Then it would have been a Q, but they already did that.

There must be some processing for it to be converted to JPEG.

Because they just feel right.

Because they are built how lenses should be built.

Because there are bargains to be had. They aren't always cheap but there are always cjeap ones, part of the fun is bargain hunting. Look hard and you will find some gems.

Because it is fun just to experiment.

Because of the intangible character factor that they can give.

Because you pay more attention to camera settings.

Because I can put together a budget lens collection that represents many times the value for money of modern lenses.

Because I can go somewhere a bit dodgy with some quality glass and not worry about it being nicked.

Because some still have advantages over equivalent modern lenses. I have a couple of old lenses that I just haven't managed to get chromatic aberration from.

My favourite old lens is the K series 35mm f3.5 which I paid £30 for. It is a great lens by any standards, old or new. K series are my favourite old lenses. You can find reviews of what Pentax owners think of these and other old lenses with example images here.

My recommendation for a manual lens to start off experimenting with would be the Kseries 55mm f1.8.

I think the 55-300 is best in class. It will be great for longer focal length landscapes. The SRS one is the DA-L version.

I'll have a think about a price and PM you. Otherwise Darkskies is flogging one too.

That will be fantastic. A 50-200WR could be useful in Patagonia. Otherwise 55-300 for IQ. Good IQ for the price and not much money to risk in a rugged environment. I'm about to sell mine. Because it has a replacement Chinese hood I'll be knocking a fair few quid off the price, let me know if you're interested.

That's a cracking result, it should be ideal for concerts.

I'd satisfy myself that the 02 zoom f2.8-4.5 versus the f1.8-2.5 of the MX-1 meets the shooting needs of the trip as those differences in spec are significant, especially factoring the relative sensor sizes. I think the promise of adapted lenses outweighs the performance. I still haven't seen anything that has impressed me much, there are some ok results.

The Q has a long list of positives and I'm sure you'll enjoy using it.

I got the Q as a complementary camera to the K5 as I wanted a go everywhere option that was pocketable and also good for sneaky street shooting. The IQ was a pleasant surprise. I'm with Andrew's thoughts on the appeal of the Q. I also had the choice between the Q and a compact. However, if I were going somewhere with great photo opportunities and not taking a DSLR then I would have reservations.

I use the Q only with the 01 normal prime. It's compact and fast and sharp. It's pocketable, but just. Cargo pant pocketable rather than shirt pocket pocketable, which is fine for me. The zooms though are quite a bit larger than the prime and the extra width really makes a big difference to pocketability. The Q is screaming out for a wide angle prime. One is in the pipeline and if it hadn't been I would have gone for a compact instead.

Image quality is very good indeed for what it is. I find optimal results at the faster end of the lens. I do however disagree with those who think that image quality is not far short of a dslr, I think it is. The Q produces surprisingly good results when used optimally, but there are plenty of shooting situations where too much noise starts to creep in. My niece got a Nikon something1 and I have been very impressed with the results. I wouldn't recommend that as an option but for me it did demonstrate that the larger sensor makes a big difference.

If I were going on an exotic trip with great photo opportunities and wanted to take one discreet camera then it would not be the Q. I would go for a high end compact. The new MX-1 looks really good. I would take a look at the Olympus XV-2 which seems to have the same lens and sensor and if the image quality was good enough I'd wait for the MX-1. Otherwise it would be the Sony RX100.

Operating your camera from 100m away sounds good, until someone runs off with your camera.

I really enjoyed visiting Jessops to have a good look around at the latest equipment. I found the staff at the Brighton branch to be really excellent, enthusiastic photographers and took all the time you wanted to discuss the equipment. I could quite happily while away an hour or more in there. I even once bought something, a remote control. I wonder why they went bust.