Very very impressive! For me Nos 3 & 8 are extra special. You are really showing us the importance of the low down viewpoint. No 1 is very effective for this, with the broken old jetty leading the way. (Just in this one I do find the noisy grain on the darker bits of cloud distracting - would a bit of NR help here?)

No 8 is clever with the use of the two stones, I guess to make up for not walking right up to the reeds, but it works superbly I think. 3 has it all for me - I love my peering through the undergrowth shots.

7 is perhaps a little weaker comp wise - I find myself wishing you had moved left a few feet and down a bit more, just to get more reeds or something across more of the foreground and get the castle away from the frame centre.

Really enjoyed seeing these beautiful scenes.

Cheers ! I use PS Elements to save out my JPEGs, often from TIFFs which can be up to 70-80 mb. In Elements I use the Save for Web dialogue to choose an exact file size. I used to routinely size everything to 1mb, but after seeing the banding in skies I experimented and found that it usually disappears once the files size reaches 2 or 2.5 mb.

Hope you don't mind me jumping in, but I like your atmospheric shots - they capture the feel of these hills at this time of year beautifully.

I noticed the banding in the skys, and in my experience this can start to creep in once JPEG compression gets higher. I have noticed on my shots that reducing the compression (ie increasing the saved file size) helps.

Oh come on, you really do want that 55-300 surely ??

But you've made a persuasive case for the purchase of a good prime - all those you list are good positive aspects of using a prime. If you feel these mid-range focal lengths will suit the subjects you need to shoot, then go for it!

Check out the reviews and find a good deal - you won't be disappointed with many DA primes I'm sure.

Standard or 'consumer' grade zooms will always introduce more compromise into the equation, either in maximum aperture available (at both ends) and other image quality issues (maybe reduced sharpness, aberrations and distortions).

The handling and 'feel' of Pentax seems to be a clear plus point. I do wonder though what will happen when all the shops are gone, the places we can handle the items and see them physically compared to the competition. It was this physicality of the experience that sold it to me, someone who didn't know anything about Pentax digital cameras.

I can't honestly say I would have made the same choice if I'd been shopping online, as its possible that many of the special features would not have jumped out so clearly on a list of technical specs.

I'd fall more towards the latter 'brigade' I admit. Once the camera is out then I love to use it robustly and push it technically, but physically I am naturally rather precious with all my Pentax stuff. For me its special, something to be proud of, and very careful handling just seems the natural way.

I've had the K7 + 18-55 WR out in light rain and falling snow. Even with a lens hood on I do find that the lens front element is the weak link in these conditions. But I did find it counter-intuitive to just let the moisture soak onto the gear - its such an ingrained habit to try and prevent this, very hard to stop yourself trying to cover the camera.

Wherever it is you can still show us plenty of shots from there !

Welcome Sam. How did you come to Pentax, were you an owner of an old Pentax film camera or was it like me - the Pentax DSLR was the best in the shop for the price?

Its also important to ensure the shots are being viewed with 'all things equal'. You don't say what format they are, or if you are opening them in a particular editing programme.

But if they are straight from the camera (eg camera JPEGs) then it could be custom image settings - both contrast and sharpness are controlled with these. Maybe the K5 defaults are different?

Some familiar sights there ... we've done that railway a few times over the years, although its usually a 'rainy-day option', so I haven't seen it bathed in sunshine like this.

Nos 2 & 7 I like best for the compositions - and No 8 (the last one) catches many aspects of the experience in the one shot.

Could you try and give No 7 (the one with the railwayman on the platform) a bit of a colour boost? It would be nice to see those flowers and the sky with a bit more punch