Jules,
Any Pentax autofocus lens will work fine with the *ist D, as will any KA lens. Obviously the camera won't magically transform the latter into autofocus lenses.
With a recent firmware update, the earlier K and M lenses will also work, though you have to go through a slightly different process to deal with the metering.
So, your lenses will work just fine, indeed better, because the *ist D has a better autofocus system.

I am afraid that you are going to have to compromise! You are trying to photograph fast-moving distant subjects in low light, which poses a major problem.

As your subjects are distant, you are presumably using a telephoto lens of some kind, like a 70-210 zoom, and tending probably to use the long end of it to get close to the action. That being the case, you should use a shutter speed of at least 1/250.

The reaon for this is that the further the subject is away, any camera shake as you take the picture will be intensified, and that intensification will then be magnified by the long lens.

I suggest you take both a 400 and an 800 ISO film but don't load them until you are at the ground. Set the lens to f4, and see what shutter speed you get with 400 ISO set on the ISO scale. If it's at least 1/250, you're in business and can use the 400 film. If not, you'll have to use the 800.

If you're still not getting 1/250 with 800, then you'll have to lower the speed and/or use a wider aperture, both of which will affect quality.
If the lens doesn't open up to f4, you'll have to use f5.6 or whatever it will allow.

Ultimately, if you really want to get good pictures, you may have to splash out on a fixed length lens with the widest aperture you can afford. A 200mm f2 or f2.8 or a 300mm f4 would be possibilities to consider.

Another possibility is to use even faster film, and perhaps change to black and white.

Finally, if you are closer to the action, it might be better to use your 50mm lens (if you have one) which will be better quality than anything else, and much faster. That would enable you to capture the picture, albeit small, and then have it cropped and enlarged.

Sadly, photography is about light, and if there ain't enough, it's difficult to get good pictures!

Fuzzy pictures are usually the result of poor focus or camera shake, so make sure you have got those two things right. Focus carefully
and make sure that you are using a fast enough shutter speed (at least 1/60 with a 50mm lens).

However, in this case I suspect the fuzziness is actually the high grain which is the result of using a very fast film. Most photographers would avoid 800 ISO film unless they were shooting in low light or deliberately wanted a grainy effect.

Try a 100 or 200 ISO film and I think you will see a big difference. The rule is that the slower the film, the better the quality. These films are for outdoor use on a reasonably bright day. Indoors, you'll need flash.

Good luck

George

Wish you wouldn't bid against me for these things!

Puts up the cost of living (or lighting).

Thanks Kim,

You did well to get an adapter - I don't imagine they come up that often.

I suspect the function of the adapter is to reverse the wiring, so that the adapter RECEIVES data through the 5P socket whilst the flashgun SENDS data through its socket, so connecting flashguns together through their sockets probably won't work.

Can anybody tell me whether I can mount a Pentax flash on the camera, and connect it via its 5P socket to another Pentax flash with a 5P socket?

Presumablyly I CAN, but will it work, and provide full TTL operation? It looks to me as though it might, but I can't find anything to confirm that. Would the connections be reversed?

You can gather from this that I am trying to avoid buying the ludicrously expensive hotshoe adapter F!

A new, cheaper ist D is about to be announced, with fewer features. It will probably cost £200 - £300 less, according to my local camera shop. So, hang on for a week or two.

CS105

There is quite a lively discussion of FA-J (and other) lenses on the DPReview site. Look for the Pentax forum.

http://forums.dpreview.com/

I'm sure you'll have no problem. There's no shortage of people who like to warn of dangers, but press them for facts and they suddenly go quiet.