Hi Richard / others. Sent Richard a PM yesterday in reply to this giving my address etc but got no reply.

What do you think I should do ?

Dear Burston pm sent.

Dear Dan, thanks for the tip I'll try that tonight it sounds like a cool idea.

Meeting up & cleaning sensors sounds like a good idea just need to arrange a time and place. You can always come round to my place most nights apart from Tuesdays. Or we could meet up on maybe a Saturday, I go cycling a lot if the weathers nice and would normally go as far as Maldon or the Hanningfield reservoir / Stock areas if you fancy meeting out on a nice day ?

Thanks for the info, cheers.

Hi I have a set of extension tubes that I never use due to the fact that I own a couple of macro lenses and don't need to get closer than 1 to 1 ( well not yet anyway ). I was going to bung them on ebay later this week with a buy it now of £35 but if anyone wants them before I do that then you can have them for £35 and free UK postage (other postage charged at cost). Still looking for MZ5/MZ5n/MZ3/MZ6 and case etc so would also do part ex on one of those kinds of camera.

Tubes are Jessops own brand K mount and although they look like they've got "A" contacts I've never been able to get it to show any apertures on my DS on any of the tubes so as far as I can tell they only work as K mount tubes.

I have a series of photos taken with the 18-50 kit lens, the first is at its full macro setting, the next with the smallest tube, next medium tube, next large tube and last all tubes together. As you can see even with the kit lens you get very high magnification and no loss in quality.












This one Pentax DS 18-55 kit lens at closest focus 55mm taken with Vivitar Macro Flash. Not bad for a kit lens.




Kit lens and smallest tube.




Kit lens and medium tube.




Kit lens and large tube





All tubes together, pretty impressive for the kit lens ?

Hi I've been offered an MZ5N to buy by a member of this forum but before I negotiate I'd just like to see if anyone else can help me.

I had an MZ5 that I dropped and broke so when it did I bought a brand new Z1P to replace it, the 24-90 and the normal ever ready case that comes with it. The Z1P must have been a really late one as I bought it NOS from Jessops about 4 or 5 years ago and ordered the case too.

The camera is my normal every day film camera and is more or less mint. Kept meaning to buy an MZ-S but didn't really like it and it seemed like a down grade. Z1P has original box, even the case has the original box too.

Anyway I'm looking for something smaller and would like an MZ-3 with case, ( well MZ-S would be nice but I don't expect anyones getting rid of theirs maybe prt-ex).

Alternatively an MZ5N with case and 28-70 might be an alternative.

But it's important I get a case with an MZ-3 or MZ-5 I liked the one with my MZ-5 so I just want a small holiday camera.

Bought it today but left it at work, didn't even look at the cover doh.

If the 17-70 is going to be SDM only ( as it looks from the pictures available ) then it won't be much good on my DS

I expect that it will probably replace the MK2 18-55 and then they will drop the focusing motor from the cheap K1000D/K2000D body to save space and cost.

Pentax appear to be going down the Nikon route where the D60 has no motor but the big expensive bodies do.

Perhaps this points to the long term future of Pentax going the same way as everyone else.

So I'll just ignore what you've just said then George ?

Seriously however there do seem to have been more than the usual number of quality control problems with this lens.

If it was just the usual suspects moaning then that would be one thing but even some of the Penatx officials have admitted to problems.

I wouldn't want to spend £500 on a lens that was a lemon and I'm not 100% sure that taking it back to the shop and claiming "poor image quality" would guarantee a replacement.

The other issue is that if I wanted a Tokina lens then I'd buy one and the 16-45 is pretty decent so I'll wait and see. It's a bit big anyway.

The "internet effect" has put me off the 16-50 completley. I have the 16-45 so I'm not too worried.

My advice on weddings would be don't do it if you want to be able to sleep at night not if it's friends or family, nothing to gain and everything to loose.

If it's punters then go ahead but do you maybe need insurance in case your sued ? Does anyone know ?

I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that Dan came round to my house last night and cleaned the sensor of my DS for the first time ever.

Well it has made a huge difference so I'll have to buy the swabs and cleaner and have a go myself eventually when it next needs doing.

Thanks Dan it's miles better cheers John McD.