kit

Looking ahead not back

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Update 3-5: shifting from 12-35 to 14-140A, with wx seals and nice range. This removes three lenses from my pile: 12-35, 45-150 and my damaged 14-140 with its chipped front element, which I cannot use with full confidence. 

I'm also swapping a G100 Lumix in place of the gf7; its USB charging, two dials and viewfinder are solid positives over the GF7. No ibIS, but better 20Mpx sensor, excellent viewfinder, and audio inputs - and oh ya, 4k too.

µ43 primes: 10-17-23-30macro-45mm. The 17 and 45 are Oly f/1.8, and so the Zonlai 50 is now expendable. The 10 and 23 are manual focus, but AF rules otherwise.

Zooms: 14-140 plus 35-100. That brings me a range of 28-280mm/e with weather seals and 28-200 with decent speed (the 14-140 is a pinch faster than 12-60 at 35mm). That's plenty good enough for me. 

The elder 4thirds ZD 70-300 is available for longer reach. Its bulk won't make it a take-everywhere option but that's OK.

bodies: eM1 mk.II and G100 are versatile in different ways; hopefully they will not interfere with each other. 

GP MMXXIV preview

The one advantage of trying every d@#n camera in existence (and actually recalling that you've done so!) is that you inevitably learn what's important, and what is less so. 

Since 2009 and my Sony α200 I've tried nearly every Pentax dSLR (yes, the K-01 and Q too!), three Fujis, several Sonys (both mounts, both sensor sizes), a Nikon or three, Samsung NX and countless µ43 (all three brands!). Several of these were tried more than once, in various colors and/or Special Editions too! 

I refuse to count them as it will bring too much unneeded grief to this appalling process. I'm  really exhausted and frustrated by bouts of research on cameras I can't afford to equip, or will not use enough to justify even the shelf space to keep in sight or reach.. and so,

 we begin the Great Purge of 2024! 

My goals for the coming year:

• assemble a solid, affordable µ43 kit
• repair the K-s2 and let go of Pentax
• let go of Sony/Minolta
• organize digital photos
• scan non-digital ones from old media
• and take new photos. Better ones!

Step 1. µ43

Only one camera has brought me a hint of entertainment since the e-M1 original - and that is its immediate successor. That includes brief attempts to use the eM5.iii and the G9 - though not the eM1.iii which has not dropped to an accessible price for me. 

The eM1-ß's lone annoyances are the flipout screen & the menus, which are a touch more insane for its expanded capabilities. In return though, it gains in every spec that matters to me: battery life, processing power, improved sensor and additional features that I might actually use. Even 4k video, perhaps.. ?  It also uses a common USB connector for file transfers; too bad it won't charge that way, but USB chargers (even USBc options!) are ubiquitous now.

That sensor update not only improves resolution by a bit - it also increases its specs to my typical aps-c levels, which makes the K-s2 sensor a draw by dXo standards. I don't swear by the dXo data, but it does allow me to check gear in hand against each other; after all it's a competitive world where results at the modern end of the sensor scale could be biased, with or without intent.

*Late Surprise* a new small body for my kit, to replace the Air A01 and its randomly problematic phone interface. Since the eM1 had departed, the backup role was definitely available!

On the lens front, few changes are needed. A few primes will be reworked for better spacing, but the 12-60, 35-100/2.8 and ZD 70-300 zooms do very good work in typical lighting. Our plans to visit an auroral sweet spot next autumn will be a factor in the changes though!

Step 2: Pentax

I like so many things about Pentax - but it's been years since anything in my price range has been offered, and the mirrorless /live experience is better for what I do. I love its ability to crop to 4:3 and square in camera, and its post-capture raw save - but the eM1 can do the former and I can live without the latter. Once the solenoid has been fixed and demonstrated to be functioning properly, I'll offer up the camera and most of the lenses.

