It may be convenient for you to use your reading glasses to focus with older cameras. That can work out just about spot on. They will probably need to be dedicated reading glasses.

For anyone looking for a relatively affordable standard zoom, then any remaining stocks of the 16-45mm will be worth mopping up. It is an excellent lens.

Moved to General Chat.

It's a problem for some images, but there are so many on the Internet that we'd be unlucky to have ours stolen and lucky if we ever found out about it.

That's not to condone theft of this nature, but as there's little I can do about it and as the only other option is to never have my images seen, then I don't worry about it.

Are you sure you're not set to an Auto ISO setting that is pushing it too high?

The bayonet Takumar lenses can be surprisingly good, as I found out when I looked at the F series lenses for Pentax User magazine.

IIRC the Takumat 28mm f2.8 is a simplified 5 element contruction, but it still performs well. I quite like the 135mm f2.5 as well - nice portrait lens on film, slightly softer at wide apertures which can be ideal.

The zooms are also good pereformers.

To be honest, although obviously some Pentax lenses are higher performers than others, you can't really go much wrong with them.

Your point is somewhat elusive azile5, can you explain please?

Chinon were marketed in the UK by Dixons, in those far off days when Dixons was a Photographic Retailer.

Centon are something else entirely.

First set the file format to JPEG and select your quality level. I use Premium quality JPEG. This is then the normal format for your camera.

The RAW button can be set to shoot RAW or RAW+JPEG either one only per press, or until pressed again.

All these functions are in the menus and are fully explained in the instruction book. See Setting the File Format, pages 156-159.

Perhaps it's just the unusual perspective that's a consequence of having to get very close to the subject. This will mean foreground objects are unusually prominent compared to the background, thus giving the 3D effect mentioned.

All the (Asahi) Pentax 50mm lenses are excellent, althought f1.7 and f1.4 designs have different properties. The f1.7 is better for use on bellows (flatter field) and the f1.4 is better in dull conditions (higher contrast) but all will give general results of a very high standard.

The only serious redesign of the standard lens for the last 40 years or so is the SMC Pentax 43mm f1.9 Limited and this is an exceptional lens.