I'd go with Don's suggestion - see if you can find a stuffed identical lens with a good mount to swap onto it.

I'm rethinking my K-r plan.

See, for ages I've been interested in medium format film, and thinking about it I'd probably have a lot more fun with a completely different camera than I would with a simple upgrade from what I already have. Also, I should be able to find a Bronica ETRS with a few toys for about the same from a reputable dealer...

The ability to shoot 35mm, 120 and polaroid film on the same camera by swapping backs does appeal, in fact the dealer I looked at had a polaroid back as well as a body/75mm lens/metered viewfinder/speed grip/120 back kit. It'd end up costing me about £430 all in compared to £490 for a K-r (£369 for the kit and another £55 for the polaroid back).

I did originally consider that a bit steep but when you think that the £200 ebay specials don't usually have the grip, or the metered prism (which will rapidly mop up your £170 saving), plus if it comes from a dealer I can check it thoroughly before taking it home.

What do you lot think - is there logic here? I will still be playing with Pentax 35mm gear and my K-m, but fancy something completely different.

I would suspect this is someone combining the bits from a broken black ME F (very rare) with the body from a silver one (slightly less rare). I've done it myself with a dead black ME Super and a scruffy but working (after some prodding) silver example

The ME F is a bit of an oddball. You can take the focusing screen out from the front by undoing a couple of tiny screws where the prism protrudes down into the mirror box, just like the MG. I really wish they'd made all the M series that way as I've got a couple with appalling dust or marks on the screen, but can't get the part off for cleaning or replacement with a good spare.

I do think people are listing B.I.N items at silly prices to see if anyone bites. I saw an M 40-80mm for £40 last night!

I've got one, I quite like it (barrel distortion aside, and that only shows in subjects with long straight lines). I wouldn't have paid more than the £20 it cost me though.

Over time this will push prices higher. People now think this is what they're worth and will push auction final bids up to similar levels because that's how much it now costs to get hold of the widget in question. It's like one seller and their ridiculous prices for things like lens caps (which they've removed from lenses they sell and replaced with cheap generic ones - if you want the complete lens with all the original trimmings you pay even more!) Now everyone thinks that those are the correct prices and sets theirs accordingly.

My last bargain was a minty black ME with original case, strap, manual, and a perfect 50mm f1.7 with original cap for £20 a couple of weeks ago.

Nissan GTR surely? In the right hands it can wipe the floor with vehicles costing many times as much (Evo magazine tested one against a Veyron. The Bugatti didn't come out of it well when they found some proper roads...)

I warn you, it is a dangerous slope. I'm now seriously considering a Bronica medium format camera rather than upgrading my K-m as I have far more fun with film...

If you look at other digital medium format gear you'll see why it's £9k - Pentax have pitched it cheaper than the competition, but at a level the market is likely to bear. The 645D can shoot alone without needing a tethered laptop (as I understand some MF cameras now do?) and has weather sealing, so it's ideal for sports, landscapes, and location shooting. I could definitely see photographers working for the likes of Evo magazine buying them for the leap in quality over their CaNikon gear and the fact that they'll be getting a relatively compact, lightweight camera compared to what else is out there.

It's a tool of the trade for professionals really. £9k is steep but as a business expense for something which will probably repay its purchase price long before it wears out it makes sense.

My advice:

Try using Av mode with manual ISO. Set ISO to 800 or 1600 as a starting point and the largest aperture (smallest number) the lens will support, and see what shutter speed you get. With a 200mm lens you really need to get it up around the 1/250 mark to avoid shake and freeze action fairly well.

The K-x does suffer a bit from only having one control wheel, which makes it a bit of a handful in M (to the extent that I only use M on my similar K-m for flash photography). Av gives you control over aperture, ISO and white balance, which are the main things affecting how your photos turn out.

In general higher ISOs will produce more noise in images - the K-x was a big step forward here but it's still a case of the lower the better.

The selected aperture not only controls how much light reaches the sensor, but also the depth of field - how much closer to you or further away from you than the subject remains in focus. Try finding a brick wall, tiles, or anything else with a repeating pattern and taking photos of it at various apertures. You should be able to pick this up pretty rapidly with a bit of experimentation.

Most importantly have a play. It costs nothing to try and see what works with digital. Look for photos online of Speedway racing and see if they have Exif data (which shows what settings the photographer used), most photo sharing sites include this.

Definitely try the 35-105mm, it's a very well-regarded lens and won't cost anything to try. If you do decide you want a wider angle then look for the 28mm I mentioned, if you're patient you will probably get one for around £50 (they do come up, just not all the time).

There are a few particularly nice lenses from the K, M, and A series, just don't be dragged into paying stupid money for them.

The Program A was the cheaper version of the Super A, but all Pentax SLRs can get great results so don't be put off. See here for full specifications, and Google should lead you to a manual if you don't already have one.

My advice for film would be to have a look at the Ilford website. They offer a variety of B&W films, one of which can be processed using the same chemicals and techniques as colour negative film so you can safely take it to your local Boots if specialist processing is unavailable. Talking of Boots, they still sell process paid colour slide film which is good for a bit of nostalgia.

If you want to shoot landscapes with it I'd recommend looking for a wider angle lens. Try the Pentax-M 28mm f3.5 (better than the f2.8 version) if you can find one, the Program A will work with this in Av or M modes and it will also fit your K-x. A series lenses like your 50mm will tend to cost more as they're easier to use on DSLRs, but the Program A has no trouble using any lens. Just stick to lenses which have SMC Pentax on, as they have made cheaper lenses with lesser coatings which aren't as nice (and given they seem to fetch similar prices it's not worth buying the non-SMC stuff).