dshombert

<p>One book that I found very helpful is Complete Digital Photography, by Ben Long, Charles River Media press. I have the 4th edition, there could be a new one by now. Comprehensive and well written, clear explanations.</p>

<p>Great suggestion, Evan. Thanks.</p>

<p>Geez, I like those too. But the one I'm referring to is the one William mentions.</p>

<p>In one episode of the Ken Burns series of the National Parks, there's a photo taken in the Lincoln Memorial. It was shot at night, over the statue's right shoulder, looking down of four or five people standing in front of him and looking up. Their faces are in shadow and they are more or less dwarfed by the size of the statue. I found it quite moving and am wondering who the photographer was. Anyone know?</p>

<p>When I bought into Pentax digital about two years ago, I bought the 16-50mm and 50-135mm DA* lenses. Within the first year, the 16-50 developed the problem of being slow to focus when the camera was first powered up after being off for a few days. Once it found focus, it would then focus instantly at any distance. If the camera was off for an hour or a day, then turned back on - no problem. If the camera was off for several days - back to the above, it might take close to one minute to focus even under optimum conditions. I think I might have posted here about all this. I sent it to Pentax and they exchanged it under warranty. I guess I got a refurb, the serial number of the replacement is lower than the one I sent in. Anyway, now the 50-135 is doing the exact same thing. I've sent it to the new repair facility and asked that they consider replacing it, even though it's out of warranty. I think the problem was "there" all along. I'll post the results. But I have to say, I still love the gear.</p>

<p>I live in a small town in West Virginia that is pretty isolated. The nearest real camera store is about 200 miles away, and the nearest Best Buy is even further. So when it came time to decide which brand to buy, my only realistic option was to read stuff in magazines and on the web. I read reviews on PNet and other places about Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony. Since I was new to digital photography, it was pretty confusing. No, make that VERY confusing. I'd had some experience with film, but this was adding several layers of complexity. I was sure that any of those brands could produce good pictures; I chose Pentax mainly because the descriptions that I read of how the camera's controls worked just made more sense to me than the others.</p>

<p>I would echo the advice given above, and add that you should also post this on the Pentax forum. I'm a regular there and haven't seen this mentioned, but that doesn't mean no one there has experienced it. Plus, other Pentax users will want to know about this and might never see it here.</p>

<p>Yep. As it happens, my K100DS has not sold yet so I dug it out and checked - sure enough, same noise. I'd say it's less noticeable than on the K-7, but it's there. Gotta be the SR device as Andrew & Michael said. Thanks to all.</p>

<p>When I hold my K-7 in my hand and rotate it into (and out of) portrait orientation, I hear something moving inside - a barely audible sliding sound and a very soft "thunk". A friend's K20 does the same thing, only it's quieter. Is this normal? Is it the sensor moving, or possibly the vertical position sensor? Power on or off, makes no difference. Everything seems to work fine, I'm just curious.</p>

<p>Where I live (Elkins, WV), there's an organization called the Augusta Heritage Society that sponsors a 5-week program in traditional music (and craft) every summer. Several thousand people attend every year, there's a catalog, there's a website - lots of photos needed. Their photographer comes every year with a whole bag of Pentax gear. I think he uses ist bodies.</p>

<p>I also bought this flash recently and had the same question. What others have said is correct. Oddly enough, Pentax does not explain this in the Operating Manual for the flash but they DO explain it in the Operating Manual for the camera (K20D) - there's a whole section on using an external flash that is more illuminating (hee hee) than the flash manual.</p>

<p>If it doesn't have to be a new camera, consider a Canon Powershot G5 or G6. Very capable cameras, although they suffer from the same optical viewfinder alignment issues that seem to plague all point-and-shoots. The wireless remote works great.</p>

<p>Thanks, Antoni. I had no problem once the words "self-extracting" sank in. Duh.</p>

<p>I tried downloading the v1.03 update - well, I did download it - but the Pentax website where I found it says that downloading gets you two files: the (compressed) update itself and a .txt file that has the instructions. I got the update OK but not the text file. I tried it a couple of times, to the SD card itself and to my hard drive. No luck, I don't see the instructions file anywhere. I'm using Firefox, if that matters. What's the next step for installation? It can't be very complicated but, all the same, I'm reluctant to try it blindly. Thanks.</p>

<p>Hmm, distressing news about the NP-400. I wonder if what Jerry read about an unused battery deteriorating is really true. And, if it is, could a new battery's demise be postponed by refrigerated storage until it's ready for use? Anybody got any links to an authoritative source on this topic?</p>

