Interesting thread! I've never got particularly good results from exposure blending or HDR, but I thought that's because I wasn't very good at it! However I had always assumed that for someone that knew what they were doing, if you took at least two exposures; correctly exposed for the sky and for the foreground you would be able use the digital hocus pocus to get the same result as with grads... perhaps not so then!

I seem to get reasonable results from single K5ii exposures tweaked in LR, but obviously they can be a little noisy. I generally prefer to carry the least amount of equipment with me, so hadn't really used the grads since getting the K5ii. Also I like to work a little faster when I'm out with other people, but I might have to put the grads back in the bag now!

Despite the luke-warm reviews most people seem really happy with this lens. I'd be really interested to know how it stacks up against the DA 18-250 (and just out of curiosity the 16-50 too), if anyone has any experience.

I've always been pretty happy with the 18-250 package and it is pretty sharp at the wide end. But I quite like the contrast I get from some of my "better" lenses and wonder if the 18-135 would be a good compromise for travel.

Wow!

You have PM - Looks like a neat little case.

Thanks guys. Not quite up to your standards Blythman, but practice makes perfect I hope! The DA*300 is a great lens, I'm usually more of a landscape shooter but recently I've noticed the 300mm is always in my bag

Fantastic! I wouldn't have even thought that shot possible. Never say never!

I bought a DA* 300mm f4 from a forum member last year and thought it was a about time to post a few pictures. The lens is suberb and I'm sure I'm not yet doing it justice.

Cormorant (Lake Luzern, Switzerland) 1/640 f5.6 ISO100



Brave Skiier (Halidgrat, Switzerland) 1/320 f9 ISO200



Mountain in the clouds (Brisen, Switzerland) 1/250 f9 ISO100



Turtle just out of hibernation (Buochs, Switzerland) 1/320 f4 ISO100



Squabbling gulls (Lake Luzern, Switzerland) cropped 1/6400 f4 ISO1600



Gull in flight (Lake Luzern, Switzerland) cropped 1/6400 f4 ISO1600

Last call for the DA21mm - it's going on ebay today!

Sorry I haven't got any more DA15's, but I do still have a used DA21mm!

elfer thanks for the compliment, hopefully not premature!

DA 15mm sold pending payment. Thanks!