My overall experience with them is most positive. I had the same problems with them regarding contact and taking a long time over a faulty K3ii. I never got an answer to their telephone number BUT when THEY phoned me about it the guy took as long as necessary and was quite unhurried. They tried their hardest to reproduce the 'fault' (consistent over exposures) and failed - because it would appear that some idiot (me) had been trying to take pictures with it set to 'manual' and hadn't noticed . They sent it back RMSD and didn't charge me a penny. I got the impression that there were perhaps two of them running the repair business within the auction house of John Pye and they were indeed very busy. Looking at their auction business, as such, it has nothing to do with photography and there are no bargains to be had there at all. Once you add all the premiums and fees to whatever you have bought it turns out dearer than a new item!! Since they have captured the official Pentax franchise it makes sense that they can monopolise the spare part side too so we are stuck with what we have got.

I don't know this lens so I'm probably talking crap. However, I'm assuming from the wide angle that the front element is really right up at the front? The hoods supplied with such are next to useless. A similar thing happens with vintage lenses when you can't get a hood on them and I have taken to shading the lens with a big piece of corrugated cardboard held outside its field of view but blocking the sunlight. It transforms the images you get!

Very clever. I don't have one so have not had this problem but I assumed that the solenoids were wearing out from various descriptions. Your account seems to indicate that the solenoid is getting clogged up and needs to be exercised to free it's mechanism?

Shucks! I was just about to ask if you wanted another one!

It is turkey tail and it is a really nice picture of it.

I put a landscape on the main gallery recently. It was taken by the Ensar/ K1 ensemble on the left. It's a 100mm f4.5. The other Ensar 105mm/ 4.5 on
the K3 has only just been cleaned and converted. You will notice that both are set to 'T' which keeps the shutter permanently open until you release it
(unlike 'B' which only keeps the shutter open while you are holding the release down). This lets you see what's going on in the viewfinder or in live
view while you focus - exactly like any other lens you might use.




They do look distinctly odd but the quality of the pictures they produce makes their appearance quite irrelevant. Once I have given the 'new' one a run
around the block I will post some of the results.

Well done Barrie. You will love it. Just treat the iris gently.

It's sitting on them 'cos it's frit !

Like Peter said, the colour one is hunting around for a frame to wear and a wall to live on!

I haven't put the very latest firmware in as I have no use for it. I rotate Pentax and 3rd party batteries of various ages and these don't appear to have any pattern of interaction. I sometimes get 'battery depleted' if that is the case. After the mirror has been freed it will work all day on the same battery. I will give the contacts a scrub with a pencil eraser.