I think we all have a style, whether or not it is recognisable is another matter! That style will inevitably suit different cameras and lenses, a bit like different brushes suit the style of different artists. I happen to think that older lenses suit my 'style'. It may also have something to do with the fact that you can buy them for £20 off ebay!

Regards
David

Nigel, I agree with Charlotte. I don't know why you are looking for another lens when the one you have already got produces results such as those posted here! My favourite lens is the SMC Takumar 135mm F3.5 - it is razor-sharp but at the same time produces fantastic out-of focus effects much like the ones in your No.9.

You could maybe get more contrast from a different lens, but this is easily fixed in PP anyway.

Best wishes
David

My mate at work bought the £4 one from China and you can hardly tell the difference between that and the genuine article. Works perfectly.

Regards
David

Dave, my DA L 55-300 cost me £160 from ebay, brand spanking new. Had been split from a dual lens kit so no original box, but at the time there were many available. Fabulous lens, unreal value for money at what I paid. My son has the DG APO version of the Sigma 70-300mm and the Pentax blows it away for image quality at all focal lengths.

Regards
David

Great shots Mat, I particularly like the foggy Richmond Bridge one and the last one of the lamps down the side of the Thames.

Regards
David

It's all a bit too much for me - I just look at my pictures and decide whether or not they look sharp! I was interested in the bit that said a camera will autofocus slightly differently on exactly the same spot if you take it out of focus then refocus again. I have noticed this quite clearly with my K-x and the 55-300mm lens. It's one reason why I tend to use manual focus where practical / possible.

Regards
David

If John Riley is reading the posts at present, perhaps he could investigate and get this spurious pop-up removed?

Regards
David

Is it just me or is there a problem on the Gallery at the moment when viewing pictures? When I click on a photo to view and go through to the page where you can add comments, I keep getting a pop-up on the right of the screen announcing I am today's winner of an I4S smartphone. This looks like a link to malware or a virus; if it is it needs removing from the site. It may just be my PC of course, any other members seen this?

Regards
David

I have posted quite a few HDR pictures in the Gallery (not as many as Axel) and I tend to find it is useful in two different ways:

1. It can be great for bringing to life shots that look a little flat by empahsising highlights which gives images more depth and more of a '3d' feeling

2. It can draw out detail, colour and definition in the shadows which is impossible to do in any other way

I tend to go for more subtle HDR processing which doesn't make it obvious that the picture is HDR (in Photomatix 4.1 the Fusion method gives a more subtle effect than the Tone-mapping), but I've also used the more aggressive Tone-mapping effects which give pictures a surreal look and can be great but only for certain subjects, see example below:

Cumulo-nimbus Link

I would highly recommend you get a copy of Photomatix as it is an excellent piece of software for HDR, then just play around with your pictures and learn how to use it in a way that suits your style the best.

Regards
David

I would just set the focus on the back button and disable the shutter release for focussing - once you get used to this it is far more flexible.

Regards
David