I'm now trying to figure how I can raise that much cash! Sadly, I'm not sure I can

K.

You would probably be better off sending it to a classic camera repair place like Harrow Technical than the current official place which is much less committed to old gear.

Essentially the screen will need replacing, probably my taking one from a donor camera.

K.

Of the ones on theat list, the DA* 50-135mm lens.

K.

Yes, definitely K mount.

Pentax made auto and non-auto tubes, i.e., ones which stopped down the aperture and ones which didn't. These look like the non-auto version. They are definitely not M42 screwmount ones.

K.

Ahhhh, now there is a question!

Pentax only ever made one shift lens for 35mm: the SMC Pentax 28mm shift. Excellent lens but on a cropped digital, not very wide. I found it worked wonderfully in very large buildings like a cathedral, but less useful in more confined spaces. Second hand these usually go for between £300 and £400 on ebay but buy-it-now prices are often much higher (as with most BIN prices!).

There are a small number of 3rd party options, but none of those are very wide either.

Sadly, there is nothing available like the Canon 17mm TS E lens which retail at more than $2000. If I could afford one of those I'd get a body to put on it.

Alternatives are:

a) as John says, use the 12-24mm lens, which has minimal distortions, and optionally crop the excess stuff off the bottom.

b) use the perspective control/correction stuff in photoshop. I, personally, have found it very difficult to do that convincingly.

c) The route I chose: use a large format view camera. It is actually cheaper to buy second hand LF stuff than it would be to buy the Canon lens + body. You have the additional fun of learning how to use it, and everyone looking at you as if you have just landed from Mars. Without boring everyone with details, personal circumstances make it hard for me to get the film developed and so the camera doesn't get as much use as I would like. Once I have cracked that stage of the game, I'm planning a project photographing the churches of Hertfordshire.

Personally, I don't give two hoots about Pentax making a full frame camera but I'd give my right arm for an equivalent of the Canon 17mm TS.

Cheers, Kris.

We had about six inches. Quite a bit melted but the remainder froze solid and now it is snowing again. We've had about another 2 inches this evening.

Minus 7 predicted for tomorrow evening.

Brrr...

Cheers, Kris.

She did look a little soulful in all that snow...




K.

Pentax SFXn, SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm lens, Ilford Delta 100 film, commercial dev and scan.




K.

Although I have seen the belt clips in old Pentax catalogues I have never actually come across one in the flesh. Personally, I'd be a bit worried about it getting knocked off my belt!

K.