Mike P will come along and tell you about the Simga zooms - he has experience

I replaced my 70-200 and 100-300 Sigmas to buy the 60-250, but this was more due to convenience - the original EX IF is considered to be very good as was the EX DG, but quality suffered when it was made a macro lens...recent HSM and OS I'm not sure about ....AF speed was good on mine....frustrated with SDM sometimes but when it locks the DA* shines.

Cheers Vic - ellepi's just pm'd me re: the body...so bear with me while I consider the price of the items separately...

I have the grip on my Z-1p and K-5. Extremely bizzarely I cannot use the Z-1p without the grip - tried it and hated it - it must be used with the grip. I also have the Z-1 and I am perfectly comfortable using that without the grip and they are virtually identical cameras.

I'd prefer selling as a pair, in case the K20D doesn't go, the camera would be next to useless then as I've got spades for hands....

Weekend bump - price downward to £260.

matching jumpers....very awkwardfamilyphotos.com

I'd still say 30,000 clicks OH....it's not the sensor but the shutter count.... as I say in my sale thread it's just run in.....

I see 2/3 K20Ds on sale at the moment - and they don't seem to be moving - and now that K-7s are appearing at under £300 the trend seems likely downward - although saying that if the K-3 24MP was out now there would be a glut of K-5s for sale...so look at those for sale and you'll get an idea what a K20D won't fetch...

I'm not one of these to reduce the price quickly - if it sells it sells- I'm in no hurry and I am quite conscious of what prices cameras and lenses fetch..so mine plus grip will stay at £285 for the time being.

I'd say re-mortgage house/wife/children and get the FA*85....

The DA* 55 is the 'replacement' for the glorious FA*85..

Pricewise - DA50 f1.8 is a good portrait, followed by the FA50....
Quality wise 55 and 77 are stellar...ultimate portrait lens is of course the FA*85...

I did have a 285 for a while and what a flashgun... really impressive. 283 just lacked one or two of the features but you won't be disappointed.

have you tried the jeweller's screwdriver in the AF screwdrive fix? What you have sounds like what happened to my 60-250, one twiddle and she's been fine since.