Anyone know if updating firmware will reset the shutter count?

I recently bought a secondhand *ist DS, and updated the firmware. Then I found out how to check the shutter count and it was around 600! Either I got a bargain or I've taken a lot more images than I thought.

Yes indeed. People might just see things that they don't understand, and in their ignorance, they might be critical of what took place.

As a comparison, I bought a Leupold rifle scope a couple of years ago. It was an old model that was old when I bought it. It was fitted with target type turrets, but I wanted to change them to capped type turrets. I couldn't find them anywhere, and eventually, I telephoned Leupold direct in USA. They took my details and posted them free of charge! That's service, and leads me to buy Leupold in the future.

When I had a 35mm, shutter count amounted to either "It's working or it ain't".

Now I have a K200D, I can check the number of times the shutter has been activated and I start to wonder about the life expecancy of the shutter, and what it will cost fo fix when it goes.

So, who has the highest shutter count, and what is the official expected failure point count on Pentax cameras?

Having screwed the thing on with some determination, I think that there is going to be no need for any form of adhesive. The forces applied in an unscrewing motion are very light. As a lens, it's uses are going to be limited to special occassions. Like most gadgets, the plain fact is, I just wanted it.

Well, I've done the deed. No glue, just screwed it on tight. I've drilled the hole, slipping in the process, and quite frankly, it's a bit of a mess, but not too unsighly. It clicks into place quite nicely (living proof it's better to be lucky than clever!)

On a quick tryout, the image quality seems superb, even at f2. All I've got to do now is get used to the manual diaphragm stop down and then take some half decent images with it. Best £35 I've spent in a while.

WARNING ---- Do not read if sensitive to bodging.

I have managed to acquire from SRS (lighting delivery) a Jupiter 85mm f2.

I've been hanging my nose over one of these for years, even bought the M42/PK adapter in readiness.

So, fitted it to my ist, and it jammed on! Not too bad, as I got it off without too much trouble, but a little leaf spring thingy broke off in the process. Bloody eBay tat!.

Anyhow, initial impressions are great, but here's the rub. I wan't to fix the adapter to the lens on a more or less permanent basis. To do this, it looks like I'll have to use some sort of adhesive, in minimal quantities to ensure that the adapter stays on the lens, and possibly drill a small recess into the rear of the lens body for the locking pin. I don't think that either operation will drastically affect the lens, at least if the adhesive is minimal, and the recess is neat.

That's how it looks to me, but I'd be grateful for opinions.

Well, just tried Hugin on a casually taken 6 image scan of a scene. Just fed it the six images and pressed the buttons and the result is nothing short of fantastic (It's still a crap picture, mind). It sorts them all out, and welds them together and I'm damned if I can see the joins.

Whoever wrote this software must have a brain the size of a planet.

Never mind the pixels, what lens has that sort of resolution?

Had a quick go with Hugin today and it looks good. Thanks for the tip. What I'm really interested in now is when something in the overlap is missing from one image. Looks like the cat is about to get a shock.