My *ist-D has been cleaned loads of times
Have used Pecpads+Eclipse fluid, also sensor swabs with fluid. All work pretty well, but you can never get 100% of it out - so there's always the patch and clone tool in Photoshop!
(Having seen a pro's 1Ds RAW file that was covered in stuff, I don't get worked up about it so much now )
Matt

Were you looking for this:
http://www.pentax-community.com/pentax_community/index.php?lang=en
?
(Linked from the "Sign up here for news and offers"
HTH!
Matt

If you've got one of the *ist-D series (or K10D for that matter), then you can extend the remote by cable. I bought a 2.5mm stereo headphone extension cable for next to nothing

You just need a CS-205 or equivalent to trigger.

EDIT: Just looked up that wireless transmitter - it also has a 2.5mm socket so you can connect directly into the *ist-D, as well as use the infrared.

Matt

ISO is a standard.
However, many DSLRs vary fractionally from their advertised ISO (by a third of a stop commonly, so ISO100 is actually ISO160).

EDIT:
Your film camera doesn't happen to be an ME Super / MEF does it?? If so, try wiggling the ISO/eV compensation dial - they have a tendency to get dirt into the variable resistor that's used and they massively underexpose (which sounds like your symptoms).

Matt

Daniel,
Before you confuse the living daylights out of casual readers (I had to read it a couple of times!!)... ... I didn't include the DL because it has a pentamirror which is 'orrible compared to the pentaprism of the D, DS, and K10D


Graham,
a) I've found the four way controller much more positive than the *ist-D. This is probably down to the dusy & moisture seals. I don't think I've miss-hit on the K10D, whereas I was always mishitting on the *ist-D. Additionally, they've replicated some of the view functions onto the wheels, so it's much easier to scroll through shots.

b) The card door is much smaller than the *ist-D, as it uses SD cards. Haven't got the K10D on me right now, but I think there's much less of an issue compared to the *ist-D - think there's more clearance between the strap and door. (Obviously if you let the strap hang down over the door then it's going to snag...)

c) Green button on both *ist-D and K10D reverts to program. On both you can disable Hyper program too.


The ISO is changed via the Function menu - when you select the ISO you have a choice of either a single ISO or a range. The range is very useful - you can limit the upper end (so I often use ISO100-1000).

I, for one, would be annoyed if Hyperprogram switched back on its own after each shot - for example when firing several shots in succession I want the override to "stick". A simple press of the green button sorts it.

SR is pretty excellent. Some of it comes down to technique. I've tried tests at very slow speeds, and it gives me about 2 or 3 stops. I strongly suspect that after about 0.5s it starts losing it a touch anyway, but for using telephotos it's pretty superb (I tried a shot with the SMC-FA 80-320 + 1.7xAF convertor at 1/50s and it was tack sharp for a focal length of 544mm, effectively 816mm).

I've found that putting my left wrist bone in contact with the underside of the camera helps - probably because it provides better mechanical contact of my "shake factor". This is NOT just better camera holding - without SR enabled the shot is dire! So, yes, I can see you can get 4 stops, but in general use it's more reasonable to see 3 to 3.5.


BUT (big but), the image quality of the K10D, especially at ISO100 and RAW, will show you why we're all raving about it Largely because of the electronic design for the CCD the shadows are exceptionally smooth and lacking noise - so you can get an astonishing amount of detail and quality out of it.

The only (little) gripes I have at the moment are:
* Cannot do wireless flash with the popup as you could with the *ist-D
* Some have said that ISO1600 isn't as good as the *ist-D... (I've been impressed with my own test shots, but have to try it for real)
* Manual white balance is not as quick as the *ist-D... but I'm getting used to it.

Hope that helps
Matt

Graham,
Just let us know what you expect/need and I'm sure we'll let you know.
However, I can say that if you've used the *ist-D or *ist-DS then I can't imagine how you'll be anything but delighted with the K10D
Matt

I use MTF program line, but switch program with Hypershift in P mode.

I checked the Z1 and Z1p manuals and they have the graphs that give you a pretty good idea of what's going on.

I'll also check the MTF of the 18-55 kit lens when I get a chance
Matt

Interesting...
I use MTF all the time. I always did on the *ist-D, and did on the Z1 before that.

However, I do know that the MTF data is contained in the lens, and the body needs to read that information. Additionally, the K10D will balance the MTF with the available light - it's not that it uses the MTF aperture all the time, just that the program is weighted towards using that.

Either the Z1 or the *ist-D (probably the Z1) manual had the graphs of each of the program lines so you could see how it was weighted.

HTH!
Matt

Actually, just to add to that:
* You can Tv shift to a slower speed, step by step, but you can't then shift back to the Tv/Av combination you were at. (i.e. the K10D allows you to reduce the ISO in Hypershift, but not increase it).

Also worthy of note (compared to the *ist-D) is that if you enable exposure compensation, the Auto ISO still works (on the *ist-D exposure compensation would put you back to the base ISO value).


Matt

Am I being completely stupid? I can't find any mention of this custom function, or any info on what it does!

Listed on page 206 of the manual, and says on the camera "Use auto EV compensation when proper exposure is not obtained". It defaults to Off - i.e. "Does not use auto EV compensation when proper expsr is not obtained" (sic).



Additionally, did you notice that if you use Hypershift in P mode, the ISO setting is fixed at the lowest? For example, if you set ISO Auto 100-1000, and you shift the front e-dial to go into Tv mode, the ISO will always be at ISO100.
If you press the Green button, then the ISO will revert to Auto and will boost itself according to conditions.

This behaviour is different from the *ist-D which will shift ISO even when you enter Tv/Av through Hypershift. But, since we now have the Sv mode, the new behaviour is probably the "correct" one.

But any info on the Auto EV Compensation would be great!

Matt