Fiannor,

I've just pointed my old SFX out of the window at a leaden January sky, and tried the three program modes.

Lansdscape mode gave f13.5, normal gave f8, and action gave f3.5.

So there is a marked difference. The camera selected a shutter speed of 1/30 in landscape (with the focal length at 35mm), which seems sensible. A slower speed could give rise to camera shake.

At f13.5 you will get very good depth of field. If you have a prime lens, you will see a depth of field scale just below the focussing scale. This indicates what will be in reasonable focus either side of the subject.

To be frank, the DOF scale on the AF lenses is pretty hard to read. If you have a manual focus lens, it will be much clearer.

On my M 28 2.8, the 10ft mark on the focus ring and the f8 aperture mark are both coloured red. With these settings, and the shutter on auto (as it would be with an ME ), everything is in focus from four feet to infinity. This is the perfect grab shot setting (the classic advice to photojournalists was: "F8, and be there!") .

Similarly, on the 50mm lens, focussing on 33ft (15m) puts everything in focus from 15ft to infinity. Wide-angle lenses have much more apparent depth of field.

Sometimes you should focus on something other than the subject in order to achieve the best focus for the picture as a whole. You might wish to focus behind the subject to throw the foreground more out of focus, or focus nearer if you want the foreground in focus.

The possibilities are legion, and all point to the fact that a serious photographer will always demand that his camera be capable of full manual control; even though he may use part or full automation when circumstances permit.

Incidentally, I regard the SFX as a pretty good camera, especially for beginners. It's extremely simple to use, and very solidly built - better than all later cameras until the *ist D.

G

In program mode, the camera will alter the shutter speed to allow the correct amount of light through the lens for the aperture you have set.

You will notice that if you move up one stop (say from f8 to f11), the camera will compensate by halving the shutter speed.

Each stop represents half the aperture size of the stop below, and therefore half the amount of light that reaches the film. To get back to the correct amount of light, you have to leave the shutter open for longer.

If you want to over-ride the camera's view of the right exposure, then go to manual mode, and set both yourself.

As long as you don't go over the limits (by setting an aperture so small, for instance, that the camera will have to leave the shutter open so long that the picture is blurred) then you can rely on the camera to give the correct exposure (in normal circumstances).

Bear in mind that small apertures (f11, f16, etc) give greater depth of field, and large apertures isolate the subject by putting the background out of focus.

These are just two reasons why you might wish to choose the aperture yourself, rather than let the camera do it for you.

Generally its safe to leave the shutter speed to the camera. If you don't, you risk getting the wrong exposure. However, in some circumstances (eg: strong back-lighting) you may do a better job than the camera. The SZXn does not pretend to compete fully with an intelligent human.

You can't go the other way; ie: fit a bayonet lens to a screw camera (unless you take the mount off completely) because the throat of the bayonet lens is too wide. You would not get infinity focus; the lens would become a permanent macro.

Also, it is quite likely that the thread on the cine is not Pentax 49mm. It may be Leica thread, in which case you might be able to fit an old Leica lens. That should give your movies a touch of class.

G

Have you actually tried loading the software? If it works on Win2k and XP, then there would be no need for Pentax to provide additional drivers.

Otherwise, JR's advice is of course entirely right. Using a card reader means you don't use up the camera's battery.

And talking about ancient software - surely that describes Win2K too! XP is a big improvement if you are involved in multimedia.

Just to add to Kim's reply, compatible Pentax lenses all have one of the following suffixes after the SMC Pentax designation:

-A
-F
-FA
-FAJ

Except for the FAJs, which have no aperture ring, these lenses can be identified by the letter A at the extreme end of the aperture scale, next to the 16 or 22 or whatever the smallest aperture happpens to be.

Non SMC Pentax lenses can be identified in the same way. Sellers will often call them "Ka" or "PKA"lenses, or something similar, meaning they are Pentax K bayonet with the "A" feature.

By far the best auto-focus telephoto zoom at a reasonable price is the SMC Pentax-F 1:4-5.6 70-210mm. These appear regularly on Ebay for between £50 and £100. I got mine for much less as part of a job lot.

Many people don't seem to realise that wise Ebay sellers sell things individually. But perhaps I shouldn't say that, in case any unwise sellers are reading this.

If you can't wait for one to appear, Ffordes and MXV regularly have them, but avoid the 70-200, which is a different lens altogether.

https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm
http://www.rcomputers.co.uk/mxv/home.html

Some info here:

http://stans-photography.info/
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/ (AKA Boz)

Good luck

Without seeing the camera/cable/computer it is difficult to diagnose the problem.

However, assuming you have plenty of battery, and everything is switched on and plugged in correctly, then the most likely fault is a bad card.

I would suggest you go into a camera shop and ask them to test the card. If it works, you'll need to try something else. If it doesn't, buy a new card.

Most people use a card reader, which frees up the camera immediately, and doesn't use up the camera's battery. They are very cheap, and, if you have a laptop, a PCMCIA card wil live happily in the slot without ever needing to be removed.

They are the same. The P in PK stands for Pentax.

Are you sure you are right? Lenses are not meant to change aperture when focussing, and I certainly wouldn't expect a change of the sort you mention on the Tamron lens.

Some zoom lenses are designed with different maximum apertures at different ends of the zoom range.

You might be able to fit a K-M42 adaptor to the lens, and then use step-up rings to get to 49mm. However, I am not sure that M42 threads are compatible with filter threads.

A more certain and flexible alternative would to use extension tubes, which convert any lens into a macro. Or just buy a 50mm macro on Ebay.

There used to be a large photo store near Heathrow called Euro-Photo Centre, but I think it has closed down. Your best alternative would probably be to take a Piccadilly tube to Earls Court, and then a taxi to Jessops in High Street Kensington. Alternatively, go to the main Jessops in New Oxford Street. Piccadilly line to Leicester Square, then Northern to Tottenham Court Road.

Any ring-flash will work in manual mode, but Pentax ones will give you TTL metering, as will some of the more expensive independants. Depending on your subject matter, manual may be perfectly adequate.

George

Try Ebay

Try Ebay

Try Ebay