Thanks for looking guys, feedback much appreciated! Philip, the tiny specks are indeed on the flowers, but my processing has emphasized them ... I quite like it, but it could be reduced also if preferred with a larger radius setting on the 'smart sharpen' filter and a little reduction on the whitepoint.

Thanks to Stan , John & Andrew also for your input. You can count on me to try out some of these reversing ring scenarios when I get the adaptor and post some results!

A few weeks ago when passing the riverside early morning I stopped here with the K7 & Pentax 75-150 f4.0 zoom and the 'A' 28mm f2.8. Always eerily calm here at this time of day, but the early bright sunshine always encourages my shutter button finger. All handheld, I must say I am still amazed at the IQ achievable with this amazing value camera / lens combination, utilizing Pentax's sensor shake reduction.


1)






2)






3)






4)




Thanks for your interest, ideas and comments

A strong set, with variety and technique making the most of the available conditions. The first is superb with exceptional light and colour, the mono ones stand out with lovely layering of tones, and the animals all cooperate nicely on cue. Some excellent work there ... I'll tdg and remember to pack my 18-55 when I head off in August!

Its not been a problem for me with video generally... Sure, if you set ISO 800 and record in low light it is grainy and with a fair bit of colour noise, and that is almost impossible to sort out on the computer I have found. But I very rarely find its necessary to use anything other than ISO 100 or 200 for most video situations.

The first is more interesting and keeps attention ... I like the bold colours that stand out in contrast to the dull conditions, and there's plenty for the eye to wander over.

The second is weaker I feel because the sky is a 'washout', and there's not much interest in the foreground. Looks like a beautiful and peaceful place.

That adaptor is something to look out for then. Sounds like my 28 & 135mm together would be a powerful combination. Which one do you use to set the aperture on, or can you set both?

Thankyou Algi, the old Tamron has served me very well, quite a find in fact. I have noticed that the 28mm focusses very closely indeed - I tried it with a reversing ring and the results were fairly atomic! Does this mean that you can in fact get nearer to 1:1 macro with a shorter focal length like this than with a telephoto non-macro lens?

Its always a challenge to get great looking images in such strong contrasty sunlight, but you've done very well here with an interesting range of views and layouts. I especially like how you have kept good control over the sky exposure and retained a good deep blue ... (then you go and ruin it with those mono's !:shock. Best for me are 3 & 7.

I don't recognise that description of the K7 video features and quality - you can get superbly smooth and high quality video from the camera, but on any camera it depends a lot how you go about it - you have to work with the characteristices of the medium. If you follow the key guidelines I mentioned earlier it will all go more smoothly.

Handholding is always going to be a challange, even with SR on - its so easy to make movements that are too quick (I started out doing that badly, now less so) - and with too much movement comes more sudden changes in exposure, which is to be avoided if possible by being careful to keep filming in steady lighting conditions.

I don't know what is meant by the sensor not having 'latitude' - clearly with video resolution we take a big cut in pixels anyway, in fact I have found the .avi format advantageous as it is less compressed than say AVCHD (MPEG). Its nearer to a concept of 'RAW' for video in the absense of actual RAW. Video files are destined to be edited and output into a new display format (eg MPEG4 for the internet, or MPEG2 for DVD), and will be resized at this conversion into a suitable resolution for the display monitor (eg widescreen TV) - so its good to start with less compression as you're heading towards more compression anyway.

The actual resolution figure as output by the camera is a non-issue to me as well - its going to be reformatted anyway and software like Sony Vegas or Movie Studio can match the project settings to a specific file with one click, thereby avoiding any problems with 'black bars' and space at the sides. Most devices deal with this easily now anyway and can successfully 'fullscreen' output with no trouble.

sledger, I'd be glad to stitch together a few appropriate clips as examples .... I'll see if I can get something on YouTube with a link. I'm as guilty as anyone of not following my own advice at times, so of course I've got loads of video when I'm out with the family just casually and it doesn't all work out smoothly - but thats the cameraman's fault not the camera! Playing my videos on the 47'' TV, when I'm not panning around stupidly and I'm trying to do it properly, the video quality from my K7 looks every bit as good as professional HD movie streamed over Netflix.

One other tip I'd add to my list above is to NEVER us Auto White Balance with video! It'll keep on changing - very ugly. Just find a good WB (never a better time to take a custom manual WB with an expodisc for example) and stick with it until you change locations or lighting completely.

I'm not aware of any extra video features on the K5 over the K7? The K3 for sure. Maybe there is, and no doubt the extra resolution in the K5 sensor helps.

After all the good recent advice here on getting close focusing shots, I've tried out my Jessops extension tubes properly for the first time ... just a domesticated bunch of tiny flowers which I took outside into some light and set up the K7 on the tripod.

The flowers are only about half to one inch in diameter - I used 2 tubes together with the Tamron Adaptall 135mm f2.8. Focused using Live View with 'info button' magnification, and remote control shooting. RAW with PP in Sagelight 4.3 & Photoshop.



1)







2)







3)







4)





This last one is completely different, but its on its own, so I'll show it here ... taken back in spring in deep woodland on Coulsdon Common, no tripod with me, had to crank up the ISO on the K7 to 800 - didn't shoot many as I was very worried about this, concerned that the sensor might start to smoulder and the camera might flash a warning message on the LCD .. 'GET A K5 ... GET A K5 ... GET A K5'. In the end it didn't, maybe that comes in a later firmware update ...





Thanks for looking and for any thoughts