<p>Whoa, that's a GREAT picture of one! Through a window, yet. Very nice.<br>

As to the noise - the sound of one of these guys working out on a piece of wood is quite different from what we normally think of as woodpecker sounds. I think (not sure about this) it's because the pileated bird is looking for things that live in softened dead wood, and he can get at them more easily when the wood is really wet. Wood in that condition - soft and wet - makes a much quieter sound when anything hits it, woodpeckers included. When I see them at my place, it's usually during a wet period or shortly thereafter, and the noise is barely noticeable from 50 yards away. I hardly ever see them when it's been dry for awhile. Downy or red-headed woodpeckers (which I also have plenty of) are more likely to be pecking on hard, dry wood, presumably because they're after different kinds of bugs.<br>

An interesting side note - the pileated woodpecker looks very much like the ivory-billed, which was thought to be extinct until one was spotted in Kentucky a couple years ago. The color of the bill is about the only difference between the two.<br>

OK, enough bird babble. It's raining today, I'm gonna go get my zoom lens and tripod and set up at the window.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>My house is more or less smack in the middle of three acres of woods (central West Virginia), and I have at least three or four pileated woodpeckers living here. There are several dead trees that I've left standing for just that reason - they attract all sorts of interesting wildlife. Three or four times a week, I'll look at the back windows and see the chips flying from one of these guys working out on a stump or fallen branch. They make huge holes and can demolish a small branch in no time. In fifteen years of trying, I've never gotten close enough to get a good photo, though.</p>

<p>And this happens with more than one DA* lens?<br /> What you're describing is exactly what happened with my DA* 16 - 50 lens when I first bought it. However, it would only behave that way when I first turned the camera on after being off for a day or more. Once I had it on and waited through the seemingly interminable focusing procedure, then it would be fine, focusing quickly and accurately. Focus up close, then far away, then up close again, everything works great. Turn the camera off, turn it on again two hours later, everything still works great. Turn it of and turn it on again two <strong>days</strong> later - the problem's ba-a-a-ck. I sent the lens back to Pentax and they replaced it. This copy works great, I've never had the problem since. But it only happened with that particular lens; my DA* 50-135 has always worked perfectly, at startup and thereafter. I theorized there's some lubricant inside the mechanism - seems like there's gotta be - and that, in the case of the 16 - 50 lens, the lubricant was too viscous when "cold". Pentax never confirmed that, it's just my admittedly half-baked theory.<br /> If it's happening with only one lens, I'd send it it to Pentax. If it's happening with more than one, it's hard to believe they'd all fail identically at the same time.</p>

<p>Kevin - I believe you, I don't dispute your tale, but something's not right. I once bought a Contax autofocus lens from KEH that was listed in LN- condition. It looked unused inside and out, but it made a high-pitched whistling noise when seeking focus, more than the usual noise of a focusing drive. ToCad confirmed that this was not normal. I returned it for another lens, which was fine, and the KEH rep volunteered the fact that they would reimburse my credit card for the return shipping since the lens was obviously not up to its stated description. I didn't even have to ask for this, he insisted on it from the early stage of the conversation.<br>

I think maybe there's a difference between talking to one of the sales reps and the clerical people who sometimes answer the phone. Other than that, I can't imagine why your experience went the way it did. If that happened recently, it might be worth a call to them to question the decision.</p>

<p>I've bought a lot of stuff from KEH and always been satisfied. On one occasion, I thought the EX rating was a little bit overstated, but it's always at least somewhat subjective. They are honest, for sure, and easy to deal with.<br>

NOTE: I think the comment above about a 30-day "no questions asked" return period is incorrect. I'm pretty sure it's 14 days, and you need your receipt. The warranty on used gear from KEH is 60 days (I think)</p>

<p>Adrienne - For what it's worth, I bought a refurbished Canon 30D and a refurbished Canon zoom lens from Adorama awhile back, and I'm completely satisfied. It came in what's obviously a Canon box, identified as refurbished by Canon, and I do not see anything on either the camera or the lens that would distinguish them from being new.</p>

<p>Michael - In my K100D Super, the yellow label that is<strong> </strong> inside the battery compartment specifically mentions the CRV3 batteries, i.e., it shows how the CRV3s (as well as AAs) go in with correct polarity. Does your K200 have that same label? Maybe there's your answer.</p>

<p>Traded? You mean .... you mean..... get a new lens and..... and..... get RID of one you already have?<br>

You can DO that?</p>

<p>I went through the exact same process as Steve. Yeah, it seems like you're going in circles. The problem is that Amazon, even though they are a Pentax dealer, do not put the necessary card - verification card, whatever ya call it - in the package with the camera. Why, I don't know, but Pentax is aware of the problem. I emailed them a copy of my Amazon receipt and it all fell into place. Took a couple of weeks, but definitelyl worth the effort and the wait. A k20 with a three year warranty - hey, I'm set for a long time, no matter what they come out with.</p>

<p>Thanks for the opinions, fellas. I'm still undecided on this, but your contributions are helpful.</p>