That was part of the problem, I didn't actually know what I was looking for and I didn't manage to hit "buy" in time on the one I eventually found! Assuming what I found was a genuine M series tripod spacer then it looked rather like the securing thumbscrew in the base of a Spotmatic case, just a bit smaller in diameter and with a slightly different shape. Obviously it has a tripod stud on top and an identically sized socket on the underside to fit between camera and tripod.

According to the M series manuals they were supplied with all bodies, I do have to wonder about this as they hardly ever turn up. I suppose they could all have gone walkabout down the back of sofas as small loose parts are prone to doing, but it seems unlikely given the sheer number of M series bodies sold.

Yep, that's the definition I've always understood. The majority of genuine Pentax manual zooms are "one touch" designs, there were a few oddballs like the M 40-80mm which are two touch (one ring to zoom, another to focus). From the F series onwards they switched over to two touch designs.

Personally I prefer the two touch as they're less prone to zoom creep. It gets a bit annoying when the lens first pulls the camera nose-down and then slowly extends itself to hit anything you brush past!

The accessories seem to be rarer than the actual camera or lens in many cases - take the little tripod spacer bush which was apparently provided with all M series bodies to stop certain lenses from hitting tripods, it took me ages to come across one of those!

Interestingly it was possible to get mirror lock-up on all Spotmatics, according to one site I found. You just had to specify it at time of ordering. The switch was more or less identical to the stop down metering one but on the opposite side of the mirror box.

I'm a bit puzzled how offering simplified products can make a difference to public perception of a company. Mercedes offer the A class but I don't think that puts people off looking at the big AMG-tweaked coupes. Mention Nissan and I think "GTR", not Mildred in her Micra who does 45mph everywhere.

I forget who first pointed this out, but Pentax have always been engineers at heart rather than showmen/marketers. They build the best they can for the price they think the market will bear, and then hope that the technical superiority of the results will sell it. Problem is, as we've seen time and again merely having an excellent product isn't enough to thrive today.

I also have an Olympus OM10, which is roughly equivalent to an ME and was released at the same time. About the only advantage it has is that you can fit a manual adapter, but the whole thing feels cheap and harsh with lots of square corners. The ME is just a bit more rounded and comfortable to handle. I understand why Pentax didn't offer a manual adapter as they were investigating which direction to take with future SLRs - stick with the Spotmatic's grandson in the MX or go automated with the ME.

I do think part of the current problem is daft reviewers like the one I saw on Youtube a while ago who commented that the K-m had a "stylish chrome strip" before they actually said anything about the image quality The sad part is that mass market products are where the money is, and unless you attempt to satisfy them then you're only a short step from financial disaster.

I'm not sure that it's fair to call the M series bodies "litter". Good ME Supers seem to fetch reasonable sums. I have ended up with three dead ones (non-cocking shutter) though along with a broken MV, MV1 and MG, which are now supplying parts to keep other cameras running.

I'll cheerfully accept that I'd rather have an ME or MG from the more basic bodies as they at least tell you what shutter speed they intend to use. My thoughts here were to get hold of a very nice example of the MV1 for my collection. I'll definitely put a roll of HP5 through it as I want to show what can be achieved even with the absolute bargain basement end of the Pentax range (and that having a play with film needn't cost more than a pub meal).

They all have their uses. Before it got stupidly cold (and therefore hazardous to mechanical cameras) I was planning to leave the scruffier MV1 in the car all the time, tucked away out of sight and in an ERC to protect it from knocks. I thought it might make an interesting project to document where my car had been over the course of a few months and a cheap, easily replaced camera/lens which can still take very decent photos is a perfect tool for the job. Given I have had water up to bonnet level before now I'm not inclined to leave things worth more than a fiver in there!

New Scientist did actually publish a book a while ago titled "Does Anything Eat Wasps?"

Personally I'm a fan of the Japanese bees which respond to hornet scouts by piling on them and frying them with heat from their wing muscles. The bees can survive a temperature a few degrees higher than the hornets, which would otherwise destroy the hive in hours.

Not doing badly here either - Auto Takumar 55mm f2.2 for £10. Even more unusual, it's the version with the black aperture ring rather than the more common chrome type. From what I've read these lenses were supplied only with the black S1, which is going to be something of a challenge to lay hands on!

You might also be able to blast the dust out with a can of compressed air ("Air duster") without dismantling anything.

They don't really look like NASA or the CIA I have to say. More like a supplier of kit to tabloid hacks, rent-a-cops and private eyes!

There's probably a very specific use for this lens where the limitations it poses to still photography don't apply. They may also be using them as a cheap source of lens elements - I bet the finish of the glass is superb even if the coatings aren't up to much optically. It will naturally be cheaper and easier to add a new coating to an existing element than it is to manufacture new ones.