Not wishing to understate the risk of asbestos, but the stuff to avoid getting close to - spray applied (aka flock) and pipe lagging (ie 80-90% pure) went out of use by the mid 70's. If you know what to look out for and where it might have been used (fire protection of steelwork, high temp water/steam pipes and boiler rooms) then it's less of an issue. A PP3 mask isn't something you pick up in your local DIY store. The lesser evil - Asbestos Insulation Board - is easy to avoid - don't stand on, break or otherwise disturb any dull grey/white board. No fibre release, no hazard (same for flock and pipe lagging).

I have responsibility for the stuff, have the occasional close and personal encounter with it and so perhaps I'm a little more pragmatic than most here.

But as a surveyor, I think the real risk is unstable and weak structures - floors particularly.

Moving around any old and abandoned building needs to be done with a lot of care - slow and methodical, assessing the route in every space before moving.


Steve

Grips are like Marmite - you either love 'em or hate 'em. Personally I think they make the balance of the body better. And I like the insurance that they hold a spare card. Having a second battery on line will aid when access to a charger is fraught.


Steve

It's a nice lens and the widest full frame zoom ever produced. Had some good results with it, although from memory I tended to use the upper end of the range more than the wider end when it was matched with a crippled KAF2 body. Never used it with either of my ist Ds and it's slipped off the active list, especially now I've got the FA20-90 which I can use with my MZSs


Steve

Chris - try the FastStone programmes - Resizer and Viewer. Both free for home use. Easy to use, stable and very effective - so all round v good value.



Steve

Well, Cookie demanded her breakfast at 7pm, so got up just as the sun was coming up. Shouldn't have resisted her quite so long as the sky had a lovely set of pinky red bands - gone by the time I was mobile

Took the shot as planned - got a few strange looks from the few people around as I spread my length on the ground on an odd HV jacket. Sky was a little pale but I think it worked OK. Posted in Gallery - would link it if I could work out how.


Steve

Got a quick outing pencilled in for tomorrow morning not long after sun up (or cat feeding time, which ever is the sooner ..). DA10-17 in The Circus, centre of, on my back with camera pointing straight up. Been done before but not with a Pentax DSLR. No go if cloudy.



Steve

Oggy - the Irish can't go the whole 6 Nats playing and misfiring as they have so far - they got over the French line 3 times which is a whole lot better than we did. Nope - reckon the Scots could be in for a tough time tomorrow. If so - makes the last weekend very interesting viewing.

Closer to home the boys in blue, black and white sorted out Exeter on their home patch, so another 4 pts earned and up to 4th, with games in hand over those behind.

Quiet time of the day - 2 bottles of Bin 53 shared with SWLTBO = boss asleep down stairs and me in the loft on line. Good eh?


Steve

Not yet - still got the Irish to go - they'll do their best to spoil the party. What odds on a French referee?

Game was a 2 can and part hip flask one - so 7.2 on the TENSE scale


Steve

Probably better off getting an Optio W90 (or similar) which is designed to be used in wet environments rather than trying to find a water proof enclosure that will take an LX (and a winder).

The W90 is a lot lighter, smaller, greater image capacity (i.e. not limited to 37-8 frames), more lens options (built in zoom), autofocus and you're not trying to shoot through a perspex shell!


Steve

Typical - just as you post you find someone beaten you to it by a few seconds!


Steve