I don't always see eye to eye with you, Shaky, but thank you for providing some much-needed balance.

G

I recently had a PM from somebody urging me to return from exile and supply a bit of trenchant pictorial criticism.

He said: "There is so much s*** in the gallery, but some people are saying it is, 'wonderful', 'amazing', fantastic', it makes me want to puke !!!"

Sadly, in this instance, I am unable to oblige. This is an excellent picture, and one that deserves unstinting praise.

Well done, Snappy.

Nice one, Unlocker.

The trouble is, some mugs do give these people business. If it didn't pay, these calls would stop.

G

Personally, I don't trust Adobe one inch. When everybody has moved to DNG, they will start charging for it.

The image quality of the earlier cameras was fine, provided you didn't push the ISO. Like JR, I regret disposing of my *ists. They were beautifully small.

I might get another *ist D if I see one at a good price.

Like everybody else here, other than JR, I don't know what transpired. I can guess that Tim reacted badly to something, and the whole thing spiralled out of control. It is very easy to get upset and to behave irrationally if you perceive you have been treated badly, whether or not your perception is correct.

What I find disturbing is the assumption by a number of posters that JR has not acted with propriety and goodwill. I have "known" JR for longer than anybody else who has posted here, and I have experienced his moderation. It invariably commences in the most gentlemanly and civilised manner, to which sensible people respond, and things go no further.

Although there are other mods, JR shoulders the burden almost alone. It is a heavy burden at times, and he is only human.

A few years ago, the forum was a more gentle place, and moderator intervention was rare. There were then a number of spats, and the moderation became heavier. I suspect this was driven by the owners of the site, not by JR himself. He is in the middle here, and we should remember that.

To sum up: I also am sad to see Tim go, but I am confident that he could have averted his fate had he chosen to try and see things from both points of view.

G

I'm not sure which quarters you have in mind.

The VS1 70-210 made by Komine is very highly regarded, though the colours are a bit cold compared to Pentax lenses.

The SMCP-A 70-210 1:4 is also a splendid lens, and one of the very best Pentax manual-focus zooms. It was replaced by the SMCP-F 70-210 1:4-5.6, which is also excellent.

There are a number of other Pentax lenses in more or less the same range, including 80-200, but, except for the hard-to-find FA* 80-200, they are inferior to those mentioned.

I agree about the 75-150. Superb for frame-filling portraits.

G

There is no known neat fix. People have drilled holes and inserted nails, but such things are not pretty.

It's just a bad design, sadly.

G

I know it's a company, and I know it is in New York, which is why I asked if you were.

B&H is in fact, if anybody reading this doesn't know, a very highly regarded retailer, with a huge stock and honest staff - which is more than can be said of several of its competitors on the Eastern seaboard.

Henry, you'll find the location can be changed in My Settings.

Best wishes

G

That sounds like my sort of man!


Well, if you wander down to the river in Chiswick you'll find my not-so-luxo barge, where you are assured of a drink - if I'm home.

It's a long way from the Vale of Clwyd, though.

G