Who will see your photos when you’re gone?
So you’ve got a million zillion images on hard drives, or in the cloud, all cleverly arranged so you can lay your hands instantly on any image you need.
What happens when you’re gone? Have you bequeathed your images to an art executor? Have you organized your family shots so your successors can lay their hands on the only know image of Aunt Sally sober? What about your artistic imagery? Maybe you have boxes of prints neatly labeled with who gets what. Vote in this week’s poll, and tell us why you’re doing it your way in the comments!
Elsewhere in this week’s newsletter, Site Supporter richard0170 and Junior Member jaeaetee offer a Point/CounterPoint on the HD Pentax-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 Limited DC WR; jaeaetee says its worth learning this lens’s quirks, while richard0170 is not sure why you would bother. Meanwhile, Pentaxian Ken Lee says Star AF works astonishingly well.
If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, please take a moment to join the more than 1,500 Pentaxians who have subscribed to our free curated compendium of the hundreds of great images and post shared each week in our Pentax community. Please let us know your thoughts here in the comments and on our Pentax Forums, and have a perfect Pentaxian week!
Threads of the Week:
Wow, Star AF works great!! (2 photo examples)
September 27, 2025 • Pentax DSLR Discussion • 9 replies • 944 views
Ken Lee said — This article “U.S. Users Can Now Autofocus on Stars With Pentax K-1” tells a little about Star AF, what it does, and how to install it. It does cost extra, and does not simply come with the firmware. But how does it work? Astonishingly well. It locks It locks on right away. Read more »
September 27, 2025 • Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories • 13 replies • 178 views
Minimonster said — Daily in October 2025 - discussion thread Welcome to the “Daily in” October 2025 Challenge (aka DIC) here at Pentax Forums! Aim of the Game: Shoot daily and post one picture each day of the month to this group challenge using any camera gear you want. Our desire when starting this challenge was to be similar in culture to the popular “Single In” Challenge (aka SI or SIC) here at Pentax Forums, while instead being able to use any lens/gear we want each and any day of the month.
There is no limitation to what camera gear you use for this challenge. Read more »
September 24, 2025 • Film Processing, Scanning, and Darkroom • 9 replies • 847 views
Elroy Jetson said — Kyle McDougall has posted a very nice video on YouTube featuring a visit to the Ilford lab and manufacturing facility in England. He tours the plant and sees how Ilford has not merely survived but thrived since the days of covid. Read more »
Pentaxian User Reviews
Pentax Lenses
HD Pentax-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 Limited DC WR
Reviewed by Site Supporter richard0170
Review Date: September 28, 2025 Recommended | Rating: 6
Pros: Build Quality, Style, Weather Sealing, IQ
Cons: Cost, Limited Focal Range Weight, Size and Weight
Sharpness: 9 Aberrations: 8 Bokeh: 8 Autofocus: 8 Handling: 8 Value: 6 New or Used: New Camera Used: K5, K3, K30, K-S2
I bought my copy on silver to match a K5 Prestige Edition as purely a vanity buy. I paid about £350 for it used, which seems fair enough for its capabilities. If I appear underwhelmed, it’s because I am
Let’s get a few things straight to begin with, the IQ is excellent. The AF is adequate. The build quality is excellent and very stylish. The WR is most welcome. So why am I not impressed?
Well, what is the point of this lens? For it’s size and weight focal range is very limited. It’s not as some claim a pocket full of primes in one lens. The DA Ltd 21, 40 and 70mm are combined smaller and lighter. My 18-135mm offers pretty similar optical performance, weather sealing, similar if not better AF, a wider focal range, better close up capability in a similar size and weight package and all at a lower prices. That size does not even give you a fast aperture except at 20mm. An annoyance is the lens cap. It just falls off too easily. This is a premium product and a premium price. This should not happen.
