i've just got some eneloops for my K100d - much better than normal rechargeable batteries for lasting. i had some Hybrios before, but they are showing signs of age after a year and a half. again, they worked much better than normal rechargeables, especially in the cold.

"Think about it, honestly, and how likely are you to be stopped and quizzed for taking some photographs?"

most photographers i know have had a run in with police/and/or community support officers over taking pictures. i was stopped when taking pictures of birds on the Thames at Kingston - i was told i WAS taking pictures of a known terrorist target (the bridge). when i showed them the pictures of the birds, none included the bridge, i was told that "the whole riverside is a terrorist target". i was repeatedly called a terrorist as i had a camera. they demanded all my personal details. as they weren't real police i refused and walked away. i came very close to throwing the camera in the river over the way i was treated.

if you use a dslr in London you're very likely to be quizzed and don't expect it to be friendly.

they're like a 'normal' lens in all other respects, so, yes, just fit right on (provided you have the right mount)

it uses the same principle as a mirror telescope. if you look at the front of the lens there is a round disk in the middle of the glass... this is one of the mirrors.

some people don't like mirror lenses because of the bokah ( you get doughnut rings of light) and some love them. i'm in the latter camp. one of the most sought after is the Tamron 500 mirror.

words of warning - the aperture is fixed, you have little or no control over the settings because of this. the focus band is very narrow (on the Tamron anyway). they work best with lots of light (again, the Tamron) and the barrel is quite wide, meaning the focus throw can be cumbersome.

i won't part with mine though. love it love it love it!

well, you don't want any pesky photographers snapping you as you beat up and/or shoot people, do you?

being someone who has been accused of being a terrorist just for having a dslr i now have no trust in the police. i have also seen their tactics in action at protests (had a police van try to run me over as i chatted with a friend far away from the 'action' and then been forcibly blocked from leaving a protest area). it's easy to see why the new laws are there - to stop anyone questioning events. Jean Charles was accused of jumping the ticket barriers and being dresed in bulky clothing. when pictures surfaced it was obvious that the latter was false... and then the former statement was also shown to be a pack of lies too. the G20 'protester' wasn't protesting, but trying to get to his hostel.

sad to say, the laws that are meant to protect us (for that is how they are sold) are, in reality, a means to do the opposite.

sorry for the political rant, but as carrying a camera is now a crime to many it seems it's harder to ignore politics. how do you judge if a photographer is acting 'suspiciously'? a policeman (or community support officers) can now say you are, as you have a camera and that's it. you now have to prove you are innocent and, as section 44 is an anti-teror law, you could still be held for a very long time without access to representation.

many a news story has emerged due to a camera capturing the moment - much to the annoyance of the powers that be. it does seem that the current trend of this government (regime?) is to try and stop that.

one day i will just throw the camera away, i am fed up with feeling like a criminal just for owning one.

the protests were just down the road from me, so it's interesting to see these shots and the streets i walk to work on in a different light.

as for the police... you're both right in your views of them. i have been on peaceful protest marches that have remained that way despite the (Met) police's intentions. I have been on a protest bike ride accompanied by Met and City squads where the latter shook their heads at the former's behaviour. Their attitude towards a large event and a protest is very different and shouldn't be confused. Try and talk to a policeman at a protest and you won't get anywhere (except hospital, maybe). their tactic is to herd everyone and then deal with any dissent with as much force as possible. if you want to leave a protest, then they won't let you - quite how this is meant to help i have never understood. At an event they shepherd people to transport and look bored - the old style of policing at those events has changed to a softer one

i admire you for braving the protests with an expensive camera. i've been threatened with s44 for snapping wildlife, i tend not to uncover the pentax in a public place now.

there... that's my take on things!

i wouldn't risk using a slr tomorrow... or any time near a met police officer.

i think the Tamron 70-300 is my most used lens. i sometimes think its biggest problem is the price - it's a 'cheap lens, therefore it can't be any good. i think the small issues (i don't agree you have to do a lot of processing with the lens) are easily outweighed by the price and good points of the lens. the macro switch can be annoying, but the facility it offers is excellent - and the manual aperture ring means extension tubes can be used.

as iceblinker said, you could save up and miss out on loads of shots, or you could get the 70-300 and gets lots of practice in and experiment with a good quality lens and your camera.

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i use the tamron 70-300 a lot. i've also got a Tamron 500 mirror lens, but it's not very fast (f, but i like it.

i guess a lot will depend on what type of wildlife. i was taking pictures of lizards last weekend using the 10-17.

if you've got a 400 already you should be able to get close shots with that. looking at your kit list you seem to have a good range.