If you just want an old manual prime to play with then look for either of the Pentax 28mm f3.5s, both are very handy performers and can be had for around the £50 mark if you keep your eyes open and are ready to pounce.

I only have a couple of 50mm (f2 and f1.7) and the 200mm f4 from the A series, they just don't interest me as much as the earlier lenses. I just wish Pentax had kept the metal aperture rings throughout.

I've been using my F 35-70mm today on the SFX and MZ-7 and while it's a great lens I tend to use it in P mode (or Av on the MZ-7/K-m with the body controlling the aperture) because the aperture ring is so notchy. I'd love to be able to use it in M on the MZ-7 with the body's control dial handling shutter speed and the aperture ring unlocked, but it's just too balky.

I've also decided that if I limit my lens hunting to SMC Pentax glass I can keep LBA under tight control. They were only made for three years and as a result are rare, their performance and build quality also make people less than inclined to let them go. The 120/2.8 that I have from this series is a gorgeous lens with the advantage (over the more standard 135mm) that you can go down to 1/125 handheld on film without needing to worry too much about camera shake. Add in the nice bright viewfinder at f2.8 and you get a lens I have no intention of ever selling.

ME Super ERCs are relatively easy to come by - as I understand it they were the ones with "Pentax" picked out in silver on the front (as opposed to the original type with "Asahi Pentax" and the little metal badge next to the lens snout).

I've never had any problems with photographic kit via ebay. Well, I did have a 35mm f2.8 with fungus but the seller was excellent, refunded my return postage, had the lens cleaned, then asked whether I'd like the lens or a refund. As it was otherwise mint I chose to take the lens back.

I'd be looking for an LX in your position. It did replace the K2 as their top of the range film body after all...

To be honest, I wouldn't rush for PKA over PK lenses. I seldom used my P30T in Program mode as it didn't tell you what aperture it planned to use. Instead I used it in Av mode with a manual lens, and in this scenario many of the SMC Pentax/Pentax-M lenses handle much more pleasantly than the A series.

Take the 50mm f1.7. The M and A series are optically identical but the A has a plastic aperture ring which is nothing like as easy to get on with as the metal one on the M lens. The plastic one tends to jump two or three clicks when you only want to move it one click, as the parts seem to bind. Meanwhile the metal one is precise and smooth - apply the force for one click and it'll move one click.

In your situation I might look for a Pentax-M 50mm (any version, but the f1.7 is probably the sharpest) to begin with. It's worth looking for ME Supers and other M-series cameras as they often come cheaper than the lens would alone.

Then if you want to expand with quality glass look for the M 28mm f3.5 and M 135mm f3.5. This will give you the classic three primes. You could also consider the M 75-150mm f4 zoom for your telephoto, it's relatively compact and very sharp.

I just bought a couple of rolls of car window tint film, and naturally I'll have offcuts. Considering fitting some to an old UV filter (got a small pile of them somewhere) as an ultra ND filter. I suspect the results will be horrible but I'll give it a try, it won't cost me anything after all!.

If you mean the little silver cameras which can do HD video or stills and come with a waterproof housing then they're ace. My brother bought one with the "Motorsport Hero" package a while ago to hang on the outside of various cars, has yet to fall off and produces top quality footage.

Cost? £300 with the motorsport pack, a little less if you have the camera alone without the extra mounting parts to fit it to windscreens/panels. Much safer bet than risking your DSLR (and smaller too).

Not entirely sure where that is, unfortunately!

On a vaguely related note I think I may have tracked down an MX ERC, or at least the back half of one. It comes with what looked to be a minty MX and a Pentax lens of some sort (guessing M 50/1.7 as that seems to have been the most common), a flash, a light meter and a gadget bag. £50 including P&P on an ebay charity sale, which I thought very fair!

My existing MX (which looks like it took on a bear in unarmed combat) will now be the indestructible backup body, fitted with a 50/2 and taken into all sorts of situations where I wouldn't risk anything newer or more valuable. That's assuming the new one is as good as it looks and works properly, of course.

The first batch of K1000s were made in Japan - they had this stamped into the back of the camera (like the KM/KX/K2) and the serial number on the top plate like those bodies.

AFAIK the K1000 SE had brown leatherette and "SE" stamped into the front of the top plate.

Aside from the thing on the back door that body looks exactly like mine, which I know to be a fairly standard late '70s/early '80s HK-made example.

I wonder how much he'd charge for my rather scruffy Italian-spec ME, with its chrome dot thingy on the front...

I think my main complaint was the ridiculous pricing and the "best offer" where he wouldn't accept anything meaningfully less than the RRP (£2 off a £50 lens is not a meaningful discount).

He also brushed me off when I complained about a camera case having disappeared in the post. Unfortunately it was too late to get a refund via Paypal and he evidently didn't care!

They've still got it for sale via Tesco Direct, and the larger stores may also have it. I just found it slightly odd that they had two hooks full of the stuff one day, then nothing the next. I did have a nose around to see if it had ended up in the reduced section or by the batteries, but no luck.

Annoying as that's less than I pay for a roll of Ilford HP5. Just hope Boots will still accept it for processing as otherwise it'll have to be mail order.