Step 3: Sony

And again, farewell. Love the tilt screens, miss the touch capability and other nice features that Sony has reserved for the latest = most expensive models, I don't get enough benefit from the 36x24 sensor, and their aps-c performance is similar enough to the eM1-ß. Despite my fondness for the Maxxum lenses that I have in hand (24-300mm range) it's time to accept that it isn't a realistic dream to unite them to a more modern body.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

As to organization and slide/neg scanning, those have been needed for years. My hiking web shots have corroded by jpeg duplication almost beyond recognition. The eM1 (either one) and the Oly 30 macro, plus a decent light box which I can improvise, will do most of the work other than attempting to balance the contrast and color issues that might arise.

I recently read about others who used some bracketing and/or hi res shooting to capture better digital reproductions with good results. It will be interesting to see better captures of my numerous old memories!!

And then - more shooting!

That sounds nice. 🙂

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

 So.. is it over?? 

Updates, on many subjects

 October has been ..active. Here's a summary of the Story so far:

• My health is pretty decent after surgery, but it took several days to be sure that the gut aches were gone since the surgery hurt the same areas of my gut! It seems that all went fine, best evidence being my late-evening discharge. I'll learn more from the doctors in early November.
• Weather has been underperforming for the month, as every large forecast has dried out upon reaching us. Split flow is common with el Niño patterns, as strong fronts are spun up to our north and the southern end does a soft landing near the California border. Maybe they will consolidate more in coming weeks, but October is looking like a 50-60% kind of month.
• Camera gear was a surprise, as the new acquisitions of recent months all slipped through my willing fingers. I'm back to an eM1 and K-s2 - and am convinced that these are the best fits and image quality that I need. I'm a big fan of 4:3 images, more so than 3:2; thankfully Pentax crops to square and 4:3 very easily after capture.

So things are going decently well, other than the somewhat dry weather. More coming tomorrow though!

Riding the tide

I made an informed and reasonable decision, and put the G9 up for sale. The eM5³ was a better fit for me; still not the best fit, but preferable to the Lumix. The g9 was very nice but would require new muscle memory that was unlike my K-s2 and .. well, every advanced digital camera I'd used in 15 years!! Including every Lumix ever made, in the case of the front control dial.

So off went the G9 to market. 

And there it sat.
I dropped the price thrice and had spare time for surgery.. but no one claimed it in three-plus weeks.

Well all right, I can take a hint. Let's put the eM5³ up and test the market with that. An offer came swiftly, though a bit low. I'll wait a bit on that.

But.. what if Both sell ??!??

Honestly? I could live with that.

Update 10-19: I accepted the offer on the eM5³. The listing said I had four followers, so three said flat nothing to me as the price was lowered enough to show the 'price-drop' flag to them. Maybe that's typical; I've never watched such riveting online events before.

I have announced the G9's final price drop, but I won't pull it off-screen just yet. 

Again, whatever happens I can live with it, whether K-s2, G9 or another eM1 Classic.

Update 10-21: the G9 is claimed! In response I grabbed another black eM1 with tripod plate. The more things change the less they stay the same! 

And the end of my time of experiments; the eM1 is my best-fit camera in µ43 format, and now I've tried every alternative except the GX9. Wasting money on cameras isn't much fun any more.

And the K-s2 is just what I'd seek in a Pentax, with its compactness, decent live-view system and great Pentax ergonomics that I could use in my sleep. I really liked the K-5, but its video specs and a few other features make the diagonal step worthwhile. And once the solenoid is swapped out, results could be magical!

A milestone

 For no particular reason. I refreshed the DPReview/forum screen after posting. 

Wow, it was my 4000th post!?!

No doubt a few of them were relevant to the topic, eased some tension or produced a chuckle. I was never banned during the dozen years or so that I've participated, which would lead some to conclude that I was pretty boring. I can live with that, from them at least.

I doubt that I'll double this number .. but
here's to the next thousand!

μ43 commentary, part 2

 I've expended a lot of energy on research for cameras, and it generally pays off. In a curious way it has failed me several times recently, to my shock and frustration.

Put simply:

Why can't I like newer Lumix bodies??

I loved the G1, so small and with many nice options (unique ones in fact, as it was the first mirrorless body!). The GH1 was also nice, though I had to part with it quickly in one of many budget crunches since 2010.

The GX1, GX7 and EM1 supplanted the early bodies for quite a while, as did the eP5. Each brought new features that I really liked.

