Don't get me wrong, I like the tractor shot very much. A b/w version would work for me better if conveying rural decay but then a dark moody atmosphere especially with rain puddles would do that better than a nice sunny day. I hope I am not rambling too much!

I think a mistake most of us make is taking a photo and then on the computer deciding whether it should be colour or b/w, whereas that should be a decision made before the shutter is pressed. The question should be “What is it about this scene I want to capture - is it the colours or patterns and textures, how will the atmosphere best be conveyed?”. In the one with the old tractor is the subject the tractor or it’s setting? That isn’t clear to me but what attracts me are the colours of the tractor so a more close-up shot would be interesting.

In the K1 I have one card slot set to RAW and the other to best JPEG and it is instructive to set the camera in b/w mode beforehand, that way viewing the JPEG shots and live view will show how it looks so you are thinking and framing in that mode. The RAW files will be unmanipulated in colour so if that is preferred the shot isn’t lost.

There is only one reason to convert from colour to black and white and that is if colour distracts from the subject or perhaps fails to add anything; I struggle to see how this can be in a typical landscape shot like these when colour is such an important element. The last three all demonstrate how aerial perspective emphasises the distance by cooler and less saturated colours which doesn’t come across in the monochrome versions. The only times I have seen a b/w conversion effective, and used it myself, is to emphasise dramatic contrast and patterns where there is minimal colour anyway. I do wonder if photography had been in colour from the outset whether b/w would have the cult status it enjoys or would have been seen as a fringe interest like infra-red.

Continuing my experiments with the recently acquired Pentax SMC F 85mm f2.8 Soft lens I headed into the woods. The first was at f8 so minimal softening effect and will take some sharpening in Lightroom; the second at somewhere between f4 and f5.6 (the camera doesn't record the aperture). In the 2nd shot I found that shooting towards the light and the more I softened the greater the flare. In soft mode I found it best to reduce sharpening in LR to zero and use the texture slider to get the effect I want.

[quote:3496ace15f="davidwozhere"]This isn't exactly about tracking but I'd welcome other peoples' wisdom. I got fed up with all those AF points long ago because if you focused on something you could guarantee the damn machine would pick the "correct" point by itself and ruin the shot. Consequently, I only use the center point for AF. Am I doing something wrong somewhere? I simply have no idea why they cram more and more AF points into every new camera because (to me) they are absolutely useless. I look forward to being set right.[/quote[quote:3496ace15f="davidwozhere"]
I couldn’t agree less, you use the AF selection to suit the subject. For landscape I will use a small area to select foreground, middle and horizon for focus stacking; for portraits I use the selective single point to target the eyes and often wish there were more nearer the edge of the frame to save recomposing. I don’t do much tracking but then I use a small select area to make sure the subject is kept in the focus field, and as I am using longer lenses the distance limiter on them helps in that regard.

Lennybloke's lens arrived yesterday and I have been experimenting in the house, the sweet spot to me is f4 and I am looking forward to some autumn colour shots outside but in the meantime here are a couple:




I love that to get this effect I don't have to mess around in lightroom or photoshop, minimal processing required.

Ditto, and a really well made feel to it, it’s the one APS-C lens I haven’t been able to part with but of course the new version is FF compatible.

Our surgery did a great job in keeping jab days secret, I was told I missed it because I should keep checking their website although the NHS website I use to access their services showed nothing. Given you have a database could you not email everyone in the vulnerable category I asked, to be told they don’t use emails. Or texts apparently. I managed to get done a couple of weeks ago but wonder if there is any point, given that the precautions we take for Covid 19 should also be effective against the flu. Such an argument fell on deaf ears with Mrs RobL who said if it’s free we are having it!

I woz there last week! Well nearly, about 1/4 mile to the west at the cove in no. 2. I love this set and great sunset shots, where I was the sun was obscured by the headland so I will have to remember this; I just find the very narrow lanes into Port Quinn a bit nerve-wracking when it’s busy.

You may not have wait, from the horse’s mouth it will be around ¥200,000 which is currently £1469.00 or thereabouts apparently. So neatly priced just below the K1 mkII. The improved autofocus and 4K video will hopefully address the shortcomings perceived in the range.