Thanks. Should I go outside they'd run off and hide till I come back in again! And a lower shot would be of just a brick wall, so it isn't straight forward to take that advice.

It was just at that moment the lighting was right so had to get a shot. It was the only one out of ten which was sharp and reasonably well composed so the other nine have been deleted. In fact it seems this was the first time the sun has shone in months.

I've added no specific sharpening to the image, shake reduction was off, so it shows just what a cracking lens the 55-300 is.

John K

These two videos regarding K-x battery issues maybe of interest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBmLxdUlkW8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLPKgoG76bw

John K

It does have a different colour - even two examples of the 'same' lens can have different colour balances.

The 15mm is possibly a bit sharper looking, the wider the field of view - the more the lens technology is stretched, literally! Being only f4 too makes less demands on it's design compared to a f2.8 - and of course it is a limited lens and the 14mm isn't. Another reason, the 14mm is covering more of the view in the same megapixel space and that has to make a difference.

John K

This is an example taken with my 14mm lens last year:




or download the full image here: link

Nothing special as a photo but gives you an idea. Taken at 1/500 @ f7.1 ISO 160.

For a comparison here is a similar shot taken with the 15mm f4 - 1/800 @ f7.1 ISO 160.



John K

It is not possible to judge any lens from just one example, especially when the source reliability is not known. How do you know the corners weren't affected by poor PP or even damage to the lens?

I cannot account for that top left hand corner but it isn't normal.

I've just tried mine taking a picture of a full double page newspaper spread (not a tabloid) and the corners are perfectly clear and readable.

John K

It's not that bad, really! It's had some good reviews too.

http://www.testfreaks.co.uk/lenses/pentax-smc-da-14-mm/

http://www.photozone.de/pentax/117-pentax-smc-da-14mm-f28-ed-if-review--test-rep...

It's quite a large and comparatively heavy lens (that is compared to the DA 15mm f4 limited.) Both have a similar performance, however the 15mm is quite tiny. If you need the extra stop, then it wouldn't appear to be a bad purchase and you can always make an offer! An equivalent Canon lens could cost about 4 or 5 times the price!

John K

Pleased you got it sorted OK.

John K

Taken today with a DA 55-300mm from the lounge through two sets of windows.




John K

Yes, have a discussion with him and see what he thinks. He may be perfectly happy with what he has already or seen something that he fancies.
I can understand that jumping to a full blown DSLR may be a step too far for a 10 year old (it would be quite a responsibility to look after it.)
Getting something bigger makes it more inconvenient to have it with you - small can be convenient.

There is a halfway step to a DSLR that is somewhat cheaper. These are 'bridge' cameras. Pentax do one called the X-5 and it looks just a DSLR only it has an electronic viewfinder (both eyelevel and rear screen) and is comparatively reasonably priced. An advantage for your son would be the lens is fixed, yet has a 26X zoom which is quite a large range, so you wouldn't need to seek out new lenses which can be quite expensive.

However your son might just prefer the robustness of that WG-1 and not want to change. Suggestion: treat yourself to a DSLR, eg a K-30 or K-5 and pass it on when the time seems right! You can always let him borrow it but knowing it's yours should treat it with respect. Having hundreds of pounds round your neck is certainly a bit of a responsibility and it is so easy to put it down and have it stolen from behind your back while not looking or even just forget to pick it up!

John K

This was a similar discussion from about two years ago with examples:

link

John K