would you be Interested in a mint condition pentax SMC 100 mm macro manual focus - it is amazing for portraiture as well as macro, everything including rigid leather case as new. The lens is a work of art and is of the highest quality in terms of design and build.

Regards

See

FS: Pentax DA 35mm f2.8 Macro Limited, Boxed with pouch and caps. ( member - lennybloke)

Search for member "Lennybloke" who has this lens for sale in mint condition with all the bits (box,caps,pouch etc) at a great price

Regards

Daronl

Is this lens still available

Sorry can't help, but one thing is certain, don't make the same mistake as I did when my K3 failed and my 160c ring flash went on the blink;

Do not involve Ricoh, Pentax Eu or Johnsons Photopia; work only through the retailer, in my case SRS who after one month of silence from Ricoh/Pentax replaced the almost new K3 with one phone call the same day.

Work I had planned through that month was only made possible by Canon who loaned me a lens to go on a single body I still had, having sold all my Canon Equipment apart from this body, to convert to Pentax.

Pentax had told Johnsons to repair it despite the fact it was a new K3 Silver Edition camera and despite the assessment from Johnsons pointing out it was a major failure of the focus block and a printed circuit board .

I have unfortunately now had a 160c ring-flash go down which has been at Johnsons for one month.

Ricoh's only contribution was to tell me to put in a written compliant; they did not offer to engage with Johnsons to speed it up or with Pentax to push them to get a PCB ( yet again) which has failed.

Similarly, Pentax Who are now controlled outside our shores have, yet again failed completely to contribute one jot to a solution, disconnecting from the problem by just requesting I make a complaint, even today after one month of "no progress" that was their only suggestion.

So what can I do, as I was working on a project which required cataloguing numerous zoological specimens and the ring-flash was imperative for this.


The Pentax 160 c is not only one of the most advanced units on the market it is also one of the most expensive costing me almost £500 and it looks like Pentax cannot supply the PCB after one month of chasing by Johnsons Photopia; how can anyone trying to earn a living or seriously pursuing photography handle such a situation.

In the case of the ringflash I still have no information on its repair and had to buy a second unit to complete the project; this time I purchased an independent make which was almost 66% less expensive than the Pentax 160c and seems to do the job just as will and of course it works which is a big advantage over the pentax which doesn't

Finally a comment on Ricoh; they are impossible, their published contact numbers are obsolete, their agents also furnish you with obsolete numbers and today I was given a number by an agent for their head office which again was obsolete.

When I rang back he told me repeatedly even if he wanted to give me a contact number he didn't have one and could not find one as the only numbers he had were obsolete (anyone who doubts this take of woe; go on their website and try their numbers.

You cannot talk to anyone other than a "pre-programmed agent" who tells you every time without exception send an email

As I said above based on these two events which are the first malfunctions I have experienced as a committed Pentax user of many years, this company cannot facilitate a prompt repair, can' and don't communicate and morover do not support Johnsons Photopia with prompt parts supply or proper procedural decisions.

I sold literally thousands of £s of Canon gear over the last four years to migrate back to Pentax which is something I am increasingly regretting and I will reverse that migration if I have to as the experience with these two product failures has left me stranded without key expensive equipment and no interactive communication.

As I said, if it had not been for SRS the K3 would still be with Johnsons Photopia ( and they are not the problem) the problem is Ricoh/Pentax and if had not been for Canon I could not have shot the 2014 European Paralympics Championships.

It is also so very clear that the Pentax personnel are somewhat disgruntled with this situation the way they always suggest ; " write a complaint to Ricoh)

So I await the ring flash about which I fully expect to be told is not repairable as no parts are available, the gun is little used and in "as new condition" - if that happens I will sell off everything I have purchased over the recent years including all the limited and DA* Lenses, latest bodies and grips x 3, three other Pentax Flashes and a host of kit from the better independent makers.

Reflect on Canons help when the K3 was out of commission for a month - I rang them to ask if I could hire a long lens to do the 2014 European Paralympic Athletics Championships , explaining my predicament and they loaned me one with no hire charge just a request that I insure it or pay a deposit and the postage.

Clearly unlike Ricoh/Pentax, they can support working photographers; Ricoh/Pentax have patently failed to do this.

So best of luck with you Grip and just deal with the retailer as based on my two recent experiences you will get no help from Pentax/Ricoh

Regards

50mm 1.8 Pentax - for indoor family, baby, pets, kids shots - just a beautiful little lens at a beautiful little price - very usa le wide open nd sharp as a tack with great broken. Originally consigned to a drawer now won't bee seen without it.

For Ballet shows providing the shooting distance is reasonable the 18-135 is not unimpressive anyway, but if you want to spend, look for a used Tamron SP 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro Lens - Pentax Fit.

