I am fed up with my K10D letting me down when I take photos in quick succession such as soccer action for local newspapers -- the photos are usually 'back-focused' -- now I use good 'ole Manual Focus' Recently was given three Minolta 'Dynax' film cameras, 3xi, 40 and the 5 -- well the auto -focus on those works perfectly -- NO back-focus -- I have today developed test from the Dynax 40 with different lenses -- all SHARP!

I bought a Japanese 'Home Market' 'Electro-Spotmatic' in Tokyo in 1973 and had to pay Customs Duty at Heathrow-- well all was well for a year then it developed a fault where if I took some pics quickly some were over-exposed as the CdS cell had a 'memory' then i found it could not be repaired in UK as the electronics were different to the 'ES' 'Export Version' -- luckily we had a bloke at my Club who collected Pentaxes and when he knew I wanted to get rid of my dodgy camera offered me £85-00 as it had the brown case and original box with the instructions - so I lost only about 10 quid on that camera !

I had a short 4 day trip with Wife to Krakow with several excursions included - I took : LX for B&W HP5+ , KX for Fuji Velvia 100,MZ-5 for C41 Print films . I had the C41 processed by Boots of Brentwood High Street and have scanned the prints -- I processed the HP5+ myself in home-made ID11 1+1 formula and have had slide films processed but not collected them yet . The LX had the infamous 'Sticky Mirror Syndrome' and there was quite a delay after pressing release to mirror going up and shutter going -- I had several frames HP5+ all blank. Wish I had taken an ME Super now.
Easter Bread in the Market Square, 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax-M, 10/2008 dated Konica VX 400 rated 250 ASA


Polish Costumes in Market Square, 35-80mm f4-5.6 SMC Pentax-F + fill-in flash


Interior, Carmelite Church, 24mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Jena at full aperture,01/2008 dated Kodak Colorplus 200 rated 125ASA



Wieliczka Salt Mine, Virgin Mary in SALT, LX, full aperture f1.4
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Salt Chandelier, LX, f4

I don;t need all those 'Gizmos' -- if I want to know where I am I look at a paper MAP !! What I do want in any new Pentax is a faster Flash Synch Speed of at least 1/250th second.

The Annual Brentwood 13 mile Half Marathon and 3 mile Fun Run took place on Sunday 22nd March and this year I used only my 'Kit' lens the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 SMC Pentax-DA AL and had the usual 'Back Focus' problems -- even when I used 'manual Focus' I had to focus well forward to get main subject sharp -- where I used 'auto-focus' it let me down .

The story is that Rank Photographic GAVE each Beatle a black SV as a marketing excercise.

I think I told the story how I got a FREE KX body from a Camera Club member -- he was selling all his 'Film Gear' to Ffordes in Scotland -- 6x7 stuff, OM stuff etc etc and they sent back his KX as ' unsaleable, not working' so he gave it to me and after having a look and attaching a lens I found the aperture setting ring in body was not turning with the spring action as it should so I touched a piece of fuse wire into ONE DROP of Oil and touched it into the ring and oil went in by capillary action -- then I pulled gently and LO and BEHOLD!!
It MOVED and so I re-fitted a lens a it stopped down OK and has been working ever since ----


Asahi Pentax KX by pentaxpete, on Flickr

Yes -- and their GIRLS aint bad either -- big Muscles and Big -------- !!

Thanks !! Been using MORE FILM last couple of days but NOT in 'Pentax' gear so will not cheat and put it on here - ( I have some good shots with my Russian FED 4 that I was given though ---- )

Let me see if Ricoh/Pentax have finally got the flash synch speed up to 1/250th before I think about it !