You might find the minimum focus distance of 10m/33ft a bit limiting. I did.

The SMCP-K 135-600mm comes with a separate sscrew on lens which reduces its minimum focal distance from 6m to about 3m.

The 500mm is much better balanced than the 135-600mm though and if you buy either of these, you'll need a stiff tripod setup to reduce camera shake.

I find now that my DA*300mm + SMCP-F 1.7 AF T/C gets better results than either of the above.

It seems common sense (and EU law) prevails. link

The same answer to a question posed by a nervous air passenger to a crew member.

Passenger: "Do these planes crash often?"

Crew: "No madam, only once."

Carlos I Imperial is my favourite. Our 'glugging' brandy's are 103, 501, Magno, Veterano (a bit rough), and Soberano.

I won a bottle of brandy in a raffle recently. It's so rough, we've poured it into a large jar, added 400g each of strawberries, cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines, and peaches together with 100g of sugar per 400g fruit to make a pseudo Rumtopf. It'll be ready for the winter. Lovely.

It's supposed to be made with rum, but what the heck, the brandy would have been drain cleaner otherwise.

That'll be bottom left . . .

#1, without a doubt is the better image. Well 'scene' (pun intended), or was it contrived?

Well if you are old enough to remember, the original MOT was called the 10 year test. I agree cars should be tested regularly, but I wonder if anybody actually collects the data to work out the failure rate of modern vehicles.

In Spain, all ITV tests are carried out by a government controlled body and are operated by TUV Rhineland. The test gear they use is more sophisticated than that which is used in UK. The driver stays in the car and obeys the instructions of the tester up until the final ramp test. When the car is on the ramp, hydraulic tables turn the front wheels, and others move the wheels in and out. The inspector then looks for any loose joints etc. The diesel smoke test is done at 4000 RPM which is a bit less than UK I think.

Exactly. The first “Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehicles” (ITV/MOT) is at 4 years, then every 2 years up to 10 years. After 10 years they need ITV'ing every year.

Dunno Gareth, we never quite made it to first names. I think my Zima frame, hearing aids, and guide dog might have put her off. I'm pretty sure it wasn't my colostomy bag, she didn't get close enough to have seen it.

Especially for you, note the catchlight in her left eye (trying to keep on topic).

At 4 years old my car passed it's first ITV inspection last Wednesday, the Spanish equivalent of the MOT.

That's that sorted for another 2 years.