I started off using TTL flash off-camera for portraits, however I eventually bought a Jessops studio flash system and it does make a big difference.

You can get useable portraits using just a single flash unit, however a lot of the mainstream techniques require additional lights and/or reflectors both to balance shadows and to either light or provide seperation from the background. In particular if you want to do high-key stuff you'll usually need plenty of flash power to wash out the background - as in this shot:

I use an AF400FTZ to good effect (especially with macro) off-camera with my DS. I use the Pentax hotshoe adaptor and cable to connect the flash and the camera and this still gives full TTL functionality.

Another good point. So far I've tried that using a macro lens with the slide on a lightbox. The exposure was spot on but the quality, while probably good enough for the web, wasn't really good enough to print.

I was thinking about getting one of those T-mount slide copiers (I'm watching a couple of Ebay at the moment) but I'm not sure how well they'd work on digital or if the 1.5x magnification factor would be an issue with getting all the slide in shot.

Have you been doing this and if so what setup are you using?

Cheers
Steve

Although it seems to be the case that they're currently going backwards a bit with the current fad for very small kit lenses. Comparing the current 18-55 with the old FA 28-70 F4 wouldn't be very flattering to the newer lens.

I've only tried one sample of the Pentax 18-55, but I have had a play with the Canon one as well and neither were up to the standards of similar kit lenses for 35mm. From what I've read my results with the Pentax 18-55 are similar to others - perhaps I'm spoiled though as I've used much better lenses in the past. It's also possible that I use the lens differently than many kit lens users as I tend to shoot wide angles with foreground interest and the lack of corner sharpness becomes noticeable under those circumstances.

With the use of CCD sensors smaller than the 35mm film size there appears to be a demand for smaller, lighter cameras and lenses which manufacturers are responding to with the likes of these kit lenses. That small size and light weight comes at a price though, and that price appears to primarily be corner sharpness (and in the case of Pentax the dumping of the aperture ring).

Both my cheapo Pheonix 19-35mm AF lens and the SMC-FA 28-200 outperform the 18-55, perhaps because due to their manufacture for full-frame 35mm their edge definition isn't being stretched with the smaller sensor size.

At the moment I'm thinking about a replacement lens at the wide angle lens but I'm put off the Pentax 12-24 because it's targetted at the smaller CCD. I'm concerned that the current use of CCD's smaller than 35mm might not last and therefore I might end up with a fairly expensive lens which becomes obsolete with the next generation of Pentax DSLR's. That being the case then I'm currently inclined towards the 15-30mm Sigma EX instead, especially as it can currently be had from the States for sub £200.

Kimbo,

I bought the Pheonix 19-35 a few years back from the States via Ebay as at the time there weren't any cheap wide angle zooms (other than the manual Focus 18-28mm Centon one which I already had) available in the UK in Pentax fit. It's been used on my Z1p and MZ5 a lot since I owned it and, despite being cheap, became one of my favourite lenses.

Build quality is not great and it does feel flimsy, however it focuses and meters well on both 35mm and digital bodies. Optically it's reasonably decent considering the zoom range it covers, although of course it's soft wide open (especially at the corners) and there are the usual distortions. On the DS metering seems spot on and at the wide end it outperforms the 18-55 (my one anyway!) particularily in the corner of the frame wide open. Stopped down to F8 or F11 it performs quite well.

I've been entirely happy with mine considering the cost etc, and the cost of the alternatives. Since getting the DS the kit lens has found it's way into the family days-out pack and instead it's the Pheonix which took pride of place in the serious photography bag.

Having said all that from today the Pheonix is now surplus to requirements so if you'd like to borrow it to see what you think then drop me a PM and we'll sort something out.

The reason that it's now surplus to requirements is that this morning my latest (and perhaps best ever) Ebay bargain arrived in the shape of a boxed, as-new Tokina ATX-Pro 20-35mm F2.8. I took a gamble on it because the seller said it wasn't auto-focusing so I only paid just over £70 - on arrival though I found that the reason it wasn't working in AF was because the AF/MF ring was in the manual position, so guess who's now a very, very happy boy...

Regards
Steve

It's certainly something worth thinking about as I'd seen comments that the 12-24 does work to a certain extent. They'll probably work when away from their widest end, however I'd be quite concerned about edge sharpness. That'd also apply even if the next sensor up is bigger than current but smaller than 35mm. Lenses designed for 35mm should still have the advantage.

Despite having purchase permission for the Sigma 10-20mm from SWMBO I think with the arrivel of the Tokina I might well hold off purchasing a new ultra-wide for the moment. If the price of the Pentax 12-24 or the Sigma 10-20 comes down significantly then I'll look at them again. I might stick one of the 35mm bodies back in the bag for use when I want to go wider than digital will allow. I've got a slide scanner kicking around somewhere which I might put back into use - need to build another PC for it though as it doesn't work with XP.

Cheers
Steve

I was browsing Ebay earlier today and I noticed that there is a chap in China selling split image focussing screens for the DS etc. See items 7586593921 and 7586601535.

It looks like he adapts them from Minolta to fit, he's got good feedback and they're cheap.

Regards
Steve

Churches would be fun with 180 degrees.

I'd put the self timer on then lie the camera on the floor and find something to hide behind.

I'd have thought that shooting interiors would be fun with a fisheye. What angle of view is that lens?