Love them all Alan. I'm impressed at how 'clean' the first image is using 8000 ISO - that's pretty impressive even for a K5 or K30/K50.
The lighting in the last picture is sheer beauty.
The Tanfield Railway is just one of the wonderful photo locations we have in the North East.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

This question pops up on the Forum every now and then and quite a few Pentax users say they have had boring experiences or experienced older members set in their ways and unwilling to accept new ideas at the camera clubs they have tried in their home areas. But there are many first class camera clubs. I wrote the following comments in reply to a critical comment on camera clubs earlier this year. I'll just repeat it now.


Its depressing to read some of these comments on camera clubs. Thank God mine isn't like that. At Durham PS there's a buzz as you walk through the door. Half an hour before the meeting starts the room is already nearly full of people. An average Thursday night meeting attracts around 70 members.
We have lots of competitions and many these are for beginners to encourage our newer members. We also get lots of great visiting speakers. Last night we had Ann and Steve Toon, professional wildlife photographers and journalists who showed amazing pictures taken in Africa.
Because we are the biggest camera club in the Northern Counties Photographic Federation with a membership of more than 100 we can afford to pay for better class speakers and often team up with the Royal Photographic Society to share the fees for big names touring the North.
Our activities are not restricted to Thursday night meetings. We have monthly digital imaging workshops and a monthly assignment outing to a location with photo opportunities. Tomorrow we are off to Middlehaven, the modernised area of the old Middlesborough docklands.
We have coffee together, meet up for lunch and everyone chats; this helps new members and old hands get to know each other. We have an annual print exhibition in Durham Cathedral, another in Durham University's Botanic Gardens and regular mini exhibitions in local libraries and Durham Town Hall.
The photography from all our members is terrific. Our beginners constantly amaze us with their fantastic images. We regularly get images accepted in international exhibitions and for the second successive year Durham PS has qualified to represent the NCPF at the annual projected images competition run by the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain at Warwick University.
In the recent PAGB club championship Durham PS was placed 12th among all the competing camera clubs in the country.
As for other camera clubs in the North East, I can say from personal experience that Hexham PS, Ryton CC and Whitley Bay PS also have a great atmosphere when you walk in to one of their club night meetings.
So not all camera clubs are dead on their feet, run by old fogies stuck in their ways.
One final thing, there's no equipment snobbery in our camera club. We are more interested in the images people produce than in the camera equipment they use.David
PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout
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Photobucket http://s799.photobucket.com/albums/yy273/Davidtrout2/
Last Edited by davidtrout on 08/03/2013 - 11:10

Congratulations, they are excellent images.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Can't comment on the merits of other brands. Other than Pentax I only ever used a Nikon FM2 in film days. But I can recommend the K30. I love mine to bits. They said it was an entry level camera when it came out but its way better than an entry level model.
I wanted a second camera to the K5 that would perform better than my much loved K10.
It did that and more. I use the K30 alongside the K5 as an equal partner, not a second body. Its so good that when Pentax brought out its successor they didn't even change the camera, they just gave the body a bit of a face lift.
Now you can pick up a K30 for much less than I paid for mine when the model was first released. What's not to like about it?
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

This pointless thread has been running since March 2010 and has notched up 1096 pages and I've never posted anything on it. Well... it just seemed like...er.. pointless.
But to celebrate my 2,000 post on The Forum I've broken the habit of a lifetime.
See you again when I hit 3,000.
David

PS I have been lurking here though

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

The second version is much better. You've improved the tones and the black and white conversion is well done.
I agree with Pentaxophile, a trim from the left would make it even better.
David

PPG http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Good action photos Andrew. I agree with Jim, No. 1 stands out because of you've captured the cyclists in the classic corner position, all leaning into the curve.
David
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout
PPG:

Very impressive Alan. I think the square crop works quite well.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Thanks Christopher.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

I've not updated the firmware in either my K5 or K30 since purchase and both were bought soon after they were released as new models. If I apply the new firmware will it include previous updates or does it just leap frog to the new settings?
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout