[trixtroll]

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FEDEX just dropped it off on my front porch: C/Y Zeiss 70-300mm Vario-Sonnar f 4.0-5.6 T* .This was BGN priced at $162.28 plus sales tax and free freight. Buying from Keh, you quickly learn that you cannot trust their ratings. This one was rated BGN but looks MINT, with brand-correct front and back caps and original black fabric storage bag. There is not a scratch or even a smudge on this lens, nor can I find a speck of internal dust. It actually looks to be new and unused. The only thing missing is a filter and hood. but I have the correct UV filter, and can perhaps even dig out a screw-in style hood, though the front of the lens appears to support a bayonet hood which would probably cost one-third or more of the price of the lens if one could be located, which I doubt. I can't wait to mount this one on the K-1 and give it a try. Reviews appear quite positive, so I am optimistic.

Apologies to product photographers everywhere for this image!

I agree that their rating system often rates very nice lenses at BGN, and I think this sometimes has something to do with desirability. I recently sent them an Auto Sears 50mm F/2 that was practically new, they said it wasn't worth buying and offered me a $20 gift card if they could just "recycle" it instead of sending it back.

About a week later it was listed as BGN for $25, so I figure that's what they do when they realize they're going to have a hard time selling a lens.


That said, I'm trying to talk myself out of a BGN Minolta MD 24mm F/2.8 lens........I ended up splurging and sending my uncle's old Minolta XG-1 out for a CLA and I ordered navy blue leatherette to recover it myself, so it's only logical that I try to fill gaps that aren't covered by my Pentax gear.

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Last edited by trixtroll; 08-30-2021 at 05:14 AM. Reason: Typo

[Marcus Rowland]

Quick question - does anyone have any experience of "Universal camera & phone chargers" like this

Universal Phone / Camera Battery External Charger & USB Port - Desktop Charger | eBay

The way they seem to work is that there are two sliding contacts which are adjusted to the spacing of the contacts on the battery, then a sliding top plate is moved to hold the battery in place - I think it may be spring loaded.

I seem to need to buy a charger every month or two for the cameras I sell, and sometimes I don't know in advance if the camera is working. I'm thinking of getting one of these for the first stage of testing, to see if it's worth buying a proper charger. Anyone used one?

[Sagitta]

Quick question - does anyone have any experience of "Universal camera & phone chargers" like this

Universal Phone / Camera Battery External Charger & USB Port - Desktop Charger | eBay

The way they seem to work is that there are two sliding contacts which are adjusted to the spacing of the contacts on the battery, then a sliding top plate is moved to hold the battery in place - I think it may be spring loaded.

I seem to need to buy a charger every month or two for the cameras I sell, and sometimes I don't know in advance if the camera is working. I'm thinking of getting one of these for the first stage of testing, to see if it's worth buying a proper charger. Anyone used one?

I had one I used for years. Didn't use it for a cell phone, but I swapped between charging my K-x/K-30 batteries and my Canon PowerShot's itty bitty one. It worked like a charm.

[JimJohnson]

Saffron-flavored rice is about the only place I encounter that singular spice. Considering the cost of saffron, perhaps a blandly tasting item such as rice is a good dish to let the saffron stand out. You wouldn't want to use saffron on a pepperoni pizza or a stir-fry.based on kielbasa

Plenty of Scandinavians around the Forum... We have a large Finnish descent population locally (highest US concentration I believe). Saffron bread & rolls are a staple item at local bakeries.

[Marcus Rowland]

I had one I used for years. Didn't use it for a cell phone, but I swapped between charging my K-x/K-30 batteries and my Canon PowerShot's itty bitty one. It worked like a charm.

Excellent! Exactly what I wanted to know. Many thanks!

[Nakedgun]

>Photo related<

I check from time to time and last week it dropped to $1247, so I bought it for the 3-lens kit I want for the K-3iii. Camera will be coming sometime before Christmas, disasters notwithstanding.








.

[jspi]

The new lens arrived yesterday. Listed as Excellent (Adorama) and I'd say it's like new. Can't find a spot on it to complain about. However, the leather pouch seems to have shrunk at the bottom which makes it a bit difficult to remove. If it becomes an issue, I'll put it in the box and grab a generic bag for the lens.

