Many thanks!

All cameras using the rear screens have focus indicators on the screen - usually red squares that turn to green.

It's different from Live View also in that there's no need for the mirror to be locked up before it works. It should therefore be considerably quicker to employ.

Pa is referring to the limited deepth of field and this will be more and more limited the closer we get.

If you want as much in focus as possible, use the smallest aperture that's reasonable (start with f16 perhaps) and use a tripod as the shutter speed may well be quite slow.

What you are seeing is a law of optics, and that isn't going to change!

Sellers simply use the fact a filter has been on a lens as a selling point, and it is in the sense that it implies that they have kept their cleaning excesses off the lens and scratched the filter instead....

In fact, cleaning a lens should be very infrequent, but if it's going to be overdone then better it's overdone on the filter.

If the buyer believes it's an advantage, then it enhances the value of the lens.

The cloning is fine for an odd spot here and there, much better than spotting prints!

The K-01 screen has enough resolution to make it useful. After that, the limitation will be our own eyesight.

Fortunately, I'm short-sighted, which means that viewing a screen up close is no problem. To view in daylight I simply shield the screen with one hand, so again, no problem. Hoods can be bought to shield the screen and these are fixed on usually with velcro strips or similar.

But is it necessary to see the green hexagon, at least with an AF lens? There is an audible focus confirmation beep anyway.

The video output works fine with digital projectors, so it should work fine with a monitor or a TV with a suitable input.

I use this to demonstate the menu systems to a group.

Would a panel of "expert" judges approving the images make for anything better?

I suppose it comes down to the basic premise of the site. What is it for? If it's for Pentax photographers to share their images and have them selected by the votes of their peers that's one thing. If it's to be a salon of fine photography for advanced photographers, that's perhaps something else.

Pentax make a kit and others on here have their own favourite kits.

But first, has the camea's dust removal system helped?

It doesn't look like a sensor stain to me, more a bit of dust ot a hair fragment that is resting on the sensor. Use the dust removal feature, several times if necessary.

Failing that, a Rocket Blower may dislodge whatever it is.

Failing that, a cleaning kit or professional clean.