My DS has been in use now for 15 months and thousands of exposures. I've never had any dust problems (and yes, I do change lenses!). I dont leave it lying around without a lens or body cap and I make a point of switching it off before removing the lens (I believe the sensor is charged and is capable of atteacting dust when the camera is switched on - although I am prepared to stand corrected on this). Perhaps some people work in dustier environments than others; for example I have noticed when using my Optio compact (the point here is the close distance between the flash and the lens) that in interior environments with a lot of people you get many more of those 'ectoplasm' blobs caused by airborne dust. So... could it be that people like myself who usually work out of doors ( in clean environments ) might be less likely to get muck on their sensors?
Ken

Its not polar bears we're talking about now is it?
Ken

I honestly cant see any problems shooting snow leopards, the people across the road from me keep two in their house - true, no kidding - but thats footballers and their wives for you. Just come to Glasgow and it'll be easy as shooting fish in a barrel so long as you get the exposure right

Ken

There is no need for any of this faffing about, just take an incident reading IE the light falling on the subject rather than reflected by it and a perfect exposure every time is guaranteed!!!

Ken

This may or may not be of help but 1GB cards work in the S50

Fair enough, but I really believe someone was in charge of the overall concept - think ipod or motor cars, no one would dispute that Ian Callum designed the new Aston Martins and that team would have an awful lot more people than a camera's (I have to own up here to having a degree in Product Design). Thinking back to the Spotmatic, there probably weren't so may people involved then as there are now.

Been musing lately.

We all know who Oscar Barnack was and who the Gandolfi Bothers were but who designed these cameras we all love?

It seems to me that Pentax have been so innovative over the years yet I have never heard of any of the engineers and designers by name.

Any clues or pointers anyone?

Ken

Great pics! It proves that it is good photographers who take good photographs, cameras dont relly come into it.
Ken

My first digi p&s was and is an Optio S50, after years of experience of film from 35mm to 5x4 I was initially disappointed by my efforts with it. It took quite a bit of work using 25 years of photographic knowledge to get the results I wanted - and the pictures can be exceptionally good. However, as George rightly says, people want instant gratification and manufacturers promise it.

My first SLR camera was a Zenith B and I spent many hours just practising without film and poring over Ronald Spillman's little hardback book that came with it before shooting a frame of film. Now, pinholes excepted, there cant be any camera much simpler than a Zenith B, think how much more complicated any digi P&S is by comparison. You have to work at it and IMHO you need some basic photographic knowledge to get the best from them, in fact, I think the S50 is harder to operate than the *istDS but that may be due to my familiarity with SLRs.

Without seeing Colin's pictures I hazard a guess that there is a large area of sky in them.

Ken

Thanks for the replies. I now think it really is down to lack of use - I've pushed it up and down a couple of dozen times and it is springing up more quickly, trouble is I cant remember just how fast it went up originally. I recall that we were always told to fire the self-timer on Spotmatics occasionally to stop them seizing so maybe the same applies here.