nee_sung

>>Would you buy a Pentax DSLR again if you would start from zero ?<<

Yes.

>>What do you think about the overall (lens options...) system ?<<

It is great. Great lenses; great backwards-compatability.

If your friend likes small and light, Pentax is the way to go.

I would even recommend Pentax for professionals, unless you need fast frame-per-second ability.

I started experimenting with Pentax 2 years ago with an *ist (the film camera) at the time when the *istD came out. I liked it so much I bought the MZ-S and all 3 "Limited" lenses. When the *istDs came out I bought it, and I absolutely love it.

Many people may not know it, but Pentax does not regard Nikon or Canon as their lens-competitor. They only regard Zeiss as their lens-competitor. That just about says it all for Pentax lens quality. And I can vouch for it from personal experience. (I also have the Contax G2 with 3 lenses 28/45/90, and I have used Hasselblads+Zeiss lenses).

Hello everybody

Yesterday I bought an FM3a body + the 45/2.8P lens.

I have only the SB-800 which I bought with the F6.

Last night I took some test flash pictures and many of them seemed a

bit too dark, although the first flash shot was perfectly exposed.

Neither the SB-800 manual nor the FM3a manual was very clear on using

the FM3a with the SB-800. I used the TTL setting on the SB-800 and set

the focal length to 35mm. The flash showed ISO-100 and I was not able

to change it.

I have searched the archives but couldn't find anything useful. I

would be very grateful for any instructions on how to operate this

combination.

Thank you all in advance.

If Dell still sells the Latitude line, then get that one. It's designed for heavy professional use and is far more robust and reliable. It's got a 3-year warranty.

I have one in my office. About a year ago the floopy died and I called Dell for repair. They said my warranty has not yet expired and replaced it free of charge. A pleasant surprise. :-)

Dell only advertise their "consumer" line of products. For their "professional" line, you have to dig. Hope this helps.

There is another half to the saying: "a joy shared is doubled".

Anyway I have found both sayings to be true. Sorry for the accident.

For me it was a Rolleiflex 6008i with a 180/2.8 lens AND a flash. All went crashing to the floor, because I put them on a MINI monopod! How's that for stupidity? I can't even legitimately call it an accident, since I really should have known better.

Luckily all were repaired.

I'm afraid Leica is not going to solve your problem.

May I suggest either the use of a monopod or a VR lens for your Nikon.

The suggested pistol training is excellent advice. Long range rifle even better. Best of all is air rifle training.

Press Release:

FIRST PENTAX 645 DIGITAL TO BE UNVEILED AT TOKYO TRADE SHOW

GOLDEN, CO (March 15, 2005) PENTAX Imaging Company has announced that

PENTAX Corporation will unveil the first PENTAX 645 Digital

medium-format camera at the Photo Imaging Expo (PIE) from March 17?20,

2005 in Tokyo. This latest PENTAX digital advancement will be

showcased under glass at PIE 2005.

The PENTAX 645 Digital camera will offer professional quality digital

image reproduction. The camera will also feature:

* A reliable PENTAX 645 AF mount

* Compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645 interchangeable lenses

* A Kodak developed extra-large CCD image sensor with 18.6 total

megapixels.*

*Design, specifications and product name are subject to change without

notice. Official launch date and pricing to be announced.

In addition to a legendary array of film and digital SLR camera

products, PENTAX boasts a proud heritage of delivering professional

quality photographic equipment. PENTAX introduced the world's first

multi-mode medium-format film camera in 1984−the PENTAX 645. In 1997,

the manufacturer unveiled the PENTAX 645N, which was the world's first

medium-format camera with a high-precision autofocus system at that

time. The PENTAX 645 Digital medium-format camera will offer a new

digital dimension for medium-format photographers.

Press Release:

FIRST PENTAX 645 DIGITAL TO BE UNVEILED AT TOKYO TRADE SHOW

GOLDEN, CO (March 15, 2005) PENTAX Imaging Company has announced that PENTAX Corporation will unveil the first PENTAX 645 Digital medium-format camera at the Photo Imaging Expo (PIE) from March 17?20, 2005 in Tokyo. This latest PENTAX digital advancement will be showcased under glass at PIE 2005.

The PENTAX 645 Digital camera will offer professional quality digital image reproduction. The camera will also feature:

* A reliable PENTAX 645 AF mount

* Compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645 interchangeable lenses

* A Kodak developed extra-large CCD image sensor with 18.6 total megapixels.*

*Design, specifications and product name are subject to change without notice. Official launch date and pricing to be announced.

In addition to a legendary array of film and digital SLR camera products, PENTAX boasts a proud heritage of delivering professional quality photographic equipment. PENTAX introduced the world's first multi-mode medium-format film camera in 1984−the PENTAX 645. In 1997, the manufacturer unveiled the PENTAX 645N, which was the world's first medium-format camera with a high-precision autofocus system at that time. The PENTAX 645 Digital medium-format camera will offer a new digital dimension for medium-format photographers.

