I think the only manual Pentax SLR you will get in good condition and without any work needed will be a P30 or P30N. The difference is that the "N" has aperture priority and a better grip. You could probably get a perfectly good one for £15, that's the max I spent on my three P30s...

They're very, very good cameras, certainly the best cheap option. The only down-sides are the heavy shutter sound and the auto-ISO (which can be over-ridden if you know how).

For that price you probably won't get an MX (or anything of similar age) that has new seals and has recently been serviced. Seals will be around 30 quid more and a full service around 65. You should take this into account when buying an old manual SLR, though you could get lucky.

The MX is nice, but has no auto mode and is limited to 1/1000s. The ME Super is also very nice, but has no DoF preview and the buttons are not as nice as a dial for changing shutter speed.

The outer padding looks sufficient, but the dividers don't look very effective in stopping the lenses from knocking together.

I travel with Easyjet a lot and have never had a problem taking camera gear. It helps that there's no cabin baggage weight limit. I travel with DSLR, grip, a bunch of lenses and a film camera (or two). I have also travelled with DSLR and a 645 and lenses (which can be big).

Of course, I also check in a bag so I have space for clothes etc. For a long weekend I'd have to give it some extra thought and might have to go light with the photography gear if I could comfortably get away with just hand luggage.

I love the pictures you've posted here.

I have the A version of the 150mm and I like it a lot, it's a good focal length for portraits, though it might not give you the extra space around the subject that you have in the environmental shots above. I have been on the look-out for extension tubes for it (for closer portraits) but they're rare and very expensive.

I think I recall the FA version has closer focus though, so it may not be a problem.

Can I ask what close-up filters you've used in the images above?

Yes please. Especially with regards to small primes like DA ltds and M-series.

When I was looking for a wide angle the 14mm did get some nods but I decided against it due to size and I prefered a ltd (I eventually bought the 21mm).

The DA14 was quietly discontinued last year, I think it suffered too much from the great reputation of the 15mm ltd, but I feel that a fast wide prime is now missing from the lens line-up.

I was going to get one of these, I just got back this morning from a week in NY, but both big photogrpahy shops in the city were closed for passover as they are owned/run by jews. It's a shame as B&H is the only place I know of that stocks it and they want over $50 for UK delivery.

I've never ordered anything major, mostly lens caps etc. Everything that has arrived has been decent. I'm going to have to go to a proper shop for some good M42 caps because I'm tied of buying them and then they simply never arrive, even from sellers with good reviews.

I have two genuine adapters and wouldn't trust anything else. I once had a third party one stuck on the camera and had to have a camera repair technician remove it. Never again.