I do think more recent DSLRs are more accurate in stop-down metering mode. My K-m seems pretty much on the money down to f11 or so but starts underexposing badly after that.

Yes, it is. That's an excellent lens, one of the models which carried on into the M series with just a change of lettering.

If you're starting from scratch then you may also need to set the camera to permit the use of the aperture ring and obviously switch to manual focus. Av mode will work but holds the lens at the largest aperture while metering, M mode is where you set aperture on the lens then use the green button to stop down and take a reading.

I wouldn't mind one of the motor KX bodies with winder and the bulk film back, although all of those parts seem ludicrously rare. I narrowly missed one of the motor drives a month or two ago which was the only one I can recall having seen.

Also worth a look for the older SMC Pentax 55mm (f1.8 or f2, they're the same lens but the f2 has a baffle to stop the aperture opening as wide) if you fancy a manual prime. These make brilliant short telephotos on digital and are incredibly sharp. Not as easy to find as the M 50mm f1.7 but if you see one cheaply then go for it.

You may also find that you can get hold of an old 50mm more cheaply by buying something like an ME Super/MV1 with one attached.

Amusing conversation tonight about this lens:

"Don't you find it better than your old lenses?"

"No, not really. It's just AF and communicates aperture to the body"

Cue stunned silence after a brief mutter about pixel peeping from Sony owner!

I can't be bothered with looking for flaws like that, to my eyes the new 35mm is up to the standard of one of the best Pentax lenses of similar focal lengths (the legendary K 28mm f3.5) and has the advantage of being AF, along with easier metering as it can use all exposure modes. I've taken photos sharp enough to pick out numberplates 500m away with old M series lenses and this one can do it too.

With many brands this wouldn't count as praise, but with Pentax it's different. They made some of the finest everyday/standard lenses from the Asahiflex right through to the present day, and this is simply the latest in that tradition. It can join the Takumar/K series 55mm, the M 50 1.7 and the various 50mm f1.4s in the hall of fame without embarrassing itself or its ancestors.

I have not-so-fond memories of parking on a frozen hillside in a blizzard while waiting for other members of a laning party to repair the fused tail lights on a vehicle which had lost its towbar and trailer sockets. I'd never previously seen my temperature gauge dropping with the engine running!

In general, any Pentax lens which is actually badged "Pentax" will fit and work with varying degrees of functionality. That goes from the original SMC Pentax range of the 1970s through to the present day.

The earlier M42 screw mount (badged Takumar) are great lenses but need an adapter to work on DSLRs, try to get a genuine one as 3rd party versions aren't usually as well made. Personally I keep them on the Spotmatic/SV as my K-m's light meter doesn't seem fond of them.

If there's a specific Takumar you like the look of then look for the SMC Pentax (not -M or -A, just SMC Pentax) version as these are effectively SMC Takumars with a K mount and need no adapter.

You might also see "Takumar Bayonet" - these were Pentax resurrecting the Takumar name on cheap lenses. They have a K mount as the bayonet name suggests but lack SMC coatings, so in my experience aren't as vibrant as other Pentax K mount lenses. There were also a few Pentax-badged lenses (all zooms IIRC) without SMC coatings which have similar problems. Just look for SMC on the lens body and you won't be wasting your money.

The only SMC Pentax lens to avoid is the F 35-80mm, it's slow, soft, and generally not very nice. The earlier F 35-70mm is equally compact but a lot better if you're after something in that focal range.

It should be a cracker, although possibly more vulnerable to flare than the later Super-Multi-Coated version. Use it carefully and enjoy it. I have the S-M-C version and the few times I've had cause to use it have produced very decent results, so I see little reason for the preset type to be hugely different.

They're also absolutely gorgeous to handle and use, like any Takumar in good condition.

I warn you, it becomes addictive! I'm now looking for an S2 to go with the Auto Takumar 55mm f2 I cleaned up recently, and any other vintage Takumars for sensible money. I already have an SV and Spotmatic along with 35/55/135mm lenses.

So that'd be a Spotmatic, K5 and that much-rumoured EVIL then?

What I particularly like about Pentax gear is how it looks after you as you progress. When I bought my K-m I just left it in green mode with the ISO limited to roam between 100-800 and the flash set to only fire if deployed. Now I keep it in Av with manual ISO (M is a bit of a handful with only one control dial).

The camera took some stunning photos in green mode, but couldn't exploit things like long exposure shots of flowing water or wide apertures to isolate subjects. As I learned about depth of field (the most important concept in photography IMO) I switched over to Program with the control dial set to shift through various combinations of aperture/shutter speed, then Av.

I'm quite happy with my 1960s vintage SV or other all-manual cameras too, although I do tend to regard a light meter as essential be it TTL or the clip-on type. I usually get the results I'm after although I'm still learning how to gauge how much exposure compensation to apply for backlit subjects.

I tried to bid on one this evening, waited until thirty seconds to go, clicked bid...and the pathetic excuse for a website/internet connection just went "meh" and refused to load the confirm bid page!

Did just pick up one of the little AF160 units for £5 though, I now have two of them. They're a little bit more powerful than the built-in flash and a handy size for use with film bodies too. One thing I particularly love is that the "flash ready" indicator works with this on digital - Pentax have kept the same protocol since the 1980s!

All of the Pentax Auto flashes seem to work well on digital, just put the camera into Manual mode, set aperture and ISO to what the flash expects, and set shutter speed to something suitable (I just set mine to the highest sync speed of 1/180).