Peter Elgar

Joined: 16th February 2005

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Peter Elgar
Here is my 1960's 'Spotmatic' fitted with the British-made 'BPM' bellows unit and my Minolta E-Rokkor 105mm f4.5 enlarger lens -- I got the 39mm to 42mm adapter ring many years ago so the 39mm lens goes into the M42 screw adapter -- the BPM also has a Canon FD adapter for FD lenses and to fit Canon FD bodies. I have taken quite a few good shots with this set-up. The BPM will NOT fit directly onto a K10D Pentax body as the 'over-hang' from the flash on the pentaprism fouls the adapter BUT if I put a 'K' mount extension tube onto the body first then use the 'K' to 'M42 Screw' adapter it will fit OK and I can use my enlarger lens or other lenses on my K10D.
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Comment by Peter Elgar posted on Spotmatic Bellows at 12/03/2013 - 16:43

Peter Elgar
NO it was NOT ME that broke the flash thing it was the previous owner who gave me the camera -- probably also did something to the 100-300mm zoom.
I used the MZ-5 for a 70th Birthday on Saturday and will collect the prints today... I used it with my professional METZ 45CL3 in the hot shoe with the Pentax module for TTL flash.

Comment by Peter Elgar posted on The MZ Range at 06/03/2013 - 09:29

Peter Elgar
Here are some test shots on my free Zoom 90 compact -- I used up some outdated Kodak Ultra 400 film and processed it for longer in C41 as it was well-used and the film was old, I found the flash balanced well with dull daylight outdoors. The 'MACRO' setting was disappointing as I found several were out of focus as I came closer than the 2 foot distance I read later in an on-line instruction manual -- it was NOT really 'MACRO' at all!
Soft Toys with the flash indoors at 90mm

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A wooden garden thingy with daylight and flash at 90mm

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No flash in the kitchen with the 'Macro' setting

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same object WITH the flash on

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Some of my Daughter's BLING in her bedroom -- too close with the 'Macro'and it is out of focus ( she was at school so didn't know !)

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Comment by Peter Elgar posted on Test shots on Zoom 90 compact at 28/02/2013 - 09:50

Peter Elgar
Another 'Gift'Pentax from a Camera Club member is the Zoom 90 compact. It takes the 123A batteries like the 6x7Mk II and has a 38-90mm focal length zoom lens -- there is NO 'aperture' marked on it and there is NO indication what is the shutter speed being used ! There is the 'DX Coding' for film sensitivity with NO 'manual over-ride' so if I want to use outdated films of 200 ASA and downrated them I have to stick a paper label over the DX contacts on the film cassette to make it 'default' to 100ASA.
There is a 'MODE' setting where you can set the flash to fire all the time so it can be used in brighter light outdoors for fill-in and I have found it does 'balance'the ambient light with the flash well. I found when I pressed the 'MACRO'button the lens zoomed out to 90mm BUT you have to guess the right distance or photos are out of focus ! It is not really a 'Macro' setting, just 'Close-Focus'.
When the film auto re-winds you must watch the numbers counting down and unlatch the film door as it reaches '0' or the film is wound right into the cassette.
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Comment by Peter Elgar posted on Pentax Zoom 90 compact at 27/02/2013 - 19:07

Peter Elgar
Yes-- and I am no 'Camera Repair Mechanic ' ( can't even put up a shelf in my darkroom ! )

Comment by Peter Elgar posted on All it needed was 3-in-One ! at 23/02/2013 - 10:43

Peter Elgar
Thanks for comments -- it was WORTH it then getting all WET and COLD ! ( didn't take so many this year.

Comment by Peter Elgar posted on London Chinese New Year ( MZ-5) at 14/02/2013 - 09:43

Peter Elgar
No Crits -- you did it just right!

Comment by Peter Elgar posted on Pond Life at 13/02/2013 - 16:25

Peter Elgar
Went to a COLD and very WET London Chinese New Year -- today got my pics back so will bore you with some -- all taken on my 'New Gift Camera; the MZ-5 -- the street photos were on the 28-70m SMC Pentax FA lens and the stage ones with my Prinzflex 80-200mm zoom at full aperture hoping for the best in the poor light ! I used some flash on the street photos with the built-in unit, FILM ( YES Folks REAL FILLUM ! ) was 2005 outdated 'TUDOR100' ( actually FUJI)and processed by BOOTS of Brentwood High Street. 6x4" prints were scanned with my 'MUSTEK 1200UB 'flatbed and PhotoShop 7 used to re-size and crop a bit.
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Comment by Peter Elgar posted on London Chinese New Year ( MZ-5) at 13/02/2013 - 14:55

Peter Elgar
Yes, almost 'mint' condition inside !

Comment by Peter Elgar posted on All it needed was 3-in-One ! at 13/02/2013 - 11:48

Peter Elgar
A fellow Camera Club member sent all his gear, PENTAX 6x7, 35mm and Olympus to Ffordes of Scotland to sell for him -- well, he had a body returned as 'Un-useable' so he asked me to 'give it a Good Home' -- it was a 1970's KX. He said Ffordes had told him the lens aperture ring thingy inside the mount was not working -- well, I had a look and compared it with my other PENTAXES , how it worked, and it is on a spring thing -- so I got a bit of fuse wire and touched it into some 3-in-One oil and touched it into the ring and pushed gently and it MOVED and has been working ever since !! Here is my free KX body -----
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Comment by Peter Elgar posted on All it needed was 3-in-One ! at 13/02/2013 - 08:37

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