Black and White Photography is really great, Outdoor Photography pretty good too. Unsurprisingly, they are published by the same company.

AP's sniping about Pentax has become particularly bad of late. They have bought into the mirrorless world in a big way. If it wasn't for interesting historical pieces by John Wade and Tony Kemplen I would ditch it too.

Sept 26: bracket fungus par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity

Pentax K-3, SMC Pentax "K" 35mm f/2 lens.

My Spottie with the Super Takumar 35mm f/2 lens, image taken using my K-3 with a SMC Pentax "K" 35mm f/2 lens...



Sept 24: Spottie par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity

It is in the title to the thread, a Zoom 280P.

My experience with Pentax compact cameras is that they randomly die as the electronics fail. I had one that failed with its zoom lens fully extended and another where I had purchased an expensive battery only for the camera to fail a few frames into the first film. I suspect that the electronics on yours has died in someway, and I doubt it is repairable. Although there is a fad for using compacts at the moment (e.g,. Olympus mjus are going for a fortune at present) they rely on 30 year old unrepairable electronics.

The irony is that earlier, all manual, cameras are much more likely to be repairable that the later electronic wonders. I suspect my Pentax SV will still be working fine long after my K-3 is little more than hardcore. My 1947 Kershaw Raven has a perfectly functional shutter and just needs the bellows replacing, and someone less cack-handed than me can manufacture bellows.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Kris.

Thankfully the image is far better than the groan-worthy pun.

Not Pentax but the photos were taken using a K-3 with a K50/4 macro and using a Pentax Focus Rail III so I think it counts (and it is a fun story anyway!).

I have a soft spot for folding cameras. I have an Agfa Isolette II and a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 518/16 that I used regularly (both bought in charity shops for a few pounds). I recently spotted a Kershaw Raven folding camera on that website going for not too much so I put in the minimum bid, and won it. It is a 6x9cm folder taking 120 film made in Britain in about 1947.



Raven (1) par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity



Raven (2) par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity



Raven (3) par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity

The main thing to check with old folders is for pinholes in the bellows. Before I could do that, however, I had to remove the film that I found loaded in it! I used a dark-bag and carefully removed the film, rewinding it as it was hardly used. Imagine my surprise that the film has an expiry date stamped on the sticky strip: 22 May 1963!



Raven (4) par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity



Raven (5) par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity

Sadly, the bellows do have pinholes so I'll have to do some work on it before I can use it.

Lovely light in the first one but I would be tempted to crop the left hand side a little to get rid of the white gate. It draws my eye away from the main subject.

Thanks everyone.

... and I don't care! K-3, and the K35/2.



Sept 19: minimalist landscape par Kris Lockyear, on ipernity