If you do not have a wall, use an assistant with a reflector. Or conscript someone with a white shirt and bounce off them. Direct flash should be a last resort, since even with an on-flash diffuser the light is quite harsh.

Unless you are in the light and are using the flash for fill. Then you can keep the intensity low enough so it doesn't destroy the face with harsh light.

I heartily recommend David Ziser's book Captured By The Light. It's absolutely amazing.

Consider a different comparison: The FA Limiteds give you auto-focus and compact size, plus the lovely Pentax colours and coatings, without charging any more than Zeiss.

addictive, aren't they?

Does anyone have a source for the ZEIKOS ZE-LI90 in Europe? This seems to be the best possible choice, rated 2800 mA and working well according to users. Costs $17 from sources in the USA (eg Amazon).

I totally agree. Not to say that the special effect DOF shot can't be interesting... it can. And it has a certain visceral "oomph" that apparently sells magazine covers. But for me it is not as satisfying and, as you say, often takes the emphasis off the landscape and places it onto the gimmick.

I wish more people thought about it that way. A normal or telephoto often allows you to get more into a landscape shot by limiting the field of view. Of course this might take a more trained photographic eye to achieve. (I haven't worked so much on developing my skills for landscapes so I especially appreciate it when I see an expert shot from someone else.)

All these methods have their uses. For landscapes I generally travel with the DA16-45 so I can go from just wider than normal (e.g. 24mm) to mild telephoto in one lens. It doesn't hurt that this zoom has excellent edge-to-edge sharpness and low distortion.

That technique underexposes the ambient lighting so the flash gives your subject a little 3D "pop" out from the background.

I agree with this.

But wider is not better for landscapes. The geometric distortion makes everything look small and unimpressive. (Unless you play the game, much loved in photo rags, of putting some article in the foreground as foil to the now-distance landscape.)

DA16-45 is good for landscapes. FA31 Limited or FA43 Limited are amazing.

But I already did answer.

That is a good solution for when there is no wall present. With the Metz you can also turn on the secondary bulb, which is a brilliant feature. (Pun intended.)

What is natural and desirable for portraits are often two different things! The goal of a portrait is to make your subject look good. How far one takes that is the question.

It doesn't matter what my definition is. It only matters what the OP's definition is, and that we can find in the first post.

Sounds like they want a wide-angle for, you know, shots around Granada. I imagine this would include interiors and exteriors, mostly scenery, sometimes including people but not as the main point of interest. And not many macros.

Otherwise they wouldn't have specified 14 or 15mm, would they?