Col, the lack of sharpness might just be less obvious by being partly hidden in the shadows.

The back wall of the canal is still sharper than the paddler, so the camera may have latched on to something behind your intended subject(assuming it was autofocus?), when the shot was taken.

It's pretty much all I use - very impressive.

I upgraded from v 1.4 direct to v 3, and it is a very significant improvement. Plenty to play with, lots of control. Best of all, it's a RAW workflow tool and non-destructive.

It's also a good way to organise and import your images.

The lighter side...

Pixie's Path
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP1346-3R.jpg[/IMG]

ZZ Top?
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP1320-1R.jpg[/IMG]

Remember the 1960s? It's Magic!
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP1310-1R.jpg[/IMG]

Tongue Kiss
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP1306-1R.jpg[/IMG]

Trio
[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP1298-1R.jpg[/IMG]

Comments welcome.

Col,

Looking at your EXIF data, shots 2 & 3 are from the lower end of the zoom range (120 and 230 mm). What's it like at the long end?

There are two things that I believe I can see in Nos 2 & 3 - they might both be a little back-focussed, with the result that the subjects are not quite as sharp as you'd like.

Second, your vantage points meant that both their faces are in shade and you're shooting into the sun. That makes your job harder than it could be.

No 1 is a bit busy for me, and doesn't have an identifiable subject, nor light that is particularly flattering for the scene.

I'm interested in your thoughts on shooting with a fairly long lens like this, using a mono-pod. First impressions?

G'day and welcome.

Thanks all for the suggestions. I'll take on board the crop, and the vignette. There was a bit of hurry attached to these - it was starting to pour with rain, and the Kx ain't waterproofed! That's the result you get I suppose.

Peter - no, not contrived. There had been a service on the beach, and this was one of the many flowers that had been washed back up by the surf.

Andrew - spooky....

David - it's important you say it anyway, like it or not. Thanks for your comment.

Thanks all, it's a place that makes it easier to take images!

Mike,

Perhaps extend the crop to the sides to provide more context for the mechanism - alternatively, just the screw part itself?

Other than the crop, there's not much to add - it's a good shot.

Johanna Beach

[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP6537-1R.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy9/i_berg/Johanna%20Valley%20in%20Winter/_IGP6534-1R.jpg[/IMG]

I'd be interested to get your view on which of these works better, along with the customary C&C of course.

G'day and welcome.