thanks Folks: still waiting for the 'phone call from sunny Chelmsford ! Well, I need some tips on where to get those 'digital things'.

Daniel: Yes, you're right; That is why I have to go to Jessops; and you're right if I hadn't won £220 towards it I would have stayed with my lovely FILM Pentaxes ! I am wondering if they would throw in a cheep cheep SD card as they are not included ( much like getting a film camera and they will not start you off with a cheep cheeep film ! )

Well, I have taken the PLUNGE and ordered a K10D at Jessops Chelmsford branch out of my winnings, but I am STILL WAITING for delivery over two weeks now ! I telephoned today and they have not forgotten; they said they had 'Minus 13 in stock' ( what does THAT mean ? !) Then they must have got onto their computer and 'one is in transit from Leicester and they have 1000 on order from Pentax !'

I am going with a group from Brentwood Photo. Club on the coach David Leung organises from Goodmayes Tesco car park 0800 hrs Sunday.

I've never seen anyone do a demonstration on 'RAW' and I haven't got anything on this computer to do it yet although there is a mention of the'Silkypix' on the K10D camera box it doesn't come with it and I e-mailed Pentax if I COULD use Windows ME edition with the software and today they replied " Computer says 'NO'". ( Anyone out there 'Little Britain' fans?)

I got told off by George for using my Weston Master V meter; he said there was a very good 'Spot Meter' built into the K10D but if the Weston WORKS and the Pentax meter DOESN'T on Manual then (when I get the replacement ! ) I will continue to use the Pentax with Weston V and Invercone same as for my Rollei or my Zenith and Pentax SV!

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Took this some years ago on the beach of Carmel, California, with a borrowed 15mm SMC f3.5 Takumar from the Pentax Club; Spotmatic body, Pan F film developed in Promicrol: the built-in Orange filter used.Scanned from a 10x8" print.

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Took this on Thursday as my kids were coming back from school as it was closed. I rush processed the film (konica VX 400 ) in C41 as usual,scanned the negs for sending to the local paper and found the snow came out with a very strong yellow cast ! I messed about in PhotoShop 7 with levels and curves on various channels. I DID give x2 compensation on my ME Super with 50mm f1.7 Pentax-M lens. 1/500th @ f5.6
It made the Front Page of Friday's Brentwood Recorder though ( they don't know anything about colour casts!)

Years ago I bought a Russian 500mm Mirror lens from a company called 'Brocks Cameras' in London for £60. I still have it. It has a Leica 39mm screw mount for the original Zenith but it came with the adapter to 42mm Pentax screw. I used it on a Pentax Club trip to Kenya and I have used it for taking cricket for the local newspaper. It is a bit dark to see through with the fixed f8 aperture but the results are sharp enough. I can use it on my K mount with the S-K adapter (so there is another adapter!) but on the wonderful ME Super bright screen it focusses well.It also came with a selection of filters, yellows ,red, ND and they fit my 400mm A-Series Pentax lens and I can hold them over my Hasselblad lenses too.

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Would you be interested to see a shot with the Pentax 400mm-A lens ?
Steve Davis ex-world snooker champion lives near my town. Here he is in action at the Brentwood Centre during a televised tournament. The LX with mirror-up came in handy; the referee never heard the shutter go !
Kodak T-max 400 pushed to 1600 in T-max developer.