I recently upgraded to Elements 6 (from PE4) and am very impressed with it. I really don't see the point in paying for full Photoshop when Elements 6 does (almost) everything I need. I'd rather spend the difference on more gear.
Oh and check the prices for both PSE and PS - they are often cheaper from online shops than from Adobe itself.
I had lots of problems when I first bought PSE4 from the Adobe site, and vowed never to buy directlt from them again. The fact that I got PSE6 cheaper elsewhere was a real bonus.

You are legally only allowed to bring 145 pounds worth of goods back with you to the UK from a non EU country. If you get searched you will either have to pay the taxes, or, more likely, wave bye-bye to your lenses.
Importing them by post you will also have to add taxes to the price, which UPS will collect from you before giving you your lenses.
They will still be cheaper than in the UK (or Europe) but most people don't want the hassle, or don't travel/have friends that travel. Not to mention the guarantee problems that could arise.
Still I wish you many happy hours with your new lenses.

Viewfinder, no one is forcing you to buy the next super duper new model every year. People didn't do that with analogue cameras so why should you with digital. If you are happy with your camera why change it just because the next model offers a few more Mp? So what if it offers liveview or an electronic viewfinder (a device from hell if you ask me which I hope they never incorporate).

I would stick to my Ds but I really would like the weatherproofing offered by the newer models. I may yet decide not to buy a new camera, and just get better lenses. I don't really need, or want more megapixels. Nor do I need or want the extra weight of the newer cameras. I don't care that the Ds is not worth very much, it works, does (almost) everything I want it to, and will hopefully continue to do so for a few years yet. Just because it is now several models old doesn't make it a bad camera, or mean it will die a death in the next month to force me to get the next big thing.

I agree with you that the pricing system is unfair, that the US always has lower prices, cashback deals and the like which are never available in the UK or Europe, but that is life. It applies to lots of things, not just cameras - Levi's for one. Now that the dollar is no longer such a strong currency maybe things will get easier in Europe, but I doubt it.

452GBP is the cheapest price here - most are still offering it at around 500GBP or more. OK we get a two year guarantee on it for that but it is still a ridiculous price compared to the Uk or the US.

If it wasn't such a big step up from the Ds I'd proabably wait until my holiday in the US in May to buy one (or the K20D). As it is I want to learn to use it before I go. I'm still hanging fire on it though to see if it drops more once the K20D comes on line, and what price the K20D will be.

I may well wait with buying the lenses for it until I go to the US though. Even declaring them on my return and paying import duty and VAT on them they will be cheaper than I can get them here, by a long way.
It's a pity we are not visiting our friends on this trip or I could ask them to order them for me and so take advantage of any rebates going at the same time.

You should complain Viewfinder. The cheapest price for a K10D in Holland is €598, which is GBP452 or USD880

The cheapest I have found it on preorder here was €1019, but I see they have put the price up again to €1099, and even that is cheaper than most have it for, the next cheapest is €1248. That is including taxes.
No idea when it will arrive here either.

I have the JJC cable switch which works well. I also have a Pentax remote control. It lives in the handy pocket on my Pentax strap. Not the strap that came with the camera - one from an earlier Pentax camera.

4.5kg so a bit dodgy with your heaviest combo I would have said.

It isn't that the legs will collapse, but whether they will remain steady under the weight. Likewise with the head, if the combo is too heavy for the head it will slowly dip down. Very frustrating.
You should also bear in mind that the maximum weight the tripod will hold must include the weight of the head, not only of the camera/lens combo.

I went for a seriously expensive ball head (which I got for a good price btw) - the Markins Q3. It can take 30kgs, is light and solid as a rock. It also has the advantage of using Arca-Swiss QR plates.

Benro are a Chinese company that make lookalike tripods and heads, for a good price, and good quality. Just depends on how you feel about Chinese rip-offs.

Thanks DOn. Second place would have been better

Hopefully I'll have more time for the next topic.

Well if the forum hadn't been down yesterday afternoon/evening I would have posted this photo in the competition. But I was too late for it this morning.
Ah well. I thought I'd post it anyway. I had to photograph through fencing to get it. I was thinking "outside the box" a bit - and came up with this -

Heavy Plant