Which camera now.

can you see the af points in the k5lls?

Yes.

Yes in most every other Pentax dslr you can see the focus points.

Personally I've never seen a regular need for the focus point movement technique. It's referred to quite a lot but takes a long time to setup and is usually achievable by a focus and recompose action.

Do others use this often?

K-3 is a big jump , but the fundamentals are the same on any camera , and being Pentax you will know many of the control locations etc/menu structure layout.

K-5ii is good also, really depends on what you want to shoot and your own tastes and budget. Can't go wrong with either really , or the newer k-s2.

So many great Pentax options at the moment.

all the courses ive been on with other peolple use them.im thinking the k3 will drop in price when the new one comes out

I'm on select focus exclusively.
Sometimes, where it's not critical, I leave it in the middle, but mostly I make the effort to select the correct point. It really is important for macro or very shallow DOF.
My K-x always frustrates me with it's lack of any indication.

Its rare to hear that Mark ..... Mostly people report like Richard and use the focus lock and recompose method, which I agree is fast and accurate , although really better suited to more active dynamic shooting.

In fact for slower more considered work, and certainly where you're repeating a framing many times, you are right to highlight the AF point select method as ideal. It just takes a bit of getting used to in order to set it up really quickly so that it doesn't slow you down too much.

In most cameras I use centre-point focusing, lock with half a press on the shutter button then recompose and shoot. I can't be bothered shifting the point around the screen. The one exception is rare macro shots.

The Canon M changed all that. The touch screen is so logical, sensitive and intuitive. You compose the shot, look at what you want to focus on, wherever it is, touch the screen and take the shot. It's even possible to trip the shutter by touching the screen but I never do that.

The focusing on the MX-1 is so good (well, it does have a very wide depth of field at normal apertures) I just leave it to get on with it. It never misses.

I use focus point selection for maybe 50% of my shots - moving trains - often use a lower focus point than centre to ensure lock on track/loco as opposed to steam/sky. Focus on front of loco rather than tender or carriages. I am obviously a bit unusual

Front of loco rather than tender ... Hmmm, is that a similar concept to the 'eyebrows not eyeballs' portraiture theory ? And what focus point would you need then for a person looking out of a train carriage window ?

Wait for the full frame Pentax K-FF-1

I use live view, focus peaking, digital zoom and manual focus for macro shots.
And centre point only, or expanded say 5 point centre focus, and focus/recompose method for everything else.
Settings wise I may lock the exposure to where I focus also, to hold the exposure when I recompose, sending the centre of the frame into the bright sky for instance.

Not saying it's the only way, just saying I've never found it particularly useful personally

I would hope no-one was foolish enough to put their head out of the window!!

I take a lot of pictures on specially organised charters, so no passengers aboard.

Anyway, fascinating to see how everyone has their own preferred way of using their cameras. Pentaxians are individualists to a man/woman, obviously

thanks for all your comments.i think maybe the k3 is the one to go for.

Best of the lot IMHO
Question is "classic" or MkII?

Even if one does not like the new Pentax full-frame when it does come out; imagine the sale prices on items from other Pentax dslr's and a majority of the Pentax labeled lenses. Don't be surprised to see the largest sale price on Pentax labeled products - ever