Valedictory bump: £25.00 inc p&p in the U.K.

Next stop the 'knackers yard'

Jon

My experience too, Mike. For the combination to work effectively, however, at least when using a Tamron-F 2X Pz-AF MC7, the light needs to be good.

Jon

Monday evening bump/reality check

£30:00 or best offer. Collect in person or delivery 'at cost' by buyers preferred service/carrier.

Jon

The Pentax Z10 camera and lens (SMC FA 28 – 80mm f/1:3.5 – 4.7) shown below were obtained as part of a 'job lot, but, as I already possess three, sadly underused, 35mm SLRs, I cannot justify keeping this one .

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6691230661_76192baab1_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

Pentax Z1 with SMC FA 1:3.5 - 4.7, 28 - 80mm by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6691231643_69feb052cb_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

SMC Pentax -FA 28-80mm 1:3.5 - 4.7 - front view by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6691232763_70043e6aaa_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

SMC Pentax -FA 28-80mm 1:3.5 - 4.7 - rear view by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

The camera and lens are in good condition and have obviously been treated with care and respect by the previous owner/original purchaser. A new battery has been fitted and all the camera controls operate as they should. In operation, exposure readings, speed and accuracy of focussing and firing of the shutter and flash (built-in and external) appear normal, but this has yet to be confirmed by shooting a roll of film (see below).

The lens has been tested (AF and 'Power Zoom' modes) at a range of focal lengths (28, 50 and 80mm; standard and close-focus ranges) and apertures and the results obtained (whole frame and 100% crop of a selected region) can be seen here link. The lens has also been found to operate normally in manual mode. Selection of the 'Zoom Clip' and 'Image Size Tracking' modes () is no longer possible as it would appear that the control button has fallen off the lens at some stage and been glued neatly back in place.

To complete the package I have added a Jessops, padded top-loader case complete with strap and an appropriate collapsible and adjustable rubber lens hood (screw thread), both of which are in good condition. The lens cap, eyepiece cover, manual and box (but not internal protective packaging) are included.

Asking £45.00 including P&P in the U.K., but will consider any reasonable offer. Overseas buyers should contact me before making an offer to discuss shipping options.

As the camera has not been tested 'in full', I am offering a full refund (less postage) if, when tested with a film, it proves to be faulty.

Your munificence, kind sir, is beyond compare

Jon

Possibly but unlikely, IMO, as I have found Imagenomics Noiseware to be an incredibly versatile and effective tool. My hunch is that the lack of very fine detail is due to the nature of the shot, which, if you check the setting used, is very much 'worst case'. With better light, lower ISO, an higher shutter speed and smaller aperture it might have been a different story.

Used on its own, the Sigma 400mm is useable wide open, markedly improved by f/8 and at its best by f/11. Image contrast is on the low side when compared with modern telephotos of similar length but this is easily dealt with in PP if shooting RAW. For the money, however, and if you can find a good copy or, better still, the APO variant, it represents good value, IMHO.

Thanks for looking,

Jon

K5 with Sigma 400mm f/5.6 and Tamron-F 2X Pz-AF MC7; manual focus (1/50, f/8 at 1600 ASA).

The lens and tele-converter were part of a 'job lot' of items that I won on ebay for £127.00 from a seller who just happened to live within spitting distance of me and hence I was able to inspect the items before handing over the cash

The RAW file was processed and cropped in Lightroom 3.6 with the sharpening sliders set at 35 for amount, 0.5 for radius and 70 for detail before exporting to PSE9 and reducing background noise (mainly luma) using the Imagenomics Pro plug-in on the 'weaker noise' setting.

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6687274225_fdb74ce8c6_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

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

So far, so good, IMHO

Jon

It will fit and you can read what others think about it here: link

It is an oldie but 'goodie' subject to the following:

Heavy

Manual only (exposure and focus)

Not a true macro (maximum reproduction ratio is 1:2; 1:1 or life size requires the use of an extension tube)

Not, IMHO, the best lens to begin with unless you are mostly interested in photographing static subjects or intend to use it mainly for work under controlled conditions indoors.

Having said that, if you are being offered a 'mint' copy at a bargain price (£75.00 or less) it might be worth buying.

Jon

Hi Daph,

Yes, it will fit and a quick way to find out what other Pentax users think of it is to cross over to the 'dark side'

link

Jon

For the benefit of reso and any other brave, technically accomplished forum user who enjoys a challenge and has a few quid to spare, here is a close-up of the front lens element taken prior U.V. exposure.

[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6685636639_1903606f7f_b.jpg" class="comment_image" />

SMC Pentax-M 75-150mm_f4 by Dr 'B ', on Flickr[/img]

Jon