rod_dinkins

Perhaps look at the many reviews of the "18 - 55mm kit lens" on the Pentax SLR forum at dpreviews URL:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1036

There you can see many photos taken with the kit lens and user assessments.

Use the "Find" box and type in "18 - 55mm kit lens"

I wanted a one lens carry around from wide angle to moderate telephoto and settled on the Sigma 18 to 125mm lens.

I do have several primes which I use for "serious" work.

Brad see the SF10 operating manual - shows compatibility of your equipment.

Page 52 and 53 at URL:

http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/manual/SF10.pdf

It may help for you to read the P30T owner's manual on-line at URL:

http://www.cameramanuals.org/pentax_pdf/pentax_p30-2.pdf

Although the manual may not cover later Pentax flash units - it does discuss info you will need to make a choice. See pages 27 thru 29.

RE: Rechargeable CR-V3 batteries - on e-bay and elsewhere, all the ones I have seen are made in Asia and from experience with other Asian batteries I have become very leerie unless the are a major brands.

I ordered two Rechargeable CR-V3 batteries and a charger off of e-bay -- paid by a money order. Never received them, they would not answer my e-mail. Finally I called their phone number - got an answering machine -- they never returned my call.

The reson I am alerting potential buyers is: The vendor had a hideous record of negative comments and no shipments. So be sure to read the track record of e-bay sellers. I failed to do this, sure will from now on.

I use non-rechargeable CR-V3 batteries and get 1000+ shots. Also I carry MaHa Rechargeables AA just in case. Can use them in my DS or external flash.

"Pet Pentax Hate" on the LX model is The Infamous Sticky Mirror problem - also have heard of this on some of the M models.

See URL:

http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~distudio/pentax_lx_problems/

Otherwise a jewel of a camera

Battery discussion

See URL:

http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?batteries.html~mainFrame

Lens discussions

http://stans-photography.com/

See pentax site for lens compatibility

http://www.pentaximaging.com/products/cameras/lenses/compatability_chart.jsp

Another site is URL:

http://pentax-manuals.com/manuals/manuals.htm

And of course the Pentax page URL:

http://www.pentax.com/docstore/index.cfm?show=6

Tammie the *IST DS manual can be downloaded at URL:

http://www.pentax.com/docstore/index.cfm?show=6

Daniel -- agreed it is very disconcerting to watch the bidding on the auctions. Don't forget the other auction sites like yahoo.

I determine what I will reasonably pay - bid once and forget about it.

I was outbid on e-bay for a Pentax SMC -A 28mm F2.8.

Went to Yahoo Auctions found it for $30 cheaper than the final e-bay bid.

Pawn shops are a good place to look. Found a SMC-A 100mm for $50.

Also KEH at URL: http://www.keh.com/onlinestore/home.aspx

Another is the Pentax Classified URL:http://www.pentaxuser.org/classifieds/

Lord give me patience - but could I have it right now (;-)

Good luck'

Rod in Oceanside, CA

Gee folks what part of an auction don't you understand. For some money is no object. For others it is a must have at nearly any price. Some are uninformed as to what the market price is and where to obtain a like item at a much more reasonable price. Some get caught up in bidding frenzy.

I see the lament on various news groups and forums et al and am at loss as to why you even care what folks pay and fail to realize it is an AUCTION

You really don't want price fixing - do you?

Ah interesting responses -- well taken

I guess my point is -- don't just snap and record -- take some time to compose and put some emotion into the picture

Some of the best photos I have ever seen was taken by our instructor Susy with an Pentax K1000 and a normal 50mm lens !!!

As camera buffs, we talk a lot about the tecnical aspects of

cameras, lenses, and processing. But one of my instructors in a

photo class said -- this class is about how to take good

photographs, no brand comparisons, best lens, etc. She taught us the

principles of composition and using the camera as an artistic tool.

The Kodak books "Joy of Photography" and "More Joy of Photography

are excellent.

