Thank you for your replies and responses. I shoot singers in low light situations (web site to come) I use 3200 ISO film with 50mm 1.2, 85mm 1.4 & 135mm 1.8 lenses wide open, a monopod is employed. Shutter speeds are 1/15 to 1/60. Using a slower film results in movement blur (believe me, blurred mouths are not attractive). The concentration for focusing alone is enough to make me sweat, the 135 wide open has minuscule depth of focus and of course the singers are swaying back and forth. Slower film is out of the question, a tripod is no use because movement blur excludes slower shutter speeds and I don�t think Pentax or anyone else makes f0.1 lenses!!! The 3200 setting it is then.
Robin of Harrow Technical has done a fine job of CLA-ing my 6X7, K100, KX & MX, I sent him the troublesome LX for a CLA and pointed out the erratic shutter on Auto at 3200. The camera was returned serviced but the erratic shutter persisted. I sent it back and Robin ended up keeping it for several months. He cleaned and then replaced the ISO circuit board, he then replaced the CPU and board� twice. He cleaned and adjusted the timing switches, etc. etc. in short he exhausted all possibilities. Robin considered it a matter of professional pride and persuaded me to let him keep the camera a while longer, this was so he could take it to a colleague. Alas, eventually he admitted defeat and returned the camera still faulty. It was then that I decided to send it to Pentax UK. Pentax UK inspected the camera and said they could fix and CLA for �104. This was cheaper that buying another so I said go-ahead. The camera was returned (CLA�d again!) but hey! The shutter was still erratic, back it went to Pentax UK, back it came to me but hey! The shutter was still erratic. I phoned the Technical Supervisor who said �there is nothing wrong with the camera� he then sent a letter to this effect. Pentax UK may not consider an exposure of 1/500th when it should be 1 sec to be wrong but I do. Whilst this was going on I purchased a supposedly mint- LX from a mail order shop, it had the newer shutter. I tested the camera and can you believe it displayed the same problem. I sent it back for refund. In the meantime Robin told me he had two LX�s in for sale, one with the first shutter and one with the second. I asked him to test them and lo and behold the LX with the second shutter displayed erratic timing on 3200. The LX with the first shutter did not. (my other LX with first shutter does not either) I thank you for your responses but none of you has actually run the test. I know it�s a pain but it only takes five minutes. At present my feeling is that all second shutter LX�s will display this fault at 3200 ISO. Have I just had a run of bad luck or can you confirm this? If you run the test I can put it to rest. Are you up for it? Thank you Anton Browne _______________________________________________________________________ Freeserve AnyTime, only �13.99 per month with one month's FREE trial! For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890
