http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/new/new_topic.php?id=413

Sorry, I'm quite excited by this as I don't want the weight bulk and price of the 18-35, in a non weather sealed lens, this suits my purposes much much better....

If I'm going to drop over £600 on a really short zoom ratio lens I want at least to be able to run it under the tap...

Bob on Steve, I'm busy saving for the convertor too, doesn't look to me like you need it!

Used to just about buy every Record from Windows when I was a lad Alan.
Great set and your braver than me for trying something competely different, architecture is not my bag either but I can't see much wrong here to be honest, I'd be proud to have taken them...

And there's the thing Alan the only one that used the grad was shot 1, It looks the least likely of the three on the face of it but there it is!
The lighter spot to the middle extreme right next to the Snow capped peak burned out without the grad unless I underexposed it massively...

Shot 2, the light really was that patchy, Shot 3 is a crop obviously but pretty much covers the only area of the frame that was actually light, the clouds seemed to suck in all the light, so black they were almost solid.

Always used Hi-Tec Alan, I find the quality of the filters more consistent than Lee and more resistant to scratching and scuffing, I also have some SRB Gritun circular ones which I use far more because the quality is superb and they are much less of a Faff frankly...
Not keen on hard grads, I can never get the transition right.
Loving my circular soft two stopper but a hard version would be pretty much useless on a screw mount.

You may be suprised Neil.
like I said the grad was only used on one shot,
The conditions are displayed fairly accurately I think but of course you only have my word here!

I have lived in Cumbria all of my life and yesterday, given there was to be an afternoons respite in the constant tipping it down scenario, I decided to go on a bit of a Photo Jaunt, mainly because I've bin stuck indoors the last two weeks, due to the A: The Weather and B: The pain from my Hallux Rigidus (arthritic big toe that now won't bend!)and a torn Meniscus in the opposing knee. Good Aren't I?
Anyway got out to Ambleside and did the short hop or is it hobble to Loughrigg and back via the terrace of the same name, as I said before I have lived here all of my life but in all of that time I have never seen clouds as black as those I witnessed yesterday...
Now then the little conundrum here, I have a new toy, a 2 stop ND grad and I find it a bit heavy handed, a one stop almost pointless with a modern DSLR like a K5 or K3 but it is only in use in one of these shots, yes the clouds were really that black!

Got to agree with you here Smeggy, I've hovered over the Buy button on Amazon a few times for all the reasons yuo mention above but when I look at it, I just can't!
It's certainly Eye Catching, can't argue with that, maybe it was meant as a form of viral advertising?

So your problem regards the K3 is it doesn't follow the Moore's Law corrorolly?
I can't agree on the "Few" more features comment Smeggy,
As I find the focus metering AA simulator and Flash metering to be in a totally different league to what has come before, right up there and in some regards surpassing the big boys.
Noise, I'll have to give you that one Smeggy, all I know is that in real world use to me there is no difference but I don't have your experience or expertise here.
Works for me but your mileage varies. We'll have to agree to disagree here...

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/pentax-k3/pentax-k3A.HTM#SR2

Part two of Imaging Resources K3 roundup, Pretty much concurs exactly what I'm finding, (Which is always nice!) the K3 has oodles of detail a lot more then any version of the K5.
Ok Smeggy, noise, it looks noisier at 1:1 (SUPRISE!) he only tested with DXO and he's only happy to ISO 12800!
I'm still not convinced it's any noisier to be honest but I may be suffering New Camera Alpenglow.
The AA filter simulator seems to work better than advertised.
Fringing can ge a problem but it's easily dealt with.
I think it's very very positive right the way thru, too many pluses to just list here, it merely drives home my own findings, that the K3, though it may look like a K5 it is a totally new Camera and this Landscape Photographers Dream.
It's also my Aircraft Photography dream cam too, as set up right it just works! (Need the new TC to properly qualify that one but I like what I'm seeing). For me there is no going back now.
If your not sure about this Camera, it may get you off the fence, if not fine but you may find your ass is snagged on some barbed wire...