Also I found an excellent website -- "Advanced Composition" by Ron

Bigelow -- highly recommended at URL:

http://ronbigelow.com/articles/adv_comp/adv_comp.htm

Don't you just hate it when you show a friend your prize photo and

they respond "What kind of camera" "What film" etc. With no

appeciation of the marvelous composition techniques you employed or

that you waited 2 hours for the right lighting?

I have a 3 year old Tamron 28-105mm f4-5.6 (IF) zoom that I use with

my Pentax film cameras. Quite pleased with the lens. I now have the

*IST DS.

But I noticed Pentax has a new lens -- Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto

SMCP-FA 28-105mm f/4-5.6 IF Autofocus Lens - Silver Priced around

$200. Read a rumor that Tamron makes this for Pentax - so perhaps it

is the same lens.

Has anyone compared these two lenses and is it worth while selling

the Tamron and getting the Pentax ???

Thanks folks. Indeed the Adobe Camera Raw download works fine with my trial Elements 3 and the Pentax *IST DS. Results are excellent so will opt to buy it. Prints are crisp and sharp and the ability to make corrections at the raw level are worth the cost. I did find that for jpeg shooting, using EV+0.5 and max saturation, sharpness and contrast worked well. Trying various lens and using Tamron AF (IF) 28 to 105mm lens quite a bit keeping it stopped down. Also the SMC FA 1.7 50mm works well.

Really happy with the DS model, kudos Pentax.

Got my IST DS and find the 6M 3 star mode very flat and lacking

brightness and contrast. So post processing is in order, Adobe 4.0

photoshop perks things up considerably. But friends advise and a

reviewer sed you really want to shoot raw and post process on the

raw image. So be it. Adobe CS is out of my price range. So

downloaded the Elements 3 trial version. But does not import raw PEF

files! There is a raw converter download for elements 3 but called

Adobe tech support and they stated that the converter won't work on

the trial version. Also they didn't know if elements 3 works with

IST DS! Sed it does with IST D. So anyone have elements 3 and can

advise how well it works with IST DS? Pentax photo lab is lousy INHO.

March 2005 Pentax DS Review by Phil Askey via Digital Photo Review

URL:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxistds/

Very interesting information particulary the jpeg vs raw mode

resolution

Several comparisons between Pentax, Canon, and Nikon

Well determined it has to do with write speed of the cards.

Next question is what is the performance of these two cards with the Pentax *IST DS. *IST Buffer speed ?

Is it worth the additional cost

My older Pentaxes had a penchant to be difficult to load film.

Check the manual -- Steps 1 thru 4

URL:http://www.pentaximaging.com/files/manual/K1000.pdf

I found that advancing the film twice with the back open would do the trick. Then close the back

Also be sure to push the rewind lever down.

Otherwise it is probably not functionally properly.

Getting ready for my Pentax *IST DS purchase and wonder what is the

difference between these two cards?

Any preference and why ?

Sandisk ULTRA II 512mb Secure Digital (SD) Card ~ $65

SanDisk 512MB Secure Digital Card ~ $50

Thanks

Rod Dinkins

Oceanside, CA

Just acquired the P30T and an AF200T flash. I have read the Pentax

on-line manuals and still am defuzzled. I gather I cannot use the

TTL AUTO setting on the Flash. So if I set the flash to say AUTO

GREEN and the camera lens to f11 (ASA 400), do I set the shutter

speed to Green A or 100 (flash arrow) ??

Thanks for the advice on the *IST DS - have one on order.

Try as I might in searching the Pentax site and many others, can't

find what SD card is factory supplied if any with the body only

purchase. Reason I need to know is what additional card I might want

when I but my *IST DS. Found some package deals on the web.

Also I own many Pentax lenses as well as the big flash AF-500FTZ.

Would appreciate any info as how well this flash works with the *IST

DS. Particularly the SL slave mode ?