Weekly Competition #404 - Urban Monochrome Competition Results and commentary posted in the actual weekly competition thread (Previous Competitions) below photo entries; (Click on thunbnail of winning entry)

Please check your messages for an unused k5 2

An example of what can be acheived by someone who is at the top of the game and the fact that these images are captured on Pentax gear is a bonus.

This sets the standards which I hope to aspire too as a wildlife photographer

Regards

Great images and a very interesting story.

Much Appreciated

Thanks for correcting my misconception regarding the focal length, good luck with the sale

Best regards

daronl

Hi Boudoul,

Just a quick query, is it the Sigma 30mm 1.4 the DC (Cropped sensor) or the Sigma 30mm 1.4 DG - FF compatible

Regards

Caution when using a diagonal sliding sling strap

Yesterday, I mentioned in a post to Member Judith Anne ( Saying Good-Bye to my Silver Edition K-3) how an accident Sunday last, also nearly resulted in my saying good-bye to my K3 Silver edition.

So as a precaution I thought I should share my subsequent conclusions on the forum as to what caused this unfortunate accident .

I would seriously caution all to ensure when using a diagonal ( cross body) sling strap that caution must be excersised when clambering about with a heavy lens/ camera rig; a diagonal strap can slip off your shoulder unbeknown to you, particularly if you are wearing a quilted or padded jacket with a smooth finish.

When you then put the camera back to your hip after shooting the shoulder pad can easily have slipped off your shoulder onto your upper arm when it is not under load ( and the camera is still in your hand ) without you realising it has happened,

It is not something that is obvious and when it is off your shoulder even slightly, the minute you put it under load (with the camera at your hip) the strap slides down around you waste (and thighs ); the camera ending at your feet, making contact with whatever you are standing or walikng on.

By some miracle,despite a serious impact and significant damage to the K3 top plate , side panels and the base plate on the grip, the lens wasn't damaged (thank the lord as it was a 300mm Da*) and the K3 seems to be operating as normal and hopefully can be repaired; but I am not holding my breath.

As I said in my post in response to Judith Anne yesterday, that is the first time in over 50 years of photography I have damaged a camera in such a way so I am gutted to say the least;

Caution to those using a diagonal sling strap; fit a small second "underarm strap" to ensure the shoulder pad can't slip off your shoulder even slightly or as I said above the whole thing will end up around your feet when you return the camera to your hip and expect the sling to take the weight.

Nb. On some versions of these types of diagonal straps there is a secondary smaller strap that prevents this happening


Regards

Hi Judith,

My sympatheis are with you regarding your K3 as some time ago I posted an account of a similar problem with my first K3 which I bought at the original launch ( so it was an early one)

Luckily after some long winded appraisal of the K3 and quite a passage of conversation (with Ricoh, the repairers and finally the retailers), the Camera was changed by the retailer.

However the secod time I took out the replacement K3 I had Mirror flap and lock up but consensus advice from forum members regarding upgrading software ( which is the only thing I did) has since seen the camera work faultlessley with heavy use for almost twelve months

The first (early) K3 didn't suffer a mirror flap/ lock up problem but just random focus failure and control problems including the screen freezing and sometimes seemingly switching off.

So potentially you might have two distinct failures as per my first K3 ( random control problems) and as per the second K3 ( mirror flap &. Lock up) either way it's very frustrating given how good a fully functioning K3 is.

I wish you good luck Judith Anne and trust you will get a solution soon.

PS
By the way, I also now understand how the accident happened to my K3 on Sunday last subsequent to my earlier post and would seriously caution all to ensure when using a diagonal ( cross body) rapid sling strap that caution must be excersised when clambering about with a heavy lens/ camera rig; a diagonal strap can slip off your shoulder unbeknown to you, particularly if you are wearing a quilted or padded jacket with a smooth finish.

When you then put the camera back to your hip after shooting the shoulder pad can easily have slipped off your shoulder onto your upper arm when it is not under load ( and the camera is still in your hand ) without you realising it has happened,

It is not something that is obvious and when it is off your shoulder even slightly, the minute you put it under load (with the camera) the strap slides down around you waste (and thighs ); the camera ending at your feet, making contact with whatever you are standing or walikng on.


so Caution to those of us using a diagonal sling strap; fit a small second "underarm strap" to ensure the shoulder pad can't slip off your shoulder even slightly or as I said above the whole thing will end up around your feet when you return the camera to your hip and expect the sling to take the weight.

Nb. On some versions of these types of diagonal straps there is a secondary smaller strap that prevents this happening


Regards

Well yesterday Judith I almost said goodbye to my K3 Silver too. I have never damaged a camera by impact damage in my life and pride myself that all my gear is maintained in mint condition despite exposure to some pretty extreme environments over the years when I lived in the Amazon/ Orinoco region.

However yesterday morning while pottering around in a very old overgrown cemetery in Fulham, for whatever reason my precious K3 equipped with 300mm DA* and HD converter was quite severely whacked agains an old grave.

I recently invested in two of the sling type straps that attach to the foot of the lens ( on bigger lenses) in this case as I stepped over an old gravestone and the whole assembly slipped off my shoulder even though it was laid diagonally across my chest and ended around my knees, as the camera made loud contact with some granite at my feet.

Needless to say I expected the worst and indeed the K3 and drive suffered some severe impact abrasion whilst miraculously the lens didn't even have a scratch.

However, unbelievably the K3 still functions as normal which is surprising given the horrible thud of the impact.

The top plate, mode selector and the side plates are damaged as is the base plate of the drive so I am hoping they can be replaced.

Maybe we should start a new topic " camera whacking stories", although I hope there has not been many such events.

Any sample shots ?