You've got some dust on your sensor there.

I find that 90MB/s writes quickly enough in my K-3 so I'd recommend that as a minimum.

My understanding is that micro SD cards are less reliable than their full-sized counterparts due to the reduced size, but I've never had a card of either format fail on me. I avoid them for my cameras though and stick to reliable retailers selling well-known brands of full-sized SD cards, even though my local supermarket no longer stocks them, only the micros.

All Pentax's DSLRs that use AA batteries are very finnicky with which type of batteries they work with but I never had any problems with lithiums in my K200D.

SRS currently have an open-box 16-50/2.8 PLM for a reduced price in their e-bay shop. A K-3 III too.

I'm not fully aware of normal prices for 645 gear but I don't remember ever seeing an AF 645 lens for this price. 9.78 from 12 reviews over on the US site.

https://wycameras.com/collections/latest-stock/products/pentax-fa-645-200mm-f-4-...

Wow. They usually sell for around £20. Are you sure it didn't have an 85/1.8 or a 35/2 on the front of it?

I haven't seen the series (I've read the book, it's absolutely awful) but what you say reminds me of an episode in the last series of Game Of Thrones. Everything was set at night and it was so dark that it was barely possible to see anything. The director commented that this was his intention, I suppose to make it more realistic and maybe scary, but it went too far and was just annoying.

I don't think it has anything to do with the technology rather than good or bad judgement on how to use it.

The original DA* 16-50mm lens has always been a lemon - a very high rate of AF motor failure and sub-par optics. It's beyond me why anyone would buy it as Pentax should have replaced that model ten years ago.

The new model, with HD coatings and PLM motor, is reputed to be absolutely superb.

Well done! Some superb portraits there, you really have the eye for a good shot.

You might be as well off buying a broken or untested spares/repair Spotmatic from e-bay. Make sure the battery cover is there, a lot of bodies are missing them as they get lost easily.