Mark,
Yes, it sounds like a warranty repair. If the FA50/1.4 messes around, then it looks as though there's a real problem.
Matt

If you don't have another lens to try, I would try cleaning the electrical contacts between the lens and body. Some strange exposure issues will result if the body cannot communicate effectively with the lens (and as a side issue, I know there have been some compatibility issues with Sigma lenses. I'm not sure though if your combination is one of them - maybe a search on the 'net will help).

Also, double check your exposure setting (I presume you are using "P", or green).

Matt

The viewfinder in the *ist-D series is brighter than an ME Super. It has a laser etched focus screen which is a great improvement on the ME Super era. And yes, it's huge compared to the piddly Nikon viewfinders

Any of the SMC-F or SMC-FA series will give full autofocus. Any of the SMC-A series will work a treat in manual. (I have an SMC-A 28/2.8, and SMC-A 50/1.4 - these work a just fine on the *ist-D in all modes. I also have the SMC-F 50/1.7, the SMC-F 50/1.4 and both are a dream).
All the above support evaluative, centre-weighted, and spot metering.

The SMC-M series will all work with stop down metering (in centre weighted mode or spot metering).

That's the great thing about Pentax - the amazing compatibility!

The *ist-DS is probably the best bet at the moment as it has a pentaprism. The *ist-DL has a lighter pentamirror (but there's not a huge difference in viewfinder to be honest... my wife has an MZ10 which has a pentamirror and it still performs very well)

Looks like you're going to break into the piggy bank

Matt

All Pentax DSLRs have "proper" viewfinders


Regarding scanning - you have to turn off the infrared channel (which is used for Gem/Ice/whatever) for B&W. Black and white does not allow IR to pass through, so the scanner thinks it is one big scratch

For scanning I use Vuescan (www.hamrick.com) which worked a treat with both the Minolta and Nikon Coolscan IV I had (before I went *ist-D).

Matt

David,
The best thing is to try it!
You can use extensions on anything. The wider the lens, the closer you need to get. It can be useful to use a small tube on a telephoto as this allows you to focus closer than a telephoto without tubes.

However, a 50mm is often cited since they are the most readily available and often the sharpest lenses.

By using the tubes you are making the lens short sighted, and effectively only using the centre of the glass. The sharper the original lens, the better they will be with tubes.

The magnifying filters are often more handy - very quick to fit etc. However, I find they produce all kinds of chromatic aberrations, especially at the edges.

Just give it the combinations a try, and don't be afraid to try "odd" combinations out!
Matt

It's this lens:
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/lenses/zooms/short/FA28-105f3.2-4.5.html

Bayonet hood "PH-RBC 58mm"

Hope that helps!
Matt

News on Pentax 6x7 here:
http://www.ephotozine.com/news/fullnews.cfm?NewsID=2834

Includes 645NII, 67II and a number of compact film and digital cameras

Just to clarify a little:
The ROHS (Reduction of Hazardous Materials) directive has been known about for years. It comes into force July 1st 2006, and many manufacturers have been leaving things to the last minute, especially in the electronics industry for reasons I'll outline. It involves many other substances other than lead - things like cadmium too. Some of those substances were used in plastic moulding colouring.

It's not so much that the product contains lead in the solder, although that is an issue, but rather that the electronic manufacturing plants which contain flow-solder baths have to contain a couple of tons of molten lead to work. It's this which is the major hazard.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers have delayed because it involves draining, cleaning, and replacing a massive volume of solder. Add to that the fact that not all electronic components are available in lead-free designs and you have a bit of a dead-lock.

The lead-free process requires higher temperatures, some different practises and new QA procedures - since lead-free soldering actually looks more like dry-joints from conventional soldering.

In many cases the migration to lead-free isn't so bad - but it does require new PCBs, and lead-free versions of components. In other cases the components just are not manufactured in lead-free variants and so the product either has to be redesigned or ditched.

Hope that helps clarify things a little.
Matt

The bottom line is:
no one has found a camera (Pentax or otherwise) that will do this.

(Technically it is probably because the camera takes a simplistic view of the filesystem and cannot read a directory generated by a PC.)

As John said (and it wasn't off topic) - if you want to display images while on the move, then a P2000, or similar storage device with colour LCD display is the way to go. Personally I edit my images and keep a gallery on my PocketPC for showing (using PDAmill Viewer).

Matt

Actually I think it's more than what format...

I know that if I move files (even the originals) back onto the card and put into my *ist-D it won't necessarily display them

Don't know whether the cameras look for a specific order or directory format, but in my experience not many cameras will correctly display images that have been placed back on the card by a PC.

Matt