I've not tried the Sigma but I'd like to put in another vote for the Pentax DA12-24. I really can't fault the IQ and the distortion levels for such a wide lens are astonishingly low (in fact, at 24mm they're pretty much non-existant). If you're in the UK then Mathers of Lancashire seem to have the best price (£489 for the Pentax / £299 for the Sigma): http://www.mathersoflancashire.co.uk/page5.html

It's a case of each to their own really; I can't say that I'd want a 200mm macro personally, but I thought I'd add it simply because the old MF version still seems so popular so there must be a lot of people out there who have a need (lust?) for such a lens.

The tilt/shift is something that I would buy, but then I have particular needs/wants when it comes to architecture that I imagine 99% of photographers don't share with me. For this reason I won't be holding my breath...

As for the 40 & 70 being odd lengths, I find that since I've had the FA43 (similar FOV to the 40) it's been used for 70+% of the shots I've taken on my K10D - I absolutely love the focal length and it seems just "right" for my own photography. I've not used the 70 but I would imagine it would suit those for whom a 100mm or 105mm lens was a prefered length on film - again, that's not me but I'm sure Pentax did some research before deciding which models to release.

It'll be interesting to see which of the lenses on the current roadmap actually come to fruition (I think the 35mm macro is close to production from what I've read elsewhere on the 'net) or whether they'll be shelved in favour of do-it-all zooms. I'm hoping all of those on your original list become available in the not-too-distant future but I fear there may be a few casualties along the way...

There's not much more I could add to your list (except to say that would make a nice kit bag!) other than an 18mm (approx 28mm equivalent) tilt/shift lens. Wouldn't have to be spectacularly fast as it would be predominantly used on tripods as an architectural lens. The widest t/s on the market at the moment (in K mount) is the Hartblei 35mm which gives a "normal" FOV on digital sensors. The old Pentax 28mm shift is rare and expensive as I'm sure you know.

Maybe a 200mm macro too for those who like their bug shots?

So how do you vote? I'm not very good at French I'm afraid, and just clicking on your name only brings up your own site. I notice you already have 163 votes whereas the second highest only has 12 - nice work!

I use Vista Home Premium (64 bit version) and the K10D & Pentax software all works like a charm except the remote suite which can be a little flakey. Vista also runs CaptureOne perfectly (not as fast as the Pentax software though) and my Photoshop 5 that I've carried through from Win98 absolutely flies!

Other packages like Gimp, Inkscape and OpenOffice all work well too.

Late in the day (and just to prove you'll never get a concensus on this), I really liked McBrian's picture and had it down as top two in my book. I know the Sun's not technically in the right place as per the laws of physics, but I thought it was just in the right spot to make a beautiful image. To be honest, <heresy>I prefer it to Lilly's picture</heresy>.

...and there go my chances in next week's compo...

Well done Lilly and well judged John

Gert orff moy (monochromatic) laaand(scape)!




K10D / FA43 / F4.5 / 1-125sec / ISO100 / Photoshop 5 used for b&w conversion, cloning out power line, adding sky from picture taken the following day (a little cheating?).

Haddenham, Bucks

Lesley Judd?

And I vaguely remember watching that as a kid but the significance of the camera being a Pentax would have been lost on me - at that time my Dad was a staunch Rollei-ist and my own camera was a Kodak...

I'll look into those Sanyo batteries - sounds like they're ideal! It's not so much the opening of the door but the closing of it that I'm always careful with - I make sure that I press over the whole area with my thumb so that the the whole door takes the strain rather than the hinges/catches (at least until it's fully closed of course). So far so good - with a gentle touch I see no reason to believe the door won't stand up to many years of use.