many many congratulations - bring back some good pikkies :-))

many thanks - very flattered to be included - Charles

wish I'd been there :-))

#2 is absolutely excellent!

check out Jim (Nameless_Wildness)'s post today - taken with a x1.4 coverter (albeit the other brand) - looks acceptable to me

Doug, sorry for not answering faster but I have been rather busy. I havn't used converters recently but I spoke to a friend who uses them with fixed-length lenses and is v happy with them. They are lighter and cheaper than longer lenses and are much used by travel/nature photographers who have to carry their own gear - lol. the x1.4 converter will nearly give you the equivalent of a 100-300 f4 + add the crop factor of 1.5, you will have a beautifully long lens. With the stabilisation, you should be able to use it without a tripod and give Jim (Nameless_Wildness) some real competition. I just had a look at the Nikon price lists, it sells here for about C$700 - so you might have to start saving again.

very relieved to read that you are basically 'OK' - all my best for a full recovery + I hope the insurance companies are reasonably generous! Charles

Just about all my Nikon-using friends are saving up to buy a D200 - there are also delivery problems here so people have to wait - the 70-200 VR f2.8 also has an excellent reputation - congrats to you and looking forward to seein the pikkies (ps: are you also getting the x1.4 converter and x 2 doubler?) C.

LOLOL - I wonder if they included an alarm clock, a tape recorder and a coffee machine lol!

LOLOL - I have been amazed by the tone of many posts on the Minolta chat-sites. Some are swearing they will never be seen dead with a Sony camera - others worrying that Sony's camera will be coloured grey etc... Time will tell

All my very best, Andreas - perhaps your wife will feel sorry for you and buy you the DSLR of your dreams :-))) Charles

the smaller the sensor, the more difficult it is to build wide-angle lenses for 35mm format!

The DSLR market should be interesting: 1. Canon will remain no1, they have an excellent catalogue of lenses, they make their own sensors and will continue to bring out new models at every price-point and for every segment. 2. Nikon will remain no2, but they are now buying their sensors from a direct competitor. 3. Sony has replaced Minolta will they make a mess of it? Who will make their lenses? 4. Samsung have already brought out their first DSLR a re-badged Pentax apparently. 5. Olympus have that weird 4/3 format will Panasonic join them or take them over? Let's see what happens

I don't think I want another cam, but I might be interested in glass: 85mm f1.4? 70-200mmSSm f2.8? a good macro - I pay you $100 for each - lol

the KM forums are full of people falling into despair, swearing they will never ever go around using a Sony camera: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1035 http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/default.asp on the other hand, a brave and optimistic few are hoping that Sony will have the muscle and nouse to really compete with Cann and Nikn, especially in the DSLR market One thing I refuse to do is worry about the stupid memory stick - top of the range Sony bridge cameras like the R 1 also use CF cards ;-))