I would guess that that's down to diffraction, and the comparatively large size of the hole (aperture) compared to the sensor. Distance to the sensor shouldn't make too much of a difference, I wouldn't have thought.

I'm thinking of when I made a pinhole camera using an old Kodak No.1A folding camera, taking the lens out (but keeping the shutter), and varying the field of view by sliding the folding bellows backwards and forwards. 'Focus' was never that good, even on 6x9 size Velvia.

Haven't tried it on my D, perhaps I will one day.

Dan

Look, you're not making any friends around here you know. Stop rubbing it in!

Dan

It's actually on the brochure for the K10D that's shown online, and it says the following:

"The “Shake Reduction” works fast and reliably
up to focal lengths of 800mm. Under normal
conditions the camera automatically recognises
the focal length. The focal length of older
manual lenses must be entered manually. In
additional to the focal length, 3 levels of “Shake
Reduction” can be selected."

I don't know whether this screen is only available if there's a lens it doesn't recognise fitted. Hopefully they've rewritten this document anyway, as there are a few mistakes in it - "WE HAVE DEVELOPED A RESISTANCE TO AGAINST THE NATURAL ENEMIES OF BRILLIANT PHOTOS" for one.

I think Matt meant that this would have been written long before the camera was released, and while the firmware was still in development, so it's highly likely that some features would have been altered before the production model appeared as pre-production samples were tested.

Dan

I'd questioned the need for this option when I saw it in the on-line manual - surely anti-shake either moves the sensor enough to cancel out shake or it doesn't, I don't see how you can varying degrees of anti-shake (the focal length info is a different matter and is dealt with as such).

I reckon they realised I was right, and took the option away!

Dan

Depends on how you want to use it, but I'd go with the cable, as I think you can only use the infra-red remote from the front of the camera (self-portraits etc).

With cable, you don't have to have a line of sight to the camera, which might not be important to you now, but might be for any application you come up with in the future.

Dan

I reckon you're right Tim - took the pic a little later (nearer 5.30 I think), but Nashira looks as though it's in the right place.

I'll have to look back at the images and see just how much camera movement there was. Perhaps I should have left the hood off my lens, it's like a bucket, so probably didn't help with the wind coming straight on.

Cheers,
Dan

P.S. Winstars is free? Will have to have a look at that, seems like a 'nice to have' program.

I was guessing Venus was the really bright blob above and to the right of the moon - the little 'smear' is near the left edge, near the top. I think it's just a star, that's got blurred due to the wind moving the camera, but it's odd that it's the same in both pics, and the 'tail' is pointing away from the sun - the venus blob looks as though it's blurred more in an up and down direction.

Dan

As I was getting home from work tonight, I looked across the fields near home and saw the new moon, in a deep blue sky, and thought "I'll nip in, get my long lens, and shoot straight back out again to get a pic or two".

As always, the clouds were drifting across by the time I got to a decent position, but I rattled off a few shots, and I've just had a look at them.

Here's one:




A bit blurred (the wind was coming straight into my lenshood, exposure was a couple of seconds I think), and certainly not the best pic I've ever taken, but what interested me was this, in the top left corner of the image:




...which I immediately thought "ooh, it's that comet!". It's on both the shots that it should be in (composition-wise). But I've just followed Tims link to the comet info website, and it should be below the horizon for us now... Any thoughts? Is it just a blurred star?

Dan

Hi Brian,

From what I've read/seen about TFT's that looks okay - but I haven't got one, so can't offer any comparison.

I nearly always get my computer bits from www.ebuyer.com, and they have customer reviews of products on there - have a look to see if your potential monitor is there, and whether anyone has reviewed it, and see what they think.

22" though..., that would be nice (still got a 17" CRT).

Dan

Hi John,

What SLR are you using? With any of the Pentax DSLR's you can use a wired remote release over long distances (mine's about 85 feet long - see the post here about that subject).

I prefer a wired remote as you can cover the camera, either for camouflage or protection, handy in both respects when shooting wildlife, you don't want a bird to poo on your pride and joy...




(This was the set-up I used to get the mouse shot on the other thread - the above pic was taken from my lounge window, whilst I was waiting for the mouse)

Dan