Thanks Gwyn, I hadn't noticed as I've never entered it.

You don't have to be a PU Plus member to enter competitions ro to have an opinion Charlotte. You're welcome to join in, with Pentax images of course.

Getting back to the point, very often there is an expectation that a wedding photographer needs lots of kit. This does not have to be so. What we need is backup and second backup, just in case.

What Ken does is eminently sensible and will suit his style. I no doubt have a different style. That's what people look for - a wedding photographer whose style suits and who they can afford. I know one wedding photographer who can charge up to £70,000 and his technique does not require masses of equipment either.

We got there!

You need to send a PM to PentaxDan on this one as this is a different sort of competition, run by the staff of PU.

Excellent shots. We haven't been on the boats yet, but should get round to that soon, it looks good.

Belt and braces. If you have to change a battery you still have a third if needed. That will mean there's always a spare, just in case there's a fault or an error.

Batteries can fail like anything else, or mistakes in the charging routine could be made.

When we shoot weddings we do everything possible to ensure that there is no failure that cannot be recovered from. So far it's not been necessary, which is of course good.

I'm sure that you realise what I mean by correct exposure. Correct exposure provides an accurate rendition of the tones of the original scene, as far as is possible.

The idea that there is no framework, no standard, no right way is unsustainable. We have certain inescapable properties of film and of digital sensors. Physics defines these, not me.

I think you are confusing the word rules with restrictions. Knowing the rules, and I use the word in a broad sense, enables us to break them intelligently. The alternative in not freedom of will, but pure chaos.

Interesting question, but I think there is no longer such a beast. Cameras don't have a long enough production run to be the mainstay of basic photography.

The Spotmatic was such a camera, and the K1000 after it. After that, there's nothing in the same category from any manufacturer.

Well, Smeggypants, if that's how you like to shoot and that's your style, fair enopugh. You go for it.

However, it's not the model I'd advocate that beginners try for. I would suggest that being able to operate a camera properly and produce a standard, correctly exposed result is a better place to start. After the techniques are mastered, then that's the time to spread out and develop a style.

In other words, break the rules by all means, but understand what the rules are.

As the 55-300mm is a better lens you could sell the 75-300mm. They go for reasonably good prices on eBay.