All polarisers darken blue skies when rotated by polarising the light. Linear and circular polarisers do this is different ways that are relevant for certain exposure and autofocus systems.

As the LX uses OTF metering it is quite likely that a circular polariser will be required, although I cannot be absolutely certain.

George

Although it is far too early to draw any thoroughly meaningful conclusions, my first foray out with the *istDS and its 18-55 lens has been very encouraging.

The camera has produced some nice gentle images, not too contrasty and not too much sharpening in camera, and these perk up crisply in Photoshop 7.

The lens is good to handle and is commendably free of chromatic abberations in most shots, and I have pushed it quite a bit in this respect. It is much cleaner than most I have so far seen - there are certainly offerings from Fuji and Canon that are not up to this standard.

As I said, early days yet, and the learning curve continues...

Delighted to say I picked up my new *istDS today, and the build quality of both the body and the 18-55mm lens are very impressive.

First impressions being very good indeed, we'll see how I get on with making some photographs!

When you connect the camera to the computer it is effectively an external drive, so you could use your PC or Mac to format it, in theory at least.

As it is no longer possible, I guess back to the dealer (if it's under warranty in the UK the dealer is responsible) or otherwise straight back to Pentax. Don't forget members of Pentax Club get a 20% discount on servicing with Pentax (UK).

We do see a few problem cameras here on the forum, but I guess it will be the same for other forums covering other marques. On the whole I have found Pentax cameras to be pretty reliable. No consolation of course if it's yours that fails....

Hope that helps.

Can you format the internal memory?

When you use a memory card for the first time in any camera it is also a good idea to format the card in the camera. This should prepare the card properly for use in that camera.

Rarely, a card can malfunction, and then it will need to be replaced. We've never had that happen so far, but have heard of people whi have.

Why not check out the various manufacturers web sites, ask for brochures to be sent and compare the features to see which camera fulfills your requirements. Also check out reviews at paces like www.ephotozine.co.uk and www.dpreview.com to get other points of view.
The cameras can be handled at your local photo supplier.

The Pentax is a strong contender as you can use your existing lenses. It also is capable of delivering first class results. Otherwise, it is a matter of personal preference.

I'm looking for a definition of a portrait, in the context of what one might enter in a photographic competition.

There has been some discussion over the boundaries between portraiture and reportage - does, for example, a picture of three people sat at a cafe table constitute a portrait? Can you have a portrait of a pet dog or cat, or does the subject have to be human?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

We haven't gone to any greater trouble than using Adobe Gamma in Control Panel, and what we see on the screen is pretty much what we get from the printers. Maybe we've just been lucky, but I do think it is possible to get too tied up with this as a problem.

I think if we know, for example, that prints are slightly darker than what we see on screen, then a mental adjustment can be made.

It is really better to make the fine adjustments in Photoshop and for the camera to deliver a lower contrast image. In this way, highlights will not so easily be burnt out.

K and M series lenses have no "A" setting on the aperture ring and will not enable shutter priority or program exposure modes. A series lenses and later should be more or less completely OK, but as you mention, obviously you need autofocus lenses to use autofocus!

According to the previews I have seen so far, all Pentax lenses will fit, even screw thread ones with the appropriate adapter.