It wouldn't be crazy to throw the K30 into the mix, which seems to have the K5's headline features, throws in your focus peaking and more responsive AF (according to most users so far).

Peter - that is exactly what Pentax have done with the DA35/f2.4 and the new DA50/f1.8.

Plastic mount, no aperture ring, no hood, and no quick shift - in other words, value engineered lenses. They are still optically excellent though!

In the case of the DA50/f1.8, the price is still a bit high for what you're getting; but then, the price of second hand FA equivalents is also quite high with F50/f1.7 lenses which are 20 years old selling for 150.00 or more. I suppose the higher cost compared to Canon 'budget' lenses also reflects that the lens has only just been released, and Pentax sales volumes are lower.

I realise Crown Green Bowling isn't the most adrenaline-fueled, action-packed sport; but do you not thing a higher shutter speed would have worked better here?

Aside from the totally blurred bowlers, the pictures are all soft from camera shake (although in the first shot, I'd put some of the softness & CA down to the kit lens :wink

Exposure and colour balance seem to be a bit out in most of them. I would suggest a bit of work on the RAW files to correct the colour balance and rectify any exposure issues. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about the motion blur, other than try and think of it as 'artistic'

All we've heard about since the Olympics started was how quiet London (away from the stadiums) has been...

When it comes to Pentax, the glass is always half full, eh John? :LOL:

FWIW, vignetting is the least of my complaints with my kit lens. It's funny, but since my original Mk1 kit lens, I haven't had a copy I've been happy with.

Yep it's a feature of the kit lens, should improve as you stop down. Re the photos uploaded to the thread, once uploaded they will remain on PUs servers and it won't matter what happens to the original.

Superb images! I like the contemporary style you're developing. Best of luck in your career.

Would have been interested, in fact have been looking for this very lens; but have an 85/2 on the way, unfortunately.

No significant difference, IMO. No.2 seem fractionally sharper, but it may just have a smidge more contrast, and both shots are plenty sharp enough.

I suppose you need to push the stabilisation towards the limits of what it can cope with to prove which is better. What shutter speed did you use? Did you take a non-SR / OS shot as a comparison?

No, use the actual focal length of the lens. Forget the crop factor!