Before the K10D reignited my interest in photography back in January, I'd been out of the loop for some years.

Just out of interest, was there the volume of complaint about the lack of Pentax glass before the K10D and K100D came out, or is the current clamour relatively recent?

I just wonder if people's expectations of Pentax have gone through the roof this last year or so, and if this is largely responsible for the new demand, and hence complaints when the demand isn't met.

The Pentax Imaging web site lists a number of long lenses.

Are any of them currently in production?

You'd think so, wouldn't you.

But unlike the Pentax SMC-A 400mm F5.6, which is optically better but much heavier and not as light to focus, the Sigma is very light to hold, yet not at all flimsy. I've used it handheld quite a bit with the K10D; the shake reduction compensates enough to make it very usable.

I think so too, especially considering how small and light it is - very usable hand-held in fact. I have a manual focus one (not the APO one) in beautiful condition that is now surplus to requirements (on account of the fact that I have two other 400mm lenses - I can't justify keeping all three!!).

I was planning to eBay it at some point but forum folk are welcome to first refusal.

What do you think now?

Looking east over the Pacific from a spot on the coast north of Sydney.

The polariser is mostly responsible for the look of the sky; apart from that I've only compressed the levels a bit.

Thoughts?

No sexism there. It could be either a man or a woman saying that...

You're absolutely right - if only finding out what we really want wasn't such an expensive process!!

I find these days the intensity of the "Aarrgghh" when one is beaten by a quid or two on eBay is quite a good indicator...

It's an interesting thing this LBA. I've noticed that when people ask "Should I buy a K100D or a K10D", one of the answers is often "Get a K100D and spend the difference on good glass".

While I wouldn't for a moment disagree that good glass is worth having, I think it doesn't take into account the tiny proportion of the eventual total equipment budget represented by the difference between the cost of the two bodies.

I had no idea when I started, that within 9 months of getting the K10D, I would end up spending more than twice as much on lenses and other (obviously vital) bits and pieces, as I did on the body. I didn't mean to, honest guv...

I'll be selling some of my less frequently used bits and pieces, including a few lenses, in the near future, but it's all still left me with the feeling that although there may be good reasons for getting a K100D instead of a K10D, the difference in price is not as obviously one of them as one might think.

In all probability you'll get the lenses eventually anyway.

I can imagine this way it would be a lot more fun.

I must say that although it was an interesting experience, it's not one that I feel particularly inclined to repeat until I know what I'm doing, and by then I suspect that ten minutes wouldn't be enough for other reasons.

But learning, relatively unaided, in 10-minute bursts of pressure is not a style I particularly enjoy.