Thank you Neil for exploring the options.
The k10D has more buttons and that's the camera I use, my uncle has the K-X so I half know the camera but haven't delved so deep in the menu yet.
Will have a go tomorrow to see how it works first hand.

With the K10D there is the setting Memory in the Rec.mode menu.
In there you can set the options the camera must remember or forget when you shut it down, one of those options is the E/V compensation and that's what you want to turn off in your example.

@Techno, those photos look very good and the flash light looks pretty good as well. Couldn't have it done better.

The only colour there is in the photo is that awful salmon pink
There was also some blueish tint of the metal and some gold....

okay you win, in colour but without the salmon pink.
[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/Anvh/4799436642_5f0df2eda5_b-1.jpg[/IMG]

Just see you have made your own B&W, it can just make the difference.
I should also use it more in my photos.

Tony it was for me, if you made it into a B&W it would probably have looked more attractive.

Just to test it, what to do you think?
A bit over-sharpened I think but it gives you the idea.
The textures just come out so much more with monochrome.
[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/Anvh/4799436642_5f0df2eda5_b.jpg[/IMG]

Just measured the aperture lever.
It sticks out 6mm so that would mean it would intrude the Canon mount with 4,5mm I doubt the mirror would come so close too the mount but everything is possible.
Nothing stick out further then that with the lenses I've

There was an discussing of using LED as the main light source.

The problem was they emmit quite some UV light and only a very narrow spectrum off light that means some (most likely most) colours would appear differently then they should even with white balance adjusted.

But the hood is also a great tool to protect the front element of the lens without harming image quality like filters do.
I almost always put the hood on, even indoors when it's crowded, that way non of the zippers for example can come near the front element to scratch it.
You're right although it's a personal thing if it's important or not. For example I've incorporated this feature fully in the way I handle my lenses while photographing, it would be a nightmare for me to get an lens without it since I need to learn new routine to shoot with the lens.
Fully agreed but the metal mount isn't heavy either, we are talking about a 15 gram difference here between the two versions DA-L vs DA
Pentax already released some other lenses with a plastic mount a very long time ago for their film camera's and they are still doing fine so you shouldn't be scared that the plastic will wear out fast over time.

Didn't knew the Metz 36 was that cheap.

The Metz 48 is also a good flash for the money, certainly since it got more useful features that you would like if you get more advance with using the flash.
Like the ability to manual dial in the flash power, tilt+swivel head and ability to shoot wireless.

Here is a P-TTL guide with all the modern flashes for Pentax compared.
http://knol.google.com/k/pentax-p-ttl-hot-shoe-flash-comparison

So does anyone want to reveal for who they voted and why they thought that photo was the strongest?

I voted for i-Berg but Gwyn was a very close second for me.
Both photos clearly had the theme 6 in them and the technical expect of both photos are just perfect.
I went for i-berg because the photo seemed a bit more original to me in regards to the theme and I just like macro's that are so sharp that you can almost feel the texture.

TOZZA27 I actually quite like your photo but the background was just so wrong that i couldn't vote for it.

That's also fine with me
Although let's do it anonymous to see how it goes and to reduce the amounts off threads to two.

yes you're right.

I could provide my email address or download the photos and simply upload them all to the same account.
The account would be on photobucket then, 500MB storage and 10GB traffic a month is good enough I think if every one sent in a jpg with 800px max and compression from 60 to 80 those files.
Those images are max 250KB so that would mean around the 2000 photos, enough to do at least 50 competitions.

Gwyn, give me some time to set up a new email specially for the entries that way it would be simpler to enter.

Congratulations Gwyn you won

Upload the photo to a website like flickr or photobucket and send the link and the title of the image to the "overseer" when the voting will start he will show all the images in one comment in the voting thread.
Later the names are revealed.

This way the images are anonymous and you lose the entry thread so you only have two threads.

The only bad thing is it's more work for the overseer.
But if you keep a word document and update that daily it wouldn't be that time consuming. It's just copy and paste after all.

I had the idea the overseer would be the one that won the competition ans set the new one.
So like the judge in the other competition.

The only time you need to be available would be when making the competition and to start the voting thread.

Personally I wouldn't mind to do the technical stuff like collecting the photos and making the voting thread each time however questions about the theme and such aren't for mine account.

I'm still for the monthly Gwyn and from what I remember from the other threads about this competition and creating a new competition was the monthly time frame was suggested I believe by other members.

let's think about it for today if no comments are make against it then I suggest we do it for 4 weeks from now on with the last week off voting.
Gwyn should set the theme, I'll do the technical stuff (if that's okay with everyone) and the entries will be anonymous.