Couldn't agree more, Algi, but they are getting harder to find and those advertised on ebay(UK) in recent months that I've followed have been mostly 'buy-it-now' and offer for ridiculous, IMHO, amounts. The solution I found was to broaden my search to include the USA and within a few days I had secured two for less than the price of any single AF200T I had followed on ebay UK. In both cases this takes into account the additional cost of shipping to the U.K! Both arrived within 10 days in full working order and one even arrived in the original packaging, with its protective case and a wide-angle diffuser panel; none of which had been mentioned in the original description.

Jon

Hi Luca,

There are three possibilities for shipping to Italy or any other country in the EU:

1. Airmail (small packet) no compensation (I would not be responsible in case of loss or damage) - £3.85

2. As above but with compensation up to £41.00 - £8.10

3. As above but with full compensation - £10.40

The final decision rests with the buyer.

Jon

Occasionally, buy never with WD-40 Having been a bit of a 'Hi-Fi' nerd in my time, and made many a custom interconnect, I have always found pure (if you can get it) isopropanol/propan-2-ol to be effective and safe as long as you don't mix it with tonic and swallow

Reputedly better, but more expensive, are DeoxIT D5 or, if you really want to go to town, DeoxIT Gold GN5. Both are safe on plastics and leave no residue.

More info and prices here:link and link

I have heard that Windolene does a good job, too

Bought new with GX-10 in mid-2008. As is to be expected for a lens that has been used, but not abused, a few specks of dust are visible on close inspection, but nothing that would affect the lens IQ. Front link and rear link elements are spotless and the zoom and focus rings work smoothly. Externally, the lens is in very good condition link.

For those developing an interest in close-focus/macro photography this lens is capable of producing excellent results when used in conjunction with a Raynox DCR-250/150 macro converter (e.g. link)

Sold with original lens hood and packaging.

Selling because, having sucumbed to LBA, I have three other zoom lenses that cover the same range.

Thanks for looking,

Jon

I recently purchased a double flash 'macro' bracket from them to experiment with. The aluminium used is rigid, but a little on the 'soft-side', so you need to be careful not to overtighten the clamps. Otherwise, their flash brackets are good value for the money. Unlike many Chinese sellers, shipping was remarkably swift; about a week in my case.

I purchased a cable for off-camera TTL flash from these people
link. Although a little more expensive than the one you have seen, the quality was excellent (on a par with the much more expensive Nissin cable which I also have) and it works faultlessly with my Metz 48 AF-1 and my Pentax AF 200T. Also arrived very quickly.

Jon

Hi Anne,

50-200mm arrived today in truly pristine condition - thank you

Thanks also for the tip on using Windolene to clean lenses and filters. Bought a 500 ml bottle on the way home from work as planning a comprehensive clean of all my optics this coming w/e

Best wishes,

Jon

PM sent re 17-70 and 50-200.

Jon

Thoramay

I would be very reluctant to sell on behalf of a third party, however dear to me they or their family have been, under the circumstances you describe. If you are determined to go ahead, however, here are my thoughts:


The advice given is sound and will help you to arrive at a 'ball park' figure for the notional value of each item. When using the prices of s/h items from 'high street' retailers as a guide, it is important to remember that these will include a warranty (typically 3 - 6 months but sometimes longer) and, unless you are prepared to do the same (which I doubt), you will need to adjust your target price accordingly. You then need to decide how important it is that you reach your target price. If I'm having a 'clear out' of items that I've not used for many years I tend to take a fairly relaxed attitude about selling, reasoning that what ever I raise is a bonus and I will gain the satisfaction of knowing that the buyer is making good use of the item. In cases such as these I will start the bidding at £0.99 and let the auction run its course.

Where an item does not fall into the 'clearance' category, I try to make an objective judgement as to its real worth to a prospective buyer and then decide what is the least amount I am prepared to let it go for. If I have been realistic in setting the target price and gauging likely demand, even when starting at £0.99, I have often realised or slightly exceeded my target amount. There will, however, be times where you fall short and if you can't countenace this then a) you shouldn't be selling on ebay or b) you have to list the item as 'buy it now', with or without the option for potential buyers to make offers. The disadvantage of option 'b' is that it costs more to list and sell the item, especially if you set a high starting bid and/or reserve price. An additional disadvantage is that many potential bidders will be deterred if you use this option unless the item being sold is hard to find or in unsually good condition. For this reason, I only use this option where I am very confident that the item is worth the asking price and I am in no hurry to sell.

Whichever option is used to list an item, you can maximise the chances of your item selling for a good price by using an informative title, a clear decent-sized photograph (only if the item is exceptional will I use more) and a complete and accurate description of its condition and history, including links to relevant pages on the manufacturers website and/or reviews. To increase the number of potential buyers you can choose to list on more than just ebay UK. Where the item is expected to raise more than a couple of pounds, I always quote p&p at the rate for recorded or special delivery with the appropriate amount of insurance, but give the option of using a less expensive service at their own risk. If the buyer chooses this option I always insist on written (e-mail)confirmation that they understand that I will not be liable in case of loss/damage.

IMHO, it always helps if you offer to accept returns subject to being notified within a set period of time and the item being returned in the same condition (functional and cosmetic) as sent. I very rarely buy from sellers who list items as 'no returns accepted', even though, I believe, they are legally obliged to if notified within 7 days under the distance selling regulations.

Hope this is of some help to you.

Best wishes,

Jon

Nice shot, Snappy The girl with the Mohican looks like she's milliseconds away from treating the other one to a warm Foster's facial spa

The guy in the background is a bit of a distraction, but if you'd waited for him to move on the moment would have been lost.

Assuming that you didn't know the 'happy couple' in this shot, how do you find strangers react when you photograph them? I've always wanted to do it but have never had the 'cojones': partly for fear of their reaction but mostly because I'd be to embarrassed; especially when photographing members of the opposite gender No doubt this is an over-reaction to the recent realisation that my age, coupled with my typically dishevilled appearance, makes me look very much like the archetypal 'dirty old man'

Best wishes,

Jon

Advice is one thing - putting it into practice is another. Well done you.

Next step, IMHO, concentrate on improving the quality of light using a diffuser, Cardiff_Gareth () built a simple DIY version earlier this month based on the one described here link. If you want a simpler (partial) solution, try fitting the bottom of a polystrene cup of the 'pop-up' flash, which can, IMHO, give quite pleasing results:

link

Alternatively, use 'off-camera' flash, but still with some sort of diffuser link or take the, very big, plunge and buy a ring flash.

I've just bought one of these of 'fleabay' with the intention of experimenting with dual flash:

link

Arrived very quickly and the quality is not bad for the money. I'm now watching a couple of s/h AF 200Ts for use with it. These have the advantage, apart from being relatively easy to find, of allowing the flash output to be varied (good for controlling flash-duration and modelling effects). Initially I'll use them with extension cables, but if the results are promising I'll buy a remote flash trigger and two recievers.

A lot of experienced macro photographers seem to prefer manual flash. I've started to do the same and its surprising how quickly you learn to make the necessary adjustments to aperture/speed based on the nature of the subject, background and degree of magnification (still mostly 1:1 or less for me at the moment).

Best wishes,

Jon