So from a practical perspective I could not recommend this lens. There are just more sensible options out there. However, if like me you want something that actually looks cool on the front of your camera and offers a bit more versatility than a prime and ownership of such a thing gives you good vibes this might just be for you. Just accept that you are paying quite a bit for the privilege.
HD Pentax-DA 20-40mm F2.8-4 Limited DC WR
Reviewed by Junior Member jaeaetee
Review Date: September 25, 2025 Recommended | Price: $750.00 | Rating: 8
Pros: Build, micro-contrast, smooth bokeh at tele end
Cons: Field curvature and contrast at wide end
Sharpness: 8 Aberrations: 7 Bokeh: 8 Autofocus: 9 Handling: 9 Value: 7 New or Used: New Camera Used: KF
This lens performs best at tele end.
Worst is wide end aperture open. Contrast is low.
Bokeh behind focus plane is okay, sometimes busy, but better in front of focus plane.
Viewed from behind the camera, the sharp field is like upside down “U” so if you photograph landscapes at 20mm f/2.8 and focus in the centre, the edges will be mushy. I would recommend setting AF fine tuning so that there’s a tiny tiny bit of backfocus, I.E. focus a tad further from camera than “optimal”.
This is a “limited” lens, which means it has its foibles that you have to learn, in order to use it to its full capacity.
HD Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW
Reviewed by Site Supporter jersey
Review Date: September 25, 2025 Recommended | Price: $1,591.00 | Rating: 7
Pros: sharp, fast af, build quality, handling Cons:weight, size
I have mixed feelings about this lens. On the one hand, it is optically excellent, has great build quality, is easy to use, and is perfectly balanced in the K-3 Mk III camera. On the other hand, it doesn’t quite fit in with the idea of the camera for which I feel it was designed.
In terms of optical properties, it is very sharp. It did not receive 10 points for sharpness because I believe that good high-end prime lenses will be sharper, but it is still as good as it can be in my opinion when it comes to zoom. The bokeh is nice and pleasant, but again, not on par with good prime lenses. I didn’t notice any aberrations in my photos, so I give it 10 points.
Now for autofocus – it’s incredibly fast, and I have to admit that the lens takes full advantage of the K-3 Mk III’s AF system. However, it lacks a bit of accuracy. I feel like the PLM drive can’t stop quickly enough and misses the target, often leaving the desired area out of focus. Too often I have to refocus this lens. This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this, there are no problems with my DC, screwdrive and SDM lenses, so I’m pretty sure it’s a problem with this type of drive or maybe just with this lens.
The handling is excellent. I can’t say how it performs on bodies other than the K-3 Mk III, but it fits this camera like a glove. It is perfectly balanced, and the zoom ring is in the right place, allowing for quick and accurate adjustment. The AF switch is also conveniently located, although I rarely use it. The hood is nice, it doesn’t cause vignetting, at least I haven’t noticed it.
Now for the main drawback: it’s too big and too heavy. Honestly, this lens is like a slap in the face to anyone who wanted a tilting screen or astrotracer in the K-3 Mk III and was told that they weren’t included because the camera was supposed to be small and compact. And then the only professional lens Pentax has produced for this camera is this monstrous lens.
This, along with the AF precision issues, makes me still wonder about this lens, but there is nothing in Pentax’s lineup that could comfortably replace it.
Therefore, my overall opinion of this lens is this: it’s a great lens optically, a good professional lens, but it’s not a very good lens for the current (or rather former) flagship APS-C model.
Comment of the Week:
Dartmoor Dave on Who gets your gear when you’re gone? The Best of Pentax Forums September 24 Poll: The wonderful thing about living a desperately poor hand-to-mouth existence out here in the wilderness is that I’ve got almost nothing to leave to anyone. My three sisters can have anything they want, in the unlikely event that they want any of my thousands of books or handful of cameras, and the rest either goes to Oxfam or dumped in a skip. I’ve never even bothered to make a will, and I’ve registered to donate my corpse for medical experimentation so there’s no funeral costs for anyone to worry about.
