The UK government has issued new instructions and also removed section 44 powers as already mentioned, so not fair to say they have done nothing. If individual officers are still applying this wrongly then clearly the message has not competely filtered through.

You have had a bit of a shock so all quite understandable. I usually find that after a good night's sleep things can be put in better perspective.

Very sorry to hear what happened.

It's easy to understand your fury.

If you want to complain, do so through proper channels. It was illegal to try and delete your images.

Use a recovery program to recover your shots - they are probably salvageable despite the formatting.

Hope that helps with the practicalities, but your mood won't improve for a while I think.

There are some seriously discouraging signs there, so the value will be minimal compared to what a mint set of equipment would fetch. The winder isn't worth anything in that condition.

I would put it on eBay, fairly described, and let the market decide.

This process seems to be a very long one, but here's an update. As of this moment, six of the first ten have been accepted, two declined and two still await a decision.

Many congratulations to Daniel Bridge on the arrival of his daughter!

There's nothing wrong in liking these niche market cameras - there are probably more on the market now than there have been for many years. They strike a chord and appeal to people. The problem I see is that I like so many of them and it isn't practical to buy them all. No doubt some who are richer than I am will be able to indulge, but whether that helps them make images is something else.

Fortunately I get quite excited over more accessible things, and was delighted when I opened the K-r and K-5 recently. Those gelled instantly and happily fit in with what I already own. Happiness.

I actually always offer this advice....well at least not buying anything else until the basic kit lens has been fully explored. Then the next step tends to suggest itself.

If you want a lens, you can open your own thread, no problem.

The confusion arises because you're torn between wanting too many things. There are lots of exciting cameras out there and we can't own them all....

Now you might be an equipment freak, in which case but whatever you fancy, because next week it will be something else....

Or, you might want to take pictures, in which case:

Main camera: Pentax K-r with 18-55mm amd 55-300mm lenses. This is for when you have some photography definitely in mind.

Pocket camera: Pentax W90. This can be carried everywhere, always. The added bonus will be the shockproof and waterproof construction, so you will be safe with it on the beach or under water, or even if it rains. This will augment your main camera.

A small bag to hold the DSLR kit and total resistance to buying anything else until you have fully explored this kit, which is IMHO far more practical and cost effective than the off-beat niche market cameras that you list.