My next steps forward just didn't work out:

•  The G7 had all the specs I sought (wx seals and iStab were covered by my Pentax gear) and it fit my hand so well. But by now I was happier with tip screens so flipping was less fun, and my brain didn't mesh with the 4k features despite my coveting them.
• I then reverted to the GX series with the GX8 and its wx seals and IS.. but the flip screen and external Exposure Comp dial irritated me.  Close but not quite, compared to the eM1 original.

Oh My: had I gone over to the OM side and its curiously complex menus? Both systems brought cool new features, but on paper Lumix made more sense. 

So I tried a few more times!

• When the G85 came along with better stabilization and wx seals it just had to be the one!! Nope. The GX85 brought a new shutter and in-body charging.. but I reverted to my preferred GX7 and its oddball USB connection. Of course is not the same oddball USB connection as Olympus.. that would be too easy. 
• Last and not least: the G9. So many agree it's a bit large but Perfect for their needs.  Nearly every owner said "try it first, it's not for everyone". They are correct: this camera fit me worse than all the others. The first time i turned it on I put my finger on the shutter, moved forward to change the front dial - and powered the camera off. Front dial is Behind the shutter, Canon style. Having used everything except Canon this was contrary to all my previous experience and would once learned every other camera would feel wrong. I couldn't bear it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

And so I continue in the μ43 system with the best I can afford, the eM5.iii (and its 'normal' micro-USB connector!) and have reluctantly accepted that Lumix G bodies don't suit me. 

Though I shall never know why !!

Major Shakeup!

I've been going through a Search phase recently, contemplating my options and placing an occasional bid on bodies that are more fully featured and modern than my classic eM1 but at an 'affordable' (=borderline-absurd) price. This means dealing with a flip-out screen, which is not my preference - but all the tip+flip screens are on current-generation bodies, and those are beyond my budget.*

I tried for a silver eM5 iii and watched for G9 and eM1.ii deals, but they stayed beyond my bidding budget. 

In the end, an all-black eM5.iii came within reach - so I reached. This has all the eM1.ii features but in a lighter body (with a smaller battery).. and the flip screen. Oh well, for all the updates gained, I can manage it.

Those updates within the 5.iii are the 4Mpx denser sensor, more touch screen uses, a high res multishot mode, AF limiter, more options for button assignment and faster processors. Oh yes, and 4k video again .. assuming I ever do so shoot video, which is an entirely different issue!

Oddly enough, I liked shooting video ~15 years ago, and the Casio P505 flip screen was a nice feature! Maybe I'll regress to 2006 instead of my early-60s childhood and adapt more quickly than I expect?

Kit Impact!

• The Sony experiment is well and truly over with this purchase. DXO sensor rankings are too close to call between the K-s2 and the 20Mpix 4thirds (G9, eM1ii, eM5iii). The Pentax can handle the job of slide duplication at 20Mpx well enough, since the 3:2 format won't be cropped with that sensor. The manual-focus Sigma macro will stay a while also.
• The backup 'small' body position is open! Does the gx7 make more sense there, or should the recently acquired Air A01 take that spot? Hmm.
• I'm pretty sure that I cannot afford a better overall kit than the eM5.iii, 12-60+35-100/2.8 and my fun primes!

*Some x-T Fujis have this screen, but then wx seals and IS vanish - which I'd also regret losing. Nearly all Alphas have tip screens but the features I like come & go  with every model update. Also: living with Oly and Sony menu systems at the same time has absolutely no appeal. 

keeping weird in my kit

I am about to give the Olympus Air A01 a try!

It's an EM10 camera within a tube - a few buttons and a µSD card slot, but a full wifi/bluetooth chat line to a local phone. It was a bargain for the feature set, but it's gained a reputation for spotty phone connections. Sure it will do fine with the 10mm fisheye so I never have to aim (or even move off a 20' focus point since it's fixed at f/5.6!) but I hope it can be happy with my Pixel5. As a simple camera for high/low perspectives and possible time as my telescope eyepiece, it's ideal. A normal microSD charge port can recharge the unit from a portable source, and it can do Live Time/Composite tricks like an eM10 and uses the talented 16Mpx sensor that gave a big boost to overall interest in the µ43 platform.

