Sounds interesting John!
How about framing without the R72 and then put it back for the shot?!
Matt

John,
Here's one from Pete Bargh, taken with the *ist-D and an R72 filter:
http://www.ephotozine.com/gallery/showlargepic.cfm?photoid=108185

Matt

Diito

http://www.ephotozine.com/user.cfm?user=16488

Matt

Hey, thanks for the links. I remember playing the original Infocom game

...and I thought it was "Sector Z-Z-9-plural-Z-Alpha"
Or is my memory going?? I feel a Marvin moment coming up!! LOL!

Actually, more to the point, all Pentax flash guns work on all bodies... it's just you don't necessarily get all the features.

On the *ist-D & -Ds you get all the functions the AF500FTZ can offer.
There's a table in the user manual for the *ist-D/Ds - which you can download from the Pentax websites.

Matt

Further to Kim's comment, you have four options:
1. Close up filters. Light, and easy to carry, but not brilliant quality.
2. Extension tubes. If you have a good prime lens (e.g. 50mm/f1.7), then these are superb. Subject to lens distance can be very small, so can be a problem lighting.
3. Dedicated macro lens. The best quality, and the most expensive. Pentax have made, and still make 1:1 (i.e. lifesize) macro lenses.
4. Reverse lens

I have tried all three. The macro lens is the best. I have the SMC-F 100mm/f2.8. It is quite heavy but absolutely delightful to use. Doubles up as a super sharp portrait lens too.

My next favourite is extension tubes. Pentax only ever made mechanical tubes which don't work so well with the *ist-D/DS and *ist. I have a third party tube set which has electrical contacts. Tubes are great for the occassional image (I just pick one of the tubes and carry that around). It makes for a very lightweight kit bag.

Close up filters are fine if you have no other option. Normally a +1 or +2 dioptre closeup will give pretty good results. Once you start "stacking" them to get closer still you get all kinds of horrible effects - chromatic aberration, blurred edges etc.

The final option is a reverse lens. For this you take a "normal lens" (zoom or whatever), and a fast prime (preferably). You couple the prime to the normal lens - filter-to-filter, and leave the prime wide open. (The normal lens is on the camera body.) This give absolutely astonishing macro, much closer than 1:1. Extremely fun too

Hope that helps,
Matt

I had exactly the same issue with a Pentax SMC-F 50mm/f1.7
When I upgraded to firmware 1.12 it is perfect
(Might be worth a try anyway!)
Let us know what happens!
Matt

Here's the link: http://www.digicaminfo.btinternet.co.uk/istdcomments.htm

Some interesting comments there

It's still a complex field, but the tests at www.imaging-resource.com showed the 750Z at "1450-1500 lines of strong detail" and extinct at 1800 ("much on a par with the rest of the 7-megapixel field")

(That site has resolution test targets of both cameras.)

The *istD test had "1350 lines of strong detail" and extinct at 1600. However, they did comment that the RAW converted files are a fair bit sharper than the in camera JPG. I'd agree with that completely, especially when processed with Capture One - in fact the difference is mind-blowing, IMHO.

I'd love to be able to test the 750Z, but, although I own a Canon S30 and an Optio S40, we both prefer the SLR format.

I wasn't arguing with you John, just pointing out that there's more to a lens than just resolution etc, and the 24-90 can seem disappointing "spec-wise", but performs like no other lens I have had (and I like it!!).

For sheer sharpness, the 50mm/f1.7 and 100mm/f2.8 are just awesome! (Might have to do my own resolution test sometime on those lenses... in fact I thought I saw a review with the 100mm/f2.8... I'll see if I can dig out the link)

Matt