot kid stamping around and scaring it away wouldn't be a bad deal if you managed to sell a few of the resulting images, and the reserve have to cover their loss of earnings given they'd usually make £10.50 per adult.

You can always go on a normal day, pay your £10.50 and dodge the crowds, like me waiting by the Monmouth bridge/gatehouse for 5mins yesterday for the zombie hordes to stop shuffling underneath it so I could have a clear shot!

All the Boots slide film I've sent off had a PO Box address in Warwick on the prepaid envelope, turnaround seems to be anywhere between ten days and a fortnight (presumably as there's only one lab left processing the stuff).