BBC Teletext this morning (Business section) is quoting someone from main photographic goods distributor
...INTRO 2020 who distribute lots of brand names including Tamron and Samyang (lenses) to say that due to currency weakness after Brexit prices are going up.

Could have a significant impact on bodies and lenses if this is a general across the industry rise...BUY NOW
if you were intending to anyway.

Great nature shot...very unusual as you say.

Great shots Gareth...particularly the white 'plume' shots...love No.5

Karlo

Wishing you the very best recovery Maria...stay upbeat and you're halfway there...lots of positive thoughts and energy winging your way from Pentax Users by the sound of it!

Karlo

What great images...No.1 in particular hits you right between the eyes...absolutely explosive!

Karlo

Some nice shots Gwyn of what was obviously a very special occasion. Only setting I would have really concentrated on changing would have been to have set a lower shutter speed...say about 1/320 - 1/400th to have got a bit of prop blur and introduced more 'movement' into the image.

What a great present though.

Karlo

Fantastic set...really like them. Abstract ones as well as more traditional...all good or better.

I was there for two weeks back in 1992 and absolutely loved the place and the people, so was very interested to read your observations about how the country has changed. I'd love to return.

Any country that has actually jailed dozens of its corrupt bankers is alright by me and worth supporting.

Karlo

You're right that the jump from f5.8 to f6.3 is not a big one but I currently use the Tamron 70-300 Di LD with a max aperture of f5.6 which in itself is limiting at times for aircraft shots...it would just feel that for a lens that might retail at 4x the price of the Tamron the Pentax was going in the wrong direction.

The new lens is lighter and overall more compact than the existing 55-300 (although is more dumpy in appearance as it is a larger diameter) and has 9 diaphragm blades compared to 6, also 14 elements in 11 groups compared to 12 in 8 so it seems like it will be better optically, just surprised that they didn't bring it in at f5.6.

Karlo

Probably get more useful info on this Bill from the US Pentax Forum as they seem to be given a higher priority and are 'closer to the coalface' than us back here in Blighty.

Personally, this new developed lens looks like it could be quite interesting particularly because of its potential improvement as a video lens although i'd have to upgrade from my K-50 to benefit from it. I'd be more interested though to know whether optically it was an improvement over the current model as the inferior f6.3 at 300mm is a step backwards compared to the current f5.8.

If the combination of K-70 plus this new 55-300 worked better for aircraft photography (even more so if it performed well with 1.4 convertor) then i'd probably buy the pairing...although i'd wait for about 6 months for the initial price froth to subside.

Great shots David...you'll have to kick the DIY more often.

Especially like the two bird shots 12 and 13.

regards

Karlo