I too am a fan of primes but I have to say the 12-24 is the most "prime-like" zoom I've ever used. A big thumbs up from me too.

There is no "right" and "wrong" way of doing things (unless you're a pro and relying on your camera to pay the bills) so if you're happy with the results you're getting then carry on!

The advantage of a fast lens like the 50/1.4 is that you can take indoor shots *without* the need for flash at all. Flash photos can look a little flat and two dimensional whereas those taken in available light (even under a tungsten bulb) are often more appealing.

A fast lens will also open up creative possibilities as the wider aperture lets you take pictures with very narrow depth of field, ie you can better isolate your subject from its background / surroundings.

Shooting with a fast prime will make you feel like you have a different camera - it requires a different way of thinking (photographically speaking) but rewards the extra effort with expanded opportunities. It's tricky to explain but when (if) you get one it'll all become clear...

I think the main difference that sets the K20D above the K200D (in my eyes) is the second control wheel - once you've used it you'll wonder how you ever did without...

I can't imagine any way it'd cost less to get the fungus cleaned off than it would to simply replace the lens unfortunately.

Having said that, it doesn't appear to have any impact to the IQ so if it were me I'd make sure any remaining fungi is killed off and then just use it as it is. Lens fungus can't survive large doses of UV light so the easiest way to kill it is to leave the lens in direct sunlight (on a windowsill) for a few weeks - that'll stop any further spread and leave you with a useable (if cosmetically challenged!) lens.

If you're happy with the lens then I think you made the right choice - for what it's worth it's the one I would have chosen in your position too.

I still think there's a gap there for a fast 50 but there's no need to spend £150+ for a brand new FA50/1.4 when there are so many "previously loved" A, F and FA 50's out there looking for good homes. The 1.7 versions may be slightly slower than the 1.4 ones but they probably offer the best value for money and give away nothing in terms of image (or build) quality.

Ask them nicely down at SRS and I'm sure they'll turn up something good for you...

I've not used a 55-300 but all the pictures I've seen from it look very good indeed. Having said that, the 50-200 also looks like a good lens and is smaller / lighter (not that the 55-300 is heavy but it's worth considering).

The two zooms (16-45 + whichever) will make for a good general purpose kit, however, for indoor / available light work I'd suggest adding a fast prime lens to that collection.

The most obvious (new) candidate would be the Pentax FA50/1.4 which can generally be had for around £150, but if you're happy using a manual focus lens then it's worth looking out for a second hand Pentax A50/1.4 or A50/1.7 (around £80 for the former, £45 for the latter) which will open up a whole new world of low-light photography for very little outlay.

Just my $0.02

I think amateurs can (and do) justify the higher costs of good quality lenses.

I'm an amateur, I have no need for my FA43 and FA77 lenses (or my M50, or my Zeiss 135) as the focal lengths are covered by cheaper zooms - if I want to work in lower light then I have a flashgun.

But that rather misses the point; I own those lenses because I love the pictures they take and the smile that covers my face when I see the results on my computer screen for the first time. For me, taking the best images I can *is* the main part of the hobby.

There are worse things to spend your money on and good lenses tend to keep their value, so if you have a change of heart (or circumstance) somewhere down the line you should be able to recoup most (if not all) of your investment.

Nope not yet - but then the automated mail I had suggested it would be around mid-January. I'm just sitting patiently for now, with any luck it'll arrive at the same time as my £30 DA50-200 from Jessops...

Just push the flash back down - the button on the side just releases a catch to let it spring up. When it's up the camera selects when to use it; when it's down it's off.

Welcome to the forum karlh - I'm partial to a bit of gardening myself.