Cheers chaps. I have posted B&W versions of some of these in Karim's 'Street Photography for Everyone' thread.

My favourite from today:




I liked how the little girl was covering her ears in this one!

It's a very nice lens. Quite a good overview here: https://www.pentaxuser.com/news/pentax-16-45mm-and-16-50mm-compared-169

The 16mm really does feel more noticeably 'wide' than the kit lens than you'd expect, and I found images sharp, contrasty and colourful.

The only negative I found was that the lens extends quite a bit at the 'wide end' of the zoom, and is slightly wobbly.

Check this lens/body compatibility chart, if you want Av mode with DA lenses. http://www.mosphotos.com/PentaxLensCompatibility.html

An MZ6 or MZ7, or any SFX or PZ series camera is ideal if you also want reverse compatibility with M lenses (in a nutshell, those cameras will work with any K-mount lens you throw at them).

I ended up with a PZ70, which for the money (10 quid it cost me!) is a fabulous camera. My advice is decide what you want from the camera, in terms of what lenses it will drive, and be open to grabbing any of the compatible bodies if they come along at the right price.

*However* if it's really back to basics you want, MX or ME Super as Matt suggests, or (even better IMO) a P30 or P30t which are very trouble free, dirt cheap cameras (often available for less than ten pounds).

I had a little potter around Birmingham this afternoon, ostensibly to go to the phone shop, but as usual it ended up with an extended photo session

[Dargh, just spotted the typo in the thread title ]

Comments, constructive criticism etc gratefully received.

Soweto Kinch (M135/3.5)




'Everything must go' (DA35/2.4)




50/50 (F35-70)




Boarded up (F35-70)




'Interfaith exchange' (F35-70)




Soweto again




Puzzled boy (F35-70)

Just popped into Jessops. All their cameras were looted. Including the 645D. Some little git is probably dragging it round parties to take pictures of his chavvy friends to go on facebook...

Yes you lucked out there! 24mm is a more desirable focal length, even is you put the quality aside.

I was alluding to the fact that f1.4 on APSC won't appear as shallow as it does on full-frame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-angle_lens

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/wide-angle-photography-technique-4753

But yes, 35mm (24mm on APSC) is the upper boundary of wide, as I see it.

As a yardstick for comparing between the various systems, 35mm EFL remains as useful as ever, IMO. I brought 35mm into the argument becuase 135 format offers DOF control and 'dimensionality' beyond what APSC offers... 35mm f1.4 shots on a full frame DSLR look fantastic, and there are relatively few ways of achieving this on APSC, which is where my interest in this lens comes in.

You are right to stay calm... getting 'aeriated' will not help you or ease the situation (although it would be understandable if you did fly off the handle in the circumstances :wink. The technicians have ballsed up and you must calmly insist they replace the lens. With a bit of luck you might end up with a brand new, sealed, boxed lens. Not actually such a bad outcome!