What you need is a computer shop where they do sales and repairs and you can talk to the owner and/or technician face to face. Some even do house calls.

My feeling is, considering the questions you are asking, you'd be as well finding a local computer shop to advise you. Whilst there is a good deal of computer knowldege on this forum, we are primarily a photographic one and I wouldn't like to think of you getting into a bit of a mess with this proposed upgrade.

I'll move this to Classified Ads.

When I was selling the process I was taught was to sell the idea, then sell it again to make sure and then reassure the buyer that they have done the right thing. What some may be missing is the last phase of this - the affirmation that they are on the right track and haven't been duped into buying second best.

Canon and Nikon users get this affirmation all the time. Pentax, Leica, Olympus and Sony users don't, so sometimes maybe they waver.

However, if you're using an effective tool that you like for a purpose that you have defined, have confidence in your own judgement. You have done the right thing. Enjoy it.

We have a Pentax umbrella and the last of our 1970s "Simply hold a Pentax" mugs. We also have two unused Pentax pencils. And some cameras, lenses and accessories,

I can see from comments around the forum that some are beginning to understand how the bowl of petunias felt.

Carbon fibre is light, very strong, but also flexible. It does make good sense for tripods used in the field.

Wood is also a very good choice for tripods. Older ones might be MPP, but I seem to remember that Billingham also made one for a while.

Converter received safely, well packed and in superb condition.

Many thanks.

Results posted a few hours ago.

Pentax far outsells leica, so not really a comparison. But you're riught, the numbers don't matter so long as we are using what we want to and what we enjoy using.

Life's too short to bother about persuading non-users.

Don't be so hard on "Joe public" though - he may surprise you - he isn't behind the door with technology.