I'm thinking that the G9 is enough camera for pretty much anything - but I'll hold on to the eM1 for a little while, with its tilt screen and Oly Live features that the G9 doesn't quite duplicate. If the A01 works out, the eM1 can step aside for the next user.

This may be a weird call - but I'm not alone in seeing potential in the A01!

And of course I liked the K-01 quite a bit. So why not give it a try..

how I do macro.

 Not an article about technique - I know nothing of it - so 'lecture over' if you dropped by for that!

I have three systems and several ways to make macros happen. For someone who very seldom finds 1:1 closeups natural, that's a decent set of choices!

1. simple option = extension tubes. I have one for both PK and µ43, and a pair of shiny blue α extensions. That will turn the native lens of choice into a macro-equivalent lens with no bonus optics. I've seen excellent closeup images with Raynox-&c closeup diopters.. and 
2. I have a few of those as well, come to think of it! Another simple option, and if I have a 49mm thread that will work on at least one lens in each mount. Pentax was a big 49mm fan for decades - and fast 50mm lenses that take 49mm filters for α/µ mounts too.
3. Sigma 50/2.8 1:1 macro in PKa mount. It's an elder manual-focus design, so no loss of AF benefits on any of the mounts. For extra value, my Pixco speed-booster means it's also a 35mm f/2 macro on a µ43 body.
4. Last and definitely not least: a Pentax DA35 f/2.8 Limited 1:1 macro. This is the highest-rated lens I own (probably ever owned) in PK mount, rated ~9½/10 at pentaxforums. First-blush shooting on my a7ii body with entire sensor shows minimal vignette at the edges, and it works fine as a 50mm/e macro in the a7 aps-c crop mode. Vignette definitely won't be a problem on the µ43 gear.

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Pentax goes mono

the K-3.iii 'monochrome'

A cool idea, though not my type. Many have asked for a reasonably-priced camera with no color filter - and here it is. Many others prefer to create their own from the color data, but it has less pure resolution that way. Something for everyone!

Just checking

I looked into specs on the eM10 mk.IV to see if, seven years after my eM1 mk.I was introduced, the OM range had finally beaten its specs for a tilt-screen camera.

Nope.. but it's close.

The most recent eM10 has the 20Mpx sensor, newer chips inside, 4k shooting and its own flash. Nice updates! But no weather resistance, no audio jacks, and pretty much the same battery life and stabilization. The new body is smaller in every dimension, but to achieve that it has no grip to speak of.

So that's the good news: nothing to buy here, even if the OM-10 comes out to bring a price drop! 

The sad news is that neither Oly/OM nor Lumix has released a tilt-screen body with wx seals in the last ten years - until very recently, with the Lumix GH6 and its tip+flip design (used by their S1 36× 24 bodies, and some Fujis). The GH6 is their latest and most expensive body, packed with top-shelf photo (and especially video) features I'd never use.

Makers of μ43 bodies are absolutely convinced that "advanced" bodies need flipout screens, and expecting that to change is a sure sign of insanity.  So we'll chalk that up as another saved expense = good news? 

Further note - the em5.iii is a 'tweener' model with wx seals, the em10.iv 20Mpx/4k imaging, and an audio input. But then the flip screen comes into play, which still conflicts me.

New cameras for '23

Nnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooo!

Actually it's not really a camera, it's something else: a new-ish phone! So it's more like one camera and two lenses.

We moved to a cellular home router that pulls data from a 5g network. Cool and modern! And yet, I've been using a 4g phone since we got this. Why is that?? 

I blame everyone else. Specifically the phone makers who believe that everyone wants a large paperweight in their pockets. I disagree and refuse to play the game. 

I moved up to a Moto G with its 6.7" 20:9 or whatever ratio phone, and only in my carpenter pants do I have a pocket that's really capable of holding the thing. In a front pocket it looks too much like a (Spinal Tap) cucumber, and my piriformis muscle won't tolerate it in a back pocket. Maybe it's meant to wear like an ID card on a lanyard.. well no thanks to that option either. 

So after a week or two I reverted to my Moto E5 Play, which is nearly my perfect phone size (I preferred the E 2nd-gen but the screen to phone ratio is a bit too low on that one).

