You're quite right, I did spot and recompose and my focus was a bit off (it was raining and a bit windy, that's my excuse ) so I might have a little play in PS and see if I can sharpen it a little. Glad you liked the composition - took me ages to decide where to take the crop from.

First bug shot with the 77 - not sure of the exact species but I think she was a fitting model

C&C's welcome as usual.




K10D / FA77 / f4 / 1-180sec / ISO100

Hello Erikro, I don't own a T10 but from what you say I would guess that it is broken in some way. Unfortunately, repairs for digital cameras are usually unrealistic as they often cost more than simply replacing the camera with a new one.

If you bought your T10 recently then it should be covered by a warranty (all Pentax products carry a 12 month warranty from new) so you should send it back and ask for a replacement. If it is older than that (and has fallen outside of the warranty period) then I think you will be best served by buying a replacement camera - sorry I can't offer any better advice!

Good luck with the listings, but if it was me and I wanted the money quick then I'd ship them worldwide - nearly all my sales end up going overseas and it's no more hassle than domestic transactions I find as a rule; same wrapping, same queuing at the Post Office - items that size don't even need customs docs if you're shipping within the EU. Reckon you'll fetch a better price in Continental Europe.

Just my $0.02

I really couldn't agree more!

As Peter points out, the differences are minimal - but they are important.

The higher guide number means you can illuminate a larger area / longer distance with the 540. I own the 360 and have never felt the need for more power, although I've never tried lighting (for instance) a large hall with one. For most peoples' purposes the 360 should prove sufficient but only you know what you'll be using it to light up.

One of the main advantages of using an external flash gun is that you can direct the light onto a reflective area (like a white ceiling or wall) in order to bounce the light - this gives a much softer (and more appealing) illumination than having the light directed straight at your subject. Both the 360 and the 540 have a head that tilts up/down but only the 540's head also swivels from side-to-side. There are times when being able to point the flash in a sideways direction is extremely useful so I would suggest this is the 540's greatest advantage.

While the catches on the 360's battery door are a little fragile you can mitigate for this by just being very careful whenever you open it - I always open and shut mine slowly and I've yet to damage anything.

One other thing; the 540 has a 5P socket built into its base, this allows it to be connected to the camera using a 5P cable for tethered operation. The 360 has no socket so you'd need to buy a seperate adaptor to achieve the same function. I find the wireless system to work well and both units are capable of wireless control straight out of the box so this wasn't a big selling point to me.

I hope that makes your decision a little easier

Congratulations Clarky - I look forward to seeing what bug photos you can produce with this pair.

If you want to see lots of bags side-by-side then the showroom at Morris Photo in Chipping Norton (www.morrisphoto.co.uk) is a veritable Aladdin's Cave of camera accessories - I spent over an hour trying different bags in there before buying my last one. Might be worth a little detour off the M40 on your way south?

Morris Photo in Chipping Norton (www.morrisphoto.co.uk) are normally well stocked, although it looks like they don't carry Sigma lenses. Might be worth calling ahead and seeing if they'll order one in for you.

Failing that, if you're staying in Oxford then you're only an hour or so drive from SRS (www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk) in Watford - as recommended by many people on this forum.

I have no links to these people (except as a satisfied customer) but this is a good place to shop for all things panoramic: www.red-door.co.uk