Very lucky to get a position where you were not 'against the light'-- I went with first Daughter and GrandChildren ( and present family) and found I was shooting into the light for all the first displays - I was using FILM and have not finished up the slide or print film yet but expect a lot of 'silhouettes' !!

I have had some comments on other Forums that I 'should have PAID the Old gent and I should not'Gloat' about my gift cameras !! What a load of RUBBISH !! First of all I was told by an old friend from Barking Photographic Society who plays Golf with the Gent that he wanted to GIVE it away to someone who would appreciate it -- my friend has given me his Nikon AF35 compact and his Canon FTbn as he was giving up 'Film' photography and uses only a digiatl conmpact now to take 'snaps' of his Grand Children -- then anyway I gave the Gent 6 rolls of film and he was so pleased I could get his little MINOX 35GT working again ( I have one) and his Olympus Trip and show him how to use it with the flash setting -- then this week I am going to take some nice portraits of the couple with the SPF so their Son can have a record of his parnets before they go .

Spotmatic-F by pentaxpete, on Flickr
Asahi PENTAX Spotmatic 'F' outfit I was GIVEN they other day !! Also there was a Weston Master III, Vivitar x2, tow sets extension tubes ( not Pentax),several small Vivitar flashes, filters etc -- outfit shown is: Spotmatic F Serial No.: 4647355,28mm f3.5 SMC Takumar, 50mm f1.4 SMC Takumar ( YES! -- the RADIO-ACTIVE one !! ), 150mm f4 SMC Takumar, Asahi Pentax Bellows... I have left the 'yellowed' radio-active 50mm on a window in sunlight all day and it has cleared a bit. The bellows foul the mirror of the camera body so I think it is not compatible with the 'F' model as it works OK on my older Spotmatic. The Old Gent had forgotten a FILM in side !! It was a 'Jessops 200' ( actually AGFA) so I cut it and processed and it was all very faint images, so Ioaded the rest into my older Spotmatic and downrated it to 100 ASA and on processing it was the SAME -- very faint images so the film had deteriorated so much -- but a 2005 outdated Kodak 'Ultra 400' rated at 200 ASA I tried all came out well and the 1/1000th second shutter speed seems accurate ! The other lenses were all fungus free and sharp !

All my film is now outdated but stored in 2 'fridges and freezer compartments-- I keep getting GIVEN loads and cannot use it up fast enough! -- My Fuji Reala 100 came out well rated at 80 ASA and I put some on here -- I had 'tested' it before the Philippines trip though !

Here are few taken on 2006 outdated Fuji Sensia 100 SLIDE film in my 1975 KX -- I had then processed by a bloke in Southend-on-Sea Essex who did them same day, 3 hour service while we had Fish'n'Chips !


Taken in grounds of Cebu Catholic Cathedral -- very dark so had to use f2 on my 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax-M lens to get fast enough shutter speed.


Carcar Public Market in a patch of weak sunlight. at full aperture f1.4


Almost dark on a beach resort on Bohol Island, 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax-M, f2.8

YES -- I am going SATURDAY as I am visiting my first Daughter and Grand-children who live in Verwood -- I am taking my 1975 'Gift' Pentax KX camera !

Here are few photos from my 1996 MZ-5 loaded with outdated Fuji Reala 100 I was given by a lady on ephotozine and kept in 'fridge -- processsed by BOOTS Brentwood ( Essex) and prints scanned by old 'Mustek 1200 UB 'flatbed and FastStone Image Viewer for small adjustments and re-size.
Bohol -- Very Young Mum with no 'Pushchair' as is the norm ! 75=150mm f4 SMC Pentax-M lens, AV exposure at f5.6


Bohol 07 by pentaxpete, on Flickr
My wife with a baby Monkey ! 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax-M lens + flash


Bohol 03 by pentaxpete, on Flickr
An 'ARMAC' type Jeepny, rapidly disappearing. 50mm f1.4 SMC Pentax-M


Bohol 08 by pentaxpete, on Flickr
Dried Fish ! Smells like Old British Army Boots but WIFE likes it. 28-70mm f4 SMC Pentax-FA + fill-in flash.


Tabunok 05 by pentaxpete, on Flickr
YES Folks it's ME !! I play the Uke in England !! Here is a band on boat during our Floating Restaurant trip in Bohol, 28-70mm f4 SMC Pentax-FA lens + flash, taken by my wife.


Bohol 05 by pentaxpete, on Flickr

DERYN : My outdated results mentioned above were on LEICA and John Riley deleted them BUT I have just returned from Hot and Sweaty Philppines -- all PENTAX MZ-5 for prints and 1975 KX for slides so will show some when processed.

What is the use of showing these examples when if you ask a dealer for PENTAX especially here in Philippines the answer is that "We do not stock PENTAX" -- I have been searching many dealers in all the shopping Malls here in CEBU, cannot find ONE stocking Pentax ! Oh well, back to my 'Old' K10D when I want 'Digital' !! It still works !

When I visited the Cebu Images Camera Club last week to judge a big competition I was introduced to two members who are camera dealers, and I asked them what has happened to PENTAX in the Philippines even though there is a PENTAX factory on Cebu Island and one told me it is 'Bad MARKETING' that is to blame for disappearance of PENTAX.