After exploring the internet several times, I've come to learn that only the Samsung S and base-level Pixels even try to come close to my preferred size.  And an Apple X or two; I leave that field to my spouse though, I'm definitely a 'droid dude.

The S models are depreciating very slowly, so after a search of those two designs I found a pixel 5 that suggests light wear and somewhat gentle use. Apparently a wide 'normal' phone imager and a superwide are behind the black square. 

As I've mentioned several times, I've never paid enough for a phone that the camera system is deserving of mention; perhaps going to 5G will have changed that 'never' to 'only once'? 

3/14: the pixel has arrived, and it's pretty much ideally suited to me. It's slightly smaller than the e5play, yet the actual screen size fills the phone. It's smaller but looks larger, with many feature updates and more memory. 

Two thumbs up! 

A New Year's Dream

It was very sobering to be tottering about in a hospital,  pretending to be an old guy - and I had plenty to contemplate in the nights of uncomfortable, cpap-deprived sleep.

The easy topic of self flagellation is the pile of camera gear that sits in a back room, awaiting serious pruning. It's time to derail the camera train that visits our porch, settle down and raise some great images. The act of switching systems is expensive, exhausting and takes time away from learning and using the gear at hand. 

It's nuts!

I've had sufficiently excellent gear since my K-5 a decade ago. I've had a dozen or more equally great ones since then, and I have a fairly new one now with more life on its shutter than I probably do. 

• Pick a setup, 
• sell the rest, 
• don't look back!

Please?

Another change has happened with the new year. My weather station's batteries died while I was in the hospital, and no way could it justify sending my wife into a 2" downpour to swap batteries. Given a fairly new station a mile down the road from us (one that includes data my station does not), I'm now just taking data from that site and have taken down site KWALONGV31 /Coal Creek Crest. 

Diverted!

 For the first time since I was born I spent a few nights in the hospital. That's 24,071 days, more or less! (Time to start a new streak..)

I went from feeling fine at 8pm on Christmas Eve to an ambulance ride at 3am. My intestines had seceded from my body, closing both paths in and out and filling up all passageways with pointy, fist-sized rocks. My tests were good, but my inability to take my prescription meds left me with high BP, a bit of discomfort - and lousy sleep without my CPAP.

My body finally responded to softening agents and the barriers were lowered. More tests will likely be ordered next week.

10Jan update: it took several days to stop retching, which checked my 2023 box about losing weight. I'm up a pound today but down 15# since Christmas - exhausting, disgusting and highly effective. 

A new lens contest!

My somewhat clever swap of K-mount macro lenses has put me in a curious spot. My K-s2 will be far happier in its current (sick-solenoid) state with the Sigma 50/2.8 lens - but it also plays in the μ43 kit. In fact my Olympus 30/3.5 has two new competitors: the 50/2.8 as is, and a speed-boosted 36/2! The latter does add glass though, so optically it may have an effect that makes a difference.. but either way the sigma has a speed advantage.

Another good point: the Olympus can actually work at 1.25x macro! You won't get much light on the subject at that working distance though, so that 'advantage' needs to be evaluated as well.

We will check back soon with some results! :√)

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OK, some things are easily learned!

• For one, the speed-booster does not allow for 1:1 images. Closer to 1:5 than 1:1 in fact.
• Another obvious point: if you like any details with your macro images, you won't be shooting below f/8 and the speed contest becomes irrelevant. As a multi-purpose lens it could be helpful though.. and if you like color smears with a rim of sharpness then it's a very big deal!
• And yet again, I learn that for me a 1:2 closeup lens is more than enough magnification..

So for 1:2 and closer shots, who's the winner? 

Well, no surprise: both are very nice. I shot wide open since the wind was swaying the test roses; I'll try again soon with iso1600 and f/8 to see if any bokeh issues sway me. I'd expect two macros from companies with long experience to be pretty similar in any case.

In most cases users prefer a longer FL to keep from spooking live targets, and the 50mm left the front element about 2" from the text I shot. The 35mm was about an inch, and below that for 1.2x shots. So for me, if compact is my top priority the μ43 kit will come and the AF 30mm wins out. If the Pentax kit with primes is in play however, and even if both kits join me, the 50 macro can play for both.

