Slight sympathy - but you are are flying first class .

Just shelled out £400 for Business Class to Christchurch NZ. My hit is better value as far as taxes go - your "air" time is 21hrs - ours is more than double that and I get to see more airports - Dubai twice, Christchurch, Auckland, Sidney and Bangkok. Special mention for Heathrow T3


Steve

Simon - might find the Sigma 135-400 worth a look at. Its not an HSM lens, and has a aperature ring, so useable on any K mount body you care to mention. Not very heavy compared to the 150-500 or the 50-500, so quite travel friendly. Part of my overseas kit - it's already short listed for the trip to NZ/Aus in March

I had a play with it with an EX 1.4 TC and was pleased with the result. Not pixel peeped it to any degree and it wasn't a shot that would stop a show!

There are a couple of shots taken with this lens in my gallery - one at the extreme end of the zoom.


Steve

Glad you're up and running

It's a bit b***** irritating when you shell out for a package such as CS3E and it won't play - and there is nothing you can do to make it play. I got mine at educational rates (one of the benefits of working for a University) and had other options, so wasn't a show stopper. I also changed my C drive - one of the things I'd done over the period in question - but it wasn't damaged (it is still working under a different guise), nor was it listed as a potential solution on the Adobe forum!


Steve

Minor technical erata - most English & Welsh castle were slighted by Parliamentry Forces - usually local but not always - New Model did its fair share of post seige destruction eg Basing House - Cromwell only a Major General of Horse under command of Fairfax until he packed it in after the 2nd Civil War. Not a great fan of Cromwwell - but he only deserves to be "credited" with what forces under his direct command actually did.


Steve

James - I had similar probs with CS3E - loaded on my laptop OK but absolutely refused to do anything on my desktop .

I changed my processor (unrelated to the CS3E issue) and a few other things got altered in the year - it then loaded as it should!

When CS3 was launched, there was a late change to the instal engine which caused a lot of trouble to a lot of people. No single thread came up with a magic bullet. So could be something processor or graphic card related. Or just being willful.


Steve

Rule of Thirds is a great tool - but it's not an adsolute - i.e. not necessarily applicable all of the time. Some great shots have been taken by the good n the great of photography that trash the rule utterly.

If it feels right, it usually is right.

As one who has a tendancy to shoot with a slight incline - left horizon slightly higher than the right - the LL80 is a great help.

No sure that the extra £60-70 for a Katzeye RoT screen really worth it.

Steve

I've change the focus screens to LL80s on both my K10 & K20. Found it very useful - helps with composition and, assuming I'm paying attention ensures my verticals are vertical and my horizons are horizontal!

Bit more expensive now than when I bought mine - but worth it still IMHO.


Steve

Make/Size:
Kingston 4gb - Class 6 with K20, class 4 with K10

Spares/containers:
Always - in battery grip for local trips. Longer trips carry additional 4 spares in Lowepro wallet. Apart from those in camera or grip, in the supplied plastic case

Brand:
Kingston have a good reputation for all things memory + good price from 7dayshop.com

Fault History:
None


Steve


ps - trans method - multi-card reader

Agree with Richard re the Pentax 10-17. Funs lens but completely different to Pentax's 12-24, even when at it's widest - and same goes for the Sigma 10-20. Note the old Pentax K series FE is a 17mm - there are both 15mm and 18mm non FE ultra wide angle lens - all built like the proverbial brick out houses.

Not all very wide angle lens are FEs - only those described as such.

HTH


Steve

FWIW I'd vote for a change in the closing time too. 10pm London time is more practical for most of the people who have had the honour since I've been a member. Note not GMT - very partisan but we play with time like everybody else and we all work with the time our watch/PC tells us.....

A further 2p's worth - how about a 'sticky' containing the best hints and tips to help new judges - like one comment I've seen about making notes as the entries are made, and cutting and pasting it up when the competition is closed and winner decided upon? Not everyone is that well organised to have worked that out as a good idea.


Steve