This is a really good one to stay away from. What they do is sell you the overseas model and then call you to see if you understand that this is what it is. It is not stated on the advertisement. Then they try to sell you the American version for the same price as you can get anywhere else. Then they try to sell you extra equipment battries, chargers etc, The extra stuff including lens may or may not be included in the shipment. You have seven days to return the items in the original boxes etc including packing. There is a 15% restocking charge.

There are so many reputable companies. Don't forget used and refurbished equipment. I bought a refurbished camera from Camita Camera where you get a one year warranty. I used it and they stood behind it without a whimper. We also have a camera dealer right here on the forum MT Shooter. He is in Montana and will give you a good deal. He is excellent.

Looking at battery grips I ran across this offered by KEH Outlet.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pentax-D-BG4-Battery-Grip-w-Vertical-Release-for-Pentax-K7-/291911097477?hash=item43f741dc85:g:WBkAAOSwCGVYAUNw

From a distance it looks good, then I read 70-70%, in the description. What? I thought KEH repaired camera things?

Looking further I saw that it looked like it had been through a battle zone. Much of the outer body of the BG4 had scars, scratches, etc. That was ok then I noticed something else. One of the pins were broken off! I'm not sure if that one pin would effect anything since there are likely to be several that are just dummy pins. The only problem I have is that it was never disclosed or explained in the advertisement.

Some of the pins appear to be bent also. It's hard to say if they really are since the pictures themselves are kind of shoddy.

Many items found in Ebay tell pretty close to exactly what the product has. Them only saying "70-79 %" doesn't tell me much of anything.

Good question to which I will add one. Why does KEH charge sales tax to someone in Texas? I doubt that they have a physical presence in Texas.

So to my original question, Are KEH and KEH Outlet the same?

What gives?

I have a total of 8 computers, 2 iPads and 2 iPhones. 3 are Windows 10 machines - 1 desktop that is 4 years old and started as a Windows 7 machine, and 2 laptops, both 2-3 years old that also started as Windows 7. All 3 were upgraded to 10 with zero issues (but I took the appropriate precautions of making sure the OS patches, drivers and aps were up-to-date before upgrading). The other 4 are running XP because they have too little memory to move to 7 or 10. They run dedicated tasks such as satellite tracking and antenna control, media server and digital data decoding where XP is adequate - the oldest is probably close to 10 years old. I have NEVER had a virus, trojan or Bot attack or lost any data, primarily because I practice "safe computing" and use appropriate backup/DR.

I also have a 21" IMac, which is dog-slow, but which I am planning to upgrade memory and SSD. I am also considering upgrading the CPU from the dual core, but am hesitating because of bad reports concerning this mod from others. I like the convenience of the IPads primarily because of their portability and the ease of sharing photos and music with both our IPhones, Apple TV, and the parents of our grandchildren. I also like the quality of the packaging and the ease of backup/restoration form ICloud and their music consolidation/sharing ap. On the downside, IOS (including the latest version) periodically crashes aps like Safari, which can be maddening. This occurs on both IPads and IPhones, although they are different gens. In short, the convenience of the SW aps outweighs the pain of the OS instability, and I have a substantial investment in them.

I can't comment on the Windows advertisements you mention, but since there are roughly 8x the number of Windows machines in service as Macs (glad to post references if you wish), then the ads must be effective 😀.

Even IBM prefers MACs in the work place.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/apple-to-revive-the-mac-as-ipad-falters-and-ibm-launches-biggest-mac-rollout-ever/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_related&ftag=TRE17cfd61&bhid=23951321450527690973924980303089

Frankly, I don't understand why the platform is such a "religious" issue with some. A computer professional would likely advise you to pick the application/SW first, and then pick the appropriate/best HW to run it on.

There are plenty of anecdotal stories about issues with Windows machines, and there are plenty of users that are computer illiterate and don't seem to grasp that computers are actually complicated machines and require a modicum of expertise to use. Apple makes fine machines, and if you prefer their OS, then God bless you and carry on. But, it will cost you substantially more for the same level of performance as a PC, will provide less options to upgrade the HW, and in my humble opinion, if properly administered, a Windows 10 machine is just as reliable/robust as a Mac. I have 3 Windows 10 machines, and they are rock solid. It's my flakey IOS-based devices that crash regularly (yes, I know that these are a different OS, but it does point out that there's nothing intrinsically superior about Apple products reliability/stability)

I can't imagine running current software to edit images from current cameras (with lots of megapixels), on a 4 yr old 16 gb dual core computer with video memory that is shared with the OS and applications to drive a resolution of 1280x800 px. It is definitely better than one that is not upgraded, but I am not so sure that putting $500 towards this thing is the best use of your money.

Just for kicks, I took a look at what a similar current machine would cost:

15.6" 1920x1080 IPS display
Intel Skylake i7 6700HQ
16 gb ram (upgradeable to 32gb)
2 gb VRAM on separate graphics card
1 tb m.2 SSD with room for 3 more drives -
Windows 10

The problem is your talking about a windows computer which is good for maybe a year then you start having problems. Talk about slooooooooowwwwww. I used windows computers for years because that's what was used at my company. When I finally got fed up with all the problems I switched to MacBook Pro and have lived happily ever after.

$1200 - with a 2 yr parts and lifetime labor warranty.

I dunno about you, but I think the editing experience on even this entry level machine has to be better than a 4 yr old MacbookPro. But at the end of the day you ended up with a Mac and that has made you happy. Enjoy it!

Extras- 4 batteries (2 Sony, 2 Watson), battery charger, leather fitted half case, extra eyecup and David Busch user guide. Includes original box, warranty, instruction manual, paperwork. Camera is in very good condition functionally and cosmetically. I used it just a few days ago and all is working as it should. The LCD screen is like new- it had a protective cover on it which I just removed. The half case protects the body and improves the grip. I bought this camera new and I thought long and hard about selling it. Asking 399.00 + Shipping 9.00. Paypal-

I have listed two lenses for sale separately that work well with the a6000- Sigma 19 mm f 2.8 Art lens and Sony 55-210mm lens.

Shutter Actuations- 14,863 (Tools.science.si )

Extras- 4 batteries (2 Sony, 2 Watson), battery charger, leather fitted half case, extra eyecup and David Busch user guide. Includes original box, warranty, instruction manual, paperwork. Camera is in very good condition functionally and cosmetically. I used it just a few days ago and all is working as it should. The LCD screen is like new- it had a protective cover on it which I just removed. The half case protects the body and improves the grip. I bought this camera new and I thought long and hard about selling it. Asking 399.00 + Shipping 9.00. Paypal-

I have listed two lenses for sale separately that work well with the a6000- Sigma 19 mm f 2.8 Art lens and Sony 55-210mm lens.

Extras- 4 batteries (2 Sony, 2 Watson), battery charger, leather fitted half case, extra eyecup and David Busch user guide. Includes original box, warranty, instruction manual, paperwork. Camera is in very good condition functionally and cosmetically. I used it just a few days ago and all is working as it should. The LCD screen is like new- it had a protective cover on it which I just removed. I bought this camera new and I thought long and hard about selling it. Asking 440.00. Shipping 9.00. Paypal

It's been a while since I posted anything, but I have been deeply experimenting with vintage lenses in terms of bokeh. It's opened my eyes to a whole world in photography that I barely knew existed. I have always gone for the best lenses, most highly corrected, looked for sharpness, contrast, etc--bought the whole line on modern optics being the best. And indeed that is fine for normal photography, but I'm posting here some examples of another direction that I find highly intriguing. Hope you enjoy...