Hi Stan, I feel like I'm still trying to get back in the "groove". Last September I broke an ankle and missed all of the trekking through the woods in the Fall. Winter came and we didn't get much snow. I feel Winter needs snow to be interesting. I did finally find a manual macro lens last January, an old Sigma 50 mm 2,8. It has a "zen" coating on the barrel which gets sticky over, I manages to get it pretty clean with alcohol. The lens was really great, but Friday night I got it out after not using it for a month or two, and the focus ring was really tight. I think that zen coating reared it's ugly head between the barrel and zoom ring. Anyway, I want to use it Saturday so I attempted a fix, it will work but I had to disconnect the zoom ring from the turning part of the barrel. I'm looking forward to Spring, what's happening with you?

I agree, very good deal. And it's a macro lens. I think that's the widest macro lens available, at least in the Pentax line. I like that because it's a useful focal length. I had a couple 100mm macro lenses, and didn't find the length useful for much else. Maybe that was just what I was shooting at the time, but I just never connected with the length, always to long or too short. Anyway, I think you'll have fun with that lens.

Sorry to hear about medical bills, that's no fun. Last year I hit the out of pocket maximum on insurance on January 2nd. This year has been much better, but it's Wedding expenses for my daughter. I was able to pick up a Sigma 17-50 2.8 because she wants me to take "getting ready" pics before the photographer gets there, just about a month away now. That 35 macro sounds fun, hope you got a deal. I've got a few old manual lenses and early auto focus lenses that I've picked up cheap but just don't use them much. I half heartedly look for manual focus macro lenses. People are always stating in the forums that you can pick them up with reasonable prices. I very seldom see them and when I do they go for way more than I would pay. I'll close with wishing you more lenses and NO new medical bills.

Sounds like you're having a ball Stan. It's a lot to learn on the manual lenses without using a flash!.. I rarely use flash so I can only imagine. I recently got an A 60/2 and have been experimenting with "catch in focus", it's pretty cool. Hopefully we'll be seeing some of those K10D photos soon. Fortunately, Pentax Forums is a real help!

Wow, congratulations! I think you'll like it, and I hope you have a larhe hard drive on your computer. Hey did you get that 19-35 lens? I do prefer auto-focus lens, I get better results, but I've obtained some M42 lenses and really like using them too, that's th best thing about digital, I can take unlimited photos to try different settings or compositions and load them on the PC, look at them, delete what I don't want, and it didn't cost me anything more than the initial outlay. You can get to know your lenses at lot faster. I hope you did get that 19-35, 19 is pretty much the same FOV on the digital as 28 is on the film. Sounds like you'll be busy this week, I hope the weather is good!

Hi Stan, yes, the same one. I think those Promasters are Sigmas or Tamrons, although I've had a comparable Sigma and Tamron the Promaster was better, maybe just the individual lens variations. That 19-35 is very interesting, I hope you win that and write a review. If I'm not mistaken, there's a Tokina that looks exactly like it. I'll be looking for that review!