Sorry Algi, but I totally disagree with you where the K-x is concerned. The M lenses (and any other manual lens for that matter) meter just as accurately as any automatic lens on this camera. I've taken thousands of shots with both manual and automatic lenses and there is no difference in the accuracy of exposure metering with either. The fact that there are variations between different lenses is irrelevant - this will always be the case whether the lens is manual or not.

BTW, most of the images I have taken of late have been taken with old manual lenses. i don't recall having a single instance of exposure miscalculation by the K-x, unless it is me that has made the error.

If anyone out there has a K-x, you can use Manual lenses with confidence and grab some extreme bargains for what are usually fabulous lenses optically for very little money.

Regards
David

Sean, I agree with your comments, but notwithstanding them he is giving correct advice when it comes to effective selling.

Regards
David

I crop my pictures a lot also. The composition in my pictures is often moe important to me than the subjects. Granted, you can't have a good image if the subject matter is not right, but you can make a good picture into a stunning one with the right cropping.

I agree with cabstar on the examples you have posted. There's far too much going on and this particular image eithr needs a heavy crop (depending on what you are trying to achieve), or none at all.

Regards
David

Guys, not sure if the K10/K20 operate differently to the K-x, but I have absolutely no problems getting accurate metering with any manual lens on my K-x, based on the aperture chosen. In manual mode on the K-x, set the chosen aperture, then press the Exposure Compensation button (not the green button) and the camera meters for the chosen aperture. It is accurate every time. I use this with Pentax-M lenses and also M42 lenses with adaptor.

Does this not work on earlier Pentax DSLR's?

Regards
David

Shaun, I've spent all of my working life in the Retail Motor Industry (please don't judge me for this) and the tactics the American Gent is speaking about are identical to those used in car sales. The point is that it's not whether or not it is ethical to give out prices, it is about the way that a buyers mind works when you do give them a price. Most (not all) people who buy things will tend to weigh their decisions more on price than anything else, even putting price above quality.

Therefore, if you give out prices too freely, the likelyhood is that price will be the first question the buyer will ask when they speak to another photographer, and the first question for the one after that etc.

I suspect this will be a factor more when choosing photographers than for many other purchases as photography is a bit intangible. You can see a picture or pictures to give examples of a photographers work, but how do you know that the ones they do for you will turn out the same?

This happened to my wife and myself when we decided on a wedding photographer. The examples shown were great, but the real pictures were apalling. In a nutshell, I think that what the American fellow is saying is accurate.

Regards
David

PS - I'm not a photographer, so I am approaching your question from a neutral point of view.

I like to use my DA L 55-300mm for butterfly shots due to its great colour rendition and inherent sharpness, particularly at focal lengths between 100 and 250mm. The zoom gives great flexibility and the results have been very good. I find the autofocus is usually fine for butterflies, but I occasionally shoot with manual focus. With regard to flash, I don't use it as I prefer the natural daylight on insects / butterflies. Like Mat, I normally have the aperture set at around f11; obviously this demands plenty of daylight.

Cheers
David

At the moment I've caught the bug for buying old primes, particularly telephotos. I find that in general they render images in a warmer / more flattering way than my DA L 55-300, especially for bird photos which is what I'm currently trying to master. At present, I would not want to ditch any of my lenses, even though many of them overlap. I'll just have to get a bigger kit bag!

Regards
David

I've just managed to acquire both of the above lenses for a very reasonable price. Still waiting for them to arrive and hoping they are 'as described', but in the meantime I would be interested to hear views on the IQ of these lenses. I'm not concerned about their 'slowness' as I have them earmarked for specific duties where this will not be an issue.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Regards
David

Now't wrong wi' Yorkshire! Welcome t't world o' Pentax!

Would you be better splitting this and selling the items separately? You may get close to £400 this way, but I suspect that as a bundle, £350 may be nearer the mark, especially as you are asking the buyer to pay for postage too. Usually, if there's no demand at the asking price, the asking price is too high!

Best regards
David