dang... i'd just sent a pm!

i saw an Osprey today - over the london wetlands centre. i was too busy picking my jaw up from the floor to take any pictures! got a few when it was far away.

mightily impressive birds - they make everything else look very small, even the Hobby that attacked it.

if you want to really save money... lidl have Bresser 10x25 nokkies for sick squids this week. they are very small and handy for keeping in a jacket pocket. quality is good, i'll give mine a proper test later at the wetlands centre.

in no way am i suggesting you get these as a present and spend the savings on camera gear... oh no siree bob.

gonna need a bigger lens! in wide terms

i saw the Sultan's Elephant and that was incredible. look forward to any pictures

you lucky pup!

i'd have to sell a few vital organs to get a K20. i'd say have fun, but i think that's a given.

am i the only one who has noticed that the duckling on the far right in the uncropped shot is a tufted duckling not a mallard? i've seen a lot of these mixed broods this year and even seen a mallard duckling diving after a tufty was raised in the same brood.

anyway... i actually like the uncropped shot because of this.

ahhh... but lizards are reptiles. their cold blood wouldn't set off the alarm. i quite liked the idea of it climbing on the lens, but not as i was trying to get its picture. if i had a reversing ring the lizard would be able to look at me and that might scare it.

don't need a macro lens now... i have extension tubes!

Hello all you good people.

having lurked and then dived into this forum i ended up buying Chris's extension tubes on ebay and getting a 50mm 1.7 lens for macro work.

being a bit of a novice and just taking pictures for fun and my own enjoyment i thought i'd share some thoughts and my top 10 tips on this route...

1) it's like the old days... all manual. this means that the exposure is tricky to get right... however i have developed a system based on the f stop, the length of extension tubes and the light conditions. i add and multiply things and then just take a guess at what the shutter speed should be. i've yet to lick my finger to establish wind direction, but, as i said, i'm still learning. that 'preview' setting on the power button on the k100d is now finding a use and could be worn out soon. this is ok with flowers, etc, but a tad tricky on things that are likely to move away.

2) attempting close-up and macro shots whilst outdoors and in high winds doesn't produce such good results as indoor test shots.

3) 50% of lizards tested ran away when a 50mm lens was prodded into their face. the one that didn't scarper almost climbed onto the lens.

4)i have developed a new focus technique for all this high tech equipment. i move forward until it's in focus, or move back if i'm too close. you may have to read this bit several times as it is quite revolutionary.

5) it is important to remember that you are using a small lens very close, as opposed to a long lens from far away. you will be made very aware of this when attempting the 'bee on a flower' shot.

6) do not swat the bee. also do not prod an living creatures with the lens... they don't like it.

7) panning a moving caterpillar whilst about an inch away on uneven ground is not a good idea.

in case you get used to the system the sudden realisation that you have changed a lot of settings will become evident when you take a shot with a standard lens on.

9) remember where you put the extension tube(s) that you haven't used. this might explain why the lens you have swapped is taking really rubbish shots now!

10) it's fun. as in point 1, it's like the old days of playing with settings. i think it's very easy to get used to fully auto dslrs, but the extension tubes have given me a chance to play and experiment, rather than just stop, point and shoot. it can be frustrating, especially when the cloud covers the sun just as you have got the exposure right, but it's all part of lifes (sic) rich pageant.

cheers for all the tips and help either personally or in posted threads.

i've got the Tamron 500 - had it on an olympus OM10 many years ago. got a pentax mount on ebay and away i went.


it's a great lens... when you get it in focus! the focus band is very narrow, even at a distance, but i always loved the texture of the lens and it's been great to be able to use it again.

i've had a go at using extension tubes and a 50mm 1.7 and it's been interesting! mainly as it was a howling wind and i was trying to snap flowers!

got some nice results though... i need to remember to reset the camera setting afterwards though. it was all a bit trail and error, but was good fun. it certainly adds a new perspective.

cheers for all the help on this thread and from chris via ebay and email!