If you look for Super Takumar, Super-Multi-Coated Takumar and SMC Takumar lenses you will not be disappointed. I have personally tried most of the range, and they are excellent.

I've also tried the Vivitar 28mm f2.5 and although the manufacturing quality is not the same as the Asahi Pentax lenses it is nonetheless not at all bad.

But for best results I think you are making the right decision.

The price covers one year, and includes four copies of the magazine. This is a full colour 32 page or more high quality publication.

I've been a member for probably over 10 years and I've found the membership excellent value.

When I was doing weddings I used to set the aperture (let the shutter speed take care of itself providibg you are within bounds for synch and camera shake) and then set the flash for two stops under-exposure.

All this was done manually, and it gave just enough fill-in without it being overdone.

Glad to hear you seem to have resolved the problem.

New batteries are always a good idea when there is any doubt.

For anyone used to modern cameras, it's also a good idea to remind them that the ASA (ISO) setting needs to be set manually - no DX coding on these cameras!

I have had quite a few ME and derivative cameras, and the usual way they die is through electronics problems. The symptoms have been fairly consistently erratic exposure or total failure.

However, they can be repaired, if the cost is reasonable compared to the very low cost of getting another one. The one xception is where you have an exceptional example, perhaps virtually unused or very nice cosmetically, in which case i would pay the price and keep it going.

If the power fails on a ME-F it may decide to shoot at 1/2000 second regardless, so that could be a cause of under-exposure.

If we were used to modern exposure meters then having sky in the shot can also cause under exposure with the ME type centre-weighted meter.

The final thought is that there could always be an electronics fault, not uncommon with these cameras.

You could always offer it on eBay....Prices for mint examples seem to be holding up fairly well.

The LX has a hybrid shutter design - speeds faster than 1/75 will work without batteries, longer speeds will not.

That's a very, very difficult question to answer. All lenses have a balance of properties, and it may well be that one is enhanced at the expense of others. So, if you want reportage shots on Tri-X film that look contrasty and gritty you want high sharpness and high contrast (SMC Pentax-M 50mm f1.4 perhaps) but fine resolution may not be as important.

You haven't mentioned the drawing of a lens, that is, its ability to render straight lines as straight lines, and many modern zooms let that slide but go for high sharpness.

If you are interested in this vast subject, I would suggest some books on lenses - there are plenty to choose from, and they will help to guide you through this morass of information.

SMC is indeed merely an abbreviation for Super-Multi-Coated and has no other significance. Once the message had got across, the full title was no doubt thought to be a bit unwieldy.