Exactly, a home electronics company - just like Samsung.

Drew

My read of the article was that "they" (not just Pentax) would not voluntarily pull out of the digital market but rather be forced out by dwindling profits by introducing new model after new model (like what happened to Minolta.) My only credentials regarding knowledge of the Pentax Co. is that I own some of their equipment so I am reluctant to argue their business strategy against three highly qualified financial experts but I sure do hope Pentax is listening to them. I also truly hope they continue their slow pace to introduce such high quality gems as the *ist D and hope they are taking their sweet time with the the new 10 mp dslr and getting it right. Even without any credentials I still do wonder why they have introduced all those relatively similar dslrs in the past 20 months or so. But...who am I?

Regarding the sidebar on the Pentax DA 50-200mm. I own that lens as well. I love it, and see no dust in it "yet". Now, if I do find some in the future it will be there because of my own poor handling and not the fault of Pentax.

Good grief that lens must be "pumping out" some serious dust. Are you sure you didn't attach a K mount pepper shaker on your camera?

Cheers

Drew

Today, May 28, Michael Reichmann of Luminous Landscape posted a clip on his website from a financial article in The International Herald Tribune that should be of serious food for thought for all digital users and which specifically mentions Pentax. Here is the clip http://www.luminous-landscape.com/new/index.shtml Go to May 28, 2006.

If you are interested, here is the complete newspaper article http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/26/yourmoney/mjapan.php (although that probably will not be there long.)

Drew Peabody

I'm with you Don. I have two experiences where they did not have the goods as advertised but promised to call me if any are located. Miraculously both times I got a call on the day after the sale but unfortunately...not available for the sale price. I think that is after all why they call it FUTURE Shop, I can't seem to buy anything on sale in the present. I don't even bother reading their flyers anymore.

Drew

I eagerly await an answer to that question too but alas... silence. I am guessing the last post by ali is his reason for the secrecy. Maybe Simonsteph did not want to get into a battle over prices and value, feature comparisons, and general Nikon xenophobia because he knows he is heavily outnumbered here on this Pentax forum.

As we all know, Pentax has historically been slow to bring their products to market but it is usually worth the wait in most cases. Simonsteph can't wait so I cannot see the problem. Other manufacturers are continually improving and raising the bar so if he wants to change now, go ahead and good luck to him.

I am with George however and find Simonsteph's posts quite troll-like where he seems to delight in throwing out something inflamatory then sits back and watches the fur fly. Fortunately this seldom happens on this forum and that is what makes it good. On the other hand, it's sure fun to see George vent once in a while.

As for Ali’s request to talk about something else now…go ahead Ali post a new topic.

Cheers to all... and you too Simonsteph

Drew

I am by no means an expert on this subject but in my opinion I think it would be risky to use canned compressed air inside your camera because of the possibility of aggressive spraying causing point freezing and cracking your mirror or sensor. Also the liquid propellant may leave a residue on the sensor or even react with and damage plastic materials inside the camera. If I ever do use compressed air on any equipment I never shake the can before use and I always use it VERY gently so that no liquid propellant escapes. I would never use it on any camera interior. Safety wise, and economically the Giottos Rocket blower just seems to me to be a better bet for loose dust particles. (Especially with the optional "Liam Intake Filter" attachment. )

As for changing lenses inside your coat? Have you ever seen the dust that comes off of any clothing under the right lighting conditions? If the environment is better inside the coat than it is beside the track then that sounds like it might be a choice. Just keep in mind that carpets, clothing, and skin cells are some of the major sources of dust in everyday life. Whenever we take the lens off there is a risk of getting dust in there. In another thread on this some one suggested to always keep the camera pointed down when changing lenses as dirt usually floats down. Seems like good logical advice and I do that now.

Anyway, is this whole cleaning phobia really justified? From what I have seen I think the sensor surface is tougher than is generally believed and it would be interesting to hear if anybody has ever heard of someone actually damaging a sensor by cleaning it and if so what technique caused it?

Cheers

Drew

Yes, that was what I was trying to point out (in my own no so "daft" way :lol. The world is a very dusty place and the air I am cleaning it with is probably as dirty as the air that got it dirty in the first place. However, it does seem better than other alternatives like using canned compressed air even though it is photographic quality and certified dust free. Dust is better than any possible chemical residue sprayed on my sensor, right? I'm thinking now that the filter idea is a good one but somehow attached to the intake rather than the exit tube. Thanks for that idea Liam.

Cheers

Drew

I wasn't very clear on that but my actual point was, how clean is the air going into it that you are blowing on your sensor?

Drew

Interesting topic. Here’s my 2 cents worth.
I am a subscriber to Luminous Landscape's Video Journal (a quarterly DVD photographic magazine) and in the latest issue - #14, there is a tour of the Phase One medium format digital back assembly lab in Copenhagen. At one point it shows a woman preparing the combination IR /Anti-aliasing filter to go directly onto the Kodak 22mp sensor and she scrubbed both mating surfaces with unbelievable vigor and pressure. I was just shocked! The technician explained she was able to do so because she was in a dust free room and there was no danger of hard foreign particles being scraped across the glass surface to scratch it. After seeing that I am thinking that the glass is very tough indeed but the biggest cause for concern in cleaning our sensors in the real world is not so much on the method and the tools but on the real concern of sliding abrasive dust across it.

For me, Mannesty's suggestion of the Rocket blower and John's advice to clean only when necessary are the best advice and if I did have to touch the sensor then I would make sure neither the sensor nor the swab had any dust on it before doing so.

Some other points of interest; Although there was a pink bottle of fluid on the woman's table, I did not see her use any liquid on her approx. 10cm square cleaning pad. She had the pad folded in half over a small black ruler or blade that was slighly shorter than the width of the pad and then she scraped back and forth over the glass in two directions as described above. She checked the surface for clean with the light beam from a slide projector and she turned the sensor and the filter all around at different angles in that light beam.

A thought just occured to me though...where does the rocket blower get its clean air?

Cheers

Drew Peabody

Excellent response Don. To quote a wise man; "part of taking ownership of a problem is acknoweldging it" ...and so you did.

Respectfully

Drew

And now, back to the topic.