[quote:3496ace15f="aliengrove] Personally I don't get the whole thing with grips; I just don't see the point of making a camera bigger than it needs to be to work..[/quote]But they should not be smaller than is optimum for use by humans - the 'man - machine interface'. IMO the camera + grip combo is near to an ideal to meet this requirement.

The BG-4 grip is really only a minor inconvenince - but less inconvenient still would be a larger body with all the grip features incorporated !

I don't get the whole 'smaller is better' thing . There are clear gains with the K7 / K5 conbined with battery grip - firstly the obvious extended power with an extra Li-on and 6 AAs on board.

But also the grip provides the key shooting controls (shutter, EC, ISO, green button, AL-L, and the two e-dials) in the same position vertically as the user would have them in normal position (as do the top Pro bodies of the competition without a grip). Once you're used to flicking the camera over into vertical and the hands hardly move you'll never want to go back.

And the grip adds a solidity (yes, weight) and tactile security that transforms handling - for me its just all positive.

[quote:3496ace15f="Smeggypants] More dynamic range? Better AF? Bigger buffer? GPS tagging?[/quote]It just keeps on getting better & better ! Is it the case that the 4 will be dropped because of the 'bad luck issue' in Japan? Then the 3 will want to offer a significant shift away from the K7 / K5 range, which has maintained the same body since 2009.

I hope we see a break in the trend towards ever reducing body sizes - I'd love to have a camera alone that matched the dimensions of my K7 including its battery grip, with all the features of the battery grip (controls and extra power) incorporated within the body. As the grip is permanently on the body, both for handheld and tripod shooting, this would be ideal for me.

What might a K-3 offer to us low ISO shooters?

Hi Deryn

I most definately would agree - it's the light that makes it. In your example there is a sort of layered effect as the eye moves to the distance, and this is emphasised by the different bands of light intensities shining across the scene. I would imagine that there would be times at this location when the light is 'boring', that it may not be worth taking any shots - my Happy Valley would be another such place. It is the light that creates the interest and drama in the scene.

The key to getting the light 'right' is time of day and knowing the weather. This usually involves getting out of bed very early or staying out late in the warmer months. The darker of my shots in this post were all taken between 8.30pm - 9pm, just before the last rays dipped below the hills. This moment will get later as the year progresses to high summer.

Thanks for your feedback on my shots - I also think you're right about the interplay betwen light and colour. The colour is there in the object for sure, but it takes light to bring out special tones and intensities -and of course the light can alter the colour we perceive as well!

You have well & truly succeeded on the creative front with these shots All very eye-catching, detailed and beautifully composed. No 2 for me stands out as extra special - that building on the hillside is almost too perfectly classically placed to be true Colours in 3 and 4 are great IMO. Black and white is not my thing, but I can appreciate the contrast you have drawn out.

In No 3 I wonder if the highlight areas are just a tad too bright, or maybe a bit more depth to the shadows might bolster things a bit.

I can appreciate the creative wispy skys in 4 and 5, but I find myself wishing to see them shot straight, nice and sharp.

Really enjoyed seeing these shots.

I have been encouraged to look at my greens recently and around here there is currently no shortage of practice opportunities to shoot green - everything is very, very green, and indeed on a couple of sunny evenings last week very pleasant also!

All shots with the K7 & Samyang 14mm, tripod mounted using remote control & mirror lock-up, all at f9.5, f11 or f13

This is known as 'Happy Valley', nudged between Farthing Down & Coulsdon Common at the far southern reaches of the London Borough of Croydon.
















I caught a series of front-lit shots as the final rays of sun receded -






















This is Whyteleaf, at the juncture of the Kenley & Caterham valleys -








And Happy Valley again.








There's a few more to roll off the computer yet - as always, full and frank C & C's taken face on!

Very interesting to hear of your continuing experiences, and of course a great achievement that you kept up the enthusiasm for photography despite all the issues and difficulties you spoke of before.

I have certainly read that FF is unforgiving in a number of ways, but mostly it would appear to show up any chinks in the chain - especially lenses, so needs to be paired up with top glass to really benefit.

Martyn, what is it about the K5 that you feel makes it less ideal for landscapes. Is it about the camera & sensor, or is it to do with the available quality of ultra-wides you could use. I'm thinking, it must be easier to make a top notch 21mm or 24-70mm zoom for use on FF, then the equivalent APS-C sizes - (about 12mm, or 15-40 approx.) ?

I do like the deep brown tones, especially in the second. We don't often see these colours reproduced photographically, and also there's nice clear detail to observe as the gaze recedes towards the rear.

The columns in No 1 look to be veering outwards towards the tops a bit.

Did you catch these handheld John ?