Nothing in the in-box as yet.

Best regards

Good imagery and detail.

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Just done a "fix" on my AF360 FGZ battery cover. It's not a secret that the design is way sub standard for the prices charged for the flash at the time. I started using gaffer tape to hold it closed as mine also had lost the ridiculously thin retainer blades. Then gave up with it and just used another camera system when I wanted to use flash.

That "not used" period has actually been over six years. Anyway, since I'll be using Pentax tomorrow at the Whitby Goth event I though about fettling the battery cover issue with a more secure, reliable fix. So looked at all of the methods mentioned on line and some have merit and some do not. Changing batteries on the flash is not a frequent event so a minute doing the job is easily accommodated.

I decided to use a 2mm threaded control rod from my RC model aircraft parts bin. It's steel and is threaded M2 for 20mm at each end so good stock material to start with. The rod will pass through the flash battery compartment left to right, pulling the door closed with the load evenly biased.

Now I had to determine the correct position through the flash body for the clearance holes. The rod comes through the gap between the circumferences of the lower three batteries.






The brass hex head is from an M6 brass screw that has been drilled and tapped M2 before being parted from the threads. I needed something big enough to spread the load and get hold of easily. I made a soft rubber washer to go beneath it.






The "fixed end" of the tie rod is just an ally washer above another soft rubber washer and two M2 SS nuts nipped up with a little loctite. The tie rod is free to slide back and forth with the hex nut removed. As you can see, the clearance hole comes through the centre line of the body.






Closer view of the brass nut.





So to change batteries: Apply light thumb pressure to the battery cover door. Unscrew brass nut and lift of rubber washer, Pull back the tie rod from the "fixed end" to just below the battery cover. Open cover, replace batteries and close cover. Push tie rod back through cover and re-fit rubber washer and brass nut keeping light thumb pressure on the cover.

The light thumb pressure removes any excess strain on the M2 threaded brass nut threads.

I'm quite pleased with it. Aye, it looks like a Frankenstein type of approach but it does exactly what it needs to do,

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Well that's clarified the statement up of "never been".

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So I assume you based your reason on word of mouth or seeing pictures of crowds there but it's the "always" that I found odd.


I've been regularly over the last year and it's been reasonably busy. Major event always attract the crowds. I was last there on Oct 11th for the day. Very quiet with fewer people than has bee the norm. Just as well since getting food indoors is a problem as businesses can't get staff, so service is slow.

Seems like that time has arrived.

I'll be there on Saturday all day and possibly early Sunday depending on other priorities.

Red coat, big camera with ring flash & small camera.

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Some stunningly beautiful machines Peter. Well photographed.

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These all work. Well photographed.

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Never easy to get punch and impact looking at the lighting conditions you had.

Just a little pp on the first, second and fourth images to boost colour and saturation with a B&W which looks as if an alien ship is about to emerge (independence day).














Maybe not to everyone's liking or yours.

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Image #3 is a stand out picture. Good photography.

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