I also have the 18-200 and have some 18x12 prints off it that look razor-sharp to me* though there is a bit of CA if you peer closely. It might be worth trying one out first to make sure you get a good one...

Examples (at 100% size):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pm107/5343285367/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pm107/3550042048/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pm107/3970203924/sizes/o/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pm107/3593738048/sizes/o/

[*Of course, as newcomer I might just be a bit less discerning!]

Poking around inside a theoretically identical PEF and DNG off the K20D reveals that the DNG contains both a full size JPEG (4672x3104) and a
thumbnail JPEG (640x480) embedded in there in addition to the raw data. The thumbnail has black bars on it to adjust to the 2:3 aspect ratio. Meanwhile the PEF file has raw image data, a 640x480 JPEG and a 160x120 JPEG thumbnail. I'm guessing that your DNG->DNG conversion shrinks the files by losing the full-size JPEG image?

Cheers,
Paul

There was a...erm...spirited discussion on Flickr about this some time ago. The NT issued a clarification that they didn't have a problem with private photographers taking photos for private use (and, indeed, specifically mentioned uploads to Flickr as allowed) but that the site staff may have been overzealous in their enforcement. I assume the PU galley is equivalent.

In practice, they seem to have two concerns — protecting commercial rights to their images and policing copyright requirements on specific artwork (Picasso, for example, hasn't been dead long enough for copyright on his work to be released).

It seems as if everyone was out shooting birds over the weekend! I picked up one of those DA-L 55-300mm lenses that was going for under £150 on eBay a few weeks ago and found that it made a fantastic job of bird portraits.

African Eagle Owl:



Burrowing Owl:



European Eagle Owl:

The "falcon? hawk?" looks like a Harris Hawk to me.

HTH,
Paul

They told me two years! Time to check the paperwork, methinks...

Though presumably that's just an academic distinction. Or is there some way of selecting focus method that I've not come across? (And, given that we seem to be straying away from act of buying the lens, feel free to reply in a different forum )

Cheers
Paul

DA* 16-50mm arrived safely and very well packed!

I can't get over the autofocus speed of this lens. I've not made any objective measurements, but it seems significantly faster than the SDMs on the 50-135 or the 17-70.

Cheers,
Paul

Ring flash arrived safely — many thanks, Fred. Now to put it through its paces...

Sent PM regarding 16-50