Please read all of this thread...

I've decided to put this back up for sale at a reduced price of £30 including UK postage.

I've concluded the aperture isn't likely to be a real world problem as it is. I will accept a return if the buyer isn't happy but can't guarentee it won't become a bigger problem down the line.

Regards,

John.

Offers invited for a K (not KA) mount Prinzflex 80-200 f/4.5-5.6 MC Macro lens (Made in Japan). Part of a recent ebay purchase, it's a lovely made all metal zoom (1:4 macro), slight dust, no fungus, snappy aperture and smooth focus/zoom action. 52mm filter thread.

Any offers, it'll cost about £5 to post I think.

John.

Lens received today in great condition and superbly packed, many thanks.

John.

Free to a good home a broken SFX body (minus battery holder & eyecup). Recently acquired because I wanted an AA battery holder, it has a shutter/drive/mirror problem (flashing the film advance icon on the LCD), the flash charges.

John.

Just a further quick question: Any opinions on the SMC-M 50mm f/2 lens - I've just acquired one as part of a larger purchase and wondering if it brings anything new to the party?

John.

I have just acquired an FA50/1.4, hopefully* to replace several of these: M50/1.4, M50/1.7, A50/1.7 and F50/1.7. The FA has a much smoother focusing ring than the F and this might allow me to sell some of the manual focus lenses - which I currently use on manual film cameras.

I haven't been able to compare them yet, but my research on the FA50/1.4 suggested the hazy effect when wide open was flare (the front element is very far forward apparently) which is considerably improved with a hood. The bokeh is considered rather busy at f/1.4.

Comments on this forum over the years have tended to suggest the f/1.7s are better than the f/1.4s generally.

* I still want to keep some manual focus lenses if only when I take my K1000 somewhere dodgy and don't want an expensive lens on the front.

I'd agree with Jon. The AF lenses are much more suitable on DSLRs, not just the AF but better integration with focal length reporting and lens corrections. But I'd hesitate to use vintage/collectable for the K mount lenses (not really vintage and only a few would be considered collectable).

I think the dividing line should be on the mount type (not series), leaving a choice of M42, K (Kf), KA, KAF, KAF2 & KAF3.

John.

The A50/1.7 is a very useful lens, and definitely worth keeping. Don't dismiss the 3x teleconverter before you try it. I stuck one of these on my Tamron 500mm f/8 mirror and the limiting factor was the high ISO I needed for action rather than the teleconverter. It makes a 50 f/1.7 into a reasonable 150 f/4.5, but using it on the 35-70 (as in the photo) probably won't give good results.

The A3 is a fully automatic camera with motorised film advance. You can probably test it by putting batteries in, opening the back (pull up the rewind knob on the left) - Don't touch the shutter! - and operating the shutter release should release the shutter and then attempt to wind the film on. This will give you some confidence - but the real test is to run film through it. If you haven't shot film before (and seeing that you now a film camera) I recommend you give it a try with the 50/1.7 (aperture set to 'A').

I don't know how that works - I'd have thought the sensor is either fully open or it's not, but there's obviously something else going on.[/quote]Looks like there's some sort of HSS going on here. X-sync is when the shutter is fully open at the sensor - so it looks like the flash fires more than once - reducing the flash range as the whole charge can't be used in a single burst.

PM Sent.