No disrespect intended, beakynet, but there would be no discernable (real-world) benefit from buying a £300.00 graphics monster over a £35.00 - £50.00 'bottom of the range' card, as even the most basic of today's GPUs are more than up to the task of dealing with any task that Photoshop might chose to 'offload' to it without, as it were, 'breaking into a sweat'

Your'e advice re the importance of a 64-bit OS with plenty of RAM, however, is spot on, as is the use of an SSD to host the OS and Photoshop

My other suggestion for any 'new build' would be to allow a decent amount for a top quality monitor and calibration tool.

Jon

Bellows unit now sold to Luka (flat4).

Jon

Specimen shots taken with a reversed SMC 55mm f/1.8 K alone, with the bellows unit at minimum extension or with the bellows at maximum extension. All shot at f/8.0 and 100 ASA using a Samsung GX-10. Other than being resized or cropped (800 x 800 at 1:1), the images are JPEGs straight from the camera (i.e., no post-processing, sharpening or other form of digital enhancement. Pairs of images (full frame and 1:1 crop) are shown for the reversed lens alone, reversed lens with bellows unit at minimum extension and reversed lens with bellow at maximum extension.

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6774714404_0d5270955e_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Reversed by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6774713794_b4717034ed_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Reversed: 1:1 crop by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6774712984_730d67bf7f_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Reversed on bellows with minimum extension by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6774712166_b2b7cee844_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Reversed on bellows with minimum extension: 1:1 crop by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6920827087_d210a8ab77_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

s with maxReversed on bellowimum extension by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6774710596_a17067260a_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Reversed on bellows with maximum extension: 1:1 crop by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

Jon

Recently won in an auction of e-bay (details and price paid here link).

Since taking delivery I have cleaned the unit, lubricated the rails and rack and pinion mechanism, touched up two small areas where the black coating had rubbed off on the base and replaced the bellows-camera adapter with one of my own.

Quality of construction and finish is typical of photographic accessories produced in the former USSR in the late seventies (i.e. functional with no frills).

Asking £25.00 plus postage but, as is the tradition on the forum, open to offers.

Now selling because a 'mint' Pentax Bellows Unit III that I subsequently spotted on e-bay generated far less interest than I had anticipated and hence I was able to obtain it at a bargain price.

Jon

You remain as 'sharp', if not sharper, than the optics of the lens in question, Your Grace

By way of an apology, I am prepared to amend my offer to include an inflation/RPI-busting 5% return on the principal sum.

I await your polite response with considerable interest

Covetously yours,

Cheeky Chappie

Any chance of a 25% down followed by 12 monthly payments of £25.00, Mike?

Yours hopefully,

Impecunious of Wiltshire

Lawks a-mercy, chaps

Had I realised that the forum doubles as an habitat for a pack of scavenging hyenas, I'd have been more circumspect about revealing that I have the inner strength and mentality of a lame gazelle

.

With a comment like that I'm guessing that you must be the alpha male, Robin

Wounded of Wiltshire.

A.K.A. Jon

Not all of use, Robin

As I tried to make clear in my earlier post, there are certain situations in which the K5 has the edge: not by a huge margin but worthwhile nonetheless. In the main, however, excepting the ergonomics and build which I agree are superior in the K20D, both are excellent photographic tools.

To be honest, my motivation for supplementing my GX-10 and K20D with a K5, apart from the price drop and 'cashback' offer, was the recent takeover by Ricoh and the fear that my substantial investment in original and third-party Pentax-fit lenses and accessories might, should they decide to cease the development and manufacture of DSLRs, become the photographic equivalent of a 'junk bond'

Pessimistically yours,

Eeyore,

A.K.A. Jon

Bokeh!

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6905357213_e762eecfe0_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Bokeh! by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

Solitaire set photographed using a single light source angled from above. Samsung Gx-10 with reversed 50mm EL-Nikkor f/2.8 enlarging lens (just for fun .)

Jon

Duh That'll learn me not to forget to do my homework before posting

In my defence, I am but a relatively recent convert and at the time when the bodies mentioned were released, I had my feet planted firmly in the Yashica/Kyocera/Contax camp.

Jon