I suppose it’s just possible that I might not be the sentimental type.
Such a cheerful thread this is going to be!
On the subject of wills, I should really get around to that. There’s a place locally with a sign outside saying “win a free will” but I’m still struggling with the metaphysical implications of that one. The sign implies that I haven’t got a free will and that I need to try to win one, so surely if I follow that command then I’ll be proving the sign right and demonstrating a lack of free will? But I like to think that I have got a free will, so I exercise that free will by choosing not to try to win a free will.
What happens to your photos when you’re gone?
The Best of Pentax Forums October 1 Poll
So you’ve got a million zillion images on hard drives, or in the cloud, all cleverly arranged so you can lay your hands instantly on any image you need.
What happens when you’re gone? Have you bequeathed your images to an art executor? Have you organized your family shots so your successors can lay their hands on the only know image of Aunt Sally sober? What about your artistic imagery? Maybe you have boxes of prints neatly labeled with who gets what. Or maybe you set up those auto-updating albums for Mom, Dad, Kids and so forth in programs like Google Photos that auto add photos by facial recognition. Vote in this week’s poll, and tell us why you’re doing it your way in the comments!
Vote in this week’s poll, and let us know why you do what you do in the comments!
This poll closes October 7
And here are the results of last week’s poll:
Weekly Photo Challenges
Project 52-13-40: Manual Everything, 9/28 - 10/5 (Sunday)
This week, we’re kicking it old school with “Manual Everything.” That means setting your camera to full manual exposure and switching off autofocus—every aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focus point is yours to decide. It might feel slower, but that’s the point: you’ll start to see light differently, anticipate movement, and discover just how much control you really have. Embrace the challenge, trust your instincts, miss a few shots, nail a few gems… and most of all, have fun!
And here’s the entry by Senior Member brainwave: Here is my entry for the manual mode: “Reflections” Manual mode, ISO 125, f7.1, 10s exposure. I have to admit - I did use the live-view for checking the exposure and fine-tuning focus by zooming in 16x before the shot! If this is not allowed, happy to post another picture through OVF alone.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
How to Evaluate and Test a Legacy Camera
Nov 24, 2014
Buying Legacy Cameras
Ever wanted to dabble in film photography? Yes, buying an old camera can be daunting: Is it broken or about to break? Why doesn't it have many buttons? What's the lever for?
This article and the accompanying video will show you how to walk into a store, test a film camera like a seasoned buyer, check it with film for proper function, and set you on the road to happily shooting with one of the most rewarding and challenging media available -- FILM!
PentaxForum Front page stories Sept 24-30:
August 2025 "Motion" Photo Contest Winners
Announcing the winners of our monthly contest
By PF Staff in Photo Contests on Sep 26, 2025
It is our pleasure to announce the winners of our August, 2025 "Motion" photo contest! In first place was forum member louparker from USA who captured "Git along li'l dogie" (pictured above). This photo was shot with a Asahi Pentax Spotmatic on Kodachrome (image digitized with a Pentax K10D) and an SMC Takumar 200mm lens. Our runners-up were forum member Peter Herman from USA in second place with "Speed Dreamin" and - after a draw - AstroDave from USA in third place with "Bath time for the Bluebirds"
The Making Of "Git along li'l dogie"
How the winning photo of the "Motion" contest was made
By louparker in Photo Contests on Sep 30, 2025
This image was digitized from an original Kodachrome transparency taken with my old Asahi Spotmatic that I bought at the Canadian PX in Baden Baden, Germany when I was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany in the Army JAG Corps.
The motion effect is in the original image and was the result of several years experience taking photos using a slow shutter speed panning Formula 1 races in Europe.
The only post-processing I did was to copy the original Kodachrome with a Pentax slide copier attached to my K10D, and then I converted the RAW file to a JPEG and then did a little cropping, color adjustment and sharpening. No other post-processing was done.