So the other day, I found out that my K7 was stuck on center-spot metering. Stuck, I tell you. I could change the switch to evaluative, the little symbol on the lcd would confirm that I had changed metering modes, yet the camera would still meter as if it were in spot metering! I find this out last night, and I have an engagement shoot tonight! Gah! (my style of shooting people is to use full-screen evaluative metering, but with adjustments to the exposure compensation - much more efficient shooting that way). My backup camera is a (perfectly working) K10, which is a wonderful camera, but I'm spoiled my my K7.

So I call up my local camera shop (I'm friends with the owner) and I sheepishly ask to borrow his display K7. He heartily agrees "Of COURSE you can borrow it! Have it back by Monday". So I go pick it up and bring it home.

Then I get the idea; "There's nothing physically wrong with my K7, and the lcd shows I'm changing modes, though it's actually not. This must be a software error. What if I just replace all the software? Reinstall the firmware! Of course!"

So I do that, and it works! Now my K7 is operating as it should. Well now I have two K7s and a K10 in my possession until Monday. What should I do? Take a picture!




From left to right: K7 with 35mm Macro, K7 with 50-135, K10 with Sigma 10-20
Probably the best possible setup I could wish for. If only I had a couple grand more.

I think EVIL is a nice bridge between DSLR and point-n-shoot. I don't mind that they exist, personally. The more options, the better!

I definitely have to offer a second vote for Nick Brandt. As far as I can tell, there exists no better wildlife photography than his. Nobody that I know of has attained his level of artistry with the subject of African wildlife. His photos are magical, and inspire me to want to purchase an old 645 just to see what it's really like. Though I know I don't share his stone-like patience to ge the shots he does.

Forgive me for being a bit crass, but I believe this thread attempt is what people here on the internet call a "circlejerk".

Well, two years later I'm still using that old AF540. It works perfectly. Though last year it was knocked over in a coal mine when the tripod it was sitting on slipped on the slanted ground. The diffuser broke off, but otherwise, it's flawless!

On the one I linked, you can. I don't know about those other ones.

I hate when people ask a question is a forum, then figure out the problem, and then never report back with how to fix the problem. People reading this thread get no useful information then!

Well I'm going to dig up this dead old thread to say this:

The problem was that I was firing my flash a lot - a couple of times per minute for over an hour. Apparently I had just tripped the Flash's heat sensor.

Once the flash cooled down, everything was ok again.

Get this hood.

The square hood linked in the first post looks proffessional, no doubt. But it looks too shallow to be effective.

This rubber collapsable one looks a little more DIY, but it's deep, effective and CHEAP. And it offers slight impact protection. It's what I use on all of my 50s.

I say it's a no-brainer.

This sounds like fun. I used to program in C when I was younger and I wonder if those skills would help me do fun things here. I didn't realize you could send instructions like this to Pentax cameras. I wonder what else can be done. Axl or Terje-l, do you guys have a site you recommend that has info on the debug commands that can be used?

I want to play with my old K10!

I would say "definitely yes" to different lenses using differing amounts of battery juice. I used to own the cheap Sigma 70-300 (the old version, for full frame film). When it focused, I could feel the torque as the motor whined LOUDLY into focus.

I now own the Sigma 10-20, and because of the nature of wide-angle lenses, the lens elements don't have to move very far at all to attain focus, so focus still makes noise, but it's quick and is barely felt.

Obviously, once you consider the energy used to generate the massive noise and torque, the 70-300 would have easily drained the battery more than most other lenses.

My SDM 50-135, on the other hand is silent and quick. Being silent means less energy is wasted, being quick helps this.

That's my take on it.