Now, which way round would that be...??

That looks distinctly medical... .

Keep the lens acquisition strategies coming, folks, confession is good for the soul!

Steve

A couple of knowledgeable friends took me butterfly hunting yesterday. The hunt took place at Higher Hyde heathland nature reserve. Given the blustery and not very hot weather, we thought it would be a difficult hunt. In fact, the butterflies seemed to be throwing themselves at us. The only problem was that they prefered to be on the wing rather than stationary. But some obliged. Here are some of the better shots. K3 + DA*300mm (forgot to take the 1.4TC along... ).

Thoughts, comments etc. welcome as usual.

1.



2.



3.



4.



5.



6.



7.



8.



Steve

Many years ago I found that there was a nasty affliction which seemed to spread via the internet. It was called LBA. There being no vaccination or treatment for it, I decided to strengthen my immunity by adopting a Rational Lens Acquisition Strategy. It had 4 parts, which included my Golden Rule For Everything:
1. For general use, have some decent, easy to carry zooms covering ultra-wide angle to telepohoto.
2. Acquire other lenses only for special purposes.
3. Get them all before retirement (i.e. before having to live off a pension).
4. The Golden Rule For Everything: Never dispose of it because it might come in useful one day, even if you can't currently think of why or how.
Part 1 has been applied successfully (currently Tamron 10-24mm, Pentax 16-85mm, Pentax 55-300mm).
Part 2 has been successful if you interpret 'special purposes' creatively.
Part 3 has been a miserable failure.
Part 4 has been applied rigorously and is responsible for the 'camera cupboard' being at bursting point.

So... how have you dealt with the threat of catching LBA? Do you have a lens acquisition strategy? If so, do you stick to it?

Looking forward to some interesting answers!

Steve

Wow!!

Steve

Thanks folks. That hoverfly was an unexpected gift. There were plenty around, but all hanging around among stalks and foliage so no clear view of them. And then that little darling hovered in a gap with a decent background. Bliss!

Steve

A nice set .

Creative, sensitive and artistic treatment of things that most people would walk past without giving them a second glance. And proof (if any were needed) of something I came to realise some time ago - that there's always something interesting to see if you look for the small. Definitely the sort of common I'd enjoy walking around!

Steve

And justifiably so. Congratulations, you've got yourself a perfectly decent K189/4.9, if my maths is correct.

Steve

Glad to hear your head is still in good condition. Due to years of practice with G & T's?
You could, it will work OK on its own (that's what it's designed for...) and should work in tandem with the 1.7. But there would be compromises when using in tandem: 2+ stops slower (1 from the 1.4, 1+ from the 1.7), more glass reduces image quality etc.. The only way to find out whether tandem works well enough for you is to try it. Go on, you know you want to!

Steve

Could be worse, at least you can see over the top of them.

And they can't take away a sunset.

Steve

Because the F 135/2.8 can do this ...........And because that e-bay price is less than I parted with to get one from a forum member a year ago... .





Steve