Peter - when I get a chance, I will try it. The interference pattern test should work the same in both directions. However, I'll try both methods in landscape and portrait with the 50mm f/1.4 lens and see what I can accomplish!
Matt

Neil,
It's in the manual

You just slide the AF-360FGZ mode switch to the trailing curtain shutter sync - and that's it. However, it only becomes obvious when you are using a slow shutter speed on the camera. The preflash will fire before the shutter is released, the shutter will open, and just before the shutter closes the flash will fire the main flash.

Hope that helps!
Matt

Just adding another dimension to this...

I was looking to see which other cameras have user-changeable focus that the K20D has. Looks like it's probably only the Canon 1Ds Mk III
As a result, I dug this method out:
AF Microadjustment for 1D/1Ds III.

There's a ZIP file for the pattern - which is absolutely incredible on the eyes Real migraine stuff! LOL!

Essentially uses an interference pattern to adjust the focus
Think I'm going to have another go at calibrating the K10D later
Matt

IIRC, f/16 is about the smallest you can go with APS-C sensors before diffraction starts kicking in. (But I stand to be corrected!)
Matt

Well I have a jolly fine monitor

There are a couple of additional points here:
* The sample images are PNG format - they must have been converted from some other format. So it's difficult to tell what's happened.
* There is some posterization - looks like JPG artifacts to me. So I'd guess the image was RAW->JPG->PNG.

As I mentioned, the RAW converter you use can have a big impact on artifacts & noise (look up "Bayer filter" in Wikipedia).

I'd suggest the following:
* Take a sample RAW file
* Process in Lightroom and output as an 8-bit TIFF file
* Process in Pentax Photo Lab and output as TIFF

Compare the two at 100% in Photoshop/Elements/etc.

The deepest shadows will always have some noise - even at ISO 100. The further you push-process, the more noise you will "dig up" from the shadows. That's why the "ETTR" can be helpful.

To be honest, the images look absolutely fine to me (notwithstanding the JPG artifacts). You can get carried away with "pixel-peeping" - the real eye-opener is checking out the positively huge noise and grain on ISO1600 Fuji print film I might be able to dig a sample out - that'll put the K10D into proper perspective

Matt

Don't forget that the "Debug" menu is not for focus adjustment alone - there's a pile of stuff in there that, when wrongly used, could completely stop your camera from working!

I'm not entirely sure how many other brands have user-adjustable focus. The 1Ds has, I'm sure. TBH, adjusting the focus with either the firmware or the USB tool is no big bother. I adjusted the K10D "by the book", then found it wasn't 100% right for portraiture at f/1.4, so I tweaked it slightly back and now it's absolutely bang on - for all my lenses (which are all Pentax, BTW).

As Chris says, though - only you can say whether jumping ship is worth it (unless that was a joke! !)

Mike,
To be honest, I can't see any noise in those shots!
What I do see is that you've shown the out-of-focus areas in each shot - that creamy, blurry look is not noise, but the bokeh of the lens.

Noise would appear as a fine speckle - like grain on film. The quality, and quantity, of noise (or any processing artifacts) will vary depending on what RAW converter you are using.
Matt

Irrelevant. The shopping-cart is run from the HOST web-site computer, not yours

My suggestion:
1. Download Eset install file onto your desktop (or directory)
2. Unplug the PC from broadband
3. Uninstall Norton (and reboot)
4. Install Eset
5. Now connect to broadband.
6. Eset should update and you'll be fine.

Even if you left your machine "wide open", Eset Smart Security does an incredible job of cleaning up! As I mentioned, it even cleaned up a PC that had never had any AV product!

Matt

My pleasure

I've been using this method since the *ist-D... my thumb is the focus, my finger is the shutter - and it's etched into my brain! Can't work any other way now!

This method is cool for kids, fast moving stuff, etc, etc. You can pre-focus with the AF button, then jab the shutter when the subject gets to your pre-set point - kind of like manual, but with AF.

Also incredibly useful in low light settings - focus on demand by pointing at some high contrast area, then reframe and shoot without hunting!!

Matt

Because you can't have two AV products running at the same time

BTW, while we at it, I've seen two computers this past week "infected" with a so-called anti-virus product! It's called "Anti Virus XP 2008" or "Anti Virus 2009" and looks absolute genuine. However, when run it shows you have 85, or 200 odd viruses and try and scare you into paying a subscription (When there definitely are NOT any viruses on the machine!) What a scam!

Matt