Just to fill in a quick bit of extra things (slightly off topic, but relevant)...

Full frame CCDs are a nightmare to make. You have to literally grow a piece of perfect silicon crystal big enough. Not surprisingly the yield rate is very low, and the costs very very high. That's why you need a few thousand quid spare for a full frame DLSR. I don't expect Pentax will make a full frame DSLR (they already did a prototype and ditched it).

On the other hand, the smaller you make the CCD, and the more pixels you cram in, the more subject the silicon is to noise. Image noise becomes a real pain.

The *istD frame size is a nice compromise, and is going to be around a while given the newer lenses.

The FAJ lenses work on the *ist (film) as well as the *istD (digital).
The newest DA lenses work only on the *istD (image circle is too small for 35mm). I'm about to get the 16-45mm as soon as it's in stock

The SMC-FA and SMC-F are really nice lenses, and you can pick them up second hand very cheaply (I've got the wonderful 100mm/f2.8 macro, the 50mm/f1.7, and the excellent 28mm/f2.8 in SMC-F for the *istD). The trouble is a lot of camera shops just classify "Pentax AF", with no further information. So, before buying get as much info as you can (e.g. the F series will be marked "SMC Pentax-F" on the side).

Matt

Just for your information,

Saw in a magazine yesterday that www.cameraworld.co.uk are selling "Refurbished *ist-D with 12 month warranty" for £899.99
It doesn't appear on the website, just in the 29 May 2004 issue of Amateur Photographer.

Matt

That's very kind of you Prince Chuck

Here's a link for you: http://www.friedemann-schmidt.com/software/exifer/

Apparently this can handle all EXIF information for you IMHO, it's better to do things after the event, because removing the date imprinted numbers is a real pain (I have done it successfully from a Minolta digital by using PS-CS's heal and patch tools, but it was a real, real pain).

As far as Pentax firmware goes... you can only hope

Matt

Hi Prince Chuck!

The *istD, along with other digicams, stores the date, time, exposure, flash and other information inside the JPG/RAW file - enclosed in the "EXIF" data. So, any file you take has the precise information recorded - the Pentax file browser will show it all.

Photoshop, and other packages, will read the EXIF data, so you can use a macro or some such setup to superimpose the date and time onto the file for printing - that is all down to the package used for printing (rather than the camera)

If you haven't got Photoshop, check out Irfanview (as a start) - I am not sure if that includes superimposition of the data, but it can read all EXIF information (and it's free )

Hope that helps,
Matt

Malcolm,

(Going a bit off topic here...) The 43mm is reputed to be one of the sharpest lenses around. However, given the price of the 50/1.7 (which is also a formidable lense), that's rather tempting too Maybe I am just being easily tempted I am getting a little fed up with bad glare handling in my Tokinas. Overall they are very well built, nice sharp optics, and solidly built - handy too that they all have 72mm filters. Yet, the Pentax 24-90 is seriously tempting me as a replacement which will cover 75% of my needs. (The Tokina 24-200 has been very, very useful as a take-anywhere-take-anything lense, and I don't think I'd part with that. It's so useful when having to think about my kiddies too )

Regarding the Stofen stuff, the results with the Omnibounce are wonderful - it produces such a lovely light, very good for close range portraits. I ordered a "universal" fitting one from 7dayshop as soon as I got the AF360, but was mighty disappointed to find out that it wasn't that universal. So I emailed Stofen in July 2002, they replied telling me that an OM-PZ4 plus sticky tape would fit. As I mentioned, at the beginning of November 2003 they emailed me to say they now had AF360 support - that's what I call service (remembering my details for over a year)!!!

So, I'll let you know how it goes

Matt.

Hi all!

Just ordered a Stofen Omni bounce OM-PZ8 that fits the AF360FGZ
http://www.stofen.com/Store/index.htm

(This is a new addition to their range, added in November. Should've bought one earlier )

Matt

PS. Now I'm seriously considering getting some serious Pentax glass (the 24-90/3.5-4.5 and the 43/1.9 are tempting) and replacing half of my lenses, or the new Sigma 12-24mm... hmmmm.

Hi CS Ong,

The cable release that fits the MZ-5, MZ-10 etc fits the Z-1 (not sure of its part number at the moment).

Matt

Ava,

If you are doing manual flash, make sure you have set the flash to 200ASA, set the *istD to 200, and disabled automatic sensitivity in the custom menu. Then use the *istD as a standard film camera (ie, put on manual, set the aperture using the thumb wheel and fire away).

Obviously, before firing the flash, check in the viewfinder to see that the *istD says it is underexposed - if the meter shows correct or overexposure before firing the flash you are going to have to stop down until you are slightly underexposed (so the flash can fill in the rest).

It is also probably worthwhile setting the white balance to flash, rather than AWB (Auto White Balance). However, you may have to experiment a little before you get the results you want.

The *istD has many different flash modes, when used with dedicated Pentax flashes. The most powerful mode is P-TTL where the *istD will do all the metering from a preflash that measures the exposure of the scene. (These things are outlined in the *istD manual )

Hope that helps,
Matt

Ava,

The JPEG "Best" image option from the *istD is good enough to print 20x16". Certainly a 6x4" 300dpi is stunning.

Regarding PS "save for web", you must change the image type to "JPG" (on the right hand side). It may have said "GIF" (which is another format best suited to logos and not photos). GIF'ing a photo can make it look really yucky

Once you have selected JPG, the compression options appear below - allowing you to select "Low", "Medium" and "High" (quality) or "Custom" - where you can adjust the compression option manually. For an avatar, "Low" or "Medium" should be just fine.

Hope your tutorial is successful

Matt

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