Poster's comment:

The catch phrase is "extra-large" CCD. To me it means that the CCD may approach the full 645 size.

Sorry, I didn't know you use other brands.

I picked the three that are worst in terms of technical quality, thinking that the others were taken with later versions of Leica.

Leica beats the competition at every level of quality. From consumer 4X6 to the perfectly executed from-start-to-finish large print. I have first hand experience with both. My largest Leica print is over 4 feet on the short side, done by a professional lab.

Of course you can only bring out the fullest quality at the latter level of "realisation", but then you would not be comparing like with like.

I agree with all the posts about medium format quality. Leica cannot compete with medium format. That is a physical constraint that no amount of human ingenuity can overcome. That fact taught me a lot.

Please let me correct my own posting.

From the Leica website, it would seem that the normal MP is also hand made in Germany. http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/msystem/mp/index_e.html (grey box, first sentence). It does not say in Germany, but please see my second last paragraph.

The information about the a la Carte being made in Germany can also be obtained from that site.

http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/msystem/alacarte/index_e.html (grey box, last sentence).

The information about the M7 being assembly made in Portugal was given in the magazine Leica Fotography, prior to the release of the M7.

The magazine also said that all machinery related to M manufacture has been moved to Portugal and there is no machinery left in Germany to make Ms. From this one can also infer that any M camera stated to be "made in Germany" will have to be made by hand. Since the MPs are marked "made in Germany", one can conclude that MPs are hand-made, and in Germany.

It would therefore seem that the best value-for-money a la Carte model would be an M7.

Regarding flare:

I read somewhere that to be optimum, the length of the hood has to be equal to the focal length of the lens. So I had a hood custom made for the DR, 50mm long. It darkened the corners a bit.

Strangely it's OK with the 50mm Elmar collapsible. Maybe I should have taken into account the little distance between the front element and the thread.

Tony

I'm sure you have deliberated very thoroughly before posting these guidelines and most of the comments here have probably crossed your mind at one time or another.

I only wish to say that I fully support your guidelines without amendment.

Thank you for making this place enjoyable.

This is even more similar to the light leak fault that I had.

It's almost exactly the same now.

At that time I instructed the lab to blow up every frame to 8X10 immediately after development (I was in a hurry), and this was what I saw.

I really suggest that you replace the sponge on the film window. It should not cost much.

Had exactly same problem with my R5 several years back. Light leak on the rubber seal, was the cause for me.

Hope this helps.

["A few moderately well known...driven off by hostile...haven't returned."

...legendary Harper's Bazaar photographer Melvin Sokolsky...flamed and humiliated...]

This is what happens when people don't know to whom they are addressing; a paticularity of internet communication. Internet exchange is deteriorating significantly as a result of this. But I am sure protocols will develop over time to correct this. But I myself haven't got a clue how.

Actually I don't even know how much I paid for it.

When I went to order it the shop quoted me a price but I really wasn't listening. I just said OK, without really catching what it was. That's why I said I can't remember how much I paid for it.

When it arrived, I just took the camera without paying. About a week later I went in to pay but I also took some items in for trade-in. And the owner just wrote out an invoice for the difference, without telling me how much he was paying me for the trade-in items. And I didn't bother to ask. (You get to be like that after having dealt with each other for 25 years). So even the invoice didn't show how much the camera cost. In fact I have no record of how much the camera cost.

And I'm not really interested in finding out. What's the point? I bought a stealth, that means I don't want people to know. So no flaunting wanted. I am unlikely to sell it and even if I do the price depends on the market situation at that time and not on how much I paid for it. In any case I would most likely do exactly the same thing, that is, trade it in without knowing how much I got paid for it.

When I went out with it to shoot the first time, I didn't notice anything. But the second time I felt that the shutter advance was really great. So I went home and took out the M3, M6 classic and the stealth, laid them side by side and advance the levers in turn. That's when I knew for sure that there was a difference.

>>Now they have to pay royalty to use their own logo.<<

I wonder if that's a sale and lease back arrangement. If not, then they should change the logo. Or was it the name that they sold?

I also wonder if it's a tax thing.

I KNOW someone was going to say that!

Guess what? The M6 was a far bigger dent in my finances when I bought it in 1986. That's almost 20 years ago. With my a la Carte I can't even remember how much I paid for it. That's how much it means to me financially nowadays.

And the only reason why I bought it was because I wanted a completely obscure camera so that people take no notice of me. Who will take the slightly notice of a bading middle age guy with a black piece of antique-camera-looking thingy in his hands?

I am not trying to show off, but I have to let people know this is no psychology thing.

Speculation: Hermes is betting that China will grow fast enough in the next few years and buy a lot of Leicas for them to make a fortune.

The noveaux riches in China are very brand conscious and they don't trust Japanese goods because they still have the 1950s mentality that Japanese goods are no good. Hermes knows that very well from its experience of selling luxury items.

Just my guess.