Thanks for the details.

At the moment the smallest diameter lens I have is a Tokina at 52mm, then the Pentax-A at 58mm and finally the Tamron at 62mm - a circular polarising filter (or any for that matter!) at that size isn't going to be particularly cheap.

I shoot a bit of both B&W and colour and have been improving over the last few months so I thought I'd try a few other techniques. So far I like the screw in filters (just skylight and polariser at the moment), but haven't tried anything else so can't really compare. What kind of mount is required for the square film filters, and does it work out any cheaper than screw-in types? The only advantage I can see is speed.

Regards,
Andy

Hi everyone,

I've got a question about the difference between a motordrive (specifically Motor Drive A) and a winder, e.g:ME II - why does one cost around £100+ and the other around £35+? What does the motor drive do that the winder doesn't?

I'm about to become the owner of a P50, which can take either, I've had a look at the Pentax K-Mount page for details but it doesn't really tell me much on this occasion. I know the Motor Drive A has a higher fps speed but that's about it.

Also, I now have an autofocus MZ6 as well, I have a 28-80 Pentax-A lens to which I've fitted a linear polarizing filter. Do I need to change the filter to a circular one when it's on the MZ6 (bearing in mind it's a manual lens, so the autofocus shouldn't be affected)? The autofocus lens (Tamron 28-200) I got with the MZ6 is a different diameter so I couldn't use the same filter for both lenses anyway, this is obviously true of all filters I'll be buying - what would you recommend for common filters, buy several sizes of the same type to fit each lens I have or go for gel sheets which fit in an adapter?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks for all the help folks, I've decided to go for a secondhand KA or FA lens, having had a look online (helps when you know where, I've found www.ffordes.com to have a good listing but they're far from being the only ones) and seen the variety of kit available I reckon this is the best option. Unfortunately the P30T doesn't have the contacts for a motor wind, it's just as you described Kimbo - not to worry, it's not essential.

I'll also be having a look on e-bay to see what's available, and I've discovered there are a lot more camera dealerships in my area (Edinburgh) than I had originally thought.

Thanks again for your advice, I'll let you all know how I get on, and if my results are any good I'll post them in the gallery...

Cheers.

Kimbo,

Thanks for your advice, I hadn't realised Centon were Jessops own brand. I have taken the camera in to Jessops, unfortunately they didn't seem to have any second-hand manual lenses in stock to fit, or perhaps it was because they were a bit busy - the store was absolutely heaving at the time. I'll try again when it's a bit quieter. It was there that I discovered the little mark on my lens was mould - I had kept it in a CCS Warthog for quite a long time, I didn't think it was damp, certainly the case itself isn't. I'll need to get some silica gel to keep it dry.

Is it possible to fit a motor drive on a P30T? If it is, and isn't too bulky and it's possible to find one, I'd explore that as an option in preference to a new body - as you say, I think the camera is probably more than sufficient for my needs. If not, then I'll just have to practice winding on as a reflex action!

Cheers.

Hi George,

Thanks for the reply. You're right of course, Digital is a lot easier to use in terms of the actual image, unfortunately I don't have the money to spend on one just now - I do however have a v.cheap <£150 digital compact camera, but just haven't been getting the results I'd like to be able to achieve -it's a 3.2MegaPixel, so not too bad in terms of snap quality, but no optical zoom etc means it's a bit light on features/usability - a case of not doing enough research before succumbing to the purchase - something I'm hoping to avoid in future!...

Hi everyone, Happy New Year!

I'm looking for a bit of advice about possible new/used kit. I currently have a P30T which I bought about 10 years ago and really haven't used it to its full potential. It came with a Pentax-A 28-80 Zoom lens. I recently dug it out for a trip abroad and I'd like to make much more use of the camera. Unfortunately, whilst the body itself is in good condition, it appears I have mould on the lens. It's still possible to take photos as it isn't too bad at the moment, but obviously I don't want it to get worse. I've been told it's not possible to get rid of the mould - does anyone know any better?
As a result, whilst I can still use this lens, I'm considering either a straight replacement, or something additional, eg:70-210 or similar. I've read a bit on the forums about the different problems regarding lens fitments, and had also considered buying a new body like the MZ30/60 but I feel I'd learn more on a camera which can accept a wider variety of lenses, and don't want to have to buy lots of lenses for different bodies.
So, can anyone suggest a manufacturer of a reasonably good quality replacement 28-80 lens and additional lens 70-210? - or perhaps you can educate me as to why I should try something completely different? I've been told that AF lenses will fit ok on the manual camera I have, will this work ok? Also, what would be a good camera body to go for that includes auto-wind (I keep forgetting to wind the thing on and have missed so many shots because of it! ), don't mind if it's AutoFocus, and maybe a built in mini-flash - I just bought a secondhand AF240Z for the P30T and am really pleased with it.
So far I've just been doing general photography, not specialising in anything yet.

Sorry for all the questions, many thanks to all those who reply.