You are quite right, whatever happened to my mathematics? I think I did a 2.5x conversion there instead of 1.5x. I'll just go and reboot my brain.

Pentax lenses are fetching some very decent prices on eBay at the moment. Decent for sellers, that is, but with fewer bargains for buyers.

1:2.8 means a maximum aperture of f/2.8

Macro means the ability to focus very close, properly used with specialised lenses focusing to give magnifications of half life size (1:2) or life size (1:1). In the latter case, for example, this means an object 1cm long would be 1cm long on the film/CCD.

The focal length in mm relates to whether the lens is a wide angle design (get a lot in, low mm number) or a telephoto (magnify distant objects, high mm number).

So a 18-55mm zoom covers from a wide angle to normal focal length on digital. A similar lens for film would have to be a 27-137.5mm to give the same angle of view.

I realise this is a lot of numbers, so I suggest a basic book on photography would assist in understanding the various bits of terminology.

Yes, there is a limitation on the range available because that is how it works. You are correct that at one end of the scale it will limit the amount of negative compensation available. Ay yhe other end it will limit the amount of over-exposure available.

Manual exposure then. However, the ME Super can be used to take the required images, so a new camera is not necessarily needed.

If your name is Kevin you might well have. On eBay I am johnriley1uk.

If so, I hope you're totally and absolutely satisfied with it!

Yes indeed. Set to 1600 ASA and dial in -1 stop on the exposure compensation dial and you have 3200 ASA. Dial in -2 stops and you have 6400 ASA.

Alternatively, use manual exposure, meter at 1600 ASA and make the under-exposure adjustment manually.

That is actually not true at all.

sueriley is indeed my wife. She used the SMC Pentax-DA 50-200mm on her K10D. The picture is full frame with no cropping, but there has been attenetion to levels and sharpening.

And just one little edit where the left wing has been flipped to create the pose required.....(That's a secret, don't tell anyone...)

Sue's picture:

Sue and I are wanting to have a more serious go at nature photography and I just wondered what lenses everyone was using for this?

At the moment our longest focal length is 300mm (450mm-equivalent) which is great for close ups of flowers and small animals, but not so good for long distance work.

Any thoughts?

It's all going to happen however it's going to happen, but in any event there's no reason why it should affect our decision to use Pentax. Mergers happen all the time, that's just the way it goes.

It seems that these days companies have to be big to survive, although it also makes it more difficult for them to adapt quickly to changing market conditions. Just look at Kodak's recent woes for a prime example.