I'm not sure that is true.

As far as I am aware, RAW images, either .DNG or .PEF are effectively read only and can't be edited.

RAW conversion s/w needs to know how to de-mosaic the raw file. I'm not sure that they are clever enough to be able to re-write a mosaic'd file.

Well they are supposed to be the same lens, but I suspect one is an older model, although I don't know which.

To confuse things, there is now a 1:3.5 constant aperture version of this lens too.

Exactly right John. AWB is good at times, but I believe that using a fixed colour temperature is better.

EG: If you were to use AWB at a gig where numerous coloured lights are often used, AWB would have a hard/impossible job interpreting the changing scene correctly.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to that. I only use Lightroom because to me, it's about the most complete Raw Converter there is right now. I use it for 99.999% of my finished product, and I very rarely use Photoshop or any other digital wizardry.

I do have a trial update from Topaz Labs for their photoFXLab software and I'm going to experiment with that for a while. They are hoping to have fixed the 'missing EXIF' problem.

Horses for courses Smeggy. I prefer to fix my WB to daylight most of the time unless I want a warmer look to daylight images, then I set it to flash. Shooting indoors in artificial light, AWB can get it wrong quite often.

My example was just that, an example of how RAW files can be 'saved' later if some settings weren't quite right on the day.

RE: Pentax utility affecting RAW files, I don't think any RAW converter software makes changes to the original image file. Lightroom, for example, uses sidecar files and a database to hold the changes you make to an image. Hence the ability to undo all your changes at a later date if you want/need to.

I couldn't say what it is that is taking the extra time, except that the image displayed on the rear screen is a JPG image embedded in the RAW file. Maybe some processing is applied to that.

You are right, there is no point having any corrections set in-camera when shooting RAW, but if your camera can shoot RAW+, the plus is an additional JPG image which will have the corrections/adjustments applied.

Any and all corrections can be applied to a RAW file in post-processing, irrespective of whether or not any particular function was selected at the time of the shot. The RAW image is like film, you make the adjustments in development and printing, not in camera.

EG: you could shoot all day in sunlight, yet have the white balance set to something inappropriate for sunny conditions, like cool fluorescent light (6400K) for example (I've done it, once). With RAW images, you can just change the WB to sunny and the images take on the correct colours.

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing to understand about RAW files, both .DNG and .PEF, is that absolutely no processing is applied to them in camera. The RAW image is essentially straight from the sensor. Any adjustments or corrections are then down to you to accomplish with your chosen post-processing software.

Adobe Lightroom 4 is very good at handling chromatic aberrations (CA).

CA corrections etc. that are turned on in camera will only be applied to images saved in JPG format.

Sure, I define 'waste' as the practice of buying something like a third party grip when it's affordable, only to replace it later with the OEM one.

Used OEM equipment nowadays is undervalued already. A third party grip would be almost unsaleable in used condition. Hence, waste.

Why not just wait until one can afford the OEM one, either used or new.

Try this. I wouldn't waste my money on a third party grip.

I think the DA* SDM 55mm 1:1.4 lens beats 'em all in every respect, which is why I don't own a 'nifty fifty' any more, and I've owned most of them in the past, including a K 50mm 1:1.2 which I only really ever used wide open but could not get good results from it, an FA 50mm 1:1.4, and an A and an F 50mm 1:1.7.

Actually, I tell a lie, I have an M 50mm attached to my Super-A which will be swapped for an A version if I can find one at a decent (cheap) price.