i think you need to know the difference between a moorhen and acoot first!

for BIF, forget shake reduction working properly, you'll need a fast shutter and have to pan at the same speed as the bird. if it is at an angle to you it could also cause blurring.

you could go for my approach... deliberate slow shutter to get as much blur as possible!

for the coot... the AF might have trouble locking onto it due to the darkness of the feathers - same for swans. all blak/white birds cause problems for AF and for metering.

as has been said, for BIF manual focus works best - it'll save you swearing as the lens hunts and you miss the shot!

i've got one of these... got it for macro, but it also comes into its own when the light drops.

yesterday i was playing with some very accomodating swans... guessing the focus distance and holding the camera on the ground next to the water's edge as they fed. got some interesting results. it's all part of the playing and expermenting that i do.

i love the 'texture' this lens gives. it seems to be able to pick out highlights in gloom very well. it has a gorgeous feel and even the blur is lovely.

i did think an auto-focus lens would have been handy with the swans, but shunned the 18-55 as i knew the tones would be better caught with the 50. also, the noise of an auto lens can put off the birds, especially when they are inches away and you have gained their trust.

considering i picked up my 50 on ebay for £20+ i can't see any reason not to have one.

i just shoot and take them off the camera. i've converted a few to B&W, but they were taken with a view to that. also straightened some as i am wonky - or lean the camera on something wonky as i have no tripod.

it's ok reading a manual at home, but when out and about and using a lens for the first time in pleasure it's easy to overlook things.

i had no idea how to meter with a M lens - although i do use the preview button to check, rather than actually meter as i use manual mode with the M lens.

if i can remember all this i'll have a play tomorrow with the 50mm and the 100d.

i have used Manual lenses on a k100d and i have the camera set to Manual mode... the aperture WON'T display in the LCD screen, only the shutter speed... you adjust the aperture via the ring on the lens.

i noticed that the k100d does only seem to meter as if the lens is wide, so i tend to take a reading in Av mode and work out what it will be if i close the lens down. as i use the M lenses for macro i can get away with playing. if in doubt, use the preview button instead of taking a shot.

i did find that as i used the lens(es) more i could judge roughly what the shutter speed should be if using the aperture closed down.

alas, i don't think there is a way to meter accurately on a 100d at anything other than wide open - unless my body has the same problem as yours! i must admit, it makes no sense as the aperture is physically being closed.

i've got the 70-300 and it is on the camera for most of the time. funny the hood attachment is mentioned as i thought of this the other day, when trying to attach it one-handed. then again, i sometimes gat antsy about putting the hood on 'upside down' and having "made in china" on the top instead of the white dot.

i also have the 500 mirror. i loved it in the film days and love it still.

well done on getting it on there... i felt a twinge of pride when i saw it! i had a pic in that feature a couple of years ago, alas, not taken with the pentax.

i was going to send in a shot from my trip to Ed last weekend, but none were really special.

the pic looked nice when scrolling through this week's selection, it really jumped out.

nice to see this on the bbc scotland pics of the week.

well done

milder weather today... batteries didn't die on me and they weren't even fresh in.

i think it's the cold weather!

my k100d is having the same problems lately... the standard rechargeables die very quickly, but my Hybrio ones do a better job at holding the charge.

i did think my charger was duff, so got a new one and batteries from 7dayshop and still have the problem... oddly, the higher powered cells are the worst culprits.

before the weather got nippy i had no problems and could leave the batteries in for several days and they'd still be ok when i turned the camera on. now i'm lucky if i only use two sets in a day.