I suppose it depends entirely on what sort of things you photograph whether high AF speed matters or not. I have no problem at all with the Pentax AF speed, but then I am not shooting action photos. I may curse it in May when the Giro d'Italia comes to town,but for a one off event like that I am not going to worry too much.

It would be nice if Pentax could improve their AF speed if only to stop discussions like this recurring constantly.

I like the colour version best. The blue contrasting with the rust is just perfect.

We spent a month in the US last year. I used our image tank for the photos, all PEF, and kept them on the cards until I really had to recycle a card.
We had an old laptop with us too, but the PEFs were too much for it. My husband used it for his jpegs though.

I'd buy a couple more SD cards and take with you too, just in case. They take up no room, don't cost much nowadays and always come in handy.

In that case I guess it is a bird that is habituated with humans, possibly even hand reared?

Where are the elephant photos???

Time to put us out of our misery.

Just updating this - there is a little more of the camera to be seen now on the teaser. They are doing a striptease - one shoulder is now bare .

Nice of them to give you a K-x Ben! I look forward to reading what you think of it. And good for you going for white.


Albert, you have to understand that Ben is a professional photographer who until recently had a sponsorship deal with Pentax France.

Polchraine is in South Africa, so it would be bright and sunny at 4pm GMT.

I think it is either through glass or a fence, with the foreground greenery outside and the back ground greenery inside the bird's enclosure.

It depends on my mood really.

Pornograffiti by Extreme is great for doing housework to, anything by the Chilli Peps, earlier rather than later also good. Appetite for Destruction from GN'R, early Aerosmith too.
Sweet Baby James, James Taylor, Bridge over Trouble Water for a bit of youthful sentimentality. Graceland and Buena Vista Social Club just to move to.
Anything by REM.

Or Rory Block, or Bonnie Raitt or Robert Johnson or Leadbelly.

Jools Holland, Bill Wyman, Venice. All really good when I'm in the mood.

So no, no single favourite album I'm afraid.

Even black HB pencils will be great. Play about with them and see what you can come up with. If you can do it in daylight, preferably not sun, but just daylight it will look great. Otherwise maybe a desk lamp or two?

Yes, or take the pencils out and make a colourful symmetrical pattern with them. Try to use a plain background, black if possible, and take the photo from overhead so you see the pattern and the black (or other coloured) background only.

Other ideas might be tools - screw drivers and the like set up symmetrically.

Still life is fun to do especially when the weather is a bit grim - you can get so taken up in trying different ideas. Have fun, let your imagination go