If you want to do IR but can't persuade your DSLR to play (like my K-m) there is a solution - Ilford SFX film!

Interesting... It would fit with the comments about them failing after being left for a while and then used again.

SDM failures wouldn't put me off buying a lens fitted with it, if I had the money to do so. As has been mentioned we have plenty of legal protection to call upon if needed and from what I've heard a decent retailer like SRS will do everything humanly possible to sort any problems out.

I would guess it's a reference to failure of glue (is it still Canada Balsam or do they use something else now?) between lens elements, as can affect the old FA 28-70mm f4.

Yep, that's the one. Not sure about the projector but they definitely had the screen as I've spoken to the chap who brought it back (and operated it a few times while rigging for a live show which didn't require the screen).

I have also heard that the building is in a terrible state. Supposedly the admin block is still near-perfect, but go through the door into the rest of the complex and it's a real mess.

No, definitely not. Just because it's "derelict" doesn't mean a preservation group won't be trying to save it. I'm always uneasy when I see photos captioned "train graveyard" or similar as they usually show the restoration queue on a preserved railway. That rusty coach may well be the last of its type, waiting its turn for a full rebuild. The weather does enough damage without idiots thinking it's ok to trash it just because it appears abandoned!

You should also point out to the individual asking the original question that as well as the risk of prosecution they would also run a serious risk of personal injury or death. Many abandoned buildings are less than structurally perfect to begin with, bashing things around would be very likely to cause a collapse.

It probably was at one time, but given the LX is manual focus and increasingly expensive I'm not sure it's ideal for diving? I'd be more inclined to get a cheap MZ series body and lens then find an enclosure for that, as if it does go horribly wrong you haven't drowned something quite so irreplaceable.

I love the smell of exhaust in the morning...

I've done a bit of motorsport as a marshal so I know what to expect.

You will need an all weather bag and a lens cloth handy at all times. For once you might want to fit the UV filter as the cars have a habit of firing gravel about on forest stages.

As for lenses I'd probably want either my old 55mm f1.8 or my Samyang 85mm, depending on how close I could safely get and/or where I could get a clear shot. Welsh forests are usually pretty dark and a fast lens is handy to get the shutter speed up.

In your position I'd be inclined toward a WR lens covering that range as it won't matter if you get showered in mud or if it rains during the day. Don't just think in terms of getting as close as possible either - the best vantage points along the stage will probably be full of spectators, so be cunning and look for vantage points where you can see the cars some distance away but they're out of reach for compact cameras.

Do please read the safety advice before you go - there are no crash barriers on rallies and you are therefore responsible for your own safety, the marshals cannot be everywhere. As a rule of thumb, never stand on the outside of a bend, or below the level of the road, or after a hump which is likely to send the cars airborne. Also have your escape route planned - where are you going to run if you see one coming towards you sideways having lost it spectacularly?

Slik make some very nice lightweight tripods. Probably too lightweight for other brands but given how compact Pentax DSLRs are they're perfect. I found an old 500G on ebay for £8 which was superb until someone managed to crack part of the head, I'm vaguely keeping my eyes open for a replacement although with a Red Snapper and one of the Slik Mini Pro 'pods I don't really need another. They're light, compact, easy to handle, and fairly robust providing they aren't abused.

I would say to look for something with a ballhead for stills as it makes life much easier when trekking. You don't have to spend ages adjusting the tripod legs, just plonk it down and use the ballhead to get the camera level.

They've missed the LX then?

Don't think anyone else managed to come up with a 35mm SLR which was quite as flexible and configurable. I'd pick one over pretty much any other 35mm body given a free choice!