Another vote for OpTech. You can even join the tails together to make a short handle .

Long term forecast for 9th April is 10C, some sun but an 82% chance of rain - 6.2 mm in total, and winds of 25km/h.
So wrap up and make sure you are waterproof .

I'll keep watching it. Hopefully it will improve as we get nearer the date.

Spring forward, fall back .

I'd be happy if they left us on GMT+2 here.

Glad you enjoyed Mike Harding HG!

It was a lovely morning, but is clouding over here now, and is quite nippy at only 7C. Rain forecast for later in the week.

I know of a couple of people on a travel forum who have them, and the other versions of it, and swear by them.

I am not sure the pockets are suitable for carrying a lens around in though I guess it might fit in the water bottle pocket at a squeeze.

I'm still hoping it'll be OK. I shall keep an eye on it.

Mine is well over the 2000 so I am hoping I'm OK.

Just did a rough and ready check and mine seems clear. I will do a better check soon. If I do have a problem then I can call in at Watford on my forth coming trip to the UK. I was planning to anyway, combining it with the red kites, until the cousin got in touch. Now we'll have to see.

Of course having husband in tow would mean a severe limit on purchases .

You should never put the maximum weight on a tripod, certainly not on ones like the zipshot - manufacturers usually over estimate that.

And the height is hopeless, unless you like an aching back, or are very short.

It's maximum weight load is only three pounds, which is not much more than a K-5 and an 18-135 lens.
It looks attractive, but at that weight load, and that height (44") I'd give it a miss.

Even if Pentax weren't affected by the quake and tsunami directly there have been a lot of power cuts and shortages throughout Japan and requests from the government for factories to use less power at this time. I can't imagine Pentax/Hoya are exempt from that. And who knows where they get supplies of parts from?

The tsunami has had a knock on effect around the world for manufacturing. Now some paint colours for cars can't be delivered as the only factory in the world making the pigment needed is within the exclusion zone for the nuclear power plant. Renault, Peugeot and others have no diesel motors for new vehicles, Ford can deliver any colour except black (and red).