---

While I'm on that topic, note that I have Four 50mm lenses now: the Sigma f/2.8 1:1, Pentax smc-A f/2 & 1.4, and a Zonlai f/1.4 in native μ43 mount. 

Given my gear and my macro needs, I am likely best served by an extension tube or a diopter lens. We'll try that too! I have a short extension for μ43 so a K version should do nicely, and a few diopters should fit my current lenses.

PK primes on µ43

I finally decided to pick up a K-mount booster for my µ43 kit. This condenses the light by an additional stop, and lowers the effective focal length by .71x. The use of telecompressors has become a thing in mirrorless cameras of all sorts; I own a booster for the Nikon-F mount as well, though my Pentax lens set is better suited so the Nikon shelf is getting dusty!

Here's a table of the lenses and their new focal lengths. The 2x factor for µ43' smaller sensor is still in play. That M85/2 becomes a 60mm f/1.4, or 120mm effective; no more need for the Sigma 56/1.4! On the other hand, the 200mm converts to essentially the same lens as the 135/3.5 is by itself, so no need for speed there.

The zooms will be interesting, as the now-12-20/2.5-3.5 fisheye is now my fastest wide (widest fast?) lens for sky shooting. The talented Rikenon XR is also interesting as a 100-210mm/e, f/2.8 telephoto. 

We'll learn soon how well the adapter gets along with the Pentax lenses. Hopefully all will fit well, and the optics don't show any centering or tilt issues.

And of course, the lenses are great fun on the K-s2 even with its aperture automation inoperative; dialing in the aperture the old-fashioned way in Manual mode works fine with the infamous Green Button, and the lenses act as they should on a native body .. although the film-era lenses are still 'cropped' 1.5x by the smaller aps/C sensor.

Trying something not-at-all new. That's new!

 In the next few days a ZS-100 camera will join me for a going over. That's a "compact camera" (not a profanity, in fact) with no interchangeable parts. Wow, I haven't had one of those in a while - the Fuji fx550 until it died in 2011, then back to 2006 or so!

This one is different though. It has a one-inch sensor - that means nothing regarding measurements, so let's call it a small step below the µ43 sensors that I've been using a lot lately. It's substantially larger than the 1/2.3-inch sensor (again a meaningless value.. though that means it's probably 2.3x larger than that sensor?) it can capture much more subtle detail and is more efficient when light levels are low. And when shooting in raw mode instead of jpeg, the images can be improved even further.

In fact, comparing this to the GX7 that I've enjoyed several times.. it performs better except in low light, according to the dXo sensor database! Total scores for both are 70 overall, but the ZS100 outpoints the GX7 by a smidge in both color and dynamic range, which I value more than the low-light score anyway.

This little camera has a 25-250mm lens so who needs exchangeable lenses? It can also do 4k video unlike the GX7, and thereby can extract 8Mpxl still images from said video format. I like the concept but have barely scratched the surface of that tech; maybe this camera will be more amenable to exploration..

The zs100 also charges its little battery via USB, allowing it to act like it has a much larger battery. Plug into the wall, the car, a solar panel or battery bank and it's ready to resume any adventure. Well, not the damp adventures: no weather seals on this little thing. It does have a decent screen and a basic e-viewfinder though.

A new thrill!

Favorite cameras?

The voice of waaayyy too much experience speaks!

All of course my own opinions, and hence fairly off the common consensus. Yes have been warned.

Top three: k-5.iiS, nx300, gx7. All with ev-3 autofocus, two mirrorless with tilt touchscreens, two internally stabilized, one weather protected, and all decently small within their niches. At #4 I'd currently put the eM1 original.

How can I skip the subsequent models from Fuji/m43/Pentax, you ask? Hey, I warned you..

My favorites are at each brand's sweet spot, where nice improvements (USB charging, new sensor tech) clashed with my personal dislikes (flip screens and price hikes, mostly) and left me overextended financially and/or disappointed ergonomically.

Price is a big filter for my preferences. Fuji's x-T4 would be ideal if it were to drop $700 (which it won't for several years). Same for the G9 and higher OMD bodies with their flipout screens. In  other words I'm here a few years too soon for my wishes to be available at my prices.

