Compliments on you week's endeavours, David. The conditions look fairly challenging here, but this is ripe with colourful contrasts that are beautifully handled. Slate skies, vibrant flora... it is forever England (and beautifully composed).

I don't think minor crops from the northern and southern fringes would do great harm, but I find the photo balanced in its original form and like it very much. No nits worthy of picking as far as I'm concerned - a lovely image.

I love the thinking behind the first shot, David, but like others feel the greenbottle is just a little too remote to complete the desired effect. Conceptually, though, the idea definitely merits pursuit.

The portrait is great and I didn't even notice the buckle until it was pointed out. I think small details like that can make a photograph look slightly more natural and that's how I prefer things. Sometimes, the quest for perfection lends photos a slight artificial look. I'm all for cloning out seriously intrusive bits and pieces, but to me this is fine just as it is.

Years ago, when I often used to test and review road cars, I'd head out on a shoot and photographers would remove tax discs because they felt the image's purity would otherwise be compromised. I'd point out that tax discs were a fact of life and that cars looked odder without them, but it wasn't my call. I feel the same way about bits of necklace and suchlike.

Yrs looking forward to Storm Chapter 3...

I've been desperately unlucky, Jules. Variously, my K200D, K20D, K-7 and assorted K-5s have all captured crisp motorsport shots. I can only assume I've picked up rogue copies each time.

I know what you mean about the 100-300, George, but its versatility is slightly compromised when it refuses to focus accurately! It received a substantial bang on the head at Silverstone a few weeks ago, which I suspect might have something to do with recent developments. I'm hoping to arrange a repair later this week and to have it back in action asap.

As for the Facebook shot, I'd no idea it had been posted but its presence is wholly legitimate. Thanks for the heads-up.

My first time at this event... and also a maiden motorsport outing with my freshly acquired DA 300mm (which seems to work).


1 - Ready... (K-5, DA17-70mm)


2 ...steady... ((K-5, DA17-70mm)


3 - ...go ((K-5, Sigma 50-150)


4 - The shadows (K-5 IIs, DA300)


5 - Not everything was small and buzzy: a Leon at large in the Lincolnshire Wolds (K-5, Sigma 50-150, 1/160)


6 - Contre-jour (K-5 IIs, DA300)


7 - Bonkers diversity (K-5 IIs, DA300)


8 - Historic karts come with period reliability as standard (K-5, Sigma 50-150)


9 - Commitment (K-5, Sigma 50-150, 1/250)


10 - Tailpiece (K-5 IIs, DA300)

Terrific work, David.

I spent a while trying to track a couple at Barnes WWT recently. I'm still waiting...

...but hopefully good news for IQ. I've finally succumbed and purchased a DA 300mm f4. To soften the financial commitment, I went to SRS with assorted part-ex bits that rarely got used - including my Sigma 150-500, a great bit of kit, but one that had been pressed into service about twice in the past 18 months. I'm keeping the Sigma 100-300mm f4, but that needs a trip to the vet and might be out of service for a while.

Here are a few initial snaps with the 300, all taken with K-5 IIs. Nothing particularly interesting in terms of subject matter, but I echo other users' comments about its ability to pick out macro-level detail. Tomorrow, I'll try to find out whether it's any good at a racetrack...


1 - Cormorant (with 1.4 TC)


2 - Perhaps I should have traded in my Tamron 90mm, too...


3 - Deep purple

Great stuff, Paul - love the mono Audi quattro.

The six-wheeler is the March 2-4-0, which never raced in period but was eventually used in hillclimbs. As Barrie says, Tyrrell also had a six-wheeler, the P34, which won the 1976 Swedish GP. Williams later tested a six-wheeler (with four at the rear), although that never raced, either.

The F1 rules now mandate one wheel at each corner.

Pre-WW2, some cars - notably Auto Unions - occasionally ran with four rear wheels, albeit on the same axle.

And now, back to photography...

I'm not sure, Mike. In good light the K-5 and K-5 IIs seem to produce similar results. The 17-70 is usually pleasingly sharp at the wide end (can't tell quite how wide, though, because the exif data has always recorded "43mm" since I dropped the lens at Brands Hatch). The Sigma 100-300 has just started playing up - hardly anything was sharp at Oulton Park on Monday. It might have been tired after a long trip, but I suspect something has slipped internally. It's definitely a lens problem, because other glass produces sharp results on both bodies. The vet beckons, although I also need to find something else to use at Cadwell Park this weekend...

A couple of weeks ago, there was a mint 100-300 on eBay - starting price £475 and nobody bid. I was tempted to pitch for it as a back-up, because mine is very well used, and now wish I had. It was eventually relisted and sold for about £550, which is still a decent price.