http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KOOD-STEPPING-RING-72MM-to-58MM-NEW_W0QQitemZ280210800473Q...

Dan

From the pic, I see 23 lenses and 4 bodies, so that's an average of about £37 each, without taking into consideration the postage. Think you'll have to find out how much that would cost you, have a look at some ebay prices to see what you might get for them on there, and weigh it up then.

Just had a look through completed listings here, and it looks as though M lenses go from about £10 upwards, so have a look and see how many you have that would sell for the lower amounts, £1000 may well be a good price. Don't forget it's only the items with the amount in green that have sold.

Dan

I don't know whether they're expecting too much, but they're certainly looking at images in a totally different way to how they did with film.

But if an image is sharp, you will see that sharpness at a pixel level. Believe me, the photos that started this discussion off were not sharp.

Dan

It was a focus adjustment, but I don't think that's necessarily your problem, you need to try the focus chart mentioned earlier in this thread, but also make sure you take that filter off.

Dan

Beginner just sent me through a pic, nice and sharp, and he's happy - seems the adjustment did the trick...

Dan

No problem! Now, before you do any serious shooting, do yourself a favour and do a few controlled test shots. Indoors, by a window for good lighting, using a tripod. Something like the poppy shot.

If everything's fine, that's great, and you'll have confidence in the camera, and knowledge that any more duff shots are down to you.

If things still aren't right for you, you might be able to actually pinpoint the problem, rather than the quite vague 'rubbish' comments so far. It will help you, and help us help you.

Hope things are good for you now.

Dan

So did you try a like for like test? Same conditions for each camera, same subject etc? From that shot of the flower, it looks to me as though the sharpness is there, just that there was some movement, either the camera or the flower. I don't see that there's any fundamental problem with sharpness.

Did you download and try the focus test chart that ChrisA pointed you to? The camera was mis-focused, either by yourself, or because it picked the wrong focus point, or it front focuses. All these are correctable, either by technique or using the settings on the camera.

Only when you've tested it in a controlled situation, such as doing the test chart, or a like for like shot such as the poppy head, will anyone be able to say with any certainty that there's a problem with the camera. You may feel there is, but there may well not be.

Dan

Well, my 16-45 produces better shots than that on my K10D, but I would say take that filter off and try again, that may well be your problem. If it's still like it, the lens may be faulty, see if you can try another somewhere. The Mk11 version is supposed to be better than the Mk1, and the Mk1 was generally well regarded.

I don't like the idea of 'protective' filters anyway.

Hopefully someone can come up with an idea about the noise in the other photo. Any other K20D owners care to comment (when you've woken up of course, just realised it's well past my bedtime! ).

Dan

No that's okay, as you can adjust the focusing on the K20D. I think that may be the main trouble, try the adjustment and see how you get on.

Dan

Okay, Capabilities shots. He sent me 4, I'm posting a section from 2 of them. Here's the first, taken from the far left hand side of an outdoor shot, just above centre, certainly not the extreme corner:



18mm, f/6.7, 1/250s, ISO100

This to me looks like excessive CA, but having neither this camera or this lens, I can't say that it's normal or not, but I wouldn't be happy with it. Wide open possibly, but not stopped down to f/6.7. The other shot sent through wasn't anywhere near as bad, but was at a midrange focal length, and was also cropped slightly.



24mm, f/4, 1/45s, ISO200, flash

I thought this was going to be ISO1600 until I saw the EXIF data. Focusing is off, it's too far forward, I suspect it may be the camera on auto selecting the nearest point which was the bear, but there's camera shake too, which obviously doesn't help. Another similar shot was sharp, but again mis-focused. However, that noise looks bad for ISO200 - any ideas?

Dan