A new thread doesn't really help. Now we have to go to the old thread anyway to see what it's all about.....

Never say never, the world is changing!

It totally depends on budget.

You are used to a glass pentaprism finder, so I'd stick with that. Therefore, from lowest to greatest cost, I'd look for the K20D or K-5, choosing the latter if low light photography is your thing.

Both are now available at prices that are very low for what they are capable of.

It just depends on the individual. There's obviously a demand for winders and grips. I can't believe how many film winders I've sold on eBay in the last few months. And all the Pentax DSLR grips have sold as well, at good prices.

I don't use them as I prefer the compact profile of the cameras on their own and don't want the added bulk and weight. But that's me and we're not all the same.

The proof of the pudding is always in the eating, but thanks for the compartmentalisation!

There's no virtually identical about the Z-1 and Z-1p, they are identical. The panoramic function separates them, plus maybe a few other technical details.

That's like saying you don't need a grip with the K-5 II but you do with the K-5 IIs.

I'll go for Mannesty's conclusion, but probably because you're looking at one of the cameras in a mirror....

That's interesting Glowingblue, because plenty of people would have attributed exactly the same sentiments that you express about Microsoft to Apple. They might argue that Apple controls the apps available to a degree bordering on strangulation, thus limiting freedom.

Just for the record I use an iPad, it's retina screen being excellent. I wouldn't use it for image manipulation though, that's the hard way to achieve things IMHO.

Where laptops fall down in the type of screen they use - this means working at a huge disadvantage for imaging purposes. A proper IPS screen can't be beaten, giving a relaxed and natural image that doesn't tire the eyes. The NEC ones are the best I've seen, hugely expensive, but the Dells that we use also show the same qualities.

Laptops and tablets don't really cut it in general and I guess if there are any that do the cost will be very high.

Having said that a laptop can be invaluable when travelling and after using many different makes we have found that Sony offer the best quality and reliability. Sadly also quite a high price compared to many.

Delighted to hear your enthusiasm, have fun!

I routinely use the MX-1 instead of cameras that actually perform better. Why? Because it's a joy to use and I enjoy shooting images with it. So it results in better pictures.