There is already a huge lens database at www.photodo.com which is a sister site to this one.

It's a fine and very expensive lens. Its characteristics are a very high degree of control of light sources and a performance by f8 that equals any of the 50mm lenses. Wider open it is softer contrast but very suitable for portraiture on digital I would think.

Superb for night shots with or without light sources in the frame.

Hope you find it's OK and the knock hasn't caused damage.

Commercial classifieds are specifically excluded - please see the description of the Classified Ads section. Classifieds is for members private sales and wants of Pentax and Pentax related gear.

This obviously includes Pentax-fit lenses and accessories of any make.

The WR lenses are excellent and the weather resistance a very useful bonus. For the price they are when included in a kit they are well worth having.

Chris gives us a group buy by giving special consideration to forum members in various ways.

Group buys are something that has a risky side to it, especially on the Internet, and it would be a safer and better bet to order individually from SRS.

In any event, the forum isn't the place to organise group purchases.

I would have thought an independent repairer would have no problem using Pentax parts to repair a Samsung, apart of course from parts that are cosmetically different.

Bearing in mind that it depends on the sort of portraits you shoot, the usual advice is to use a short telephoto lens for the most pleasing perspective in a portrait.

In film terms that means 85mm and therefore in digital the 55mm f1.4 is clearly intended to fill that slot.

Personally I have always used something slightly longer and on film 100mm was my choice. However, up to 150mm is within the bounds of a portrait lens.

This means that even the 18-55mm kit lens is suitable and I often use one at 55mm with excellent results.

There is a dedicated Pentax hood, available from SRS, and that is the most convenient as it just bayonets onto the lens. It won't be cheasp though.

Otherwise, there are other makes and perhaps someone has a link?

You could try a custome white balance in camera, but try the various standard settings first to see if one does the trick.

Better, in Photoshop, certainly CS2 and later, there are Photo Filters, so you can colour correct quite easily from there.