Simon you've picked up HDR a lot faster than I have - I use the in-camera HDR as I get a bit lost processing my own and tend to end up with slightly acidic/pastel colours. I have to tweak the cameras default output though. But as G says, it would be nicer in good light, HDR or not.

You mean it's not available in PK-fit? Damn!

I quite like the idea of things like that, but I wouldn't pay anything near the price they're sold for. You can get some weird effects with some of the old off-brand manual focus lenses too, and i'd rather go down that route as they produce more usable images.

Yes I agree with that... I was quoting you to concur with your compliment, as indicated by my "+1" - that's all!

I don't think I actually said that!

These are really interesting... not boring at all keep posting! Compositionally many of the shots are a bit average IMO, there's plenty of scope for some cropping to balance things up (and correct sloping shots) but it would have been better to vary your shooting angle a bit. However they're all interesting and capture something of the place. I love the huge shadow in no. 7 and the wires shooting off from the building. And no. 9 is a really good composition, I like the expression caught. No. 15 is nice, perhaps 'next time' scoot round so the baby in it's carrycot holds the bottom of the shot?

I hope Cuba manages to preserve what is good about its current society as it proceeds (as it surely must) to improve the lot of its people.

+1

I bet there are a lot of people with £££ macro lenses looking at these shots with more than a hint of envy! They really are very good. Just like Yeatzee on Pentax Forums link, you are showing that you don't need really expensive equipment for this sort of photography!

True, but for me the waterproofing and wider angle minimum zoom is more attractive... The better ISO performance of the Sony is of interest if you are thinking of a bit of underwater photography, as I am... even on a sunny day light falls off fairly rapidly under water! The Sony also has a nice low light feature which stacks several low ISO exposures to produce a sharp and noise free shot - a great idea which Pentax ought to copy.

But I am seriously interested in the RZ10 I must admit. My partner's after an upgrade to our compact camera and the cost/performance ratio on the RZ10 is pretty amazing, and I think it's a very attractive looking camera too. Anyway we're in no rush, and maybe soon Pentax will address their compact cameras' noise issues and introducing some manual controls would be a nice touch.

I can barely pick a favourite but the Sigma is fractionally sharper at the edges I guess. Less barrel distortion on the Sigma. But the 15mm seems to have a nicer clarity overall, less fall off perhaps, and (to me) more natural colour. Those things are correctable on the Sigma of course. So overall I'm still happy with the Sigma but there's still a little bit of me hankering for the 15mm - just slightly less so than before!

I think Sony TX5 is worth a look, some advanced features like HDR and uses a Sony Exmor CMOS sensor for slightly less terrible results than the usual compact. And it's watterproof!

And of the current Pentaxes, i'd also go for the RZ10 - the models are definitely improving, but they need to get that noise sorted.

You guys are painting a very Father Ted-esque picture of your minibreak in that little caravan... Poor Karl being woken up by Paul's early morning 'shake up and shake out' - it sounds quite traumatising.

Nice shot by the way, did you try any other (non-square) crops?