Excellent point Steve. How about a bicycle abandoned somewhere in the pool of light? That gives questions AND focus.

Thank you. It's useful to know they have identical optics. I take the point about the low failure rate of the DA* but also that a failure is reported above. If I had to take a failure from either an F* or a DA* I would prefer the £600 F* rather than the £800 - 900 (or whatever it is) DA*. A second hand screw drive is also a far lesser risk than a second hand SDM at the same price !

What are the pros and cons of the F (with a tripod foot or without) against the FA please? Both get good reviews. The F looks more robust than the FA but not having handled either I have no idea. ............ Yes, I know there is a modern DA*300 but (a) I can't afford it and (b) I don't trust their innards.

Lovely shots all round. Did you reverse the tripod pole for these?

Most imposing.

They are all nice but #3 especially for me.

I (generally) use the K5 for hand held macro because it's light and handy, the K3ii to carry around because it's such an all-rounder and if I want to go photo mad (which happens often) I put some old glass on the K1 and the K1 on a tripod because it weighs a bit more. The K1 is a superb beast that can make the best of first class old glass. The crop frame cameras can't make full use of their often amazing resolution but the K1 can. I fully intended to sell at least one of the others to fund it but it never happened! ........... and I have never had to buy any of those staggeringly expensive Self Destruct Motorised lenses either.

I can't agree more about getting into the woods at the moment. They are popping up all over but you do need to get your eye in - and you will likely miss any number of them. This one is a conch fungus that has no stem and grows inverted beneath dead twigs.



An excellent "what is it?" text book is "Fascinated by Fungi" by Pat O'Reilly (2016) First Nature, ISBN13: 978-0-9560544-9-4

As you can see, I tend towards sharp images. I'd love to get some softer, dreamy ones like Geoff's opening shot but it rarely works for me. Nice job Geoff.

You have some mega-active money spiders in your garden! My favourite has to be the first one for its "simplicity" !? Eh? What?

On its own it would be just a bit of reed. That treatment makes it into a work of art. Nice.