----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Alling" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> You know, I was responding immediately to Pål, I was ignoring you. I know your > argument and I think you are short sighted. Pål is passing opinion as fact > and > he should be called on it. I wasn't the only one who did. I make no other > claim > than that. > Peter, That's a pretty empty comment, cheap and nasty in fact. As I wasn't part of the discussion until then you could ONLY have ignored me. You may have been responding immediately to Pål, but you were doing it in a public forum, so any claim to exclude third party comments is invalid. If you want your discussion with Pål to be personal why was it accessable to anyone else? Pål's writing style is well known and established on PDML, and it becomes tiresome that you and some others can't adjust to it. Give the Scandinavian a break if he uses absolute definitions when something more flexible or abstract would be more fitting. The world is wider than English speaking countries and I for one am impressed and pleased that so many people from non-English speaking countries make the effort to correspond with us. As for *ist compatability, I can equally say that I know your argument and I think you are short sighted. Pentax knows more about making and selling cameras than you or I ever will. They are looking towards the whole world of new camera buyers, not a couple of hundred retro gear afficianados on an email list. Can you name a single major manufacturer of 35mm SLR cameras who hasn't in recent years made changes to their mount that either alters, limits, or even prevents the functionality of their older, out of production lenses? You expect Pentax to be cheaper than CN&M (I've read as much), but OTOH you can't abide it when they actually apply the same measures as their competitors in an effort to equalise the comparitive costs and qualities. GET THIS. Pentax's new *ist and *ist D are fully compatible with their current and planned lenses. With the possible exception of the soft focus lenses they are compatible with all lenses made for a little over TWENTY YEARS at the level of function that the lens offered when new (and that's extremely generous). With any older Pentax K-mount lens they can either be used fully manually, or in a metered mode with a non-functional diaphragm, and M42 lenses with adapters can be used in stopdown metered modes. That's a pretty good effort IMO, better than most and vastly better than the brand most often touted as the one to jump ship for. But it's so typical of the Bitch & Moan element of PDML that all one reads is reasons why CN&M are better, and how Pentax should be more like them and yet remain individualistic, have faster and quieter AF but still have sharper AF, and have faster film wind, but be lighter with less battery consumption, and have higher shutter speeds and X-synchs, but have more durable and dependable shutters, and not be plastic, and always be weather sealed, and have USM and IS (even though their target customers are not in the USM/IS spending category), but still always be cheaper than CN&M. Why don't you just buy a Canon and be done with it? Then you'll never be embarrassed for your camera's sake, again. And THEN you call me short sighted, WHAT A JOKE! (not laughing) Anthony Farr
