How big are these shots? This page is taking ages to load

If that's true it shouldn't really matter where the actual focus point is so long as it's sufficiently far away - if you get that sort of focus range at infinity, you should still get a pretty big focus range on any distant object? (I presume Doug was sensible enough to focus on a similarly distant object in both shots!)

Anyway what puzzles me is Doug's choice of f8 for the DA35. Why not use f5.6, the same as the Tamron? The actual sweet spot of the DA35 is f4 (according to Photozone.de) although it's pretty consistent between f3.2 and f5.6, and only slightly less sharp at f2.4 and f8, where it is still 'excellent' in the centre and 'very good' at the borders.

Another issue is, I am much more interested in the performance of the lens at f2.4 versus the Tamron, especially at portrait/close up distances. For a landscape shot like the ones in Doug's examples, you'd probably reach for the Tamron unless you were determined to travel light. For a portrait or candid, the DA35 which is less threatening and should offer nicer rendering, is what I would go for.

At f8, sharpness-wise, I shouldn't imagine you could tell it much apart from any decent zoom unless you really pixel peeped (as in Doug's example above - would you really be able to tell those shots apart if you printed them, or resized them for the web? :wink It's the rendering at wider apertures which make a lens like this interesting - to me anyway.

I reckon if people are buying this lens expecting a significant notch up in sharpness over their zoom lens at typical outdoor apertures, they may be underwhelmed or even disappointed. If they are buying it expecting lovely bokeh, colours and rendering, they will be pleased with their new bargain lens!

It's probably that the improved ISO results allow 'so-so' lenses like the kit lens to be used at their optimal aperture (f8?) without using slow shutter speeds (and introducing camera shake).

Lens compatibility: http://www.mosphotos.com/PentaxLensCompatibility.html

The MZ-S is one of Pentax's serious 'professional' cameras so I would expect it to be pretty tank-like and durable. It's still very pricey 2nd hand, so I would probably look at some of the cheaper options which offer similar features.

But it is a droolsome camera, so if I was loaded and shot more film than I do, I would definitely grab one!

(It's perhaps not the best for manual lenses though, as it doesn't have a split screen... for manual lenses I'd go for a MF body).

The year in pancakes?

Sad to hear C.H. passed away. Difficult to bring up such a (wilfully, wonderfully) controversial figure on a 'no politics no religion' thread, but anyway - I agreed with the man so strongly on some stuff that I can forgive him the rest!

Christopher Hitchens 1949-2011
'He's in Heaven now.'

Nice light if a bit strong with dark shadows.... I think panning the camera to the right so that the skyline boulder fell on the left hand third (it's about the right height in the picture, on the upper third), and so that the interesting rock in the foreground was more included (creating a balance to the skyline boulder), would create a more pleasing composition.

No doubt you'll tell me there was something in the way which meant you couldn't have done it like that... but I still think a more balanced composition would improve the shot.

This is a good sort of subject for the 10-20mm, as the whole scene from the ground just below the camera, to the rock in the distance, has a lot of interest.

LR3 is great!!!! It is obscenely expensive though IMHO... especially given that many of the alternatives are free! But it's so good, it's well worth exploring all avenues of getting it cheaper. The best (non-criminal :wink way seems to be obtaining a student license... you could enroll on a free course which was eligible, or if you have any students in the family you can ask them to apply for you...

In the meantime, download a trial from their website.

Honestly some people have the dirtiest minds! I was referring to her charm bracelet, Tony!

Naughty Tony!

Very nice set Kevin! I do like 'Solo Momento'. 2 and 8 have nice DOF control, was this the 30mm 1.4?

Hope so Les! And with a bit of luck she'll let you use her new camera as well.