Does this mean we want Matt at the bottom corner of our screen, looking a bit like a paperclip?

There's absolutely no point in processing a JPEG through the RAW converter as a routine operation. All you need to go is copy the JPEGs from the card to the computer. This will not change the JPEGs in any way and you will be able to open any of them later to either process through the RAW converter if you want to apply those sorts of adjustments that are available there, or, more likely, just open them in Photoshop.

The essential point is that once you open a JPEG and work on it you never, ever resave it as a JPEG. Always resave as a non-lossy format such as PSD or TIFF.

Many people argue for shooting in RAW on quality grounds, but the case is often very over-stated so that many expect dismal results from JPEG capture. This is just not true and all my exhibition and competition A3 prints start off life as JPEGs. When displayed side by side on a wall, you will not tell the difference between RAW and JPEG images, not with modern DSLRs anyway.

If you shoot in best quality JPEG on your long trip, just expose the images correctly and you will be fine. Life will also be much easier when processing the hundreds or thousands of shots you will take!

If you shoot JPEG though some decisions need to be made upfront. I would suggest Daylight or Cloudy as the WB setting and values of 0 for sharpness, contrast and saturation. Experiment a little before you go to ensure you are happy.

The SMC Pentax-M 135mm f3.5 is also an excellent lens, capable of the highest quality. However, it is also very common and prices are much lower.

Typically I would expect a mint example to go for £15.00 - £30.00, but there was a period recently where such lenses started going for Silly Money. It seemed to be all 135mm lenses, and I have no idea why.

Check on eBay for current prices.

After all that drilling I'm not surprised....

I once sold one on eBay and it fetched over £110.00

It was in exceptionally good condition. Admittedly prices have fallen since, so check on eBay for current levels!

The IR triggers are fairly bulky, but I wouldn't call them heavy. It's fantastic though to be rid of all those synch cables with the ever present risk of someone walking through one and bringing down a flash head.

In the studio an IR trigger works fine and costs less than £40

The 50mm f2 is a fine lens and you should have a great time with it.

The 40mm f2.8 is an exceptional lens, which is probably why people pay over the odds for a good one!

You have already put in a report Chris, which is being dealt with.

Sounds like you are triggering the main flash with a pre-flash and then the main flash is firing after the shutter has closed.

Triggering the slave flash with an IR trigger would be a better idea.