Yes, why do you ask?

Our K-5s just snap into focus with no problem at all, even in the dullest light.

I wonder what lenses you are using John, and whether the problem lies with the lenses?

Maybe it's the wrong question Pete, as 4/3 cameras are generally intended for a different purpose to the K-5.

The question I have is how can the Olympus E-5 have a smaller sensor than the Pentax K-5 and yet end up more bulky and much heavier...that to me doesn't make sense.

Then we move to thinking about any APS-C DSLR, which requires carrying in a camera bag along with its lenses. Then the 4/3 CSCs require carrying in a camera bag, along with their lenses. There's no difference in advantage or disadvantage and it depends what you like. People buy things because they want them as well as because they need them.

So where does the K-01 fit into this? You might fancy a bright yellow camera, you might like using LiveView, at least you can utilise all the Pentax DSLR lenses. It is slightly less bulky than a K-r, but not IMHO significantly so. What it will do is knock for six the 4/3 opposition in terms of image quality.

It's all a moot point perhaps.

Not the only point Chris, but certainly one way to consider it.

I showed the bag with camera + three lenses to my brother-in-law and his wife and they immediately wanted one. They thought it would be fantastic for air travel, the whole lot weighing in at just 500g. No doubt many others will latch onto that as another possible path.

They should be fine with the lens, but there could be a problem with the meter switch. These were a weak point and often caused problems. Try turning the meter off manually by pushing the switch down before you take the shot and see if that cures the problem. Maybe with a bit of encouragement it will ease up a little.

If you want to be strictly accurate you could do a custom white balance and incident light metering for every shot. That would require a separate meter.

Otherwise, if the light was consistent then you would need to meter correctly, reducing exposure for dark subjects and increasing exposure for light ones.

In a studio setting the same manual exposure could be used for every shot as the light will be repeatable.

Very nice indeed, a real gem. Well done, have fun with it!

Nice timing and captures - do have a look at levels in Photoshop, as those greens hurt the eyes. This is often a result of over-contrasty or overexposed images. Green needs very careful handling with digital images to make it look realistic.

Out of my price range....

It's a good idea, but I always find a bargain and then I jump in quick while it's available, so it probably makes sense for more considered purchases to rent first.

I suppose it depends how much the rental is, as that would need to be factored into the final cost, as opposed to buying and then perhaps reselling on Ebay if it didn't suit.

Actually, on reflection there's a period of time during which items can often be returned anyway.