I love to use my 67 handheld to take photos of my moving kids. I'm critical about sharpness, and check my negatives with 10x and 22x loupes. I've been very pleasantly surprised with the percentage of great handheld shots I'm getting with both 135mm and 200mm lenses handheld (and at shutter speeds down to 1/60 when I have to). In fact, after a month of testing the P67 for that use I sold the Mamiya 7 and 150mm lens I had been using to photograph my kids, just because I am getting a dramatically higher percentage of sharp photos (that's not a knock on the Mamiya 7 - I just prefer TTL viewing and focusing to rangefinder focusing, particularly with long lenses).

While I can handhold the P67 fine, it would be nice to have a little better grip on the camera when using it a long time handheld. I don't really like the large wooden grip on the left for that purpose. I'd like something more subtle. I may be dreaming or engaging in some wishful thinking, but I thought I saw years ago that somebody (independent of Pentax) had fabricated a small metal handgrip that attached to the lugs on the right-hand side of the camera body that provided a little contour for your right hand when handling the P67 like a 35mm camera. My recollection was that it was small and flush with the body - providing a little bit of a bump like on a Nikon F3 body. Just enough to make your right-hand grip a little more secure. Did I dream that, or does anyone know of that kind of attachment? If it is real, do you know how to get one? Thanks.

-- Greg Lawhon (glawhon@unicom.net), May 31, 1998

Answers

I was dreaming of the same kind of hand grip!BTW I am getting excellent results handholding my P67 as well. Last weekend I attended a workshop and I shot the P67 handheld 1/30 sync to studio strobes with my 105 lens--tack sharp! Mike Walker

-- mike walker (walkerm@pacbell.net), June 02, 1998.

Hi Mike & Greg..... I (like both of you) have had very good shots hand held. If you come up with a better handle, don't keep it a secret. Please include me! Good shooting...... Vern......

-- Vern Hartgrave/Foothills Photography (vern49@pacbell.net), October 04, 1998.

Vern:

They heard us, but it looks like we need to buy the new P67II when it is released. Have you seen the pictures of it (check the B&H Photo website if not, or Pentax Germany's website - www.pentax.de - and you'll see that the new body has a great-looking right hand grip that is just what I am looking for.

Greg Lawhon

-- Greg Lawhon (glawhon@unicom.net), October 08, 1998.