Are they widely apart or just a half stop or so?

Was the camera on a tripod with a constant light source as the target and exactly the same field of view?

I only ask because the slightest change in position with an average scene can cause differences in the exposure indicated. To be a proper test needs a description of the method used, just like we did in Physics back in school!

Agreed, it is a shame. It seems that some users don't have a problem though, from other forums, so I wonder why there is an inconsistency, and whether it depends on which lenses or accessories are being used. Or whether it's the camera.

I also agree the manual on many pages is, well, shall we say slightly obscure? I wonder if the original Japanese is clearer.

I updated my lenses over a period of time and now have no K or M series lenses in use. This was simply because it is much more convenient to use A series or later lenses with the DSLRs, which is of course what they are primarily designed for.

We are talking lenses over 20 years old if we go pre-A and we can't expect total compatibility for ever can we? As it is, there are ways and means to make even screw thread lenses work, but I just feel it's really the difficult path to take, relatively speaking.

If we think the Pentax compatibility isn't perfect (and they say as much in the manual to be fair - "an exposure error may occur" is pretty clear) then the Olympus OM adapter is much worse. It can only be used with limited aperture ranges, and is very expensive as well.

If there is a perceived problem, I would suggest using A series or later lenses.

I have a nice Weston Master (original) still in its box that would do the trick...

It's a pretty fair idea though I would prefer a Pentax Spotmeter.

Presumably not, perhaps I should read things more slowly....

Have you considered the overseas suppliers that happily sell to the UK? (Assuming you are in the UK!)

This something that could be more general than just Pentax. Both Canon and Nikon have had recent supply problems. Over Christmas the supply of their DSLRs virtually ran dry, affecting Jessops sales and no doubt other suppliers too.

Some Nikon lenses have taken nearly 12 months to come through. Ditto Canon.

In the field that I sell in there have also been supply problems on some staple items, for the first time in living memory.

My suspicion is that margins are so low and regulation so formidable that the supply chain is trying to judge things to a very precise art. The slightest miscalculation will cause a shortfall of supply.

If this is right, then we would have to be prepared to pay higher prices to ensure more copious supplies were available, although for a while there would be a sigh of relief and the difference would be pocketed first. When service is more important than price things will change.

There is good logic in having a lower cost body and more lenses. You will be able to take a wider variety of photographs. The lower resolution is a shame, but the K100D will no doubt produce extremely good results.

Megapixels are not everything.

Have you loaded Photobrowser 3?

That test would have to be with DNG files, as the Samsung has no PEF option. Perhaps that was the reason for introducing DNG in the first place - it saved having to design a Samsung RAW format.

I think the cameras are basically the same, made by pentax in the same factory, but just finished in adifferent (and sometimes not so different) livery.

The raison d'etre is that Samsung wanted to have a DSLR but had no means of doing it quickly enough themselves. Or they pooled resources and were in the design process from the start...