Just a couple quick shots of it sitting on my laptop (taken with the 31mm Limited).

Hopefully I'll get to test the lens thoroughly this weekend.

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[stevebrot]

I gotta quit doing this sort of thing...impulse purchase of clever products. I took part in a thread where the matter of quality options for flash brackets came up. I have a flash bracket, a relic from an age before hot shoes and I wondered what options might be out there for something with an emphasis on actually securing the gear and doing so in a robust manner. Purely by chance I happened upon something from Custom Brackets called a CB Digital-SB. Hey, if it has digital in the name, it must be good, right? Price was quite reasonable and before I knew it, a package was on its way from B&H. Below is a marketing photo with my annotation indicating what caught my attention.

Notice...no rubber pad to hold the bracket firm to the camera...instead...



Pretty cool, eh? Those two arms engage the camera body to avoid twist, allowing for a very clean design that is not going to end up with camera and flash all akimbo.

Engagement to the K-3 was not quite as I expected, but still, I am impressed. It simply works. Also note the hole half-way across. That is for tripod mount, which is really helpful if wanting to share how it all goes together.



So, here we have a common use case of a manual speedlight receiving sync from a simple on-camera radio wireless trigger. Just to show that tradition has not been ignored, here we have the same bracket and flash working with my Minolta Autocord and doing so without interfering the the Autocord's unique focus mechanism. It is a little hard to see, but Minolta actually provided two traction pads that mate nicely to the anti-twist nubs.



Am I impressed? Well, yes, I am. Is my impression 100% without shadow? Nope, there are a few shortcomings, most having to do with the included flash plate adapter and how to attach various stuff to the handle without using that wretched device.

Full Review to FOLLOW!


Steve

(...memo to self...must get decent second camera so I don't have to use the cell phone for review stuff...)

[bdery]

Well well, look who arrived unexpectedly yesterday, to get reviewed alongside the K-3 iii!



First impression (beyond the "that's a big lens!) is "wow! that thing is fast!!!"

[timb64]

Well well, look who arrived unexpectedly yesterday, to get reviewed alongside the K-3 iii!



First impression (beyond the "that's a big lens!) is "wow! that thing is fast!!!"

…..and people complain about the 16-85 being a bit weighty!!

[Canada_Rockies]

For Cdn $5.00 a pretty trashy footstool, but it's perfect for comfort under my desk while I'm on the computer.

[bdery]

…..and people complain about the 16-85 being a bit weighty!!

The 16-50 is a wee bit bigger indeed!

[cdd29]

ordered a new GPU & had to get another wireless card for my main pc. GPU is an upgrade (4gb vs. using shared memory) and tired of wireless dropping out.

[disconnekt]

The 16-50 is a wee bit bigger indeed!

In the words of the band Disturbed, lens wise Pentax is "Getting down with the thiccness *ow ahahahah*" 😂😂

[Marcus Rowland]

An interesting day - got three lenses, some cables, and a toy which is probably worth more than the rest put together.


The lenses were a Canon EF-S 18-55 3.5-5.6 for £15 in nice condition with caps and a skylight filter, a Pentax-F 28-80 3.5-4.5 for £8 with caps and a metal hood, but slight fungus, and a no-name 28-80 for Minolta AF for £8 (also with caps, filter, and metal hood) which unfortunately has severe fungus and probably is destined for my next junk job lot. Considering how much metal hoods and filters cost it's not a complete loss.

The cables were four mini USB to USB leads, the sort used for a lot of cameras, for £0.50 each, and two European 2-pin power leads, also 50p each. I get through a lot of these so a few spares are always handy.

Finally, the toy was a bit of vintage memorabilia for one of Gerry Anderson's TV shows - the "secret agent briefcase" toy sold for Joe 90, which I got for £2! It has various compartments containing a toy gun, glasses (a trademark of the leading character), ID badge, etc. Unfortunately it isn't complete, there should have been a silencer for the gun and more ID stuff, but they sell for well over £100 complete so I think I can expect to make a decent profit.