Sharpness looks great to me, a nice selection!

What's happened to the edit option? This week play havoc with my spelling on a smartphone! I meant to say above it comes with a BASE to stand on. All in all the 540fgz offers an amazing amount, plenty to grey started with and plenty to learn about for the future!

The 540fgz, the previous generation model that is still available new, is great value and offers plenty of advantages, including Auto-flash mode for exposure control using older lenses, full P-TTL with modern autofocus lenses, and full manual with power settings from 1/1 down to 1/64th.

Plus it offers all the bounce positions, catch-light panel and wide angle panel. It had high speed sync mode(on camera), plus out camera wireless control, and the pop-up flash on the camera will work as the'trigger' to fire the gun wirelessly .... It comes with a little bad to stand up on itself

Here we go again - it always comes back to WHO people are, or what is assumed about a person, and thats a slippery slope, as we've all seen before Lets focus on what is being said, not about your Oscars & Baftas, or my home movie making, which are clearly worlds apart and not at all related to this discussion.

I'm not asking to see your films because I don't judge you based on any of that - no doubt they are worthy of great respect, but its what you actually write that matters here - likewise my K7 home video making serves its purpose very well and is something I treasure and enjoy, but the results of it do not qualify or invalidate anything I say here ...

This is not about anyones technical knowledge ... it is about having bit of common sense and perspective about the sound recording options available on our Pentax cameras ...

I must put up one of my videos on for you all to see sometime - they're a bit boring in places, but I must say the sound is superb ...

Its clearly a very hand camera to have, a good step up in quality from the sort of output we'd have expected from such a small camera only a few years ago. Its not quite DSLR level, here the very bright near white highlights 'pop' rather quickly, a DR issue, but its very near, and although not my thing in a physical sense, I can accept that for many having it can mean getting shots that would otherwise not be taken.

I like them all, lovely creatures, good detail and slightly warm soft colours. The centrally placed duck, the last one, works well with the ripples framing it all around

Good to see the Q in action!

OK, lets take some steps back .. I don't think we really needed the Baftas & Oscars brought into this at all!

Here on Pentax User, we use digital cameras and our manufacturer has provided stereo inputs on the top models (since the K7 I think) in order to access and make best use of the cameras high quality stereo sound recording capabilities. So logically, here on PU, it is with those sort of technical parameters in mind that we take forward any discussion - if this were, I don't know, .. 'Independent Film Makers Forums', then yes, language like you've used and that sort of wider perspective on further technical options might be appropriate.

Regarding budgets, if extreme compromises are involved (such as your £103 example), then I'd say that using a single Pentax DSLR, doing away with off camera audio rigs and people to hold it all, and using a high quality hotshoe mounted stereo mic ... well that would offer any professional low-budget operator a lot of bang per buck! Adequate in the circumstances, should we say.

And again, here on PU, we are really talking about single camera shooting, so why on earth should the sound be coming from anywhere other than right in front of the lens? I don't think we're talking about multi-camera setups, or complex L & J cut style recording where the audio needs to be centrally placed and balanced out at editing. You could do all that with a DSLR of course, but it doesn't change the fact that very high quality stereo sound can be output from our DSLRs using a good hotshoe mounted mic.

One professionally written book I have about my camera, Peter Burian's Magic Lantern Guide, describes the sound from the K7 with a stereo hotshoe fitted mic as 'superb' ... are you going to say he's wrong and should have said 'disasterous'?

Sorry, too late to edit my previous post, first sentence should say ' that hits the spot ' .

Yes, absolutely, that does not the spot! Great rocky foreground detail, nice soft tones for the background and atmospheric water. The obvious point to throw up is about the first wooden post cut off at the top ... I'm not sure about this, logic would say we should have it up to the top as well, but what does everything think?

Well done Joe, a great third shot!

Ken, don't be ridiculous about this ... Obviously a Bafta or Oscar type of production would need a sophisticated setup, I know that and I never said it wouldn't, but the quality of sound possible from a decent stereo hot shoe mic IS very good with the high quality audio that our DSLR's record. This quality is adequate, with proper editing and maybe mixing with a narration or music track, to serve in some kind of production that is'professional' ... Not bafta winning stuff, but something at the lower levels. I hope that defines my point more specifically.

What you originally said about any sound that is recorded on a camera hotshoe MIC being 'disastrous' ... Well, come on, that's nonsense.

It may not have added much, but it certainly did stop the thread dead in its tracks I'm glad you brought it back to life, as there does need to be some balance added. There's a place for professional grade audio rigs and independent soundtracks, but there's also a place for hotshoe mounted stereo mics, which can dramatically improve upon the mono audio from the built in mic. This is very practical solution for many scenarios, and the sound achievable I'd argue could be adequate even for certain professional applications.