Come, come. Since when did you, or anybody you know, buy a 35mm camera made by Kodak? I didn't even know they still made 35mm cameras. It's no loss at all.

Nobody is able to sell new 35mm cameras because there are so many available second-hand. These are being recycled to people who appreciate them, and film will continue to be available for as long as enough people want it.

It's when film disappears that you will need to shed a tear. This news is totally irrelevant to anything, especially to people who like GOOD cameras.

G

Try out your various TV/VCR/DVD remotes before spending money on an IR device. Many people find they already have a perfectly good remote trigger sitting on the telly. That's what I use.

G

Hope you're right, and it's not your house on fire!

G

I rationalised the cost of this lens by reminding myself that I don't normally pay more than about £50 for a lens, so the overall average is pretty low. The occasional splurge makes little difference in the scheme of things. As long as it's definitely occasional.

G

I got mine from Technikdirekt. €680 inc shipping. EU so there's no duty or VAT. Total was approx £465.00.

G

I claim repetition!

G

You forgot the Lazarette Rule: Never sell a Pentax Star lens, even if it means going hungry.

But commiserations.

And look on the bright side - your lens portfolio needs enhancing by one or more of the following:

DA 14mm f2.8
DA 16-45mm f4
DA 12-24mm f4.

And to get one of them, all it needs is money.

G

In some ways, they're more useful on film than digital.

EDIT: I MEANT: MORE USEFUL ON DIGITAL THAN FILM

I can't turn my studio flashes down far enough to give me the optimum aperture because the lowest ISO is 200. Cue ND.

Makes me yearn for the days of Kodachrome 25. Nobody could complain that was too fast.

G

I entirely with Flink that this is an issue blown out of proportion by people who want your money. That includes the camera manufacturers, who want you to send the body to them for cleaning.

I have heard of many people who use nylon make-up brushes successfully, and many who use a blower brush. Others use the swab method. The only genuine problems I have heard of are of people spraying oily residue onto the lens from a tin of canned air.

However, I bought a tin of compressed air from my local camera shop, who guaranteed that it was just pure air. (There is no need for a propellant with compressed air.) It works fine, but I am careful not to use full power from close quarters.

So each to his own. As Matt says, the sensor is fairly tough - probably SMC coated - and with common sense you are unlikely to damage it.

My only advice is to check regularly, and take action promptly. I imagine that dirt on a sensor may become harder to dislodge the longer it is on there.

G

Avoid dusty places, if you can, and use a strong blower to blow the dust away. Pure compressed air is what I use. In two years I haven't had to resort to wiping sensors.

Take care to ensure that any canned air you use doesn't contain gunk in the can.

G