The DA 50-200mm has the advantage of WR, but to be honest I've always ended up using my non-WR 55-300mm, so it may well be that the range is more important.

The older lenses can be pretty good, but they are quite a bit heavier and bulkier.

Will someone please point out to me what has been "disallowed"? CMW raises the point, but in fact there is nothing that I can see, except a removed personal comment.

The test is "relevant to" and "of interest to" Pentax users, which shouldn't really be difficult. Intent is also a part of it. If you move to Canon, for example, then posting your Canon pictures is clearly out, as is trying to justify the change to us. Marque neutral from then onwards and people are welcome on that basis.

Another test you could try is would you post what you are saying about Pentax products on a Nikon forum? Then reverse the names and see what you have. If I buy a K-3 do I tell my Nikon forum buddies all about it, or do I look to Pentax User?

I hope this helps understanding because no-one is trying to be proscriptive, but there are some expectations.

It always ends in grief Steve, which is just one of the reasons why there's a Pentax-only rule. When we divert from it, chaos ensues. Always.

The real irony is that no-one has been stopped from saying what they want.

That wasn't the point being made Steve, it was part of an ongoing discussion.

I'll explain it again, with a parallel example. Mr Jones buys a music system, takes it home and plays his CDs and has a fine time with it. Mr. Smith, on the other hand, shopped and dithered until he finally found what he thought he wanted. He took his purchase home, but continued looking. It was cheaper here, suddenly got a bad review elsewhere...he fumed and fretted and forgot to play any CDs.

I said "irrelevant" and meant exactly that, because Mr Smith, in my example, had already spent his money. Nigel clearly understood that point, whether he agreed with it or not, but others seem to have got carried away on a tangent.

When I buy something I get on with using it and if I need help with a camera purchase I look for a source of help. That's was Pentax User is basically about.

The whole mod team shares the responsibility equally. It may well be that some posters always happen to be online when the same moderators are online, although it has to be said that some forget that their temporary rest from being on here was not done by me but one of the others.

Now we don't want to deviate too far and spoil the OPs thread so let's get back to the photography now. New morning, cold light of day and Pentax still won the poll.

DP Review is a general photographic forum, this is a specialised one. It's called Pentax User and don't forget when saying that some are not happy with that there are others who are not happy with the amount of other marque stuff that leaks in as it is.

Nigel understands the point very well.

John A, do we really need focus peaking to shoot flowers? I shoot lots of flower portraits and use AF plus QuickShift to adjust where I want the focus point to be. With the K-5 as it happens. Flowers move about a bit in the wind, so fast shooting is sometimes needed as the air is rarely totally still.

You must have had a damaged lens then, because it was exceptional when I tested it.

There is still a metal chassis but the outer shell is polycarbonate.