Both of my mark 2 / WR lenses have been very poor! (My original mark 1 was ok though.) This time i'm gonna see if I can get a better copy as I keep hearing good things about them. Not sure i'd want to get rid of the 16-45 though, it's such a dependable lens.

I should have mentioned that this is actually in Derbyshire, where I was dragged up.

Alun - I'm sure there are plenty of Grayling left, and they are probably feeling much safer since Dad went to the giant keep net in the sky....

I would have thought that being banal, derivative and tiresome practically qualifies it as Art, actually!

It's surprising though how intolerant we are of graffiti, whereas billboard advertising seems to be acceptable. My sister used to have a beautiful view of a 15ft tall diseased lung from her bedroom window, courtesy of a government health campaign. She was going through a spell of depression and I'm sure it didn't help!

I went down to my Dad's memorial seat down by the river Derwent (near Wigwell Aqueduct) on Sunday. It's a simple gritstone slab, tucked unobtrusively under a tree facing onto an energetic stretch of the river where he used to love casting a fly in pursuit of his beloved grayling. I like how the bench is away from any paths, and blends into the landscape. It reminds me of the interesting little details Dad would draw my attention to on walks in the surrounding woods.

While down there I took the shots below (the memorial seat is seen in shot 1, although it's not a great picture!

I also took a little video using the Sigma 10-20 and Tamron 90mm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfT1Hdqe81g

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2.


3.


My little walk was spoiled somewhat by discovering that a path which I have walked since my childhood has been blocked by the adjacent land owner

The path (between Lea Bridge and Cromford Canal) follows the course of an 'extinct' arm of the canal known as the Nightingale Arm, and is a sort of cobbled trackway leading to the main road opposite John Smedley's factories.

Unfortunately there is no 'green dotted line' on the OS maps indicating a right of way, but the route has certainly been used since the canal's existence, and is (was?) a very popular path to the canal. There are even signs along it (just behind the obstruction) which the council had put up, with instructions for walkers.

The path has been closed off with a locked automatic gate, liberally decorated with spikes and 'Warning! CCTV!' notices. Then a 100yard section is securely fenced either side.

If anyone has had a similar experience, I'd be interested to know whether you managed to get the path re-opened and recognised as a public right of way. It is certainly included in many walking books and even some walk descriptions I could find online.

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5. The far end of the fenced section. Note the sign, presumably put up by the council, obviously predating the landowner's decision to block the footpath!


6. Standing in the gateway in shot 5, looking back to the locked gate in shot 4.




Naturally, I will certainly not be dissuaded from walking down there, CCTV or not!

Actually, almost as distressing as the path closure is the decision they have taken to plant bloody Leylandii along the pathside - totally out of character with the lovely deciduous woodland all around. Philistines.

If you find a cheap old 14 or 15mm prime, please let me know where you got it! The nearest thing would be a Tokina 17mm, and I sold mine for £120

That's true. I deliberately wasn't counting trivial things like that though! I don't think they've done anything to the body at all, or at least not worth considering from a 'need to upgrade' point of view?

I think most K-7 owners would be better served waiting for the model that supercedes the K-5, if that includes some enhancements to the body rather than just a new sensor (and upgraded af).

This is too weird
- i've been down by the river Derwent taking pics this morning, and - no word of a lie - I left the lens cap for my 10-20 on a boulder! You've saved me a long walk back to fetch it lol.

Greytop? (Sorry couldn't resist having a guess!)

I need to get my mitts on some of those screen protectors. The rear lcd seems so vulnerable.

Probably some low paid, undertrained admin assistant signed off the fraudulent paperwork while their mind was taken off the job with worries about the big public sector cuts coming our way.