Thanks for that - looks like it might be a better idea for me to keep an eye open for that LX body I've always fancied then! At least that way I wouldn't have to go hunting new lenses/developing tank/keep more than one type of film handy.

I've noticed a fair number of cheap Bronica ETS/ETSi outfits on ebay of late, but I'd rather stick with Pentax, so...

I'd like something which takes 120 film (or can do), but I know little about medium format beyond a brief dabble with a Lubitel 166U years ago. I'm aware that Pentax have made the 6x7 and 645 systems - what are their strengths and weaknesses? I suspect lenses for the 645 will go up in price now the 645D is here, and I rather prefer the look of the 6x7 although I realise it's a heavy beast.

Is there an equivalent to the crop factor we see when using 35mm lenses on Pentax DSLRs that I can use to work out what length of lens I'd want?

I realise that not all of the interchangeable prisms on these cameras have metering, but I'd mostly be using Ilford HP5 film which seems pretty tolerant so I should be ok with "Sunny 16".

What sort of money should I budget? I can probably scrape around the £200 mark together which would bag a basic Bronica kit with body, prism, lens and film back. Will this get me anywhere in Pentax MF or am I asking for miracles?

I keep mine under some semblance of control by restricting what I look for. I have common but decent zooms covering 18-300mm, and primes in 28, 40, 50, 55, 120, 135 and 200mm. Now I look for:

Any K series lenses - particularly primes
A couple of missing M series primes - the 100mm and 50mm f1.4

This means that I scan ebay daily but seldom click "sign in" and buy anything!

Fairly deep snow is the only way to get a Disco sideways - even then I had to resort to booting it through uphill hairpin bends in 1st to get it sliding!

I tend to find the roads which nobody has bothered to grit and go for a play. Providing the snow is under 8" or so you can do lovely drifts in a rear wheel drive car, when it gets a bit deeper you can even get a Discovery sliding around nicely!

I'm looking forward to decent snow, we've had some for the past couple of years. Only snag is that metal cameras get a bit cold in your hands while outside in those conditions!

He forgot to add some bits to the Sony one (reported to me by someone who has one and seems to believe everything on their owner forum):

Lenses are like cakes. They go off over time and are useless when they reach around twenty years of age, lenses older than this are best regarded as doorstops. Modern lenses are designed for digital so your older ones will not be as good. Cases of pin-sharp images produced with no special effort from a 1970s SMC Pentax are to be ignored as they don't fit this pattern...

Cheap lenses are always rubbish and a waste of money, regardless of how many other reviews make favourable comments about the same lens on other cameras. Again, images proving otherwise will be ignored...

I do wonder if some charity shops are now thinking "All old camera gear is worth £££". If they check ebay listings they could easily reach that conclusion - for example, I looked about 5mins ago and found a KM (35mm version) going for £50 body only. Now, I have a KM, I wouldn't sell it as I rather like it, but I wouldn't have paid £50 body only!

I know some groups instruct their staff to check records, books, etc against price guides to make sure that they're not offering a rare first pressing for 99p.

Too late - I managed to pick one up today for £19.50 including post. Listed as excellent, sounds as though the foam needs replacing but it should look good with the Super Tak 35mm, ERC and original strap that have arrived with various other cameras. I've also ordered one of the Wein Cell battery replacements, rather than having to fiddle with resistors.

I plan to take mine out and shoot the same scene with that and the K 28/3.5, which is probably one of the most useful old primes for digital. No lens charts, just the same shot with both as a way of testing it against something that is known to be utterly brilliant.