Pentax SMC-DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited arrived Special Delivery this morning, complete in pouch and original box, all pristine, well packed and swiftly sent.

A black jewel of a lens-

Thank you Gareth!

UPDATE

Flucard DOES work with Mozilla Firefox browser on an Android tablet.
What fooled me is that it is slower and less responsive than in Google Chrome browser.

These are early days, I expect firmware updates!

Miles, It's cranky old Internet Explorer, and Windows refusal to loosen up their operating system to allow developers access.

I tried it with Flucard on my Nokia Lumia 820 Windows smartphone and it does not work. Yet.

Graham

Yes, I have tried. Despite hearing from a UK Pentax Rep. that Flucard won't work with the Internet Explorer browser in Windows Phones, I just had to try.

I have a Nokia 820 which only supports the mobile version of Internet Explorer at present it found the Flucard signal and connected fine, but when I went to http://pentax and dialled in the default password, 12345678, all the browser showed was a message saying something like "This browser does not work very well, try again with one of the supported browsers."

The Ricoh Pentax documentation only gives Safari and Google Chrome as supported browsers, but I have read somewhere that Mozilla Firefox will work with Flucard.

SOOO I installed Mozilla Firefox for Android on my tablet and tried Flucard with that, AND IT DID NOT WORK, I switched to Google Chrome and it worked right away.

NOW, the Pentax rep. who said it would not work DID add that Firefox is releasing a special version for Windows 8 devices (designed for touch screens) on 18th March. I assumed it also meant Windows Phones, but apparently that may not be the case, it could be for Windows 8 tablets, laptops and computers only.

It may pay you to wait a while and see if a suitable browser DOES become available on Windows Phones, or if Flucard can be tweaked to work with Internet Explorer. While you wait, I am sure there will be firmware updates to camera and Flucard to iron out bugs, speed up operation and perhaps add functionality.

A point to note! The Flucard on the Hudl 7" tablet gives a reasonably usable view, but I suspect the view on a mobile phone will be quite cramped and small. Will it be enough to assess sharpness and make out detail?

Do you have any mobile phone, laptop or tablet that has WiFi and can run Chrome or Safari browsers? They should work with Flucard!

My Flu Card came today, (the proper 16GB Flu Card Pro for Pentax K-3, just to be clear.)

I agree with the packing.. substantial, perhaps overly so, but whatever...! Once it WAS unpacked I unfolded the multi language quick set up sheet and carefully followed the instructions to the letter.
I had already found and downloaded the Flucard set up and User Guides from the Pentax Ricoh site and had a read through so I already had an idea.

Set the auto power off feature of the camera to 10 minutes so as not to get disconnected while I play around.

Turn camera off, insert Flucard into SD slot 2,(closest to the back, marked "2"..) close cover, switch camera on, the card gives a quiet beep then a series of quiet beeps and a visual indication on the camera rear screen as the Flucard activates.

I know my windows smartphone would not be usable for Flucard (yet?) so have given into my kids and bought one of the less expensive Android OS Tablets, a Tesco Hudl 7" tablet for £119.

I fired that up and opened the WiFi settings and there was the Flucard, clicked on it and selected 'connect' and connect it did!

I then opened the chrome browser and typed into the address bar http://pentax and it connected. a small confirmation box that "the default settings were set" appeared and I clicked OK then I tapped an arrow twice as instructed and the menu screen appeared.

I was viewing the tablet in vertical position and clicked on "remote capture" and there it was, live view on the tablet, a focus point, basic settings and a shutter button.

It all worked, fairly swiftly, and as advertised, from all around a decent sized room.

I might be easily impressed, I may still have a childlike fascination with gadgets, but it was almost like magic!

As usual on Pentax Forums, there's always someone moaning and putting Pentax down, BUT ISN'T THIS THE FIRST DSLR WITH OPTIONAL WIRELESS TETHERING THAT DOES NOT NEED SPECIAL SOFTWARE OR EXPENSIVE HARDWARE? No trailing wires, no clip on attachments, no big laptops, just a special SD card and a standard Android or Apple Tablet or device which many people already have anyway?

I bought the Flucard and a budget Android tablet for £219 total and it just works great! Shouldn't this be something we can shout about?

Isn't this another classic understated Pentax First, in the true tradition of the brand?

Tell that to my 1932 Leica 11 with 5cm Elmar f3.5 - fully serviced by Malcolm Taylor and in use, firing on all cylinders!

I have had arguments with people who said this didn't exist.......

link

The Pentax Limited 43mm f1.9 but made by Pentax as a Leica screw fit lens, (just for the Japanese market)

Oh, you are kind people, but from different generation!

When I say "Standard lens" I mean a 50/55mm standard prime lens for a 35mm film camera.

Specifically I am looking for age appropriate screw in or snap on lens hoods, round or square, genuine Pentax make, for the SMC Pentax-A 50mm f1.2 (52mm filter thread), AND the same for a 50mm f1.4 SMC PENTAX (pre M series).

I am talking 1970s-1980s ...ish!

Thanks for your kind efforts though!

Ebay scoured again, no joy.....

Here are their terms and conditions.....

link