Hi!
Yes, you can format in camera, or on a PC with a card-reader.
My sister picked up an USB-SD card reader for her S40 from www.7dayshop.com for £1.99 - might be worth trying!!

Matt

Just a thought...
The USB interface between PC and camera is just a standard so there shouldn't be an issue.

Have you tried using a card reader? I recently saw a defective SD card do this - both from the camera and in a card reader. There was a serious problem in the card that meant you couldn't even reformat in a card reader.

Matt

*ist-DS manual, page 101:
I think what they're getting at is that if you enable "FI with S" then the body thinks there's always a lens connected and will try to show whether it's in focus. If you don't have screw thread lenses, then disable this - it will detect whether you have a lens connected.

Matt

Just a guess... you may find that the red-eye reduction preflash may, in some cases, completely discharge the flash so there won't be enough charge left for the "real" flash. I suspect that red-eye 'aware' flash guns handle this specially.

Might be worth testing in a situation where a lot of light is needed to see if it expends itself on the redeye burst
Matt

Mike,
No problem
There are two possibilities actually now I come to think of it:

1. The batteries when freshly charged measure too high a voltage and the camera misreads.

2. One of the batteries is duff. This can happen especially if your tester (like a multimeter etc) tests with no load. You can find that it appears to hold charge, but as soon as it's put under load it can't deliver the goods (too high an internal resistance to be specific).

Unfortunately for me the *ist-D takes 4xAA, so finding one dud is more of a problem. However, from what you said that 2 of the batteries work and 2 don't - I reckon it's probably option 2 You could try swapping one of the good with one of the bad to work out exactly which AA is at fault.

Hope that's not too confusing!
Matt

I know

The Pentax cameras (including the *ist-D) work out what type of battery is installed by the initial voltage. Some of the Hama high capacity batteries overcharge and consequently the camera thinks they are either Lithium Ion or Alkaline batteries which are nearly dead.

I have found no problems with the Uniross 2100mAh batteries, and reserve my Hama ones for flash gun etc.

Hope that helps!
Matt

The AF260Sa is an "analog" flash gun. It will work just fine with the MZ50 (and all bodies for that matter). However, you will probably get better results out of a flash that is either TTL or Autofocus-TTL (i.e. the newer Pentax flashes or compatibles such as Metz).

For the AF260Sa you will have to manually select the correct aperture. For instance, if you are using 100ASA film, set the flash to AE mode and set the camera to f4.

Here's an info page about its features and dates:
Non-TTL Pentax Flashes
http://www.bdimitrov.de/kmp/flashes/non-TTL/index.html

Here's the link to the manual from the Pentax website:
http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/manual/AF260Sa_FLASH.pdf


Hope that helps
Matt

The Tamron 90mm is well reported on, and I've seen great results. You can get these at reasonable second hand prices. www.ffordes.co.uk have one at £175 second hand.

However, I managed to pick up an SMC-F 100mm/f2.8 for a great price second hand, and it's a real beauty Heavy, but so sharp and contrasty.
www.lcegroup.co.uk are selling one for £229.

The Pentax 100mm/f3.5 I believe was made by Cosina It's cheap, Ffordes have one at £129.

Hope that helps,
Matt

Sure, you need an older 4P cable (I just bought a Pentax flash grip that has the 4P cable built in). That disables the autofocus mechanism too ()

Then you have to put the AF360FGZ on an older body - I put it on my wife's MZ10 and P-TTL disappeared and it reverted to TTL only. Then, when you place the AF360FGZ on the flash grip it stays in TTL mode. Convoluted, but it seemed to work.

I've only done preliminary testing, so I'll keep you posted it I find out anything else!

Matt

The TTL mode is fine on the *ist-D (with an older gun, a Metz etc).

It's the P-TTL that has the problem and tends towards underexposure. (I have successfully 'tricked' my AF360FGZ into using TTL only mode and it's much better.)

I still keep trying to suss out what the *ist-D thinks it's doing, but can't quite work it out

Matt