Continuing to rationalise my lens collection and I'm thinking that this stunning lens has spent too much time being admired and not enough time being used.

Recent acquisition of an old 35-105 SMCA hasn't helped - as I'm in the "small is best" camp, that lens suits my needs better than the 50-135. Besides, I spend an increasing amount of time using primes which seem to suit me just fine.

Aside from the fact that the bar code is missing from the box for rebate purposes, frankly the whole thing is in as new unblemished condition. I can post photos, which would be over the weekend, but I think anyone who has bought stuff from me before will agree that my descriptions are accurate, and my kit very well cared-for.

Is anyone here interested? I would want to charge a fair price for a lens that has probably only been used a few dozen times, but one that suits both buyer and seller....that feels like somewhere around the £575 mark, incl insured postage within the UK.

Let me know.

Jon

Hi - B and H is bhphotovideo in Manhattan. I think they're possibly the biggest photography shop in the world, and they do ship to UK. What is also good is that they will include customs fee in their pricing so you know exactly what you will pay and don't have to wait for customs assessment when it arrives in the UK.

Amazon.com (as opposed to dot uk) may also be worth a look.

Hope this helps,

Jon

Hope someone can help here.

Thinking about getting an older 6MP body converted for infrared photography, rather than using R72 filter as I do currently.

The main people recommended in the UK who I have heard of - Advanced Camera Systems - say that they will do the conversion on the ist D but as they have not tried any other Pentax bodies, they cannot be sure whether others will be suitable for their conversion.

Two questions:

(1) is there any difference in the sensor and way it is fitted into the camera between the ist D and later 6MP models eg ist DL, K110D (I'm assuming that shake reduction is more likely to turn ACS off doing the conversion so would not comtemplate K100D), and for that matter the Samsung GX1L? If the physical interior and sensors in these cameras are essentially identical, then I think the likelihood is that ACS would be able to do the conversion.

(2) does anyone know of other UK based companies who convert dSLR bodies for infrared use?

Many thanks,

Jon

Me too - would be great if it can be got rid of when you have the time! Thanks,

Jon

Overall the first - because the sky makes for a much more dramatic composition.

The third shot shows that the X70 certainly produces some pleasingly sharp and saturated photographs.

The picture using the 16-45 is a little lifeless in comparison. Shame given that out of the three, the 16-45 is the only one I've got!

I think it is unlikely we will see a FF camera in the near future. Especially in the context of the launch of the 645D, which I hope will prove itself to have been an inspired decision by Pentax. Sony do not appear to have been particularly successful or profitable in taking on Canon and Nikon in the FF market, and I don't see why Pentax would be much more successful than they have been.

I agree that it's unlikely Pentax can compete head to head with the big two, but I do think they can successfully chip away at the market share of both Sony (who to me appear to have lost their way and are producing a range of unspectacular me-too Canon-lites) and Olympus (who need to bring out some new dSLRs very soon unless they are planning to concentrate upon micro four thirds). I wonder whether both of these manufacturers will still be making dSLRs in a few years time, and it may be that Pentax will become number 3 simply as a result of their withdrawal from the market.

I think Richard is right - if Pentax can produce a camera that gets close to the capabilities of the best APSC bodies from Canon or Nikon, that ought to keep the Pentax faithful, well, faithful. The next camera needs to be the one to persuade K20D owners to upgrade if the K-7 didn't already do that.

In addition, if the Kx is positioned over time as the entry level camera, with a lower price to match, then I think there is upgrade space in the system that used to be occupied by the K200D. A camera to appeal to Olympus E30 users, with WR but please not powered by AA batteries this time! Put the insides of the K-7 in a polycarbonate WR body with the Kx sensor, and I think you could have a very competitive mid-range camera.

Over time, new buyers need to know that there is a range of lenses they can purchase, and in addition to their own, Pentax really need to increase their market share at least to the level that Tamron, Sigma and Tokina consider that it is worth producing most of their popular lenses in PK mounts as a matter of course. Tamron make fewer lenses in PK now. Sigma still seem to be in there for the time being. Tokina haven't made their own brand in PK mount for a while - and I suspect that is more to do with market share and economics than it is to do with their shared designs for some of the Pentax lens range.

Hi Huw - glad you're still here!

I like the idea of swivel screen but....

...I also really like the size of the K-7.

So there's got to be a compromise here. Either:

(1) a bigger body to make space for the swivel mechanism and/or
(2) a smaller LCD as a swivel 3" screen is going to take a lot of space or
(3) forget the swivel screen to keep the camera small

I'd go for 3 personally as I would prefer a really high quality 3" screen, like we now have, than a smaller swivel screen (I don't think anyone manufactures a 2.7" screen that has the resolution of the standard issue 3" one that Pentax/Canon/Nikon/Sony all now use. And I like the compactness of the K-7.... Huw: it's what Oly should have done with the 4/3 system!!

I also have a Panasonic - but in my case an LC1 - a badge-engineered Leica Digilux 2 (or it could have been the other way around!) with "only" 5MP but a superb 28-90 f2-2.4 lens that outguns any compact I've used since, and a fair number of SLR lenses too. It will be a very sad day when it eventually dies.

I've sent you a PM

Excellent! Thanks all for looking. Watch this space as there may be a few more interesting items to follow over the next few days....

Jon