Another very useful option is the 50 2.8 A - only 1:2 rather than 1:1 although with the "crop factor" of 1.5 that is sort equivalent to 1.33:1 on a full frame SLR. It is small and light and has the advantage of being an A series lens - and can be had reletively cheaply on ebay. (think I paid about £50 or 60 for mine). I also have the Sigma 105 which is excelent but not quite so good for handholding. The 50 2.8 is great for wandering around where there are a variety of macro subjects around and just taking 'macro snaps'.

Got mine too (yesterday) - they seem to be flying out the door in Park Cameras. Not had much chance to test it yet but initial impressions are very good.

I'm an "Outdoor Photography" fan, and my father (sadly a C***n user) gets Practical Photography - so I get to read that when I am visiting. Both are good. AP is great for gear freeks as it keeps you up to date with the latest news! Its tests are mostly real tests (rather than just reviews) as well. Photography Monthly is quite good also.

One thing that bugs me though - narrative articles about landscape photography almost invariably have the phrase "and I set up my trusty tripod" or similar - why does any repeference to a tripod always have to be accompanied by the adjective "trusty"??

In favour of smaller sensors

Depth of Field! as a photographer who does primarily outdoor landscape and macro that extra 'stop'or so of DOF given by the smaller sensor is invaluable. While a tripod is a great asset for being able to steady camera shake it is not so much help if the subject is moving in the breeze. However the DOF is not so deep as to make it impossible to render the background out of focus (compacts are generally useless for decent macro shots because of this)

"the only real value of auto-focus is to camera and lens makers"
Hmm... I find it quite useful most of the time also!!!

The 190pro is 119cm (4ft) without the central column extended (which takes it to 145cm - a tad short of 5ft). I use it with the 360MG head (which adds another 10cm/4inches). Personally I find this a great combination for outdoor work - sturdy enough without being to heavy, very versatile and not all that expensive.

See
http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/op/preview/cache/offonce/pid/2050?livid=68%7C69&idx=71
for more details

The thought did coss my mind but my wallet was not willing to co-operate. Also isn't filter use 'limited' (haw haw!!) by the fixed hood?

Does anybody know if anyone in the UK has any remaining stock of the Pentax FA 35mm F2.0 AL? Amazon.co.uk lists it but they can't actually get it.

I knew I should have bought one of these a few years ago when they were more readily available.

It would be an almost perfect standard lens on my DS

Several US retailers list it but I would rather buy here if I can.

The problem is not the bightness of the vewfinder itself, but the brightness of the LED readout in the vewfinder - it is quite difficult to read in bright light. A minor irritation rather than a major problem.

Unless you really want the faster top shutter speed (1/4000 instead of 1/2000) you might consider the MZ5n over the MZ3 - virtually identical in all other respects, but more readly available.

The MZ6 OTOH has a slightly awkward spot metering mode (it is a Pentax Function of the Exposure Lock button) but as you can set aperture from the body it is more compatible with newer lenses without aperture rings (on the MZ3 etc you cannot use aperture priority or full manual control with such lenses - only shutter priority or program modes). Fortuanately there are not many such lenses and they are not particularly notable (the FA-J series) so this is no great problem.

(yes I know the DA lenses don't have aperture rings but you would not want to use them on a film body anyway)

Buy a fairly good one - it is worth the relatively modest investment. I have a Tamrac model which is quite comfortable and versatile. The Lowepro ones have a good reputation as well, and come in a wide variety of sizes with various levels of features. Another recomended option is the Crumpler 'Brians Hot Tub' which opens 'backwards'. This means when you take it off you dont put the bit that touches your back on the ground - so it does not get wet and muddy. The one in the ebay ad looks a bit flimsy and the strap sytem looks rather rudimentary - probably best avoided.