Like most people I have had very good experiences with ebay. I have never had to return an item from the 400 or so I have bought (mostly not photographic I hasten to add before you get the wrong-ish idea). I have noticed, however, that it is much harder to get bargains now than it used to be. I have many more failed bids than actual purchases in recent months, many more!

K.

Some great shots in that last set although the third one is sadly suffering from excessive doughnuts!

K.

I work on a very, very, very dusty archaeological site in Romania. You can imagine what my "flock finish" Sigma 50mm macro looks like. Luckily the workings are fine, it is just the cosmetics.

K.

Did you ever turn the computer on?

K.

Well at least Pentax don't program their cameras so that they will only function with a Pentax branded battery inside, unlike another make featured in the letters page of AP a while back. On the whole, I think you will find that many of the main makes over-price their accessories. A similar situation exists with motorcycle spares: own make spares cost a fortune compared to third party ones. The one major lens purchase I made which wasn't Pentax I now slightly regret because of the lack of quick-shift focus.

I'll admit to buying Pentax stuff because it's Pentax, but only really the "classic" stuff second hand like older filters, the table-top tripod, a nice ally case and a Pentax hip flask. But I only bothered to pick these items up when I can get them dirt cheap on ebay.

K.

I love the black cat in a coal cellar... The other images are pretty good too. I never seem to get bugs that sharp...

K.

a) Don't sell the kit lenses until/if you have equivalent replacements.

b) The 50/1.4 is excellent, if you're sure you want a 50.

c) The suggestion of getting the 35/2.4 seems very sounds to me.

K.

The ES case has a special cut-out on the right hand side of the lens (as you would normally hold the camera) to accommodate the large protruding battery compartment. The ESII wouldn't need that but does have a self-timer. I wonder, therefore, if you actually have an ES case which happens to fit the ESII? Or whether once Pentax had eliminated the battery compartment if a normal case designed for the range such as the contemporary SP-F would fit equally well. The SP-F case won't fit the ES due to the battery.

Best wishes, Kris.

I'm a sad loss to Pentax. I have loads of Pentax equipment including Pentax filters and even a nice Pentax ally case. It was nearly all bought second hand. I have only ever bought two Pentax cameras brand new, an ME Super in 1982 and a K10D in 2007. Apart from the kit lenses (an M series 50mm f/2 and a Mark I 18-55) I have bought three new Pentax lenses. All the others were second hand...

K.

Well we had "len's" in another thread today... Who Len is and what he owns I have no idea.

K.