You can buy 1/4" to 3/8" adaptors. The last one I got, about 5 years ago, cost me 99p from a local camera shop.

All rather too dark for my tastes. There's not enough mid tone interest in the walls and ivy, which is unusual, most mono pictures that people post have too much mid tone. I look at this and think "what's the subject?", I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be looking at as it's all a bit dark and the textures get lost. If the lighting was more directional then it would help bring out the texture of the ivy.

Hope this helps, just my two penneth, feel free to ignore.

Yes, I use a tablet, an Intuos 3 A5 Wide, I think that's the size, it's just a teeny bit smaller on the pressure area than a sheet of A4. I'm left handed, but like many left handers, was pretty much forced to use a mouse right handed when computers first became the norm at work and were shared between many users. As such, it doesn't really feel right for me to use a mouse in my left hand, and my fine control in my right hand isn't as good as it could be. Using the pen stylus on a tablet makes things far more intuitive for me and I have better control.

You don't need to get a very big tablet, I only went for the size I did because the size down from this didn't have the button/slide bars on the right - I'd forever be crossing my arms to use the buttons on the left (with right hand) whilst using the stylus (with left hand).

It takes a bit of getting used to, as you have to make much bigger movements than you would with a mouse. Once you've got the hang of that, it's great. The pressure sensitive nib really comes into its own when dodging/burning as the opacity can be naturally varied to the pressure applied.

For quick and dirty edits, I'll still use a mouse, for something that I really want to be right, I wheel out the tablet.

Duncan

My genuine spare K10 battery came with a cap, my genuine K-7 battery did not.

had 50-135 for nearly 4 months now, not long I know, but no problems so far, it's had some heavy use in that time. I love this lens.

Pentax 100-300 Power Zoom lens rolled off my dining table onto carpeted floor, sticky focus action was the result. I got it repaired, but it was always a bit softer (from an already very soft lens) for ever more.

It's Jessops, but not as they were:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8279911.stm

Having read this thread and had a think, I seem to have the 135mm focal length pretty well covered.
M 135 f/3.5
DA 50-200 (wife's, but seems to be mine now)
Tamron 24-135 (mine, but seems to be wife's now)
DA* 50-135
Sigma 135-400

I have rationalised, I sold the 100-300 Power Zoom a short while ago. I'm clearly an also-ran compared to many of you lot.

Great idea. I'd but the framing at more of a diagonal so the fold of the book runs diagonally across the frame top left to full bottom right corner. I don't think the top left needs to be precise, but the bottom left on the corner of the frame will give an effective lead line through the image. I'd also have the DoF so that the whole of the ring was in focus. I see the ring as being the main subject, with the dictionary adding context. Your current DoF has these elements reversed. Just my opinion, feel free to ignore.

Duncan

45, but I really had to think about it......