Might not be the best advice in the world to suggest a Pentax FA100 while in autofocus (or perhaps needing autofocus). Imagine being a paying portrait subject?

The results with the PFA would be a substantial amount of long duration focus hunting, or having to switch over to manual use.

Although the current Pentax FA100 does have a few added bonuses such as WR, and the overall build quality. It's also incredibly sharp, but.. Not for use on any type of live subject where more photographic opportunites will be missed rather than captured - for most people behind the camera (again, without having the genuine need to switch from autofocus to manual.

Other considerations, if one can do without that exact focal length...

The Pentax FA77 is considerably better at focusing (and even sharper with most subject material) than the Pentax FA100 -especially with live subjects. The Sigma 85mm is one of the sharpest lenses made in PK - outside of the formerly produces Zeiss lenses. Also if one has the manual focusing skills the PK manual focusing 135mm's f2.0 are quite impressive

I travel throughout the region at least twice a year; even to places such as Syria and Iran.

Before leaving, know the exact locations of the embassies, even write down the location on the back of a low denomination bill.

Expect increased security throughout the entire region. Even when you are going into most any of the countries there, expect to stay with a type of entry agent for at least one half hour - if not there on proven business. Also expect to share a lot of your travel plans with that "customs agent". You might even need to provide proof of where on will stay, and they might check it before one is allowed to leave the airport.

Do not dress western, wear very low profile clothes, dress down - leave the better (yet still conservative clothes) in the luggage. If one is able to, leave any computing device at home; if it does not get stolen, guaranteed it will be hacked - if not by amateurs, even hacked by professionals. Do not use an item such as an iPhone 6, too much of a red flag. Do not wear any expensive jewelry.

If bringing a camera, unless bringing it to a very touristy and/or scenic area try to be a minimalist as possible. Know when and where on can photograph things. In most countries of that region do not photograph anything military and/or government. Do not photograph any type of social demonstration. Even use caution when selecting a gadget bag/rucksack.

It sounds strange but, it works... Try to pretend you are Canadian if anyone asks. For some reason they have basically no enemies

Especially needs to up the marketing with the possibility of Pentax full-frame this year. Marketing could and should clearly point out that Pentax full-frame will be better system than anything Nikon has- currently on their line-up. To point out the major items such as WR that exists in Pentax for a variety of camera bodies and lenses, another item that Nikon does not offer (minus the Nikon AW1). Nikon camera bodies have incredible weather resistance, but as for the Nikon lenses on the current market (again minus the AW1), not much is available from Nikon

On the flip side of full-frame... Take a look at what is presently on the market from the Canon 50mp full-frame; not only is there sensor perfection in that model, but look at some of the lenses that are available for it-even as variations of a kit lens. With the prices that Canon is currently offering, and the lenses - Pentax will have to ramp up their game considerably, and also get quite a few more lenses onto the market. It will be difficult for Pentax to match the Canon 50mp's

Given the popularity and availability of the Pentax 60-250, also still being produced, still being sold, and the known issues of the 60-250...

Technically, once the item is/was at the repair facility it should take less than TWO DAYS to properly repair, retest, and then get shipped back out. After all, we're not talking an ultra-rare lens such as the Pentax 560.

Me personally, having being a Pentax owner, also even a Ricoh owner for as long... One would like to think that one would not have to actually carry around seconds - in terms of back-ups. But certain items of Pentax glass are basically so unreliable that it does require one to carry around secondary glass. Sadly as well, perhaps a secondary back up camera body.

Interestingly enough, I'm also a regular Canon dslr user - quite extensively. I've only had one very minor issue with ANY Canon dslr body, even since I owned the first line Canon digital camera, and many models since. I've also only had one single item (ever) with a Canon lens.

I sincerely hope that when Pentax elects to release a full-frame digital (perhaps this year, perhaps not) that the company somehow redeems itself. Pentax will have only one single chance to get this one right.

Based upon an earlier posting submission (this thread) about what kinds of equipment it takes to photograph a certain subject... It al depends upon: the photographer, their abilities (or lack thereof), camera body, lens selection and availability, and budget.

Someone had earlier posted that all one needs for bird photography is a certain level of digital camera body, yet still might need a lens such as a Sigma 150-500, as opposed to something considerably more expensive, or perhaps a fraction of the cost. Again, it just depends, but...

That Sigma 150-500 is great for items such as focal length and zoom range, it's terrible for items such as size and weight of the lens, and even worse than that - the aperture. Even the 95mm filter size is a bit difficult to grasp for most people. But the Sigma is considerably better priced than the Pentax WR full-frame zooms that were just recently released.

But one also might be missing a few very budget oriented offerings. The unfortunate downside, items such as preset lenses are full manual, yet still adaptable to items such as bird photography. One could use a preset 500mm or even a zoom at a price of about two hundred. If one is able to adapt a mirrored lens to tripod use, that would work quite effectively as well.

Paint one of the larger presets white and almost try to imagine it being the Pentax 560mm

I sincerely wish that Pentax still made bellows. The only single currently for (new) sale item for PK bellows is a blue Novoflex, retailing in at over 2k. Add to that something even more depressing; on the "official" Pentax/Ricoh site are extension tubes - but only available in Japan

Lenses such as the FA macro's are only really good for two items, (typically very limited to) macro work, and the WR of some of the FA macros.

But for most anything outside of macro, the FA macro typically feature screw drive focusing, which is incredibly slow - the slowest of any autofocusing lenses currently on the market. What gets really interesting is when items such as the FA50 macro miss the focus on the first try (which is not at all unusual) and then have to rack the entire focusing range (from infinity to the closest point) typically in three attempts - taking many seconds.

The FA macros are not at all god for any type of live subject.

Not questioning ones perspective, but... Would ones filter use change if the lens were an ultra rare one such as... A Schneider t/s 28mm, any Zeiss lens for PK, or (although not yet in PK, and wishing it was) A Leica f0.95 ?

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/ice/

Link to the Microsoft version; a program basically without many limitations for Microsoft Windows users, or if the link does not work directly for you simply type into a search engine: Microsoft stiching

For some unknown reason I'm having two issues: still using a darkroom and trying to figure out how to fit in larger trays, and getting a second mortgage for a house on wheels