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Forum: Sold Items 07-15-2011, 09:12 AM  
For Sale - Sold: Camera, cable release, battery grip, flash, battery pack, 3 lenses and radio t
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 20
Views: 6,189
Yes, sorry, the lens is sold and shipped. I just reviewed my correspondence in the message forum here. The person who bought the 50 had in fact contacted me earlier and with all of the responses I got, and with a bit of uncertainty at first on the part of some buyers about what they wanted, I got confused about what was being taken and what wasn't. My apologies.

Will
Forum: Sold Items 07-14-2011, 05:21 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Camera, cable release, battery grip, flash, battery pack, 3 lenses and radio t
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 20
Views: 6,189
Well, what a day! I've sold a lot of stuff here on Pentax Forums and am always happy to see the items go to what I know will be a good home. With Craig's List or eBay, well, you never know. (eBay in particular gives me the heebie jeebies, which is why I avoid it nowadays.)

Anyway, I did NOT expect the flood of responses that I got. The FA35 f/2 AL was the item most sought after, and the first one to sell, but I've gotten inquiries (by PM or email or both) on everything.

The items that have officially been sold have been marked in the original posting. Two other items are pending sale (I'm awaiting payment from the buyers) and I'll mark them sold as soon as they officially are.

All the other items have been bid on. If you sent me a PM and you haven't heard from me, first, let me thank you for your inquiry, and second, I promise to get back to everybody a.s.a.p. I'm just trying to handle incoming fire as well as I can but it's been difficult.

Will
Forum: Sold Items 07-14-2011, 11:42 AM  
For Sale - Sold: Camera, cable release, battery grip, flash, battery pack, 3 lenses and radio t
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 20
Views: 6,189
The FA 35 f/2 AL has sold, to the first person who got in touch with me (VERY early). Thank you to that buyer and also to all of you who inquired about this lens.

Will
Forum: Sold Items 07-14-2011, 07:13 AM  
For Sale - Sold: Camera, cable release, battery grip, flash, battery pack, 3 lenses and radio t
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 20
Views: 6,189
Wow, woke up this morning to find a number of responses in my inbox. I will get back to people today a.s.a.p. in the order of the received messages.

And if you're interested in something please don't let this post discourage you from contacting me. I haven't had chance yet to take inventory but I think there are items available still so don't hesitate to email or PM me.

Thanks,

Will
Forum: Sold Items 07-13-2011, 09:08 PM  
For Sale - Sold: Camera, cable release, battery grip, flash, battery pack, 3 lenses and radio t
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 20
Views: 6,189
I had hoped to be able to keep some of this but regrettably I must sell off all of my remaining Pentax gear. To wit:
  1. Pentax K10D camera (body). Camera is in good condition, works great, with one exception: has curtain problem when shutter speeds is 1/1500th second or higher. I'll throw in the Burian book on the K10D for free. Lowest used price on Amazon is $325; my price, $210.

  2. Pentax battery grip for K10D/K20D. Good condition, no problems. Would PREFER to sell with camera (makes sense)... Amazon price new is $166; my price, $85.

  3. Pentax electronic cable shutter release. Like new. Amazon price new, $34; my price, $25.Sold

  4. Pentax AF540FGZ flash. Unit is in fine working condition, but NOTE: I removed the locking pin from this unit. For the reasons why, read my starting post in this thread. The flash works great and stays in the hot shoe just fine. You can't SHAKE it out, well, unless you really, really try. This flash got stuck in my hot shoe within days after I purchased it, I removed the pin, and then used it for a number of weddings and other events, portrait sessions (with the flash on light stands). I got into the unconscious habit of confirming the latch was firmly closed, very easy to do. Never fell out on me, never gave me a problem. Comes with nice Pentax carrying bag. Amazon price for this flash new, $422; my price, $225.Sold

  5. TR PowerPack 3 external (hip-mounting) battery pack and cable, for use with the AF540FGZ. Like new condition, only used it a couple of times. Takes 6 C batteries. Allows flash to recycle more quickly, and to take more shots. Amazon new price, $140; my price, $80.Sold

