For sale rare Pentax SMC 300mmF4

Good condition with a few cosmetic marks on the built-in lens hood and case (the case is the original).

This is an K mount lens and manual only.

£180 ONO plus postage (approx £12)

I use PE6, but due to a pc malfunction I can't now use the program.

I contacted the Adobe helpline who've basically said it's not their problem and I should buy a new version of PE - PE9

I'm incandescent with the customer service from Adobe and reluctant to buy from them again.

I was wondering what people think of:

Corel Paintshop Photo Pro x3

Serif Photoplus x4

Are they as good as Elements (or better!)?

Alterantively, would anyone recommed any other editing packages? One I've read about is GIMP but it seems it's very fiddly to use.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Ho hum. What I was trying to say was that, given I'm in the market for a switch to a digital system, Pentax doesn't quite cut the mustard compared to Nik/Can.

Much as I would love to keep my film system, unfortunately, not being a Rockefeller, this will have to go some way to financing my digital aspirations.

I am fully aware that bigger (ie FF) doesn't mean better photographs, but like having money, it does give you options.

Many thanks to all sensible replies and discussions. However, particular mentions for most useful comments must go to K10D - sarcasm is always welcome, particularly when you're trying to show how clever you are - and to rparmar for stating the bleeding obvious and taking the time to get their name in print, despite having nothing to add.

My thoughts for having a FF are these:

I like shooting wildlife - hence fast autofocus, cracking metering (yes, I know you have to adjust to reflect the scene but the K7s metering is just a little 'off'), low light capability and good glass. I also like to print my photos, the bigger the better.

I don't accept that APS-C is as good as film (at least not yet). Equally, I do accept that more pixels on a FF sensor doesn't necessarily lead to better quality. And I still maintain that current DA telephoto primes are not as good as top notch Nik/Can (though equally accept that you have to pay for that kind of quality) and that even though fast FA 300, 400, 600 primes are as good as Nik/Can, you can't get them for love nor money, and Pentax don't seem to be in a hurry to bring digital versions of these out.

One last point. When Pentax announced the K7, it was, to the surprise of many, vaunted as their first semi pro camera and hence laying down a marker that Pentax wanted to compete with the big boys. It would seem logical that if this was the first then a FF would follow at some point. Here's hoping...

Frankly not that interested in K5 or Kr.

I'm thinking of going digital and have always been a Pentax owner, but will now probably go for Nikon/Canon

I would have gone for a K7 if the metering had been spot on and the autofocus faster. But even if these were up with Nikon/Canon levels, where Pentax has failed in the semi-pro/advanced amateur section is with lenses. Primes, particularly telephoto, are neither long enough, fast enough or of jaw droppingly good enough quality across the whole aperture range.

A rumour here - http://k-rumors.com/k3-fianlly-some-pentax-rumors-k7-super-k5-and-more-to-come/ - seems to suggest a full-frame in 2012. Sorry, I can't wait that long. And if Pentax are going to try and compete at this level, both camera and leneses will have to be stunning. I won't be holding my breath.

Often, much is made of the backwards compatibility of Pentax lenses. But this is largely a reduntant feature. My current film camera's autofocus doesn't work with lenses from yesteryear (particularly important as my eyesight deteriorates as I ger older). And besides, Nikon offer the same thing, but again without full compatibility with autofocus, so this (Pentax backwards compatibility) is not much of a selling point.

Nope, despite a huge sentimental attatchment to Pentax, both Nikon and Canon can provide full frame digital cameras with knockout lenses, here and now with Nikon's superb autofocus and low light capabilities probably just edging it. Sorry Pentax. It's just too little, too late.

Is the autofocus of the MZ-5N fully compatible with the Sigma 120-400mm f4.5-5.6 APO DG OS HSM?

Does anyone have experience of this?

Thanks in advance

I use PS Elements 6.

What is the difference between levels (adjusting separate channels via the levels menu) and curves?

If you adjust one eg. levels do you adjust curves as well (on the same layer? on different ones?)?

And how does saturation work after you've adjusted levels/curves? Is it correct to do this? Aren't you just duplicating work already done? And if not, do you work on a separate layer?

Many thanks in advance

Briiliant. Thanks.

Ok, this isn't as stupid as it sounds.

I want to print to 7"x5" (178mmx127mm)paper but I don't know which way to put it into the Main Photo Tray - landscape or portrait? And do I push it to the bottom or keep it aligned to the left at the top?

Have tried various methods so far and all I get is parts of the picture.

Help very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Or equivalent as long as it works with AF film lenses (for MZ5N)

Bum! Now found out that what SRB offer is a Pentax K > Canon converter, not vice versa.

My quest for a quality 400mm continues.....