On a CRT, couldn't agree more

on a TFT refresh rate makes no difference since the panel doesn't refresh the way CRTs do, you don't get flicker on a TFT.

In fact, my (admittedly cheap) TFT gives a blurred image at 75Hz and crystal clear at 60, so you really can't apply CRT thinking about refresh rates to TFTs.

for me the low refresh thing is not so much a headache problem, it's an annoyance. I can see the flicker of a 60hz CRT out of the corner of my eye. 75 is much better, 85 is great.

So when I used to have a CRT monitor I always had it set to the highest res it could do at 85Hz, which on my 17" was 1024x768.

careless of you Tim, you should always keep a close eye on your brain! I certainly wouldn't trust a bunch of medics to find it for you.

I know what you mean about low refresh rates, I find I can look straight at a small monitor at 60hz all day long no problem, but make it a big monitor or put two more of them on either side of me and the flickering drives me insane. It has something to do with seeing them out of the edges of the eye I think. At least for me anyway.

This has come up a few times, with various people putting forward what they think is the "standard" resolution which "most people" are using.

This is important so that we as a community can post our photos to both show them off in their best light (not too small) and allow as many people as possible to see them without scrolling (not too large).

So I present to you a poll. What screen res are you using to view this forum?

I have only included 4:3 resolutions because I don't know what the standard widescreen ones are. If you are using widescreen please pick the closest 4:3 res on offer.

I for one hope they wont push the sensor resolution too hard

Maybe a 10 or 12MP sensor. 12 would be lovely as long as they can keep the noise at K10D levels or lower without resorting to silly levels of NR.

I'd rather see ISO 1600 usable straight from the camera with 3200 as 1600 is now and maybe even 6400 as a weapon of last resort.

Aperture ring support restored (Nikon do it in their high end, why not Pentax?)

Optional split prism focusing screen.

If they could do interchangeable viewfinders, then we could have an optional high magnification finder for those who'd rather have a larger, dimmer image.

Please not a fixed battery grip, I know there are those who think of the grip as a must have accessory which never comes off, but there are also those of us for whom it is a waste of space, weight, time and money.

that was my impression as well, although since Sigma are the only 3rd party company with HSM technology and they always work by reverse engineering we'll have to wait for the Pentax lenses anyway. Can't reverse engineer the mount until they've seen one.

they have a bit of a cult following, which is largely justified, at least if you get a good one. At reasonable working distances my Flek 35 resolves more detail than the 6MP sensor on my *istDL2 can pick up, even wide open. The K10D can discern some benefit from stopping down.

The lens is also able to focus down to 20cm, pretty close for a non-macro 35mm.

It's just a lovely standard lens on a *ist series or K100, the exposure problems with the K10D mar it a little bit, but it's still my standard prime of choice.


Now I'm not convinced they are really worth the money they fetch on ebay, the cult following and the adaptability of the M42 mount means that just about everyone is after one. I found mine hiding in a charity shop with a stuck aperture and a box of assorted goodies. I gave them £20 for the box as I recall, then spent several hours taking it to pieces, cleaning it and putting it back together again. It was worth it.

Just about all lenses in M42 work (or can work) this way.

The more advanced ones had a stop down pin to allow them to work with cameras which could do automatic stop down. This actually works to our advantage.

These lenses have a switch on the barrel marked "M" and "A". When set to M turning the aperture ring immediately stops the lens down. A was supposed to be used with auto stop down cameras, since the DSLRs have no M42 stop down pin it instead keeps the lens locked wide open.

With my M42 Zeiss Flektogon 35mm, I set the lens to A to focus, then set to M to stop down and shoot. It works wonders.

I'm using an old Tamron 90mm F2.5 which I love to bits, especially with it's 2x flat field converter which gives me 180mm F5, perfect (or as near as I can afford) for in-the-wild macro shots. Doesn't scare the beastys

I have also used the Pentax D-FA 50mm briefly since I got my lab to buy one. I have been resisting the urge to use it in lunch times for fear I will do something rash like buy the 100mm version for myself. It is a spectacular lens in all respects and I suspect strongly the D-FA 100 is the same.

Worthy of note is the "quick shift" system on the macro lens (the 50 at any rate) is even better than on the DA lenses. The focus ring doesn't rotate when AF activates, so you can hold onto the ring all the time for stability without worrying about it trying to turn. Also makes manual adjustments to final point of focus that much easier.

well it would certainly give your photos an individual look

Pringles lost their appeal for me when they ceased to be molded out of pure MSG and therefore now taste like the cardboard they are