  6. Pentax FA 50 f/1.4 lens. Excellent condition. Amazon new price, $369, my price, $200.Sold

  7. Pentax FA 35 f/2.0 lens. Excellent condition. Amazon used price (no longer available new) $450; my price, $220. Sold.

  8. Sigma 105 f/2.8 lens. Excellent lens in very good condition. Amazon new price, $479; my price, $225.Sold

  9. FLASHWAVE2 radio trigger set: 1 transmitter, 3 receivers. Excellent condition. Amazon new price for 1 transmitter + 1 receiver, $122; Amazon price for 1 receiver alone, $82. It makes sense for these items to be purchased together and my price for the whole package (1 transmitter, 3 receivers) is $150. You'll be hard pressed to beat that anywhere!Sold


Amazon prices were good as of 7/13/11 and are for comparison only. I do not expect to sell everything to the same person. However, if you are interested I will take $1300 for EVERYTHING ($120 off the total of the items priced individually). THAT IS A COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHIC SYSTEM, CAMERA, FLASH, 3 GREAT LENSES, RADIO TRIGGERS, AND MORE. Well, this isn't an issue any more since half of the items have been sold....

Unless otherwise noted above, all items come with original packaging, user manuals, etc. The camera comes with the battery and charger, but the flash units and the external battery pack for the AF540FGZ do NOT come with batteries.

I'm also selling a Metz mecablitz 58 AF-1 in great condition but I'll be listing it separately. This just got too long.Sold, to the second person who contacted me early this a.m.

*

Images

I posted a couple photos in this gallery, here.

The whole lot can be seen here:






I'm not posting very many images now. Tomorrow I will try to add a few photos taken with the camera and each of the lenses to the Picasa Web Albums gallery where you will also find the photos above. But I am very open to questions, either here or (more efficiently) by direct email: wp AT william-porter DOT net (put it together).

*

Shipping. I regret that I am willing to ship only within the USA. It's just easier for me to deal with shipping and insurance here. I expect that the average shipping price (you pay) will be $15-20, with insurance.

Questions, please! Obviously it's a pain in the neck both for you and for me for an item to be returned, so please feel free to ask me any questions you have in advance, including asking me to demonstrate performance as well as I can by taking a specific photo. I'm very friendly and love to answer questions! In theory I can video conference on my iMac if you would like to do that although I haven't done it before. If you email me privately I will be happy to give you my phone number if you would like to talk to me on the phone. I am in Dallas, Texas (central daylight savings time).

Return policy. See previous paragraph. However, I will accept returns within 48 hours of receipt of the items. Return shipping and insurance are at your expense.

Payment. Payment accepted only by PayPal (unless you are here in Dallas and want to come by and pay in cash).

*

Two personal notes.

First, if you don't know me, for many years I was very active here. You can check out my profile, as well as my rating as a seller.

Second, I apologize to those who may have contacted me in the last six months. I have had Crohn's Disease all my adult life and lately it's been acting up rather badly. I've been in the hospital four times in as many months and not in terrific shape the rest of the time. As a result, I've been able to work only half-time and had to drop out of most of the online forums I used to be active in, including this one, photo.net, and several others. Please accept my apologies if you tried to reach me and I didn't respond.

Will Porter
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-20-2010, 03:03 PM  
processing options for PEF on older Mac
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 10
Views: 3,252
Thanks. I was excited about this —*but it turns out I've got iPhoto version 5, and this update doesn't apply to that version. ;-(

Am running Mac OS X.5 on my G4 PowerBook, one of the machines I'm dealing with here. Earlier I mentioned the iBook; still not sure what version of OS X that's running. Will post here as soon as I figure that out. Thanks,

Will
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-20-2010, 01:46 PM  
processing options for PEF on older Mac
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 10
Views: 3,252
Actually it does look as if Graphic Converter (one of the great programs of all time for the Mac) has older versions available for download, AND it appears that at least some of these versions support PEF.

Will
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-20-2010, 01:43 PM  
processing options for PEF on older Mac
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 10
Views: 3,252
PEF = Pentax Electronic File. It's Pentax's proprietary raw format.

Will
Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing 10-20-2010, 01:02 PM  
processing options for PEF on older Mac
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 10
Views: 3,252
I'm trying to access photos taken by a K20D on an older, pre-Intel iBook. Don't have the iBook at hand and can't remember exactly what the version of OS X is, but of course it's not the latest.

Anyway, iPhoto won't open PEF files on this computer. What are my options? Picasa for Mac OS X requires an Intel processor, so that won't work. Can't upgrade the OS on this old computer, so I have to use something that will work with slightly out of date OS. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 10-11-2010, 03:44 PM  
Pentax bodies' lens-changing ergonomics. Clearly superior?
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 29
Views: 5,036
I'm glad you posted this. I've wondered about it myself. I'm not familiar with all the other brands, but I agree with you, that Pentax's approach is different and better. On the Nikons and Sonys I've tried, changing lenses is indeed more awkward.

