Very sorry indeed to hear that and please convey my condolences to the family.

To be fair, this is Pentax User, so recommending other makes isn't really in the brief. There are plenty of reviews on sister-site ePHOTOzine, but to be honest any of the similar cameras will do her fine.

I'm not sure that a casual user needs really to go to massive lengths to research this, she needs to handle a few cameras to see what suits her.

In terms of qualiy of results, there is only really one answer. I always wanted the 67, but had to settle for the 645 and the jump in quality is just not enough IMHO to justify the extra bulk and cost.

The 67 on the other hand is superb in every way. 35mm-style handling, the best viewfinder I have ever seen and staggeringly good results, a real quantum leap.

I susepct that a 645D would actually be a better option again, but that's outside your stated budget. And mine too.

I'd look on it as a waste of resources to have someone designing the system. As Steven says, it would be cracked. Probably within hours.

Better to be careful with our property.

Well you've found it now so no stopping you! I've moved this to general Chat though, because this isn't a photo!

Either Asahi Photo or Harrow Technical may be able to help.

I suspect that telephoto lenses with small apertures can sometimes disappoint because of aerial haze, camera shake and even the limited aperture being a challenge for the AF system.

Sue has taken some amazing telephoto shots with her 18-250mm.

Yes, shingles can be very unpleasant, so hope you feel better soon.

We don't have that problem with either of our K5 bodies, so maybe you have a lens problem?

Many camera systems use or have used Pentax lenses, including Alpa and Leica.