Pete,
Really, honestly - save up the extra and get the Pentax AF360.
Park Cameras have it for £150

If you go and get a "compatible" and you really start using it then you'll kick yourself later for not getting the AF360. Especially as the K10D will do wireless flash to the popup with the upcoming v1.1 firmware

For diffusing you have several options:
* Bounce the AF360
* The AF360 has a built in catch light panel which is superb for portraits
* Use the AF360 remotely - I use mine through a cheap brolley. Beautiful results. If you can't afford the brolley, hang a white sheet between the flash and subject.

If you only want to do studio type controlled shots, then go for something really, really cheap and buy a hotshoe-to-PC connector adapter, a long PC-cord, and mount the flash on a tripod with brolley/diffuser. Use the flash and camera in fully Manual mode. Probably about £50 worth if you shop around.

EDIT: crossed in the ether

Matt

I think you assume correctly... twice

Enter the actual focal length (that's what's recorded in the EXIF for zooms, and what shows on the info display).

When using teleconverters you enter the actual focal length again - so, 2x + 400mm = 800mm. It's a right pain with the Pentax AF 1.7x converter

Matt

My *ist-D has been through a mere 15000 images, but has been lugged around all over the place (gigs and all). Looks very well used, but still works just fine

My MZ-5 never saw that much use... and had film transport problems in its life, then died. The Z1 I had was a dream - but even that suffered from a fragile battery compartment cover!

Matt

Definitely need calibration. There used to be two options:
1) WiziWYG by Praxisoft - used to be a free software application you could roughly calibrate your monitor using just your eyes. Unfortunately Praxisoft disappeared into the ether... but if you search you can still find the applications hosted elsewhere.

2) A Spyder or similar. The Pantone Huey is the cheapest. I've used both the Spyder Pro and Spyder 2 Pro - excellent devices.

The colours should match, but the brightness (as Graham mentioned) will not. With a Spyder2 calibrated Lacie 120 LCD and prints from ProAm imaging I get absolute bang-on colour every time

Matt

Digital ICE is actually an InfraRed channel - so it scans in Red, Blue, Green, and IR.
The IR channel allows the scanner to detect dust and scratch particles and map them out. However, as John rightly says, the IR doesn't pass through B&W negs so you have to turn off ICE
Matt

LOL @ Tony
I've uploaded a watermarked version of the Wakehurst Place image at full size for you to have a look at. It's a 4.5Mb JPG so be prepared

http://www.pbase.com/image/73228997
(Click on the "original" link at the bottom to see really, really large!)

It was processed in SP-DS3, including a slight digital shift to correct the trees. The shot was taken with a Cokin Z-Pro ND-grad as well, and the light on the far rushes was slightly adjusted using curves in Photoshop - about ten minutes work in total.

Enjoy!
Matt

PS. Of course, if you'd like a real print I can provide those too...

Pete,
Welcome to the forum

Check out the sister site: www.ephotozine.com
I have 5 photos there from the K10D:
http://www.ephotozine.com/user.cfm?user=16488&showcase=off#photos
(The Upholsterer's Cat is K10D, but I wrongly marked as *ist-D )

Wish I could show you the full res image of this:
http://www.ephotozine.com/gallery/showlargepic.cfm?photoid=791239


Whether they fit into "stunning" or not, that's up to you to decide, but I was rather pleased with them... and so were the recipients of the images

Matt

PS. Using CAPITALS is consider SHOUTING in Internet speak

Prieni, I can't remember off-hand whether I adjusted CA. I may well have done - but as you say it looks like there's some more to adjust too! I edited this on a laptop (which screen isn't the best).

You have to a very slight bit of correction for distortion at 12mm. Nothing serious though. I did also use SP-DS3's digital shift-lens option to correct the perspective slightly (the main tree was leaning a lot).

It seems the 12-24 really shines on the K10D - I could never seem to get this kind of clarity on the *ist-D.

Matt

LOL @ Dan. Just you wait...

Wakehurst is here: http://www.pbase.com/image/73228997
(Full size, watermarked, 4.5Mb)

Amazingly on January 1st it was sunny Not much sun since though
Matt

Pete,
There are some full size images I did here:
http://www.pbase.com/mattmatic/k10d
You need to click on the "original" link underneath the image to see the full res image.
Converted from RAW with SILKYPIX (meant to be all caps, I'm not shouting ) and saved without any further mods.

Might be able to do the Wakehurst Place full size (with a dirty great watermark though)...

Hope they help!
Matt