I believe this goes back to the days of film, and I wonder if the approach taken by the other makers doesn't represent a bias in favor of right-handers. The non-Pentax way of doing it means that you hold the lens in your right hand, as you take it off or put it on. Perhaps somebody thought this was safer for the overwhelming majority of the population that is right-handed. But actually, Pentax's approach lets you get a good grip on the lens with your left hand, so even if you were a bit of a klutz working with your left hand, you still would be unlikely to drop the lens.

That said, it's hardly a huge deal. Wouldn't keep me from using a 7D or D7000 if someone gave me one as a gift....

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-24-2010, 11:42 PM  
Pentax TTL bodies and Nikon flashes...
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 12
Views: 5,233
I have an old, small Nikon flash that I use as a hair light or for small jobs. I control it by radio triggers. Works fine with Pentax. If you use radio triggers, pretty much any flash will work.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-22-2010, 12:03 PM  
K-5 vs K-R
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 16
Views: 7,173
Yes—and no.

Yes, I do agree that over, oh, 12MP, the megapixel contest is a bit silly.

And yet, IF you have really good lenses AND a sensor that captures more megapixels, then you do get more detail, for larger prints. And if you never need to make a huge print, you can crop more tightly and still have a tremendous photo.

I think that most photographers are discovering that there is a sweet spot in there somewhere, at least given the average power of today's computers and average capacity of today's storage. That sweet spots seems to be somewhere around 14MP. 12MP is great on the low side, 16MP is great on the high-res side. But bigger files do take up more space, and even more noticeably take significantly longer to load in your processing software. Those of us who shoot pro are the ones most likely to want higher res files, but at the same time we're the ones who are trying to process 800 files in the next two days and so a five-second load time for every picture really matters to us.

So I want to get the maximum resolution I can get -- so long as it doesn't cause me to have to spend hours more processing images from a shoot, and so long as it doesn't exceed the resolution/acuity of my lenses.




Right, but I'm rethinking these things completely now, because of the cost of the K-5 and because of the fact that the digital camera world seems to be in such flux. I believe that, with rare exceptions arising from very special needs, cheaper cameras can take photos that are every bit as good as the more expensive cameras. Differences between bodies are differences in usability, durability, convenience, etc., not basic picture-taking ability. So I have just about decided that I would prefer to have cheaper cameras that I can replace more often, so as to keep up with the improvements in technology. If I buy a new Pentax any time soon (not yet decided) there's a better than even chance it would be a K-r rather than a K-5.

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-21-2010, 10:05 PM  
K-5 vs K-R
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 16
Views: 7,173
Bushwhacker,

Yes, I expect the autofocus on the K-r will be comparable to that on the K-5, if not quite equal to.

I too have been thinking seriously about what to buy. The K-r keeps popping up to the top of my list because of its reasonable price and generally excellent specs, and then it drops back down for a fairly trivial reason, namely, the lower resolution. I might be able to overcome this objection; 12MP really is fine. It's just that I'm used to 14MP with my K20D. Decisions, decisions.

My feeling though is that Pentax is more truly competitive at that lower price-point, for those buyers like yourself who are free to pick one brand or another. Maybe Nikon has a camera that can match the K-r for build and performance but I'm not aware of it. The higher-priced K-5 is a fantastic camera on paper, and probably in real-life, too. But the announced price is discouraging.

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-21-2010, 08:15 AM  
WOW!!!!
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 18
Views: 6,500
The way I read (misread) it, what you were saying sounded so blindingly obvious that I suspected sarcasm and thought you might be a troll. Please accept my apologies for misunderstanding your post.

Yes, we've come a long way. However, I'd point out that phone cameras are nowhere near competitive with real DSLRs and I can't see how they ever can be. My HTC Droid Incredible has an 8MP camera. Under absolutely ideal circumstances it can take a not too bad photo. But it can't compete with my DSLRs, or even with my Panasonic LX3. Having a larger, more serious lens really does make a difference.


On the other hand, as somebody points out, I can read bar codes with my phone! And I have even used my phone for geotagging. Since my K20D doesn't have GPS built in, I've occasionally taken a companion photo with the phone, and then manually moved the GPS info into the K20d's photos.

