I think a different coloured background, black perhaps, would have done the image more justice.

By your own admission, you have no experience of lighting or photography !!!

Would you buy a car and drive it on the roads, without first learning how to drive?

My tip, find a course at a local training centre, or online.

... met in part if not entirely by advertising, like many other web sites.

I'm not 'slightly surprised', I'm totally bemused.

I paid Peter Bargh, thinking I ways paying Pentax User.

I paid thinking I was going to be able to download Pentax User magazine content, and couldn't.

If this were politics, a resignation would be demanded.

Thank god this is not politics. Come tomorrow, if a reasonable explanation and perhaps an apology is offered, and my membership refunded, I'll not be pressing for anybody's resignation.

If not . . . who knows what might happen.

greyrenolds999, I agree. My personal gripe is that anybody can join and effectively 'snipe' potential bargains being offered by our membership, and never be heard of again.

Let's not forget that this is 'our' forum, hosted by Pentax User. It's a web place where we have decided to spend a considerable amount of time because we like being here. Times could change.

I think that question is best put to your insurers or Pentax directly.

Can we assume you used manual focus for #1 ?

If so, it is badly out of focus. As far as I know, the AF adjustments made for the later shots have no effect when using manual focus.

Is your diopter adjusted correctly?

To adjust it, remove the lens and fit a translucent body cap if you have one, look through the viewfinder at a bright object like a white wall or cloudy sky. Adjust the diopter until the guide lines in the viewfinder are sharp. Re fit the lens and try another manual focus shot as in #1 above.

If the shots are still out of focus, I'd return the lens for a replacement.

Check the EXIF data using PhotoMe and check that the SR system had locked to minimise camera shake.

Have you sharpened the image at all in PP? Most, if not all, images need some sharpening.

Take the same or similar shot again using a smaller aperture and faster shutter speed. You'll probably have to increase the ISO to compensate, or use flash.

If that's OK, keep the higher shutter speed and open up the aperture to f2.8 and try again.

I hope they do too as I think it would be a bit underhand to promise a benefit to tempt users to join, then not deliver. I'd also prefer my PU Plus membership to start from the date they become available.

Articles always did work fine for me too, without paying for membership. It's the "Magazine PDF Downloads" I joined PU Plus for.

I think you'll find the IQ and versatility of the 12-24mm hard to beat, even with a prime. It's not a heavy lens either, so why spend more money on a prime in that range?