Features I seek most, or miss most when I don't seek them:

• Internal stabilization
• Weather seals
• Tilting touch-screen preferable to full flipout
• Reasonable video specs, HD is just fine for now
• Absurdly reasonable price!

Pentax is the hard answer. The K-1 is simply too much, but the ks2, k70 and KP have their appeal. Some day soon I will repair the defective K-s2 aperture solenoid (bane of the k30--70 era) and update my answer. In the meantime, using it in M mode with aperture rings yield quite nice results.

a setback

 Well, it's clear now why the K|s2 body was such a bargain. It is already possessed by the defective-solenoid issue that is Aperture Block Failure.

definite underexposure..

It's the demon of the Pentax world, and has wrecked the reputation of the Pentax midrange line since the K30 and has mostly been addressed by the K70. Worse than this - it forces users to buy earlier models to steal the Japan-made solenoid which hastens the early models' demise as well. Hence the high number of 'for parts only' bodies for sale on eBay. 

The single-digit bodies starting with K-7 use a different method to push the aperture lever for proper exposures. For other models including the K|s2, a solenoid fails far too early in the camera's expected life - and the result is all shots are taken with the aperture fully closed. 

Sample: metering at f/4 is done correctly but shot is taken at f/32 = resulting image is both six stops too dark and subjected to diffraction effects at the lens' minimum aperture. If all your metering is done at f/16 you're only two stops underexposed, but diffraction still yields an image with limited resolution. 

Yuk! 😱

Here are consecutive shots, one in normal shooting and one in live view. These are at f/9 with auto ISO - note the underexposed is iso5000, the live-view is 51200. I'm not sure how I got to that number as I thought autoISO was set to top at 8000. Clearly I need to lock down a few other parameters and try again. Not also this is with firmware 1.0; perhaps changing that will yield different results, but perhaps not.

Here's another shot that is overexposed and ISO is pinned at 8000 - so perhaps between these shots is when I adjusted ISOmax. Still not helpful since I have no similar shot in normal mode.

---

I fully intended to return the camera - but life has intervened and I won't be able to do that in time to meet the seller's deadline. I therefore have two options: 

• send in for repair (doubling the camera's price, and likely getting an improved but still inferior K70-era solenoid) or 
• find a donor body and do the work myself. With no spare time right now that could take a while - but I have a K7 in hand so am not desperate for a perfect K|s2 in a hurry.

I've gone with option two, and have picked up a functioning K100d body +18-55mm lens for under $100. Most K100d bodies have two fully-useable solenoids, one on the flash circuit and one for the aperture. In that case I can steal from the flash and still have a working K100d to keep or pass along w/an external flash! Many Pentaxians have done this surgery and posted all the instructions, so if I take my time it should be fairly straightforward.

This brings the K|s2 price to about $360 plus labor, which is a decent price for the feature-set. A 20Mpix stabilized sensor, weather-sealed body with bonus features (pentaprism, flip screen, many famous Pentax features) and one that uses my current set of lenses as they were intended. 

I looked at other options, but this seems the best solution right now. Jumping to other brands could bring me most of these features other than autofocus, but under the budget and circumstances I'm happy with this decision.

More creatures, great and small

 Unexpected deals overtake me, again - so the kit mutates.

> The µ43 kit is going small: gx850, 12-32 +primes (8fe, 17, 30 and adapted) and a 14-140.ii(a) that has some ..issues.  4k/8Mpx imaging is back in play!

> The Pentax kit will be the K-7, an old but decent Σ18-50 f/2.8, 50-200wr, Σ100-300 + native primes (21Ltd, 28, 50, 85, 135). The Ks2 will arrive next week to compete for the top spot.. and will probably win. Specs aren't everything - neither are they meaningless.

These new items are not free but definitely cheap, so some savings accrue. The PayPal balance rises, but proceeds from selling the eM1 and Olympus 14-150 v.II go to our checking account where we can make use of it. I lose the Live features, but Pentax has wr ibIS and composite shooting so that'll do pig.. that'll do.* 

God help us, every one.

*Wow, and I haven't watched Babe in ages!