Beautifully sharp, lovely shot but the blue in the background seems a little too dayglo for me although I am on a non-colour profiled netbook so it might just be me...

Best wishes, Kris.

As many of you know I keep an eye on ebay sales (although not so assiduously as I used to, especially since ebay made it difficult to save images). Two things I have noticed. The first, which many people have commented on, is how the prices of old manual glass has gone up over the last year and half, particularly in the last six months or so. A SMC Takumar 85mm f/1.8 went for £340 today. I know this is one of those cult-status lenses but it still seems pricey. In comparison, the FA 77mm Ltd is going for £750 new, and that lens has an equal cult status I would have thought.

My second observation is the the original k-mount lenses (often called the "K" series lenses) are going for more, on the whole, than the slightly later M-series lenses. In one or two cases I know why (for example the 135mm f/2.5 compared to the M 135mm f/3.5) but it seems to be the case with other lenses too.

My question is: are the K-series lenses actually better than the M-series (despite being, on the whole, heavier and bigger) or is there a developing urban myth that they are which is driving up prices?

Best wishes, Kris.

I personally quite like the idea of a wiki, or at least a wiki-like thing (FAQ, man-pages, whatever) which can be used to outline the non-controversial stuff all in one place. I would prefer it to be part of this forum, however. Topics would be things like: how to use manual lenses on dSLRs, the different ranges of lenses (K, M, A etc.); the problems of using the on-board flash to fire slave flashes. In other words, purely factual information. Debates, such as RAW v. jpeg (Zzzz), Pentax full frame (Zzzzzzzz) or why Pentax is the best thing since sliced bread and the rest of the world are deluded, should definitely stay within the fora.

Best wishes, Kris.

I would guess £250 or so for an OK one, nearer £350-400 for a minty one. They are pretty unusual and so command a premium compared to the ubiquitous M series version.

K.

Nice to see a different point of view. Mike's slight crop was in my mind before I scrolled down to see he had beaten me to it.

Nice photo. K.

Why would you have long shutter speeds unless you are flying at night? I took plenty of good photos when I went up in a Cesna. My main problem was that having to lean from the back seat to shoot through the window meant that I often accidentally has the camera touching the window frame and the vibration caused problems.




K.

Clarky seems to have the global monopoly on outragreous bargains.

K.

A "Pentax ME Super with 3 lenses" just went for £156.89 on ebay (it went up from £87.55 in the last six seconds). I guess no one actually wanted the ME Super, we were all after the SMC-K 30mm f/2.8. Sadly, I didn't bid quite enough! Seems that I am not the only person peering at bad photographs of ME Super kits in case they have something interesting bundled with them.

K.

The Manual Focus Forum is an excellent source of obscure information and example photos.

K.

I don't have a car, and cannot drive. I walk, take public transport or ride my motorcycle. The only problem is remembering how far the tripod sticks out when bungeed to the back of the bike.

K.