I think he's just got himself a successful business. Given that the price includes a complete lens service he will have a lot of punters queueing up for that.

That's a very nice shot indeed, the pose is spot on.

I prefer the original version. The background is subtle, the lower and more natural looking contrast retains detail in the eye which is more engaging. The tones are what one would expect of gentle light. It is just easier on the eye all round. The high contrast high sharpening approach seems the default nowadays and I think it is counterproductive here. I would consider cloning out the sideways blade of grass at the lower right edge and the very slender one above it, but no other changes.

Very impressive work. Looks great.

Just enjoy yourselves. Forget the photography.

I prefer to crop as little as possible. That fly is a heavier crop than I would like. Tubes are best for IQ but the converter is useful to maintain a distance from skittish subjects.

The 1.7 is good enough for what I use it for. However, the 1.4 is particularly interesting as it can also be used to convert a lens for full frame use. I would expect the quality to be better than the 1.7 and I see no reason why it shouldn't be.

I am interested to know how the 1.4 performs,

This is the DA*300 today on the K5, 100% crop. It's not the sharpest I can get but it's not far short:




I'd like to see minimal image degradation with the 1.4. I understand that the 1.4 images posted so far are under more difficult conditions.

This is the DFA100 coupled with the F1.7x, about 1/3rd of the original image. It is pretty much the best I can do. So I'd be interested to see what the 1.4 can do:

Mike beat me to it.

Well someone just bought one for US$1850, so I think £270 is a bit derisory. One for the collector.

The second shot is very nice indeed.

I was given that book for Christmas and I recommend it too. As a non street photographer but someone trying to understand I find it very interesting. I find some work brilliant, some emperor's new clothes and some downright ordinary. I find the same of Vivian Meier. However, it is a fine exploration of the genre.