Either or both

When you look through the viewfinder you are looking at an optical image vis a pentaprism and mirror, not an EVF like the 9600. When you take the picture the mirror flips up and allows light to pass to the shutter and sensor. That's why the image flickers slightly when you take a shot - your view is blanked off for a split second until the mirror returns to the viewing position.

If there was a viewfinder fault (very unlikely) it would not be reproduced in the image taken anyway, so dust alert is not really relevant here.

I would check your dioptre setting on the viewfinder eyepiece. Point the camera at a blank wall or sky and change the setting until the guide lines in the viewfinder are their sharpest.

In terms of cost the 18-55mm is hard to beat and it is a decent lens. Add the 50-200mm to it and you have a very compact outfit that focuses close and shares a 52mm filter thread.

I would go for that and if after a while you find a particular need for a different sort of lens, then that is the time to broaden your outfit.

In other words, leave your options as open as possible for now and your costs as reasonable as possible.

If a camera was set to record "RAW + JPEG" then all the JPEGs could be showing up, and of course all the RAW files won't.

It's not quite clear what you are doing, but you have to have the right sort of DVD (+ or -) and the right format for the DVD player.

You can make slide shows that will play on any DVD player using Pictures2exe, Roxio or Nero and similar programs.

Some newer TVs have an SD socket and these will just show a slide show of JPEG images (not RAW)

Paying for worldwide visibility on an item has a wonderful effect. I would never sell UK only or even Europe only.

Maybe to some it's a bit like gambling - addictive. Or the thrill of the hunt?

If you want to know why not phone up and ask? Then phone Pentax and whoever else is involved and ask them as well.....

Investgative journalism?

It's not showing up, but the link says it should be the Aurum, the gold Rolleiflex.

A bit vulgar?

I would quite like a late regular black 2,8F with a Carl Zeiss Planar lens. The Rollei design is pretty slick and I always found the bayonet filters and lens hoods so much more convenient than screw in types. The build quality at its peak was superb.

Our Pentax cameras at least have bayonet lens hoods these days. Bayonet filters would be fantastic.

No there shouldn't, but I've seen poor Leica lenses and at their price levels what you say is even more true.