It was a difficult process for Chris as it only became clear after some discussion with Pentax that the only option for these is a kit with the 5-15mm zoom. The other lens options on the Ricoh website are only to show how the cameras look with various lenses.

In the end I was torn between gunmetal and black, asked for gunmetal but got black, but it doesn't matter because it was a 50/50 choice anyway. I like it.

The next order will be a piece of cake for Chris as he now knows what needs to be done to make it easier!

The NEC monitors are impressive, so I'll be interested to hear your first impressions.

The kit arrived today, so that's 14 days from order. Not too bad for a special order.

In the end it's black and dark khaki green, and it looks splendid. It's much more tasteful than some images of it have looked.

Too late now, but tomorrow I'll post a picture.

Payment received, many thanks, awaiting confirmation of address.

Yes I have Philip, but it's utterly disgusting and doesn't make for a very pleasant image.

I've never got a definitive answer to this, but I assume it means that the f stop is the value set and the aperture value is the maximum aperture available at that zoom position.

We could check this by seeing what value a prime lens recorded as opposed to a zoom. The prime may itself vary slightly with focus distance, but not by much unless we get closer than a magnification of 1:10.

That's why incidentally that conventional primes focus to the close position they do. Thus a 50mm lens focus down to 50cm approx., actually often 45cm, but that's close to a 1:10 magnification ratio.

PM sent.

A few months ago we bought a Venus Fly Trap. The idea was it might reduce the number of flies in the kitchen area, without having to use insecticides.

It worked in that it greatly reduced the number of insects. In a couple of months it caught and consumed about five flies, nit a pretty sight.

Here's a picture of it close up using the macro setting on the Pentax WG-3.

Here's a couple of quick shots which I hope will show what you needed.

Yes, the surface is slightly speckled. I'll sort out an image in the morning.