MZ-5N received in excellent condition and apparently fully working. Not sure when I'll get a roll of film through it...

Lens now sold.

Bump.

Glad to hear that everyone is happy. They really are great lenses.

I have an M 50mm f/1.7 lens in good condition for sale. I already have one of these so this one is surplus to requirements. As many will be aware, this is the biggest bargain around for the K mount: a small, superbly-performing lens that is extremely well built. It is sharper wide open than the 50 f/1.4 Pentax lenses. Colour and contrast are superb.

It's in very good cosmetic condition with only a couple of marks. The focus and aperture rings work smoothly. Optics are relatively clean for the age, with only a small amount of dust. I had thought it fungus-free but on inspection now, I have noticed a tiny (very tiny) amount of fungal coating damage on the inside of the front element, though there appears to be no fungus now. This is under the "i" of Asahi. The fungus appears to have been eliminated and I can't imagine it would affect the images, but I have adjusted the price accordingly. £20 posted, (first class).

It comes with third party front and rear caps and I'll throw in an old 49mm UV filter too.

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I think the MF body with the best ergonomics in the P30N. Older cmaeras are nicer overall to use but have much worse ergonomics.

Must-haves depend on what you like to photograph. I like portraits and travel more than anything.

I would regard the DA 35 ltd as the over-all best-performing lens. It produces really beautiful shots with a clarity that nothing else I've tried comes close to.

Beyond that, I'd say the venerable M 50mm f/1.7 is a must-have as it's so common, cheap and produces excellent results.

While I'd love another one, I already have an ME Super and can't justify another one, especially with another couple of recent 35mm SLRs I've purchased. Good luck with the sale, the ME Super is a very little camera.

I have done the same as you - starting with a DSLR and then moving to use film also. The P30N is a very good camera to start with, and probably the biggest bargain out there for 35mm. It doesn't have the traditional old camera look but it's solid, reliable and has virtually everything you'll want. It also has a P mode with A lenses, if you don't want to do everything manually.

I'd recommend developing your own B&W film from the start. Lab development can be expensive and the process can be enjoyable and allows you to push films as you want (though the P30N is not the best camera for this as you'll need to over-ride the ISO).

If you develop your own negatives then you will still need to either print them or scan them. I scan mine with an Epson V500, which isn't too bad, and costs around 150 quid new. If you don't want to start with this then lots of places will be able to scan them for you. If you decide to continue using film then it'll be cheaper to then get a scanner.

Don't go thinking that using film is cheap just because the camera costs a tenner. There's film, chemicals, equipment, scanning, not to mention the greater investment of your time.

Not much old, good glass out there at 400mm+ I think, but good luck. Some long Takumars were made, they're probably your best bet but they won't be very cheap and will be very heavy I imagine.