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-20-2010, 08:32 AM  
WOW!!!!
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 18
Views: 6,500
What an odd post.

Here's another news flash. I can go faster in my wife's turbocharged Mitsubishi Eclipse than I can go on my bicycle, even downhill. In defense of the bike, though, it weighs less.

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-18-2010, 07:06 AM  
Live view: K-x, K-r
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 8
Views: 4,204
Yes, I had the same experience years ago, and I think you are right. Using the viewfinder seems more direct, more immediate. Using an LED to frame a shot seems a bit indirect, like using a mechanical arm to grab something rather than just grabbing it with your hands.

But there are times when the live view can be quite useful. I'm trying to get some idea of how responsive live view is on the newer Pentax cameras.
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-17-2010, 10:11 PM  
Live view: K-x, K-r
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 8
Views: 4,204
Have you ever used the Sony A550? I have been trying one out this week. The A550 can't compare even to a K20D, let alone a K7 or K5, in a number of ways: no weather-sealing, just one control dial, no video, and more. But it takes terrific pictures and the live view is surprisingly useful, QUITE capable of being used for normal shooting (if you don't mind the drain on the battery). Reviewers noted that the A550 was the best in its class at the time of its release (little less than a year ago), but gosh, it's good. And I expect the forthcoming A55 DSLT will be even better. That's what I'm comparing against the Pentax here.

Will
Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion 09-17-2010, 08:12 PM  
Live view: K-x, K-r
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 8
Views: 4,204
I have held the K-7 and also the K-x at camera stores, but have not had the opportunity to shoot with either one. From reviews (like the dpreview.com review of the K-7) I get the impression that live view in these cameras is fine if you are shooting with the camera on a tripod and want to confirm composition, perhaps even to confirm focus. (Well, not sure about the latter. CAN you magnify the picture in live view?) But I get the impression that live view is a bit slow and so perhaps not especially good for shooting things that move, candids, etc. (On the plus side, I gather that the K-7's optical finder is very nice. But that's beside my present point.)

Anyway, am wondering if live view on the K-5 and/or K-r is expected to be greatly improved. Anybody know? The dpreview.com preview of the K-r says, "The speed of contrast detect AF in live view has also been increased." But I'm not sure what that means—whether it's just saying that autofocus speed is better, or whether this is a way of saying that live view on the K-r is expected to be as good as it is, say, on the newer Sony DSLR and DSLT bodies.

Anybody know what to expect from the new cameras in this regard? And if you don't know about the new cameras, I'd still be curious what you think about live view on the K-7 or K-x. (The less said about live view on the K20D, the better. I never faulted it, because I regarded it simply as an experiment of some sort.)

Thanks in advance.

Will
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-15-2010, 11:17 PM  
K-5 Prices leaked - German
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 63
Views: 25,203
Heh. Reminds me of my days in Houston. Dallas is pretty flat, but Houston is on the coastal plains and it's REALLY flat. There's an overpass over one of the main highways, right near what used to be called the Summit, where the Rockets played their games until several years ago. Anyway, the street that goes over the highway there is Edloe St. The highway was wide and the overpass had a nice rise to it, so the members of the Houston Bicycle Club referred to it fondly as "Mount Edloe."

Will
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-14-2010, 11:13 PM  
K-5: 16MP, ISO25600 and 7 FPS worth the upgrade?
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 418
Views: 100,414
I'm stilling trying to figure out what the major difference is between the K-7 and the K-5 (as its specs are presently understood). Can anybody sum up the MAJOR improvements supposedly offered by the K-5?

I don't care about video. So for me, the only thing that I can see in the specs list (which we know is unconfirmed) is the ability to shoot at higher ISOs. I'm guessing that's a one, to one and a half stop improvement over the K-7.

Is there anything else of major significance? I know there are the usual slew of nice little touches so characteristic of Pentax. But anything else major that would justify me spending $500-$600 more on a K-5, instead of buying a K-7 at this point?

Let me repeat: I know that nothing's for sure yet. But a lot of people here are really excited by the K-5, and many of them confess that they weren't excited about the K-7. So what's changed?

Will
Forum: General Talk 09-14-2010, 05:04 PM  
No respect...
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 45
Views: 13,166
On Kleenex = tissue...



Ah, maybe so. Never thought about that.




Wouldn't it now?

