Tamron 200+PKA adapter now sold. Thanks for looking, Jon

Tubes have been sold - thanks for looking,

Jon

A great prime lens for sale - in my view at least the equal of the SMCM 200mm/4, and with the advantage of being able to work in all modes with the camera when used with PKA adapter.

The lens and adapter are in great shape, the aperture ring is nice and snappy, and there are no signs of fungus or other nasties. The lens comes complete with original Tamron rear cap and generic front cap.

I'm not very keen on splitting the adapter and lens to sell the separately - at least to start off with - but the price of £85 for the two including RM Special Delivery to the UK should be pretty attractive (essentially giving you a fast 200mm prime for around £25 given the price of Tamron adapters....).













Thanks for looking,

Jon

It's rare to find this lens in PKA mount and it's highly sought after by people who want a mid range telezoom that is reasonably compact but covers more range than consumer 70-300s.

Covering a very useful focal range, and with bomb-proof build quality, the lens performs very well upto around 370mm - things softening up somewhat beyond then unless you stop down to f8 or so. I compared to the 55-300 when I had both, and the longer you went, the better the Tokina compared (especially around the borders), although it would be fair to say that the Pentax lens controls purple fringing better.

This example comes complete with original caps, hood and nice pouch case - but not the box. Also a Hoya UV filter that's been on there for protection since I've had it.

It's in great condition and only the zoom lock shows any sign of use (but works perfectly). The optics are very clean (no fungus or other nasties, and the lens has always been stored with silica gel since I've had it) and everything works as it should.

Some photos:

















A couple of example shots:

400mm/f6.3:





320mm/f6.3:





I'd prefer to only sell this lens within the UK - it would cost rather a lot to post abroad (especially with insurance). Price within the UK is £300 including RM Special Delivery.

Thanks for looking,

Jon

As it says in the title - a set of Pentax extension tubes in fabulous condition, plus the original leather (velvet lined) case in decent condition. The tubes are almost as new.

The set represents a very cheap entry to macro photography - and with no optics involved, image quality is as high as you can get without buying a dedicated macro lens. The tubes function in a similar way to SMCM lenses, so you need to use the green button or stop down metering to judge exposure. Also best used with lenses that have an aperture ring - not such a good option with DA kit zooms, for example.

Price is £25 including RM Recorded Delivery within the UK.

Couple of photos:









And link to an example image I shot using the tubes with a 50/1.4 SMCA lens:

link

Cheers,

Jon

Excellent screen in excellent condition for sale. Complete with the original packaging and tool to fit in the camera (instructions are available to download free from the Katzeye website).

The screen has all the works - split image and microprism collar, rule of thirds grid and AF points marked. Optibrite treatment to keep the viewfinder as bright as possible too.

I've used it on the K-7 (and bought it new) and see no reason why it shouldn't also work on the K-5.

People who know about these things will know these screens are not cheap - $245 new (about £160 at today's exchange rate) plus the cost of importing to the UK (potentially with import duties too).

If you've wanted the best focusing screen for you K-7/5 but baulked at the price, this one is available for £100 including insured postage within the UK - a worthwhile investment for people with a good collection of legacy MF lenses.

A couple of pictures:









And a link to the Katzeye homepage if you want to find out more:

link

Thanks for looking....

Jon

Actually I don't disagree with much of what you've said. I think the build quality of the i10 is fine actually, but the screen isn't great, the menu looks like a toy camera compared to some other brands, and the results in poor light and above ISO200 are a generation or two behind the best of the opposition.

That said, my daughter is delighted with the i10 she got for Christmas - it is better than the Fuji E900 that it has replaced (and that camera was considered to be a good low-light performer at the time of its release), is easy for a 14 year old to find their way around, does some fun things like stitching together panoramas and, most importantly for her, looks really cute. The images are perfectly fine for viewing on screen, printing at normal sizes and sharing on Facebook (the latter being by far her most likely method of distribution!). At its current price, I think it is a reasonable deal. But at its original price of £200, it was a triumph of marketing and design over real capability.

Sadly I do know someone in the US (an experienced Pentax user) who has experienced bad AF problems in tungsten light with the K5. It will not be user-error: he is an excellent photographer. The camera has been returned and he is awaiting a replacement.

You'll have no problems in terms of being challenged with an SLR. I recommend the Empire State at dusk, the Staten Island ferry for a free trip past the Statue of Liberty and views of Manhattan from the water, MOMA, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, and restaurants in the side streets around Union Square. If you're going to JFK, the subway is quite good and much cheaper than a cab.

Have a great time!

Jon

WOW! You're so lucky to have seen those... I've never seen a Kingfisher in the UK, nor a mink. Good luck for more of the same this year!