Just uploaded a shot in Gallery that survived the ist* misfunction - Wellington on Christmas eve 2006 - very strange to be able to stand in the middle of what would otherwise be busy streets and take photos with no fears of being run over - and it wasn't very early - circa 9.30! Have others in like vein but they're all taken with my Fuji Finepix 9500 .

Caught the early pm ferry to South Island - another majical experience.


Steve

Hi Goggalee and welcome.

Got some wonderful shorts when I was your way in Dec 06 - Queen Charlotte Sound on Christmas Day morning from high on the rim and Mt Cook in clear to mention but a few. Would have been better if my ist* had decided to have an intermitent shutter fault but my MZ50 with Velvia did the biz.

When you have a mo, please fill in yr location details - nice to have an idea where about people live cos there may be another user in yr neighbourhood.


Steve

If it has a tracking no, then it has probably has a insured value, if only nominal - but (I think) more than enough for your purposes.

Suggest you vist the Royal Mail's web pages to look at how the claim system operates - including who has to claim and what the window is for making any claim. If it's been sent 2nd class signed for, it's SLA is 3 working days, so you are only just (today) into failure to deliver within the promised time.


Steve

The F version is quite heavy - keep one in my office draw in case anything interesting crops up that needs a longer lens - it's got a higher metal content than the FA which followed. Lenses have got progressively lighter as more and more plastics have been used. Just compare an K or M lens with the A or F or FA version.

The benefit is of course the long zooms have become manageable handheld (only for short periods true :lol where as there is no way you could try this with the SMC K 135-600 without a very substantial monopod (or industrial quality tripod.:!


Steve

Hi Andy - welcome to the forum.

Some FE colleges run photography classes - usually aimed at composition and appreciation techniques for portrait or landscape. Exeter Uni might - look for Lifelong Learning or simular headings. Changes in FE funding has reduced the number of "fun" adult classes sadly.

There are local Pentax user groups scattered around the country - may be possible to link up with the nearest group if you can - or even consider joining the local camera club.


Steve

Andrzej - photos uploaded as promised.Sequence as viewed in Gallery are the dancers, squirrels and pole fisherman. If you search by latest, they should be easy to find.

I should have upped the ISO for the sqirrels, but case of take it or loose it.

Steve

I've not found the lens in AF to be noisy - certainly it doesn't "grind away". As Mike says, best results at F8 and above. With a digi, you can up the ISO at a spin of of a wheel, so unless the light is very bad, you should be able to keep a stop or 2 away from being fully wide open.

I took 2 very different types shots with it - will try to find a mo tonight to post them into the gallery. One is of 2 Sri Lanka squirrels - taken rested on the pool bar at 400mm and the other is a long shot, also at 400mm with a monopod, of a pole fisherman.

But going back to the orginal issue of the thread, I found I had to shoot dancers on stage in Kandy at 2.8 and 800 ISO with the DA*50-135 so as to get my shutter speed up above 1/125. Some of the action was energetic, some not but the best shots for lack of blurr were around 1/180. Stage lighting wasn't stunning, and I had a view of the stage from the balcony - range 25m (ish). Don't think the 135-400 would have been any more useful - like as not most of the images would have been at 200mm or less and I'd had to used a monopod. It's bit heavy to used without some support for more than a few minutes (mind you - pushing towards half the weight of the 150-500 and I don't want to think about trying my SMC K 135-600 handheld....)


Steve

Kenty - there is an illustrated article in the current issue (28th Feb) of Amateur Photographer that you might find useful. Hve to be quick cos the next edition's due any day.

Steve

Andrzej - my 135-400 is the APO version as per the one on E-bay.

I don't know if there is any material diferences between this one and the version Mike-P is potentially going to sell on. All I know is mine has an aperature ring with an 'A' setting, allowing it to be used on any of my collection of Pentax bodies - from the old 'K's right through to the 'MZ's via the ist's and digital 'K's .

Steve

Yes, thanks indeed Tel


Steve