Sorry, links removed as that becomes basically an advert for a way into the mentioned sites.

Please just limit the question to has anyone heard anything or had dealings with this company.

Many thanks.

WElcome to out forum, have fun!

Unfortunately almost totally ineffective by comparison as well.

There is really no other way to find that rare book that someone in Australia might have, or conversely sell that obscure 1920s camera part to a Japanese collector.

The problem is that it was all a simple idea if everyone behaved well, but of course some don't as always, so layers of extra rules get ladled out to put things right. Then there are unforseen consequences, so more changes follow the first ones and so it goes on until the whole thing gets totally top heavy with regulation.

For the sort of things I sell it is still workable, and who knows, maybe they will have to back track on some of the changes yet.

At the time it was a convention that cut price models only went to 1/500 sec, so it may have been as simple as fitting in with the expectation.

The 1/1000 sec speed was actually uncalibrated on the S1a and if I remember correctly the one AP tested actually delivered more like 1/1250 sec.

These factors are summed up in the f number of a particluar aperture, which these days is very close to the transmission value. This value is conveyed to the camera, and of course it knows how much light there is anyway.

Well you could look at it that way, but equally you could think that in the markets that demanded it a lower cost version was supplied that was still basically the the same quality as the Proper Thing.

Not having to put a self timer in would certainly reduce costs significantly on its own.

I think it's a great portrait, full of life and showing some excellent rapport with the model. The effect also really suits it.

It may have blown out highlights, harsh shadows and not be technically perfect, but it's still a great portrait.

Oh, an afterthought. Oldtimer Cameras supply a manual "How to repair 35mm cameras" that you might find useful.

Models from this era tended to be offered with lower cost versions, but the differences were often very little. You've correctly identified that 1/1000 sec is available as an unmarked speed - cheaper to hide it than produce another shutter.

Also the 50mm f2 lenses available later in the screw thread era were in fact the f1.8 lens with a baffle in the optical path to reduce the aperture! Cheaper than making a separate lens!

The S1a was very successful, but is not as durable as the Spotmatic, which was a major redesign.

We spent around 8 hours today at Martin Mere near Ormskirk. Nature is a very challenging area of photography, and one that Sue and I are beginning to get into. Here's one of my favourite images from the day, shot with the K20D and SMC Pentax-DA 55-300mm.
[IMG]http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff250/johnriley1uk/029-Splashing-800.jpg[/IMG]