M-28mm lens received today - works fine. All went smoothly, and now time to have a play!

PM sent re: 28mm lens

I've noticed something similar recently with my K-r, although I've only noticed the setting change by far more than it should given the amount of turn applied to the wheel. Never the setting moving in the wrong direction altogether (yet).

It also only seems to happen when I apply a lot of force (eg, when I want to move from f2 to f5.6), never when I turn it gently with the intention of only applying a small change (eg f2 - f2.2).

I have a K-r with the basic screen and the O-ME53.

I've now taken the O-ME53 off and find the image through the viewfinder to be much clearer. It certainly takes me less time now (and less eyestrain, I feel) to decide when to press the shutter than it did with the magnifying eyepiece. Not sure though as to whether the shots are any better focused now.

If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest trying out the camera without the O-ME53, just in case.

B&H's FA31mm Limiteds are 'grey imports', so I don't think that's a like-for-like comparison. I'd suspect that a FA 31 Limited from Pentax USA will cost about the same as one from Pentax UK.

Of course, that still leaves the question of how much Pentax [insert developed world country here] makes in pure profit compared to Pentax China, or wherever grey import lenses come from.

PM sent regarding 55mm

I may have caused a bit of confusion earlier with this comment - by low-mid 100s, I meant in the 200-500 region. I don't have the means of checking the shutter count, but looking at the number of photos I have saved on the computer, I'd say the upper end of 500 photos (mostly without flash) per charge is probably closer to the mark.

The K-r manual estimates 560/1600/610/200 images without flash using Li-Ion/AA 'Lithium'/AA NiMH/AA Alkaline batteries, respectively.

I have a K-r and use AA rechargeables (Uniross Hybrios in my case). I can't say I've ever counted the number of photos taken between charges, but it must be in the low-mid 100s, as the manual suggests.

Battery indicators for NiMH batteries are never very accurate like they are for alkalines, because of the way they work, but then again it shouldn't be as bad as geordie01 is seeing.

Could it be that your battery type setting is wrong on the camera? Because there is no 1/4 indicator on the K-r for AA batteries - only full, half and empty.

I have a GGS glass screen protector on mine - but mine is the one for the K-7, not the K-x. It would have fit perfectly, if I had managed to correctly align it, but oh well.

Of course, with this you'll still be wiping off fingerprints and oil - just from a different screen protector.

I recently picked one up as well - here's what I've done with mine, which is attached to a K-r:

- Go into the menu to change the Green Button function. Change it to Optical Preview. On this setting, when you hold down the green button, the camera engages the lens's aperture blades to stop down to the chosen setting.
- Change the dial to M mode. You can also use auto-exposure aperture priority (Av), but in this mode all pictures are taken at the widest aperture.
- When composing a picture, meter by holding down the green button. In the viewfinder, you should see the exposure reading, which will guide you on changing the aperture/shutter speed/sensitivity.
- Finally, focus, which isn't easy. I usually rely on the green autofocus hexagon indicator in the viewfinder, which still works, even with a manual focus lens.

All in all, a bit fiddly, but I think I'm getting used to it!