Tyre replacement on a Freelander sounds something of a nightmare. You either have to replace all four or swap them around (not sure what the correct rotation is, it's in the manual) if you only need to replace one tyre, as otherwise the 4wd system tries to lock up on the road and eventually destroys itself. It works by detecting the relative speed of the two propshafts, if one is turning much faster then it will lock 4wd assuming that you're on slippy surfaces. Problem is, replacing the tyres other than as the manual instructs can cause that speed imbalance on tarmac.

Disco is much simpler - it has a centre differential so providing you fit the same size tyres all round it doesn't really matter! Apparently LR tried fitting them to Freelander prototypes but kept getting unwanted shunting from the drivetrain, so the IRD gubbins was fitted instead.

I think the A28mm f2.8 is actually the same optically as the second version of the "M" lens. Of course, if you want the ultimate fairly readily available 28mm Pentax lens it has to be the original SMC Pentax 28mm f3.5. I hear the f2 is even better but it's even rarer and more expensive. Even someone on a tight budget stands a chance of bagging the f3.5 version if they keep looking!

I would have said to keep an eye out for the M 100mm f4 macro, but prices for these lenses are getting very silly.

I have the correct Auto Takumar lens for a black Pentax S1 (not the S1a, the earlier one). They fitted a black aperture ring to these, otherwise it's apparently identical to the normal 55mm f2.2. My lens certainly has the black ring but I've never seen a normal one to compare it to. I'm more inclined to hang onto it as a curiosity on the offchance of finding a matching body for sane money at some point.

I wouldn't be surprised if the black Pentax was supplied with a lens in similar trim, as I can't really see Pentax suddenly introducing this for one year only on the S1 which was intended as a budget model.

The hood for the new 18-55mm WR lens won't fit.

As said above, have a look on ebay. You can get something which fits pretty well (doesn't rattle or feel as though it'll fall off) for about £10. Just make sure it uses the bayonet fitting rather than screwing into the filter ring.

When it opens with the "unable to find page" error, scroll to the end of the address bar and delete the excess full stop after the html bit. It'll work then.

Interesting mod but I won't be rushing to fiddle about with my K-m, it looks to have a high risk of bricking the camera IMO. I've had enough trouble trying to get all the tiny springs and pins back in the right places while putting a lens back together, let alone the presumably similar problems on the body!

It seems to depend on who was working on the production line when the camera was made. I've had a couple which seemed to have been tightened by the Asahi sumo team as they wouldn't unscrew with anything less than the grips, while others undo if pressed hard with a thumb and then twisted clockwise.

You can remove them without marking by using mole grips.

The trick is to make sure you only grip the cap on the very narrow vertical part which touches the winder lever. I've removed a couple leaving barely noticeable marks by this method. Just remember they unscrew backwards compared to normal bolts!

Hmm, ok - I'm just going by the chap I know who scared himself silly trying to make an auto come down hills at a sensible speed off road (apparently you're supposed to left foot brake to keep speed down - given he'd learned from manual vehicles he expected it to come down nice and slowly with everything locked to "1" or "low"!)

Generally the first thing I do with snow is turn TCS off. The last thing I need is something meddling with my control inputs on loose surfaces.

I've got the Lowepro belt/webbing setup. I've worn it precisely once as it looks ridiculous!

Very comfy and I will probably use it for long walks well away from normal public view as it spreads the weight better than a shoulder bag.

I have the Lowepro Stealth Reporter D100 AW which is a fairly compact shoulder bag, I can fit the K-m with three or four lenses in and it also has webbing loops on the ends which can take their lens cases. If I know I'll need something specific which won't fit inside the bag I can simply hook on an extra pouch.

Keep an eye on ebay, spares or repair MEs/ME Supers/MGs/ME-Fs come up for about a fiver pretty often. All the M series winder caps and levers are interchangeable (aside from the MX, which may be different?)