Well, I'm deeply, perhaps pathologically conflicted. I've been in the minority most of my life. I have a masters degree in poetry. I performed medieval and baroque music for years (harpsichord and organ). I have read Beowulf in Anglo-Saxon (a.k.a. Old English) and I taught Latin and Greek for twenty years. I hate large crowds. I like movies with subtitles. I am, in short, a contrarian. If I see thousands of people walking THAT way, I tend reflexively to walk in the other direction.

But sometimes, I worry that I hurt myself by doing so. The majority seems to enjoy being the majority. And perhaps the rest of the world IS right or at least not as wrong as I thought. Some years ago, I more or less gave up on the Mac and switched to Windows. The sky did not fall, I didn't suddenly find myself spending all my time dealing with viruses. In fact, almost nothing changed, except that I was able to pay less for new computers.

What would happen (other than me losing a LOT of money in the process) if I gave up on Pentax and switched to Nikon? I'm pretty sure they make good cameras, including some really good ones. Ditto Canon. So why do I find myself almost unable to entertain the thought?

*

But usually, after I think this way for a while, I shake it off and go back to being a contrarian. I keep thinking seriously of moving my computers to Linux. And in the world of cameras, I find myself strangely tempted to switch to Ricoh.

It's a sickness. But I guess there's no cure. ;-)

Will
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-14-2010, 04:07 PM  
K-5 rumors false!
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 260
Views: 59,632
Sigh...
Forum: General Talk 09-14-2010, 03:31 PM  
No respect...
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 45
Views: 13,166
I understand what you're saying and agree, although honestly, I think Canon and Nikon are the choice of people who do NOT look at ads. You don't have to see ads to know that Canon and Nikon are the default choices. It's almost like "Kleenex" = tissue, "Xerox" = photocopy, and "Google" = search. "Canon" or "Nikon" are synonyms for "camera," in the sleeping minds of the masses.

There are lots of really smart people who are better photographers than I, who pick Canon and Nikon for very valid reasons. I don't mean to insult them. ;-)




Much truth in this.




Yes and no. Reminds me of that great scene in the movie Broadcast News, where Holly Hunter is objecting to the network head's choice of William Hurt to anchor a special broadcast. The exec listens politely, then responds:
EXEC: You're right and I'm just wrong, is that it?
HOLLY HUNTER: [nods head]
EXEC: It must be nice always to be the smartest person in the room.
HOLLY HUNTER [grimacing in real pain]: No, it's awful.
It would be less painful if there were a few more equally smart people in the room with us. ;-)

Will
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors 09-14-2010, 01:17 PM  
K-5 rumors false!
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 260
Views: 59,632
Gosh, this seems a tad strong. Somebody tosses off a brief opinion, in connection with something that actually has to do with cameras, and you, disagreeing with the off-hand remark, feel called upon to declare the person an ignoramus.

In my judgment (and speaking here for myself, not the person who made the remark you object to), 2001: A Space Odyssey is indeed brilliant, memorable, captivating, and often beautiful. I watched it again not too long ago, and took pleasure in the experience. Also in my judgment, it's also a narrative mess, extraordinarily pretentious, and often downright silly—a film (I almost hesitate to say) designed to appeal to people who take themselves just half an ounce too seriously. In short, it's a great film but not a good one.

I respect that you disagree. Not sure why you find it difficult to take the same view in return.

Will

p.s. Is it me, or has the tone of this forum gotten a little less civil lately?
Forum: General Talk 09-14-2010, 11:49 AM  
No respect...
Posted By WMBP
Replies: 45
Views: 13,166
There are two parts to this problem.

First, there's the fact that Pentax users are a small minority of the market. This, you must get used to.

But there's a second part of the problem that is, I think, different—and relates to your topic title. And that has to do with Pentax's image among people who ARE aware that Pentax makes DSLRs and lenses. You can see the problem here by comparing the image Pentax has to the image Leica has. Nobody actually uses Leica DSLRs. OK, that's an exaggeration; I think they sold about nine cameras in North America last year. But, like Porsche or Apple, Leica has a sterling rep.

We get respect only from the folks who have actually used Pentax stuff and there are too few of us for this to matter nearly enough. Ultimately, the blame has to be assigned to Pentax marketing. The Pentax engineers aren't very imaginative (compared, say, to the engineers at Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Ricoh...), but they are awfully good. But the marketing department at Pentax? I am inclined to think that there could not be a more clueless bunch of folks in the world of marketing. They don't seem to have any idea how to distinguish Pentax in the marketplace, or how to generate buzz.

Will
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