It has been on the road map for a while now, due in the spring but if previous launches are anything to go by then probably later in 2019. Given the direction Pentax lenses are heading I guess this will be another high quality product with WR and the special coatings, and maybe the new faster motor. Maybe we will see a pre-production model at The Photography Show as we did with the new 50mm. Given the weight of the 70-200 f 2.8 I wil definitely be interested seeing the Tokina is half the weight but will I trade it? If I can afford not to I will hang on to it for a while and see.

And Jak, Pentax don’t just change the label and double the price, you really get what you pay for in extra performance and quality.

Christmas is coming!?

Re. The DFA 70-200 f2.8 lens, I love it but will often leave it behind if I need two or three lenses because of its weight. That was the case for a bonfire shoot, the fast aperture would be welcome but I would need to raise the shutter speed for its length and keeping it steady. Like you I ended up with the 24-70mm and cropped the results. I shall be interested in the new 70-200mm f4 promised in the new year as it should be much lighter and manageable, just hope the quality is as good.

I understand why you would want to cover all bases but did the 15-30mm actually get used? I am no wedding photographer and like you would run a mile first, but where you found 6 fps to come up short I guess if there were two of you then would that not be enough? And re. the last question, in low light especially a phone couldn’t compete; what might look ok on a phone screen would not be ok on a decent sized print. And don’t forget you bring composition skills to the scene, wonky shots from behind someone’s head would not be good. One of my faults is I tend to underexpose and then have to recover in pp and luckily the K1 is excellent in pulling detail out of blackness.

So, when is the next gig?

Hi Chris

It is Northumberland Coast and Castles with Doug Chinnery and Valda Bailey; making good a New Year promise to myself I booked this early in the year and going the week after next. I will let you know how I got on.

I took some last night, and here is one I was about to write off:


But cropped, processed and noise reduced gave me this:


I know it could be a bit sharper, but not bad in the circumstances.

I suppose the results are better than combining individual frames from a video?

Other tests have shown that the K1 outperforms their top choices from Sony and Nikon. The reality is that in some places Pentax doesn’t come to mind just the best selling brands, which begs the questions as to thoroughness and independence. I have booked for a Light and Land creative landscape course and the bumf that came describes functions on the usual brands but not Pentax, yet in the chosen features it matches or way outperforms the rest and if you have a Sony you need to keep buying apps for features like multi exposure and star trails. I am looking forward to it! Anyhow the proof is there to find, I have been amazed at the results and details I get in low light and when noise gets intrusive it can readily be smoothed out.

Well tonight I am off to a bonfire (yes I know it’s not the fifth!) in my new role as the official photographer of the Allotments Association. Such giddy heights! Who knows, this time next year I could be rich and famous fending off pleas from Vogue and National Geographic. Or maybe not.

Great achievement, well done.