I like this set a lot! My favorites are numbers 1 and 2. It is very interesting to see some images from an urban environment that is so different from what I know from Northern Europe.

Bjørn

Thank you all for your comments! I am really fortunate that this phenomenon has appeared many times in the middle of Norway this winter.

Gwyn: If you are to travel with the Hurtigruten, I think you have chosen a good time of year. During the last few weeks the weather has been really bad. And when the hurricane hit Norway on the 25. December, all the Hurtigruten boats took shelter in different harbors along the coast, this hardly ever happens. So March would seem as a good time of year to travel with the Hurtigruten.

Last night the Northern Lights made another brief appearance on the skies above the Trondheimsfjorden. The weather was partly clouded, and obviously the optimal conditions were not there, but some of the shots turned out quite well, even though. In contrast with my previous attempts, these photos were taken in an urban area. So there is a lot of light pollution from the houses and street lights. C & C are welcome!

1.
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/NORDLYS_1-1.jpg[/IMG]

2.
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/NORDLYS_2-1.jpg[/IMG]

3.
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/NORDLYS_3-1.jpg[/IMG]

4.
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/NORDLYS_4.jpg[/IMG]

5.
[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/NORDLYS_5.jpg[/IMG]


Happy New Year from Norway

Bjørn

Amazing images!! I hope some day I will be able to purchase a book with a collection of your aerial photography

Bjørn

I have not much experience with macro photography myself, but I like your set. I especially like the way you have managed to get parts of your subjects out of focus, like the "light-sword" of the Star War character. How large are these plastic figures?

Regards
Bjørn

I recently purchased a FA*28-70mm f2.8 here in Norway, it just turned up "out of the blue". I consider myself lucky to find a specimen in reasonably good condition, and also at a good price. This lens seems , to me at least, to be rather rare in the second hand marked. My best suggestion would be to monitor the classified ads here on this forum, and on the "other forum" (www.pentaxforums.com). In addition I would also keep an eye on London Camera Exchange, Ffordes.co.uk, SRS, and other second hand camera shops in the UK.

I wish you the best of luck with your hunt!

Bjørn

Thank you for your comments!

I agree absolutely with your constructive criticism A fishing boat, for instance, would have given the whole photo considerably more substance. The only problem is that there were not any boats around when I took this shot...

I tried with quick conversions to B&W and monochromatic (grayscale), I preferred the latter:

Monochromatic version:

[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/Moon_GRAYSCALE.jpg[/IMG]

The Lunar Eclipse yesterday was hidden behind thick layers of clouds. When I saw the moon this morning, just as it was sinking below the horizon, I had to grab some shots. At least I captured the moon during in the same cycle as the Eclipse K20D and FA*300mm f4.5. C&C are welcome!

[IMG]http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/bjolester/TheMoon.jpg[/IMG]

This is the only manual zoom that Pentaxforums have given a full in-depth review. It scores significantly better than the DA*16-50mm f2.8 btw. I also has a very useful close focus ability.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/pentax-a-35-105mm-f35/review.html

Buy it while you can

I had a problem with the zoom mechanism of a Tokina AT-X 80-400mm version I that I purchased of eBay, and I sent it to Tokina Service Europe in the Netherlands for repair. I am still waiting to get the lens back from repair, but it seems they have all the parts needed to get the lens back in 100% working order. From what I have read on other forums, there is really only one Tokina service facility in Europe, the one on the Netherlands. And they are supposed to be very good. Well - when my zoom returns I can hopefully verify that

http://www.tokina.eu/tokina/index.php5?rp=service

Good luck with your lens, whatever you decide!

Bjørn