That's a good deal for someone.

Very nice!

One of my Nikon F801s had this problem a few weeks ago - I'd AF on something but I could clearly see it was well out of focus. I thought the AF system was scr*wed but looking into the camera I saw that the screen had dropped out of place by several millimetres.

I've just ordered the new TTartisans shoe-mounted light meter in silver. It's been out of stock from their own shop every time I've looked but it's finally available from Amazon Spain and they only had two left. I'd have preferred black but well, it'll still look nice on any of my older film cameras.

Many, many compact film cameras go for silly money now. I have an Olympus Mju which I bought for a tenner a few years ago when the Mju II was what everyone wanted and it went for up to 70 quid. Now you can't even get an original Mju for that price.

Perhaps the focusing screen is out of position?

I think you'll be better off with the Z-1Ps. I was going to buy one a short time ago but after negotiating everything the guy decided against it. He had been a little unpleasant through the process so I suppose he wasn't really decided at the outset.

I'll have to settle for my two slightly older Z-1s.

The Singlex has an F mount???

Glad to see you got a hold of the K 28mm, I think you'll love it. What's the focus problem with the XR-X?

Well, another year of pandemic but one that did allow some scope for getting out and taking photos. No international travel for me but we did manage a few trips within Spain, including Valencia (where I'd never been before).

I had to exclude quite a few favourites in order to narrow this down to twelve but we have to draw the line somewhere.

These were all taken on the K-3.

Starting off in January we saw the greatest snowfall Madrid has seen in fifty years and it was quite something. The 16-85mm handled the inclement weather without a hiccup and I used this lens quite a lot this year.


Lone yellow jacket by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Spring brought some wonderful colour and I found this magnificent tree in a park I don't usually visit though it's only five minutes walk from my flat. This also shows a technique I used quite a bit this year - a wide aperture but focused to infinity rather than something up close and blurring out the background. This was taken with the SMC DA 35mm Limited (still my favourite lens ever).


Under the lilac tree by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

This is a church not far from home, I believe for a Romanian denomination of some sort. I took the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 (a lens I've used very little since I bought it) and had some ultra-wide fun. I have an alternative edit of this, with the shadows boosted and warmed a lot more, but it's a bit OTT and not really my style.


2021-05-21_04-14-42 by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

My younger daughter is getting bigger and before she got mobile she liked to relax in her little hammock. This shot introduces the DA 20-40mm Limited I bought this year, which is a great little zoom.


Baby feet by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

When we got a bright yellow table and chair set for our little balcony I had to find a suitable subject to use it for some colourful photos. This one was with the K series 35mm f/3.5, a very nice little manual prime that doesn't get the use it deserves due to a wealth of other great options at that focal length.


Quack quack by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Some minimalism here and a shot from what has to be the stand-out lens acquisition of the year: the K 28mm f/2. It's every bit as good as it's reputation suggests.


Petal by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

This summer saw the return of the hot air balloon festival to Segovia but, as two years ago, I was only able to attend the first morning as the next day we set off for Valencia. The 20-40mm shows you don't need a super-wide to capture these events (though the 16-85mm probably saw more use).


Gijon by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

And the trip to Valencia and the Albufera area where we stayed gave some great opportunities, including this shot, which I would say is my favourite from the whole year. DA 16-85mm.


Sunset in the wetlands III by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

DA 16-86mm


Valencia VI by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

DA 16-85mm


Defiance by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

DA 16-85mm. Something about the light (just prior to sunset) makes this shot one of my favourites from the trip.


Restaurant by the water by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

And I'll finish off with a stitched panorama taken out my kitchen window recently where there was a rare mist over the park next to where we live and some great sunrise colours too. SMC FA 43mm Limited.


Madrid fog panorama 1B by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr

Here's for a 2022 which treats us all a little better and brings a little less heartache and ignorance and a bit more understanding and wisdom.

Pentax have been rumoured to be on their last legs since I bought into their DSLR system in (I think) 2009. Since then their products have improved vastly to the point where new ones are met with great anticipation.

Don't be too confident that the Japanese market will always keep things afloat. I was in the minidisc camp and they said exactly the same thing. I've been to Japan and Pentax cameras are few and far between there too. The Japanese tend to be loyal but they also love having the latest gear, especially if it's small and cute, which is much more true of mirrorless than DSLRs.