You might get the pentax 50mm and the Tamron for close to £500 used but maybe also new; the Tamron SP 2.8 being recently superceded by the new VC model which will have to be pretty good to outperform the SP 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) .

The older version is available at several places for £499 at present, it's pretty much as good as it gets for that money.

Regards

see http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/download_manual.html

See link and select the manual you need (in english)

Hope this helps

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/download_manual.html

Hi Jules,

I have a few back backs of different sizes including a trusty Lowepro AW Trekker (XL) but recently I bought a Vanguard uprise 48 which, like the big Lowepro will hold more than most people would want to carry on a Trek; packed carefully for recent trip to Cambodia it took quite a load as follows.

K3 with 60-250 DA* (or 300mm DA*),
K5IIs with16-50,
200 DA*
100mm macro,
1.4tc,
Metz AF58 flash,
Pentax 160c ring flash,
4x6 Ansmann AA's,
10x25 Bins,
CF tripod
Small monopod
Ipad

Plenty of room for other small accessories in the main external pocket and Ipad Compartment but very heavy when full; stands up well to travel and "yomping" though, and the rain cover is super.

Only criticism of the Uprise 48 is that it can't comfortably take a DSLR body with Grip fitted in the side access compartment or the main compartment because there is not quite enough depth; it will if you utilise the "zippable expansion feature", but I don't feel it secures or protects the contents as effectively , so I remove the grips and pack them separately, but according to Vanguard it does the job so maybe I should give it a try ?

I had mixed opinion about the Uprise 48 when I first got it, not in relation to its "build-quality", it is a very well made and robust bag with excellent materials and corresponding weather-proofing and durability; but it is quite different in it's internal design to most bags, but now I have had a year with it, I would not hesitate to recommend it and would buy another in the future if needed - it is an excellent "tool".

On wildlife trips to "adverse climes" though, I tend to additionally take a Tamrac extra large zoomster with a Body and grip fitted with a 300mm DA* (I have been known to take two XL Zoomsters and a smaller backpack).

If I am away for an extended period and need the grips and rapid access to a big lens outfit, whilst maintaining good protection, I find that backpacks can be unwieldy and never give real rapid access,.

With humidity at a high level and the other challenging conditions that arise the camera needs to be protected as much as possible, it can't be just hung around your neck when passing through such environments and should be covered as much as possible, so popping a "big lens set-up with a mounted grip" in and out of a zoomster is the perfect answer in terms of true rapid access and optimum protection.

The Tamrac (PRO ZOOM PACK Model 519) is the most robust weatherproof and protective large zoomster I have seen and mine has survived long term duty in the Amazon (4 years), the southern " Cloud Forest of Mexico and subsequently Borneo, Sarawak, Cambodia and some other tough environments and it still looks and performs like new - (very expensive but worth every Penny, it is just great)

I am not averse to Lowepro and have a "couple or three" of their camera bags but when it comes to XL AW zoomster cases the Lowepro version is OK (that's all) not in the same league as the Tamrac 519 ; my Lowepro XL AW Zoomster is looking quite jaded after some fairly strenuous trips to Skokholm, Skoma and Ramsey over this year.

When it comes to smaller "daypack type" back packs though, I really do like Lowepro, so for a day out carrying, maybe a body with a tele lens and another body with a smaller lens plus a flash and batteries etc, the smaller Lowepro Trekker and Fastpak bags have proved to be very comfortable and durable.

Sounds like I have more bags than I need, but I do believe that equipment is better protected when it is held securely in a bag and isn't subject to chaffing and strain when an "under filled" bag flexes so I do have several sizes that enable me to neither overfill (cram) or under fill with equipment and my equipment is always sold on in excellent condition .

Hope this helps

I am sorry that I don't get this type of post; maybe I am a little conventional in trying to rationalise the purpose and motivation in such a thread . if someone would like to help me understand I would be very grateful. what is the point of a pointless thread when as a fraternity we have much more relevant and challenging Pentax issues to talk about.

with regards to your post please see extract from my recent post regarding shooting birds in flight with a K3;

Link Posted 19/09/2014 - 23:39
hi All,

I' m on my 2nd K3,; not comfortable , the cameras will have a significant amount of serious work.

I am committed to a Pentax and have invested heavily to convert from Canon ( and will never go back).

K 3 - in the field; my first one did not perform like some of "it's siblings" , consistently slow focus and poor metering.

I had it replaced,; new one great on static subjects but on fast moving subjects not capable, tested with DA * 300' , DA * 200', DA* 60 - 250.; Focussing, slow and effectively unusable on flying birds , even under controlled conditions. Same thing, slow focus, poor metering, could not emulate photographs I have taken many years ago with a Z1P,; same set up same conditions.

Wish I could add something a little more positive.

Regards

Daron L