Well I long ago gave up on ever getting my lens, but Microglobe emailed me over the weekend to say it had come into stock. I picked it up today.

Ordered 22/04. In stock 2/9. They didn't charge my card at order, so I was happy leaving the order open just in case. But they honoured the order price, so fair credit to them.

Now sold (via the ebay listing).

Thank you so much for posting that. I'm glad I wasn't the only one! 'Nothing shot' pretty much describes what I first thought of it after I'd uploaded the SD card to LR. But, like you, I also kept looking at it.

For me, I think the shot wouldn't work if it wasn't a Ducati. A Honda may have more power and a Yamaha sweeter handling, but a Ducati has more soul. And what Ducati could have more soul than their works GP bike? What draws me to the shot is the way the engineer's hand seems so lovingly placed on the tank. As if the wedding band he's wearing is because he's married to the machine. A man-machine bond you wouldn't expect in another team.

(Not that that was what I was going for, mind you. It was intended to be about imminent transition, between static and kinetic, being the moment just before the engine was fired into life. I think it's fair to say I comprehensively failed there!)

Would some sample shots help?

Taken this weekend (at the MotoGP in Brno). Excuse any poor composition and lack of technical skills, they're hardly the fault of the lens!

18mm (Slightly crop to remove excess sky and improve composition)



27mm



55mm



100mm



110mm



220mm



250mm

Now on ebay for £240 + £7.50 RMSD

link

Pentax User price remains £225 including RMSD

Just to clarify. It's on offer here for £225, ahead of being listing on ebay.

I have yet to decide yet whether the ebay listing will be an auction or a 'But It Now', but if the latter the price there will be higher to allow for their fees.

Bought second hand to replace a previous 18-250 that I'd sold and subsequently missed. I'm a prime shooter really though, and I still find myself lugging a Billingham of lenses around more often than I take out this well regarded superzoom. Having realised that my lens collection out-values my car (and I'm a petrol head), I've decided pare it by half. I know many rate these 18-250s as do-it-all travel lenses and, as it's holiday season, I thought I'd start my summer sale with this lens.

It will come boxed with a hood and the original paperwork.

Note that the hood is Tamron branded. The lens came to me without the hood (don't you just love ebay sellers?) and wheraes the Pentax hood would have cost me £50, the hood from its Tammy 18-250 sister was half that. It fits the same.

Like most copies of this lens, it exhibit a degree of zoom creep - ie if you walk around with the camera pointed downwards, the lens will tend to extend towards 250mm by itself. I believe this is a result of the heavy front element, and indeed Pentax/Tamron built-in a 'zoom lock' slider so it can be locked at the 18mm retracted position whilst walking around. I've been using a charity band to add a little friction to the zoom ring, which eliminates the creep and negates the need to use the lock. I'll include the band so the buyer can choose whether to use it like me, or the lock like the designers intended.













On offer here ahead of it hitting ebay on Sunday for £225.

Bank transfer preferred. PayPal accepted if the buyer covers fees.

I suspect it may not be the Royal Mail's decision, but the air carriers' (or their regulatory authority).

For example, I know that the FAA prohibits rhe carriage of spare (i.e. uninstalled) Li-on batteries in checked (hold) luggage. A risk of ignintion has been identified if Li-on terminals short on something in flight. If the battery is in a carry-on bag it's not a big problem, since cabin bags can be accessed in flight and the flames extinguished. The prohibition on checked baggage is because the hold can't be accessed in flight, and even a small flame could grow into a fire capable of causing catastrophic damage before the aircraft is able to land.

link

Mail cargo also goes in the same hold. Ergo the Royal Mail restriction.

Called them last week. Still awaiting stock...

Czesc yazon!

You may get lucky. Amazon offered the DA*300 very cheaply one day last year, and quite a few members took advantage. Every now and then one comes up for sale in the classifieds, so remember to check in regularly!