Interesting. I understand what you are saying about TV screens and so on, but how that relates to a fluoresent tube I'm not so sure. The idea that you would catch both states of such a device behaving in the way described when those states oscillate 50 or 60 times per second is a real stab in the dark IMO. What are the chances that you'd get one of each with two stabs at it? Not 50/50 but I'm not a mathematician. Perhaps someone out there is?

The concept of fluorescent tubes not having a complete spectrum of output is well documented in Physics text books and photographic books over many years.

This idea that the colour changes because of the nature of AC current seems a bit thin to me, but I'd be very pleased to learn where the information comes from and what's behind the theory.

I've never heard of this phenomenon - do you have any references to literature that supports this?

If it were so I do find it hard to believe that there would be any significant effect on a 50Hz or 60Hz cycle. It would even out to an average that we would be unable to see any fluctuation of colour in - our eyes would not respond quickly enough. It also assumes that we end up with a complete spectrum of output, of whatever colour, which we don't.

Do please elucidate.

To go back to the light source, fluorescent lights are a problem not because they flicker but because they do not have a continuous spectrum. There are gaps in the colour and therefore correction is difficult. Results on daylight settings tend to look green or yellow/green, very unpleasant.

There are three settings available for fluorescent light and I would try them. It sounds like the natural light entering is relatively incidental.

Fluorescent light is not the nicest of sources for photography unless you are using specially corrected dtudio lights, which is a different matter altogether.

I've used AWB for flash and been happy with the resulting warm glow, and so have the models...

Foe general use outdoors I use Daylight setting, which retails the light quality at the beginning or end of the day without trying to correct it.

These days i look for warm, glowing light or other casts and really don't seek out a "neutral" result.

Preparing for an upcoming trip to Brittany, visiting places such as St Malo and Mont St Michel, I'm in that dreadful process of deciding what will and won't go into my Billingham Hadley.

I don't want too much weight for travelling, but don't want to miss out on photo opportunuties either.

This is what I've decided on so far, but comments and suggestions are welcome!

K10D
10-17mm
16-45mm
43mm
50-200mm
3 batteries
Lots of SD cards

Sue will be taking:
K10D
18-55mm
75-300mm
100mm Macro
3 batteries
Lots of SD cards

Being potentially left behind:
12-24mm
24-90mm
50mm f1.4

In fact the three lenses left out could be a viable travel kit in themselves...any thoughts?

OK, the decision is (that is, until we start to change our minds again..)

Me:
12-24mm
16-45mm
43mm
50-200mm
Leica-style table tripod
Lens Hoods
SD Cards
Torch
3 batteries
K10D

Sue:
18-55mm
50mm
50-200mm or 75-300mm
Close up lenses
Tripod
Lens Hoods
SD Cards
3 batteries
K10D

We both have a Hadley Pro bag, which has plenty of space left for documents and in Sue's case for Girly Bits and Pieces (!) and yet remains very compact.

The only thing from the great suggestions made that I can't live with is the 12-24mm and 24-90mm combination. It sounds ideal, but most of my images lie in the overlap region and it means too much lens changing. Most will be covered by the 16-45mm and 50-200mm, the other lenses being used when necessary.

Thanks for the ideas!

Yes, the quotes on the subject from Samsung tend to be very carefully worded and don't actually make any claims about the lenses being Schneider design or manufacture.

Who are you quoting?

The Samsung lenses are rebadged Pentax lenses but in a Schneider livery.

Who knows who makes what, expcept to say that some of the designs are in conjunction with Tokina and also Tamron.

Pentax have two Vietnam factories manufacturing the lenses, although others are still made in Japan. My 50mm f1.4 is still maked Japan, for example.

The statistics I've seen bear that out. If it lasts six months then odds are on it lasting a long time.

This is what makes us avoid the dreaded extended warranties, but to be fair the Jessops one can be useful as it's fairly cheap and covers accidental damage as well.

So far I've found a 300mm f6.3, a 135mm f3.5, a right angle finder, a Spotmatic with 55mm f1.8, a Vivitar 283, an Elicar slide copier, several Olympus lenses and cameras plus lots of filters and of course the huge Billingham bag, one of the early canvas ones. There seems to be more olympus than pentax, but enough pentax to be interesting.