I've just been promptly notified of your post Barrie, so it seems to be working OK here.

Nothing is being removed Barrie, so maybe there is an e-mail delay occuring. You might find that all your notifications arrive late in a batch.

If you reply in a thread it automatically switches to notifying you. The button at the top will read "remove notification" if that is the case.

It's because we don't include commercial advertising.

A PS to the above. Sharpening can usually be turned down in the menus and where available I tend to use the default setting of zero, applying neither minus nor plus amounts.

Compacts often have more in-camera processing to make up for the fact that most users will not apply much post-processing.

I use far less Photoshop sharpening on compacts than on a DSLR, but of course it depends on the compact.

I would, for web sizes, start off with maybe 50%, radius 1.3px, threashold 3 as a starting point and adjust the amount until you are happy with the result. I'm assuming around 1000px on the longest side.

I've taken out the link of where to apply.

It's an odd requirement, but it reinforces what I've said many times - if you are going to submit anything anywhere read the requirements and follow them properly. Otherwise you won't make a sale.

As for why they might do this, it's possible that they have an advertising link with Canon and Nikon and a certain amount of "product placement" is being done. It's the only reason I can think of, but of course I'm only speculating.

It's no different from the Pentax-only policy of this site. We have a purpose, they have a purpose.

The Pentax is a terrific lens and if you can find one it would be well worth buying. Sue has one and I wish I could find another new one.

The Tamron is the same optical design as the Pentax, but not SMC coated and not the same livery.

I think Sigma make one as well, but I'm not familiar with its qualities.

AF is not perfect and there are subjects that fool it. In those circumstances, I focus on something else at the same distance, maybe use Quick Shift or indeed switch to manual focus.

Wherever I am, whatever I am shooting, the cards always stay with me.

It's all an illusion. There are only so many hours of light regardless of what we call them. We might as well get up at 3.45am, work a day, and we'll still be travelling home in the light in summer and the dark in winter.

Why is it so unthinkable to change the time at which we do things? Funny old world....