There is nothing special done on that image, just my usual PP including a tad of sharpening and curve adjustments. The lens just does that. Sharper when stopped down to f/4 but very nice too at f/2.8. If you click through to my Flickr page there is a comparison of three apertures.

Oh hi Martin! I can never match people from one forum to another!

I guess I just can't stop raving about these lenses. As soon as I discover some other bargain I'll be going on about that instead. Might never happen though, the way prices are going these days.

Here's the K01 at f/2.8. Gotta love that bokeh for a 28mm lens! Hope I haven't posted this here yet. Meet Schweppes!

Hey, I like the ant, and am willing to keep posting about it. Apparently.

Yet another thread about the ant. LOL!

I agree with the evaluation of the Pentax A 28/2.8 as being unspectacular. In fact, I think a mark of 7 might be generous.

The Komine made Vivitar K01 and K02 deserve my highest praise. The K03 is right up there but does not focus as closely. The Kiron-made K11 and it's Kiron equivalent f/2 are also excellent. I also have have 24mm version of the A01, which is simply the KA mount cousin of the K01 (following?). It too rocks, though the 24mm shows noticeable distortion where the 28mm does not.

Basically, my experience has shown that any Kiron or Komine made 28mm is going to be significantly and noticeably better than the Pentax.

I think I win for 28's, since I have the following from the Vivitar Bestiary: T92, M91, K01, K02, K03, K11. Plus some off brand item and a Pentax, I think the A. Total of 8.

I am resisting getting more.

Good point from both of you. The DA14 focuses closer than any other wide angle for Pentax, at 17cm. The DA12-24 manages 30cm. That's a huge difference.

For me the versatility wins through, even though I am a prime person. I need 24mm as much as 14 or 12 so the zoom makes sense. It is great Pentax gives us the choice!

The Pentax 645 pretty well shows how it should be done. Separate dials with an auto setting on each. Now Sv, Tv, Av, TAv, M and P can all be dialed in. B is a special setting on the shutter dial. Setting which hyper-program line to use should also be a switch. (I'm not sure what green mode is for, so I don't know if it fits in here somewhere. I have a feeling it becomes redundant.)

Space can be saved by ditching the top LCD. With dials for all the main settings, and the flashy new back LCD loaded with info, it's hardly needed.

I would love to see a camera like this.

Thanks for those kind words.

As a composer, I have needed a quiet computer for some time. As an artist I'm always too broke, however! But a good start would be the PaQ case with cooling package, a fanless video card like the 9500 GT Super and a PSU like the Seasonic S-12 430W.

Scan, DARC, Rain and Synergy are companies providing full solutions, for those who don't want to build their own.

Oh yes, I had a friend who studied in Kingston so for four years I visited him there on and off. (I grew up in Canada!) Also a lovely place from which to plan trips into the St. Lawrence Thousand islands area.